This year, I discovered that applying sunscreen also works to repel biting flies.

It's August so I thought I would pass on a tip. It's a very effective way of dealing with biting flies....I call it "time to turn invisible". And yes it's in quotes because I mumble it out loud to myself halfway into setting up camp on a hot afternoon. Also handy when those smart@#$ little flies bite through your socks or the back of your legs while paddling.

Get one of those all mesh cheap pair of mesh pants. (The tops are useless). They weigh practically nothing and are very inexpensive. My pair is green and they puff out like something like Genie (Barbara Eden....I Dream Of Genie ) would wear. Probably marketed as some kind of mosquito suit but that's mostly nonsense.

I match the green puffy mesh pants with a green top and suddenly I'm much less attractive to the winged menace. They trap a little heat but way better than pants, especially if there is a slight breeze. I have proven it to myself over and over again. They seem cheap but I have had my pair for well over 10 years. Give it a try.