Not the stuff in the can, the stuff in the small plastic pumpspray bottle. It's only about 4" long and 1 1/2" across. It contains 95% DEET and 5% related toluamides (whatever the heck those are)
The label says 100% Repellent and is supposed to have up to 8 hours protection agains Mosquitos, Black Flies, Chiggers, Tick, Fleas and Gnats.
It works great for me and I can usually buy it off the shelf near the sunscreen at the local drugmart and in the camping equipment area of other kinds of stores.
You are right about the other stuff in the can. It is only 27% DEET, so it really pays to read the labels. Once I couldn't find the little pumpspray bottles cuz it was mid-winter. I bought the can thinking it was the same thing just not as easy to get into a baggie and well . . . 27% just doesn't work like 95% does.
Now all that said, I was just reading where anything more than 50% offers no more equivalent protection, so is overkill and may be harmful to your health. The amount of DEET in the product dictates how long it will last, as I understood it. And so of course, we don't want to be applying it all day and all night, so going with the longer active product is more convenient. When we use the lesser DEET percents, the effectiveness doesn't last as long. So possibly the 27% DEET product works just as well as the 100% DEET product, however, it quits being effective long before the higher concentrate does. Therefore, we end up with bites after an hour or two and think that the 27% product wasn't working. Apparently, there are some new products out (I don't know which ones) that contain 33% DEET and are also supposed to be effective for up to 8 hours.
[This message has been edited by seashell (edited 04-30-2002).]