Clothing that's supposed to have insect repellent built in and good up to 50 washings or something. I saw some ExOfficio brand with the Insect Shield a couple of years ago and was wondering if they worked. I hate how putting on insect repellent makes my hands feel all grimy and the smell doesn't seem to leave, making me nervous about handling food. And biting insects are the one thing that I hate, hate, hate, about the outdoors. I seem to react more to their bites than others too, and of course it seems as if I attract them more than others.
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Has anyone worn those Insect Shield clothing?
- Thread starter Grapevine
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I have not used them, but I question how well they work. They are permethrin based and kill insects that linger on the clothing for long periods. However, if you are going to be wearing clothing anyhow, why not get dense nylon fabric that prevents the bugs from biting through? I don't see how these clothes will stop biting insects from getting you around the neck or wrists or exposed skin.
The very fact that the impregnated pesticide remains on your clothing for an extended period of time and survives washes has to do with the fact that it has very low volatility and hydrophobicity. In other words the critters who get killed must come into direct contact with the clothing. They aren't going to bite you if they are on clothing anyhow. The pesky little bugger singing in your ear is going to continue to do so unless she decides to land on your clothes and take nibble there. So in the end, you will still end up using repellent for your hands and face unless you decide to cover those parts of you as well.
An exception where this might work well is for ticks who tend to crawl up your clothing after jumping onto you from vegetation. They would have a long exposure to the clothing and probably die en route to your tender jugular.
The very fact that the impregnated pesticide remains on your clothing for an extended period of time and survives washes has to do with the fact that it has very low volatility and hydrophobicity. In other words the critters who get killed must come into direct contact with the clothing. They aren't going to bite you if they are on clothing anyhow. The pesky little bugger singing in your ear is going to continue to do so unless she decides to land on your clothes and take nibble there. So in the end, you will still end up using repellent for your hands and face unless you decide to cover those parts of you as well.
An exception where this might work well is for ticks who tend to crawl up your clothing after jumping onto you from vegetation. They would have a long exposure to the clothing and probably die en route to your tender jugular.
Well, from testimonials it sounds like the clothing isn't for killing insects that get on you so much as for repelling them from coming close to you in the first place. I don't know if it's hype or not but supposedly it repels them enough that you don't need all of your body to be covered. Like having a hat and shirt will protect your exposed neck and face too.
I've been bitten by mosquitoes through my clothing. I don't know if I smell so tasty that they put extra effort in trying to snack on me. T-shirts won't protect me where the shirt lays close to my skin, like on the upper shoulders, back, and chest. And button shirts are too uncomfortable to me in the summer. I need the stretchy knit weave material that T-shirts are made from. Unfortunately those fabrics offer the least type of protection. But I've even been bitten by mosquitoes through a pair of jeans, which surprised the heck out of me until I realized that their proboscis probably are thinner than the jean's weave.
So if these clothing actually repel biting insects within a certain distance instead of just repelling on contact, then they'd be totally worth it for me.
I've been bitten by mosquitoes through my clothing. I don't know if I smell so tasty that they put extra effort in trying to snack on me. T-shirts won't protect me where the shirt lays close to my skin, like on the upper shoulders, back, and chest. And button shirts are too uncomfortable to me in the summer. I need the stretchy knit weave material that T-shirts are made from. Unfortunately those fabrics offer the least type of protection. But I've even been bitten by mosquitoes through a pair of jeans, which surprised the heck out of me until I realized that their proboscis probably are thinner than the jean's weave.
So if these clothing actually repel biting insects within a certain distance instead of just repelling on contact, then they'd be totally worth it for me.
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In my area of Brazil we have intense tick and chigger infestations. I have used both Duranon spray and Sawyer Military Clothing treatment to good effect. Both have permethrine as the active ingredient. The results are in the numbers on trips during the height of chigger season.
Untreated BDU's = 150+ chigger bites
Deet alone on legs arms and exposed skin = 30+ chigger bites
Premethrine and DEET on ankles/hands/neck = 0 bites
I will continue to use the Sawyer product. Mac
Untreated BDU's = 150+ chigger bites
Deet alone on legs arms and exposed skin = 30+ chigger bites
Premethrine and DEET on ankles/hands/neck = 0 bites
I will continue to use the Sawyer product. Mac
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2007
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- 206
I've used the Insect Shield clothing offered by Orvis when fishing in the MS Gulf Coast back bay for redfish and speckled trout. It's usually pretty swampy back there even though it's too big to called a bayou (although it does hook into the bayous). I was comfortable, I didn't have to worry about getting bug dope into sensitive places, and I didn't stink like toxic chemicals. Overall? The Insect Shield gets an A- from me (I wish it didn't wash out).
Paul
Paul