DEET:  Learn from my mistake!

I found this out the hard way.  Try not to make the same mistake I did!

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In Arkansas, ticks are a real problem and prior to going out into the field, I always preach about use of insect repellent for protection.  I knew that DEET can have a detrimental effect on plastics, so I am careful not to spray it near a compass.  But I didn't think about contamination.  If you spray your legs for instance and subsequently touch the area you sprayed, you might as well have sprayed it directly on your hands because now your hand is contaminated.  Unless you wash your hands first, subsequently touching your compass bezel will ruin it.  Want to know how I know this????

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Check out the bezel where the azimuths are supposed to be.  The azimuths are blurred and in some areas gone.  This is now an "ex-"compass.  It's now garbage thanks to DEET exposure.  So don't do what I did!