Bug spray on felt

[squidkidd]

Is this a bad idea? Does anyone have any experience using bug spray on an Indy hat? Will it destroy the fibers or bleach the color? Something I thought of today I might like to try on my AB when it arrives (should be soon now) since I'll be wearing it outside this summer a lot. Surprisingly it looks like this is one idea that has not been discussed in this forum yet.

[Erri]

err... Hello and welcome on board. I have a counter question... why shoud you spry that on your felt hat???

Never heard of mosquitos pinching the felt hats

[squidkidd]

Spraying hats with bug spray is fairly common from my experience at least. It can get really annoying to have a swarm of tiny flying insects buzz around your head, so putting bug spray on wide brim hats especially gives your head a small bubble of protection. I'm not much of a fan of bug spray in general and i'd much rather put it on my hat than on my head (though being an AB I could have a sudden change of heart )

[J_Weaver]

Personally, I wouldn't.

It might not hurt the felt, but you'd smell like bug spray everywhere you went.

[Michaelson]

Agreed. I've never had the need to ever do that myself, and I've lived from Ohio to Southern Florida, and worn fur felt hats year round.

Regards! Michaelson

[Erri]

YOu can always spray it on your face (that's what the spray is made for ) saving your face from bubbles and your hat from a possible destroy.

[Fedoraman]

...saving your face from bubbles...

What is a face bubble?

[J_Weaver]

...saving your face from bubbles...

What is a face bubble?

I think thats Italian for bug bites!

Right Erri!?

[Bufflehead Jones]

If you want to keep the bugs away, buy an adventure shirt and pants from Orvis or LLBean with Buzz Off. Then you don't have to put bug spray on your AB.

[binkmeisterRick]

Kids LOVE bubbles!

(Sound of terrified children) AAAAAHHHHH!!!! BUBBLES!!!!!!!

[Bufflehead Jones]

...saving your face from bubbles...

What is a face bubble?

I think that is what happens when you open the Ark and look at it.

[Erri]

ZAC!
and then... bubble

[Ken]

I did it before when going through the Sahara - I didn't notice it causing any ill effects although I did have a DEET spray corrode a watch before - which is disconcerting when the stuff is designed to be sprayed directly on your skin.

To be fair though my hat is and was beat up before and after using bug spray so not sure I would really have noticed the difference if it is/was damaging it.

Ken

[Fedoraman]

ZAC!
and then... bubble

Ahhhh!

[s7eng]

I would try PERMETHRIN before I'd try a deet product. I've used it on clothing and have not seen any ill effects.

[ShanghaiJack]

It's funny, because I was just thinking about this the other day but never got around to posting it!

I agree that I would probably not be willing to spray anything with deet on my hat, but I might spray it with a non-deet repellant.

I don't really mind swarms of insects clouding my vision, but I really detest ticks. If I do spray it I'll make sure to check for any damage it, hopefully doesn't, do.

[Castor Dioscuri]

I'm resurrecting this thread because I have the same question, albeit different context.

Is it safe to spray pesticide on a fedora? Not a bug repellant, mind you, but one of those pest killing sprays?

Every time I've ever worn a fedora in warmer weather, I'd always unbox it to a hat full of holes. Once, I even saw a moth come flapping out of the box. Once on a road trip to Tennessee in the summer, and once in the Bahamas in the spring. Both hats were moth eaten on the brim.

I can't abide by the lingering smell of mothballs, and studies have shown inconclusive results as to the effectiveness of cedar (both hats were stored in boxes full of cedar blocks), so I do wonder if bug spray is the way to go? Maybe as a preventative measure, or maybe even as a treatment before storage?

The major downside I could think of is the inherent danger of wearing all those chemicals on your head, which, granted, is a pretty major one, but if one is careful and avoids the liner, maaaybe this won't be as bad? Although that still leaves your hands handling the hat unaccounted for...

But anyway, thoughts? I'm just a bit miffed that every time I've tried wearing my hats in warmer weather, they always end up full of holes.

[BendingOak]

I would not suggest bug spray that would kill bugs would not be so great on your hat for you to breath. I'm not sure what it would do to the felt. If your storing your hats. I suggest getting something better then cardboard box ( moth eat right though cardboard) I'm sorry but I'm going to have to brag a bit here but the boxes I use are acid free recycled chip board that are finished with a few different materials. No need for mothballs or cedar ( which cedar doesn't work unless it's moist/wet). No moth can eat though it or get into them.

[Adventure Dog]

No moth can eat though it or get into them.

Sounds a bit like Matthew 6:19 to me.

I didn't know that about your hat boxes. Makes sense to me to have a high quality hat box for a high quality hat!

[ChrisMD]

Any hatbox that isn't cardboard or super thin will do just fine. You don't need bug spray or unicorn boxes. Just check on it every now and then, and you'll be A ok.

[Indiana Jeff]

John knows what he's talking about. Sarah's Hat Boxes are the best out there. http://www.sarahshatboxes.com/#sthash.lJM5BW7k.dpbs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have eight myself. The best thing is they have so many choices I have a different color/material for each hat so I color coded the boxes to the hats.



Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Adventure Dog]

No moth can eat through it or get into them.

Sounds a bit like Matthew 6:19 to me.

Didn't any of you guys ever go to Sunday School?

[BendingOak]

You guys do know I'm typing most of my post by iPhone with gloves on while working. I make mistakes easily. But I do like all the comments it gets when I do.

[BendingOak]

Any hatbox that isn't cardboard or super thin will do just fine. You don't need bug spray or unicorn boxes. Just check on it every now and then, and you'll be A ok.

But with my unicorn boxes you don't have to check on them.

[BendingOak]

John knows what he's talking about. Sarah's Hat Boxes are the best out there. http://www.sarahshatboxes.com/#sthash.lJM5BW7k.dpbs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have eight myself. The best thing is they have so many choices I have a different color/material for each hat so I color coded the boxes to the hats.



Regards,

Indiana Jeff

thanks Jeff, thanks a lot.

[Indiana Jeff]

John, you shared this information back in 2009 so thank you.


http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42362" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;




Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Castor Dioscuri]

John, I'll have to look into getting one of your hatboxes, or at least an upgrade from mine. Didn't realize how limited the shipping boxes were, but it makes sense.

With that said, I guess my original question was more along the lines of how to prevent moths from laying their eggs in the felt in the first place? I do have quite a few woolens, knits, hats, etc stashed around, however the only items that ever seem affected were the two aforementioned hats. I really think it was from wearing hats at night in buggy Tennessee and the Bahamas as I've never had a moth problem outside of that. This led me to conclude that the fedoras probably picked up moth eggs when they were worn outside in warm weather, which would mean getting a really nice box, while isolating the problem, would still mean sacrificing a hat to a moth.

Only thing I can think of is possibly brushing a hat, but I'm not sure how effective that would be in dealing with potential larvae.

[Indiana Jeff]

I don't know much about the life cycle of moths, but I wouldn't think they would lay eggs on a hat while it is being worn. Now, if you were in an environment where moths were plentiful and didn't have a way to protect your hat, I suppose they could lay the eggs when you've taken the hat off for the night.

That being the case, I would think brushing your hat nightly/daily would be a line of defense.



Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Castor Dioscuri]

I suppose you're right, moths probably avoid motion, looks like I'll have to start brushing my hats, or get them on one of those perpetual motion devices!