Ah, the age-old conundrum when you're spending time outdoors in the summer: wanting to be free of mosquitos, but hating the overpowering stink of bug sprays and citronella candles (if they even manage to work at all).

I recently came across a more elegant solution to this problem: the Thermacell MR300, a portable doodad that forms a 15-foot anti-mosquito zone by using butane fuel and a tiny internal flame to gently heat a small d-Allethrin repellent pad. The cartridge lasts for up to 12 hours, while each pad lasts up to four — you'll know the pad is ready to be swapped out when it changes from blue to white.

A couple of my friends showed this gizmo to my wife and I, and we were genuinely surprised how well it works. On top of that, you can't smell it running at all unless you place your nose right up to the vent.

You almost wouldn't notice it's running at all, except that after a few minutes you find yourself being left alone by otherwise bothersome mosquitos. Not to mention how you can easily take the small unit just about anywhere (except maybe aboard a plane).

Give this thing a shot, you might be pleasantly surprised. They've got a few colors of the Thermacell MR300 to choose from:

• Olive Green ($19)
• Black ($22)
• Gray + Orange ($24)
• “Hi Vis” Green ($26)

I believe the company sells larger versions of this technology as well, but I haven't tried them yet.