Posts Tagged insect repellent
Bug Shield Pants from Columbia Sportswear
Yeah, I know: as I write this review there are poor souls clearing limbs from a recent snowstorm, but since this is a travel gear blog and there are lots of mosquitoes still buzzing around the tropics as you read this, I’m reviewing some more travel pants with built-in insect repellent. (And for what it’s worth, the temperature outside my window in Tampa is 81 degrees Fahrenheit at this very moment.)
Columbia Sportswear products have a lot going for them: they use a lot of technological innovation, they’re trying hard (especially the past few years) to make clothes that look flattering, and they’re usually in the middle of the pack in terms of pricing. They’re also very easy to find, whether that’s in your local sporting goods store or at the usual online outlets. With a fashion-focused timeline, you can also often find their clothing on sale when it’s time to move out the old and bring in the new.
These Bug Shield Travel Pants are at the top of the usual range, with a list price of $75, but check the links at the bottom and you’ll probably find some season-end sales going on. These pants are double-duty too: they do all the usual things and keep the bugs away on top of that. They’re treated with odorless Permethrin, which lasts for 70 washings. You’ll get a lot of use out of them before you hit that level. Besides the mozzies, this Insect Blocker treatment is designed to keep away ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and no-see-ums.
I wish I’d had these on at the right time when I was in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico a couple weeks ago. The one day I wore pants that didn’t have any treatment was the day some ants and possibly a few chigger friends decided to munch on my legs and ankles. The rest of the trip I was fine.
I brought three pairs of travel pants on that adventure and all three got soaked at some point, so I was able to see how quickly they dried. This pair did the best job of drying out in that humid climate and of course they are quite lightweight and easy to jam into a bag without taking up much room. My only complaint about the wispy-slick fabric is that it makes these next to impossible to roll up when they get wet. They were not well-suited to crossing streams when the time came. That’s the trade-off sometimes: you give up the cinch strings or buttons that would clasp the bottom—also keeping out more insects—to look more like normal pants when you’re not adventuring.
The weight is kept down by using mesh for the pockets and there are seven of those in all. Two have zippers and three have Velcro. There’s an included nylon matching belt, an idea I like a lot, and unlike on some other pants I’ve tried it can be removed if you want to put on a nicer one for dinner or use it on other pants. There’s elastic in the waistband too, so there’s some give. They come in three inseam lengths.
Otherwise, these are just want you’d expect and want for travels in warm places: wicking, sun-protective, and fast to dry after a washing.
You can get these for women, in a convertible version with zip-off legs, and in a kids’ version.
Check prices on the Columbia Bug Shield Pants at Backcountry.com and Amazon.
Related posts:
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on November 3rd, 2011
Insect Blocker Shirts From Columbia Sportswear
Whether you’re camping in a national park, on safari in Africa, or backpacking around Southeast Asia, the common denominator nuisance is probably going to be mosquitoes. In some places they’ll just leave itchy welts and annoy the crap out of you at dusk. In some parts of the world, however, they can turn your vacation into your first experience with malaria or dengue fever. Not fun.
It’s like a war on terror though trying to prevent these bites, with multiple levels of defense and no margin of error. One good weapon to have in that arsenal is treated clothing that repels mozzies. You can buy a can of what you need to spray on whatever clothing you have, but I’m a big fan of travel clothing that has the stuff baked in already, like this Bug Shield shirt from Columbia with Insect Blocker.
Insect Blocker is something the mosquitoes can smell and they don’t like it one bit. (For good measure, it also keeps away gnats, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges.) For us humans, however, the shirt just smells like a shirt. Or like smelly you after a few days in it.
This feels, smells, and wears just like your standard hi-tech travel shirt, but with added protection when you need it. It’s got the wicking nylon that dries quickly, a bit a stretch so you can move around easily, and UPF 40 sunblock protection. It’s got that feature that can be useful during the day when there’s no mosquito threat: sleeves that roll up and button. There’s a mesh panel behind the shoulder and some venting under each arm to let the air circulate. The Velcro pocket has another secret zipper pocket inside where you can covertly stash some cash.
But won’t the treatment wear out? Well, as with other insect-blocking items we’ve reviewed here, it will eventually. But we’re talking 70 washings before that happens. So unless you’re a tour guide naturalist or you make it a habit to go hiking at dusk each day, there’s a good chance you’ll never get to that point.
Like I said, this is a weapon, not a total solution, so remember the whole system: cover your skin (especially ankles), avoid black, use a net or coils when needed, and—the most important thing—use good insect repellent. Here’s Pam’s review of the Ultrathon version.
There’s nothing really groundbreaking or unusual about this Columbia Bug Shield shirt—it’s a follower rather than a leader. But it comes in five sizes and six colors. They also make a women’s version, a crew version, toddler crew, and pants. You can get it online at Columbia.com for the $80 list price or sit tight and wait until it goes on sale after the mosquitoes go into hiding. Or check prices at these online retailers:
Columbia Bug Shield Shirt at Backcountry.com
Columbia Men’s Bug Shield Shirt at Altrec
* Get Free Shipping No Minimum at Columbia.com with promo code F11FREESHIP!
See more of our travel clothing reviews
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on September 8th, 2011
Three Camping Necessities: Tent, Sleeping Pad, Insect Repellent
Camping season is over in my neck of the woods — at least for this fair-weather camper who lives in the Colorado Rockies. Temperatures are still great in Moab, Utah, and other desert locales, however, and if you live in Australia, well, your warm-weather camping season is revving up soon!
My summer got too busy in August to sample this gear firsthand in the wilderness, but I do look forward to making good use of it next year, particularly because my kids have demanded that we return to Lake Powell for an extended-family, houseboating/camping trip with their cousins. We couldn’t fit it in for 2010, but it’s on the list for 2011 for sure, and I’ll report back with any firsthand reviews.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for some new gear (or you’re thinking ahead about the holidays and already compiling your wish list for Santa), check out these helpful items:
Eureka! Suite V4 Recreational Tent: While we didn’t pitch this tent in our backyard this summer, my husband and I did set it up in our kids’ playloft and found it easy to put together. I dig the Eureka Suite V4 tent because it says it sleeps 4, and it’s big enough to actually do that. (We have an ancient “sleeps 4″ tent that only husband and I can really comfortably sleep in.)
A huge plus for my six-foot-two husband, the interior of this 3-pole, V-shaped dome tent tops out at six feet and two inches! He can stand erect inside the tent, which is cool. Of course, its height makes it a tall tent; so in extra-windy conditions, we might be in trouble. Still, for the money ($239) and the amount of space, the removable room divider curtain (some semblance of privacy between the adults and the kids!), and the side-opening doors for ease of access, I think this tent is a great option for families. It weighs 20 lbs, so I personally wouldn’t recommend it for backpacking, but for recreational car camping enthusiasts, I’d give it a thumb’s up.
Order the tent at the Eureka! website, check to find a dealer near you, or visit online outdoor-gear retailers like REI.com.
Aerobed Pakmat: My husband knows I won’t camp on the ground without a good pad underneath my sleeping bag. We’ve been known to pack unwieldy, double-bed sized pieces of foam for our car camping adventures, just to make me happy overnight. Next camping trip I’m bringing the Aerobed Pakmat. It rolls up into its own cylinder-shaped carrying case that doubles as a hand-held pump. No noisy batteries or electricity needed to fill the mattress with air; just good old-fashioned elbow grease.
Included detailed instructions — which explain how to extend the pump valve and connect it to the mat valve — claim it takes about 90 seconds to fill (other marketing materials say 60 seconds). It took me at least 90 seconds for sure, as the pump has a large diameter (about 5 inches), which makes it hard for my small-ish hand to grip. Still, filling it with air was hardly difficult.
I like that the pad is 78-inches long and fills to 5 inches high — plenty of space between me and the hard ground. I left the mattress filled with air overnight in my office, and it didn’t seem to leak at all come morning. (Sorry, folks, I just couldn’t bring myself to sleep on the pad when I had a comfy king-size bed in the room next door.)
Purchase online for $99.99 on the Aerobed website.
Coleman SkinSmart DEET Free Insect Repellent: I did try to use this handy, travel-sized pump spray (“Go Ready Pen”) in August, but with few bugs annoying me around my high-altitude home, I just didn’t need it! I will pack it for my week-long trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida that kicks off tomorrow. I’m anticipating having to ward off mosquitoes on my bike rides on Sanibel Island and kayak trips through nature preserves.
I like the slim SkinSmart pump spray, since it’s easy to throw in a backpack or tuck in a pocket for outdoor adventures (comes with a clip to secure it to a pocket, as well). It’s .5 oz, so it can be carried on planes. The active ingredient in this DEET-free formula is commonly called IR3535, the same ingredient in Avon’s Skin So Soft.
The repellent sprays on dry and smells more like rubbing alcohol than your typical insect repellent (which leads me to believe this product can really dry out your skin; be sure to moisturize well after you shower it off at night). While it’s been tested (by the manufacturer) to work for up to 8 hours, I’ll likely re-apply before then, especially if I’m sweating it off with vigorous outdoor activity.
Other travel-friendly Go Ready Pen products from Coleman include hand sanitizer (awesome for throwing into kids’ school lunch boxes, too) and spray sunscreen. Purchase a three-pack of the DEET-free repellent pump-sprays for $9.99 online. And here’s a list of brick-and-mortar retailers that sell Coleman repellents.
Related posts: Adventure Medical Kits for Travelers and Cocoon Inflatable Travel Pillow.
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on September 21st, 2010
Natural Outdoor Products From All Terrain
I had to wait until the heat of summer to try out an array of product samples I got earlier in the year from All Terrain. Most of what they produce is meant to protect you from two menaces: the sun and biting bugs. They do both in an all natural way though, with no DEET in the insect repellent and no wide array of tough-to-pronounce chemicals in the sunscreen.
Some of these products I liked more than others. If the stuff works as well as its chemical counterpart—or close at least—then naturally I’d rather go natural. When there are performance issues, however, using the natural variation is more of a moral or health choice than anything.
Lip Armour Balm – This lip balm was my favorite of the bunch, and a bargain at a list price of $2.59. In this case the product feels (and tastes) better on the lips than the usual petroleum-based alternatives. It’s made of Shea Butter, Vitamin E, hemp seed oil and All Terrain’s proprietary Z-Cote zinc oxide for SPF 25 sun blocking. Great stuff!
Herbal Armour Insect Repellent – My past experience with natural insect repellents has mostly been disappointing, with the results ranging from “not bad if you reapply every half hour” to “bugs thought I was breakfast.” This All Terrain version is the first one I’ve tried that I would consider a fairly good alternative to DEET. The company claims it stays 100% effective for two hours (and 95% for another hour) and while I didn’t scientifically test those claims, the 5-oils repellent didn’t require frequent reapplication to keep the mozzies at bay. Especially if you have kids or sensitive skin, Herbal Armour offers natural protection without a lot of trade-offs. At $7.99 for four ounces or $4.99 for a two-ounce travel size, this is a great value too.
Biodegradable Sunscreen -Unfortunately, it wasn’t a three out of three with the all natural products. “I absolutely hate this sunscreen” was my wife’s reaction after a couple of days using it at the beaches of Puerto Vallarta and I had zebra stripes on my belly after not rubbing it in uniformly enough one day. I tried all three versions (Terra Sport, Aqua Sport, and Kid Sport) and the results were similar. All were tough to apply without a lot of elbow grease, streaky on the skin, and quick to leave white streaky stains on all three of our bathing suits. These problems aren’t unique to this company, but are issues that plague nearly every brand of natural sunscreen. Without all the binding agents and nanotech wonderstuffs you get with the more popular kinds, and with the tendency of any zinc oxide product to be less-than-transparent, natural sunscreens have a tough comparison battle with the chemical alternatives.
Having said all that, I would still use this in sensitive areas like Yucatan cenotes or when snorkeling around protected coral reefs. It’s worth it to put up with a little inconvenience to protect our planet mates. In a swimming pool though? Unless you have sensitive skin, bring on the Banana Boat.
See the full line of All Terrain Natural products and order direct.
All Terrain Herbal Armor Spray Insect Repellent at REI.
Kid’s Herbal Armour at Amazon
Related review:
Beyond Coastal Sun Care Products
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on August 5th, 2010
