RID™ Tropical Strength Insect Repellent Roll-On (Safari & Travel)

Elements and activities – RID™ Tropical Strength Insect Repellent Roll-On (Safari & Travel)

Quick Facts: ⊙ Size: 100ml; ⊙ Repels mosquitoes for 6hrs; ⊙ Repels flies, sandflies, fleas, leeches, ticks & other biting insects; ⊙ Antibacterial; ⊙ Roll-on application; ⊙ Safe 19.5% DEET content (see our section on 'The More DEET the better?' below)

Activities: ⊙ Safari✓ ⊙ Travel✓ ⊙ Outdoors✓ ⊙ Everyday✓ ⊙ Beach trips✓ ⊙ Camping✓ ⊙ Hiking✓ ⊙ Adventure travel✓ ⊙ Fishing✓ ⊙ Picnics✓ ⊙ Outdoor sports and hobbies✓ ⊙ Expeditions✓

Why We Highly Recommend RID™:

RID™ is the ultimate insect repellent available today. Packing RID™ Tropical Strength for your adventure is the wise choice. We never leave for warm weather destinations without it - here in a handy roll-on bottle. Why pack RID™? The answer to that is very simple: because IT WORKS! RID™ will protect you from all biting bugs (mosquitoes, sand flies midges, ticks, fleas, and tsetse flies), mosquito-borne diseases, and those pesky flies, ants, and leeches, just as it has been doing since 1956. RID™ also contains two additional repellents, including a fly repellent, that other insect repellents do not include in their formulae. Furthermore, RID™ contains antiseptic to kill a wide range of bacteria (introduced by the insect bite or by scratching the area around the bite) which helps to stop the spread of infection. The range is medicated too and contains Vitamin E for moisturising, Chamomile for its soothing relief, and Triclosan (an anti-bacterial/inflammatory agent). Size of Bottle: 100ml.

RID™ 19.5% Tropical Strength formula, as stocked by The Safari Store, lasts for at least 6 hours (tests show it is usually between 7 and 8) due to its additional repellent and synergists that extend the length for which the product is effective.

Choice Magazine conducted independent tests on 15 leading insect repellent brands to test the efficacy and duration of protection as stated on their packaging. These tests were performed four times per product on a group of men and women aged between 18 and 70, with readings taken at intervals between 15 minutes and three hours after application. RID™ ranked highest with an impressive 98% score and a recommendation for excellent protection.

⊙ AVOID BEING BITTEN: If you are travelling to a malaria area, you will need to take insect repellent as one of the precautions against being bitten (and bite relief in case any other flying insects bite you). The best way to avoid malaria and insect bites is to cover up in the evenings and use insect repellent. In some areas of the world, you may also find that flying and biting insects are active throughout the day. This is where applying a high-quality insect repellent which works is very important.

⊙ THE MORE DEET THE BETTER?: This is simply not true. We have to be honest and say that, for a year or so, we believed that this was true - until we discovered and tested RID™ repellent, that is. The Australian scientists who created RID™ have debunked the "more DEET the better" myth bandied about by most insect repellent manufacturers (usually for marketing purposes). The makers of RID™ have proven through extensive tests that the effectiveness of the insect repellent does not increase once the level of DEET rises above 20%. What does increase is how long the product lasts on the skin. A standard 20% DEET repellent will usually last 4 to 5 hours. A product with 80% DEET will last for 8 to 10 hours. RID™ 19.5% Tropical Strength formula, as stocked by The Safari Store, lasts for at least 6 hours (tests show it is usually between 7 and 8) due to its additional synergists that extend the length for which the product is effective. Through RID™'s own research, levels then have to jump to over 70% DEET to attain between 8 and 10 hours’ protection. DEET at high concentrations is highly corrosive to your precious camera gear and binoculars - and to your skin! The World Health Organisation and most medical authorities recommend that DEET products be below 50% as levels higher than this are known to cause severe skin irritation.

⊙ KIDS & SENSITIVE SKIN: It is recommended that DEET products for children and infants be a maximum of 7% (which is the level of the Kids RID™ product). Having said that, in more than half a century of RID™'s history, they have not received any complaints regarding skin irritation across their range and Kids RID™ is the only product specifically available for children.

⊙ WHY IS RID™ SO EFFECTIVE?: The success of RID™ insect repellent lies within the formula. Invented in the paddocks of tropical Queensland, RID™ has been perfected since it was initially released in 1956. The active ingredients in RID™ produce an invisible chemical barrier around and on the body and clothes on to which it is applied, repelling incoming insects. RID™ will protect you from all biting bugs (mosquitoes, sand flies, midges, ticks, fleas, and even tsetse flies), mosquito-borne diseases, and those pesky flies, ants and leeches, just as it has been doing for more than 50 years. RID™ also contains two additional repellents, including a fly repellent, that other insect repellents do not include in their formulae. Furthermore, RID™ contains antiseptic to kill a wide range of bacteria (introduced by the insect bite or by scratching the area around the bite) which helps stop the spread of infection. The range is medicated too and contains vitamin E for moisturising, chamomile for its soothing relief, and Triclosan (an anti-bacterial/inflammatory agent).

⊙ HOW LONG DOES RID™ LAST?: The shelf life of RID™ is 4 to 5 years. Rather take an extra bottle with you than run the risk of running out while in areas with biting insects.

⊙ SPRAY OR ROLL-ON?: The RID™ Roll-on and RID™ Spray are of the same formula. The roll-on is a milky liquid and the spray is a clear liquid. The spray is a more popular seller as it is easier to apply and may be sprayed on to your clothing as well as on to your skin. As you will see below, the roll-on is more effective against tsetse flies, but we have had success in tsetse fly bite prevention with both the spray and the roll-on.

⊙ THE RID™ STORY: RID™ began where all insect repellents should begin: not in a sterile laboratory, but in a swamp! Founder Doug Thorley started with the intention to create "an insect repellent that's pleasant to wear, soothing to the skin, and medicated for existing bites." To realise his dream, he researched with obsessive determination; he tested night after night for years. It was reported to the Brisbane police that a strange man was in the swamp with a dog. Doug was the original human guinea pig: standing in those murky waters being eaten alive night after night, taking notes, testing new lotions, until finally the formula was perfected. He wouldn't market anything if it hadn’t been tested on his skin first. His product was DEET-based - a chemical used by American soldiers in the Pacific during World War II. It worked extremely well but had an offensive odour. His kitchen research, with his wife's cosmetic cream, finally paid off. After more than 3,000 hours testing in the field, he was ready to sell a product that repelled insects, but with a pleasant scent. From day one in 1956, it was a hit. Soon, RID™ was being invited to picnics, beaches, barbeques, and outdoor adventures across the country. The familiar purple-magenta packs could be found in handbags and medicine cabinets everywhere. It would seem that Doug Thorley shared the notion of "Expedition Tested™" with The Safari Store a long time before our founder was even born. We believe it was Doug's hands-on, field-tested approach which has meant that no other insect repellent since RID™ has even come close to offering the same high level of efficacy against biting insects. We won't use any other repellent - and believe that you shouldn't either.

⊙ RID™ & TSETSE FLIES: We are very interested in the RID vs tsetse fly debate. From our findings and independent tests in Ruaha National Park, Katavi National Park, Mana Pools National Park, and in Botswana (before tsetse flies were removed with DDT), RID™ Tropical Strength Roll-on was found to provide 100% protection against the tsetse flies in those areas for one hour after application. The roll-on was applied in copious amounts and re-applied after each hour. Again, these are not our findings, but the finding of guides, tour operators, and lodge managers in the areas listed. But - and there is a ‘but’ - we have not tested RID™ in all areas of Africa, nor do we have control over how RID™ is applied and how often. Our research has shown that there are 25 species of tsetse fly in Africa and, of course, we have not tested RID™ against each of those species. Therefore, please do let us know if you have used RID™ in the following way and were still been bitten by tsetse flies:
1. Applied RID™ Tropical Strength Roll-on in copious amounts;
2. Re-applied RID™ Tropical Strength Roll-on at least once every hour and, again, in copious amounts;
3. RID™ had not been removed from your skin by sweating or towelling down.
Our interest is sincere. The findings so far on RID™ have been very positive but, given the number of species and varying conditions, we have to be realistic and accept that RID™ may not work in all conditions and for all species. It would, perhaps, be fair to state that the only 100% protection from the tsetse fly would be to go on safari in a bee keeper's suit. Along with burning dung and using smoke pots in the Land Rover while on safari (neither of which provide 100% protection), this is simply not practical. As a result, our research into RID™ vs the tsetse fly continues. Please ensure that you do not pack dark blue or black clothing as these colours are thought to attract the flies and their bites are painful. The Rufiji™ safari clothing range is all the ideal colour and RID™ is the only repellent proven to work against these flies which carry sleeping sickness and have a painful bite.

⊙ FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION: Combine RID™ with our BUGTech™ range of clothing.

Please pack RID™ as you would any other toiletries. When you pack RID™ and your toiletries you should always try and remove excess air from the bottle, tighten the lid as much as you can, and pack into a zip-lock type bag. Cabin pressure and rough handling of your luggage by airport staff may result in your toiletries leaking, and the same is true for RID™.