The Critter Defense Guide:
Best Camping Insect Repellent & Tactics (2026)

There is a specific sound that haunts every Australian camper.

It’s not the howl of a dingo. It’s the scritch-scratch of a possum trying to open your Esky at 2 AM.

Or worse: it’s the silence of waking up, pouring a bowl of Nutri-Grain, and realizing the “raisins” are actually 500 meat ants swarming your breakfast.

Australia is beautiful, but let’s be real: half the wildlife wants to eat your food, and the other half wants to eat you. If you don’t have the best camping insect repellent and a solid strategy, your relaxing holiday will turn into a battle for survival.

I’ve spent years fighting this war. I’ve had ants invade my car, mozzies carry off my children (almost), and kookaburras steal sausages right off the BBQ fork.

Here is the Pack and Pitch Critter Defense Strategy, the gear, the chemicals, and the tactics that actually work.

The Air Force – Mozzies, Midges & Sandflies

These guys are the morale killers. You can handle rain, you can handle wind, but being eaten alive at dusk will send you home early.

1. The “Force Field”: Thermacell

Forget citronella candles. They are useless. They just smell nice while the mozzies feast on your ankles. The only area repellent that actually works is Thermacell.

It uses a butane cartridge to heat up a little blue mat soaked in allethrin (a synthetic version of a chrysanthemum extract). It creates a 20m² zone of protection.

• The Dad Verdict: We turn this on 15 minutes before sunset. We sit around it like a campfire. It is the single best piece of camping tech I own.
• Which one? Get the MR300 Portable. It’s rugged, runs on butane (no charging needed), and can take a beating.

2. The “Smart” Spray: Picaridin

For years, DEET was king. But DEET has a major flaw: it melts plastic. If you spray high-strength DEET on your hands and touch your sunglasses, fishing reel, or expensive Gore-Tex rain jacket, it will dissolve them.

That is why I have switched the family to Picaridin.

• The Science: It is just as effective as DEET against mosquitoes and sandflies, but it is odorless, non-greasy, and has low toxicity.
• Why buy it: It’s safe for the kids, and it won’t ruin your gear.
• Product Pick: Aerogard Odourless or Off! Family Care. Look for the “Tropical Strength” versions to ensure you get enough active ingredient (around 20%).

3. The “Natural” Option (That Actually Works)

Most “natural” remedies (lavender, tea tree, wristbands) are total rubbish against hungry Aussie mozzies. The Exception: Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE).

• The Verdict: This is the only plant-based repellent recommended by health authorities (CDC). It works well, but it smells very strong and isn’t recommended for kids under 3 (can irritate eyes).

4. Pro Tip: Treat the Gear, Not the Skin

If you hate spraying chemicals on yourself, treat your clothes instead. You can buy a spray called Permethrin.

1. Hang up your camping clothes (shirts, pants, socks) in the backyard.
2. Spray them with Permethrin until damp.
3. Let them dry completely.

The Result: It creates a barrier that kills ticks and mozzies on contact. The protection lasts for about 6 washes. You get 90% of the protection without putting a drop of chemical on your skin. (Note: Liquid Permethrin is toxic to cats while wet. Keep Fluffy inside until the clothes are dry!)

The Ground Assault – Ants

Ants are the silent killers of camping joy. You won’t know they are there until you open your pantry box and find thousands of them swarming your Tim Tams.

The Perimeter Defense: The Coopex Hack

This is a secret pro-campers use. Go to the hardware store (or check Amazon) and get a sachet of Coopex Residual Insecticide.

1. Mix the powder with water in a spray bottle.
2. Spray a circle around your tent, your car tyres, and the caravan jockey wheel.
3. Let it dry.

It creates an invisible barrier. Ants walk over it and die. It lasts for weeks.

The “Oh No, They’re Here” Solution: Ant Sand

Always keep a shaker of Ant Sand or Ant Rid in the glovebox. If you spot a trail leading up your table leg, dust the base of the leg. It stops the reinforcements instantly.

Dad Hack: Ants often climb up the power cord connecting your car/van to the site power pole. Dust the cord with talcum powder (baby powder). They can’t grip the powder and slide right off.

Special Ops – Possums, Currawongs & Kookaburras

Australian birds are not cute Disney creatures. They are tactical masterminds. A Kookaburra will wait until you turn your head to sip your beer, then dive-bomb your sausage sandwich with surgical precision.

Possums are worse. They have thumbs. They can unzip zippers.

The Strategy: Hard Targets Only

1. No Bags Overnight: Never leave a garbage bag or a soft grocery bag outside overnight. A possum will shred it in seconds.
2. The “Wolf Pack” Rule: All food must be in Hard, Latching Storage Tubs.
   • I use clear tubs with side-locking handles (like These Heavy Duty Ones). If it doesn’t click shut, a possum will pry it open.
3. The Car is the Vault: If you are in bear country (or Wombat country, they are basically boulders with legs), put the food tubs inside the car at night.

The Decoy Trap (Don’t Do It)

Do not feed the birds. I repeat: Do not feed the birds. Once you give a Cockatoo a cracker, he will tell his 50 loudest friends. They will arrive at 5:30 AM and scream at your tent until you surrender more crackers.

The Annoyance – Bush Flies

There is no chemical solution for the Australian Bush Fly. They don’t bite; they just want to crawl into your eyes, nose, and mouth to drink the moisture. They are relentless.

The Only Solution: The Head Net

Yes, you will look like a dork. No, you won’t care.

When the flies are bad, a $15 Mosquito Head Net is the best investment you will ever make. Wear it over a broad-brimmed hat so the mesh doesn’t touch your face.

Pro Tip: If you are trying to eat lunch and the flies are swarming, buy a Pop-Up Food Cover (the mesh umbrella things). Put one over your plate between bites. It’s civilized dining in a war zone.

Remember – Leave No Trace

While we are defending our turf, remember we are guests in their living room.

• Don’t spray chemicals on the grass/plants (it kills everything).
• Don’t leave poisoned bait out where possums/birds can eat it.
• Pack up your rubbish. If you leave scraps, you are inviting the critters back for the next campers.

Now, go zip up your tent.

Ready for Battle? Your Critter Defense Checklist

Don’t get to the campsite and realize you forgot the one thing that stops the ants eating your breakfast. Here is the quick shopping list to grab on Amazon right now.

• [ ] 1. The “Force Field”
  • Grab: Thermacell MR300 Portable
  • Why: Keeps the mozzies away from the camp chairs without the smoke.
• [ ] 2. The “Smart” Spray
  • Grab: Aerogard Odourless (Picaridin)
  • Why: Safe for the kids, won’t melt your sunglasses, and actually works.
• [ ] 3. The Ant Barrier
  • Grab: Coopex Residual or Ant Sand
  • Why: Sprinkle it around the tent legs and tires to stop the invasion.
• [ ] 4. The Possum Vault
  • Grab: Heavy Duty Latching Tubs
  • Why: If it doesn’t click shut, a possum will open it.
• [ ] 5. The Sanity Saver
  • Grab: Mosquito/Fly Head Net
  • Why: You will feel silly buying it, but you will feel like a genius wearing it when the flies arrive.