Smidge That Midge insect repellent review

First thoughts

Heading to Scotland on a staycation? Stash a bottle of Smidge That Midge in your backpack. This repellent is created by the makers of the Scottish Midge Forecast (where you can check the prevalence of midges on a given day), so they definitely know a thing or two about Scotland’s most annoying mini residents.

This spray sets out to do one thing – repel midges – and it does so effectively. Other testers report that it works against mosquitoes abroad, too. Smidge That Midge contains no DEET, instead using Picaridin agents that also work against mosquitoes, horse flies, sand flies, fleas and ticks.

The lack of DEET means it’s suitable for use on children, too.

• Best insect repellents: our guide to the best you can buy
• How to avoid bites and stings on the trail
• Ready for your next adventure? Consult our camping checklist

In the field

We’ve used Smidge multiple times when hiking in Scotland and found it to be very effective. The only way you are likely to get bitten is if you miss a spot – although you might still need to arm yourself with a midge net when they’re really out in force, and Smidge sell those too, (along with tick removers).

There’s less than a wee chance of the little blighters biting when you’re armed with all this. In terms of convenience, the slim bottle is easy to pop in your pocket, and the spray is water resistant enough to stay put if you sweat, and lasts all day (well, at least 8 hours) with one reapplication.

The standout feature of Smidge that Midge is the lovely smell – it has a mild, very pleasant scent that you could quite easily mistake for a summery perfume, which is a far cry from most medicinal-smelling insect repellents. It goes on with a watery cream texture, but dries fast, and leaves a slight sheen on skin that isn’t sticky.