This is from the 2nd annual Tucson Furs camping trip (see the journal).

In the middle of our camping trip, I suddenly started to ear rice krispies going off in my right ear. Little irregular pops & poundings that came & went. It was driving me crazy---I was convinced there was a bug in my ear, tap-dancing on my eardrum. Everyone else was convinced I was insane.

I tried stretching my ear out, I tried shaking my head, I tried getting it out with a bamboo ear-scraper, to no avail. It wasn't until I was wise enough to tilt my ear skyward that I got results. I felt the damned thing creeping up my ear-channel & started freaking out.

 DOPR5 thought he'd humor me & look, saw something indeed was creeping outen my ear, & then did the only sensible thing to do in such a situation.

Squished remains suggest it was a gnat.

On scrap paper with micron