somehow (touch wood) i never ended up bitten by a tick growing up in SC, running around the Blue Ridge in NC, nor ever in any of the outdoor/camp musicfests (looking at you Bonnaroo). That said....
not a hippie, but never cared for crazy sprays and whatnot. Actually, I had thought that DEET had practically been banned. It's quite popular in Thailand and Indonesia as it is thought to be one of the few things to fend off super mosquitos that may or may not carry Zika (some mild paranoia there).

So. What I've used with some great success is tea tree oil (mentioned earlier in the thread) as well as garlic tablets. Now...I don't know that garlic tablets actually work, but i was sans ticks several times during the thick of them when other fellow campers were picking them off left and right.

Thoughts on these or other natural remedies?