Posts Tagged Insect Shield
ExOfficio Insect Shield Halo Shirt Keeps the Mozzies Away
Mozzies? Well if you travel internationally in the tropics, you hear that word a lot—a slang term for mosquitoes—often accompanied by some kind of swear word. When you’re in a place with hungry mosquitoes it’s always annoying, but when those bugs carry malaria or dengue fever, you need an arsenal of weapons to stay healthy.
This Halo Check shirt with Insect Shield takes ExOfficio’s usual double-duty usefulness to a higher level, hitting all the right points for active travelers and keeping the bugs away as well. This fabric treatment is a no-brainer really once you get past the cost: there’s no odor, no harm to your skin, and no change to the feel of the fabric. Yet it holds up for 70 washings or so. I don’t know about you, but there are very few items of travel clothing I own that have been washed that many times.
The shirt itself has most of the attributes I love from ExOfficio . It’s lightweight nylon that doesn’t wrinkle, it dries quickly after a sink washing, it’s ventilated, and there’s a 30+ SPF sun protection. Provided you’re not in a place that’s super hot and humid, it’ll wick away the sweat. With the color I tried out—the khaki checked one—it doesn’t show sweaty areas too badly either.
As usual, there are lots of nice thoughtful extra features built in as well. It has snaps instead of buttons, which I really like. A mesh liner extends much of the way down the inside. There’s a 
fabric hook on the back for hanging it up and a flap and snap system to hold the sleeves up when you roll them up. (Rolled up during the day when the mosquitoes aren’t around, down at night to protect the arms.) Each breast pocket has a regular pocket and a handy zippered hidden pocket for stashing some cash or a credit card.
This is a great all-around, double-duty travel shirt that should keep looking good for years and keep the mosquitoes away for however long it takes you to wear it enough to need to wash it 70 times. It lists for $90, but prices will vary depending on who is selling it and what colors aren’t moving. As I wrote this, some colors were selling for around $50, so shop around.
There’s a version for women and a version for men, some in solid colors, others in checked patterns.
See more at the source, ExOfficio.com: Halo Check Shirt for Men and Halo Check Shirt for Women
Get the ExOfficio Halo shirt at Amazon.
ExOfficio Insect Shield Halo Check Shirt – Men’s or Women’s at REI.
Check prices at Magellan’s – Halo ExOfficio shirt
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 15th, 2010
Insect Shield Altyn Pants from ExOfficio
It’s always great when summer arrives, but not so great when the mosquitoes arrive. If you travel to a tropical country, it’s always mosquito season, plus the bugs carry nasty diseases, so three months of annoyance turns into year-round danger.
Thankfully it’s easier to keep the bugs away than it used to be if you pack the right clothing. This pair of ExOfficio Altyn Insect Shield Pants is going with me to the coast of Mexico and the jungle of Belize this summer. They’re great travel pants on their own, but the kicker is built-in Insect Shield repellent that stays active for 70—yes 70—washings. I don’t think I have many pants that have been washed that many times, so let’s just say “effective as long as they still fit.”
I’ve used lots of ExOfficio BuzzOff items over the years and they’ve been quite useful. The Insect Shield line is just a step up from that, the repellent staying active longer. I gave these pants a test run when I was out working in the yard and they came through well: not one of the mosquitoes buzzing around ever landed on the pants. There’s no smell, no sign that the stuff is there, but it works.
Besides all that, these are easy to pack. They’re incredibly lightweight, as in less than your average cotton t-shirt. You get a partial elastic waistband, a zippered security pocket, and and the great benefit of quick-dry action when you wash them in the sink. Wrinkle-resistant too, so you keep looking presentable.
They come in khaki or gray, in multiple sizes and lengths, and don’t have that swish-swish synthetic feel that some cheaper travel pants do. There’s also a Convertible Pants option if you want to go double-duty and have some shorts at the ready too. (That one also comes in a women’s version)
See all the specs for the ExOfficio Altyn Insect Shield Pants at the ExOfficio site.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on June 9th, 2009
