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Ex Officio Buzz Off Sun Hat
Owner Review
July 23, 2005
updated August 8, 2005 |
Me wearing the blue Sun Hat near Big Bear Lake
| Biographical Information |
| Name |
Jennifer Pope |
| Age |
24 |
| Gender |
Female |
| Height |
5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) |
| Weight |
140 lb (64 kg) |
| Email
address |
Jennifer dot Pope at gmail dot
com |
| Location |
Los Angeles, CA |
Backpacking
Background
Newbie. I’ve been a car-camper as long as I can remember and
started backpacking in Northern California when I was 16. I'm starting to
get back into backpacking after a hiatus during college. I recently moved
to Southern California and so far I've only backpacked in the Angeles
National Forest but I'm planning on branching out to other Southern California
mountain areas; the California desert; and the Sierra in the summer
months. I'm a tent camper leaning towards lightweight; but I am a fan of
gadgets and I like being comfortable. I also do a mix of short and long
day hikes in and around Los Angeles. |
| Product Information
(back to top) |
| Manufacturer |
Ex Officio |
| Manufacturer URL |
www.exofficio.com |
| Year of Manufacture |
2005 |
| Listed Weight |
none stated |
| Weight as delivered |
3.7 oz (105 g) |
| Size |
Unisex/one size fits all |
| Color |
Light pacific (light blue) |
| MSRP |
$28 US |
Features (from manufacturer’s website)
-High performance BUZZ OFF DryliteTM – 85% Nylon / 15% Polyester
-Odorless BUZZ OFF Insect ShieldTM garments repel biting and potentially disease-carrying insects
-Wide 3.75” (95 mm) sun shield brim with contrast color piping along outer edge
(note: actual brim measures slightly less than 3.5”/89 mm)
-Terry back elasticized sweatband for comfort
-Logo strap with adjustable cinch ensures the perfect fit
Product claims to repel mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges. Tags on product claims that wearing BUZZ OFF shirt,
shorts, and socks provide basic protection. (All my experience was with wearing the BUZZ OFF hat only; my other clothes were not
BUZZ OFF.) The repellency claims to last for 25 washings. The product also claims to be moisture wicking, lightweight, peach finish
(I assume this refers to the material texture), quick drying, sun protective, and wrinkle resistant.
Washing Instructions: Machine wash cold, no bleach, tumble dry low. NO DRYCLEANING
Too windy to wear the hat, but comfortable around my neck
I have worn this hat on all my hiking trips in the last six months. This included day hikes and overnight backpacking
trips in the Angeles National Forest of Southern California, as well as many other hikes in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Lassen
Volcanic National Park, Inyo National Forest, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and probably other areas. I have worn this hat in sunny conditions from sea level to over
10,000 ft (3050 m). I have also worn this hat in extremely windy conditions; I have also worn this hat in rain from a mild sprinkle to a short downpour
(this hat is not advertised as a rain hat). Temperature have ranged from 40 F (5 C) to over 100 F (35 C). Terrain has ranged from
sandy beaches to chaparral to mountain summits to deserts.
Why I bought this hat:
After going on many hikes and being bothered by mosquitoes and other small bugs I thought I would give one of the BUZZ OFF products a try.
I have the most problems with bugs flying in my face and I was also in need of a wide-brim hat for sun protection, so I thought this hat
was an obvious choice.
Fit:
I find this hat to be extremely comfortable to wear. The elastic band inside the hat provides a snug fit without being too tight. The
chin strap is comfortable when cinched tight under windy conditions and stays put unless the wind is extreme. On a recent hike to the top
of Mount Lassen in Northern California I had the hat fly off once or twice (thanks to the strap it was still around my neck, but it came off
my head). It was a really, really windy day and this is the only time I’ve ever had the hat come off.
Bugs:
I have mixed feelings about whether or not this hat actually helps keep bugs away from my face. I have had them fly in my face
while wearing the hat, but it's hard to say if it has actually reduced their numbers. I can say that my husband has seen mosquitoes land on
the hat while I was wearing it. At the same time I was wearing bug spray and they landed on me as well, so maybe they were particularly
annoying mosquitoes. I definitely wouldn’t use the hat as my sole source of bug protection, but it can’t hurt to use it in addition to
regular bug spray.
Note: I am still well within the 30 wash lifetime of the bug repellency of the hat. But when I bought the hat it was not in the height of
bug season (it was winter). I would be interested in taking a brand new hat out in really buggy conditions. I also wonder if the sun hat I bought
during the winter months may have been sitting in the store since the previous summer.
Wear and Tear:
The hat looks as good as it did the first time I wore it. It is a light color, so it does pick up dirt and looks visibly dirty after my
regular use. But cleaning the hat is very, very simple. I wash it with my regular laundry and it comes out looking like new. I’ve never
had a problem with it getting wrinkled or looking rumpled and I’ve shoved it in packs, pockets, and in my car.
Sun Protection:
This hat has provided excellent sun protection. The brim is wide (though somewhat flimsy) and protects a lot of my face from the sun. I
always wear sun block on my face; but with the addition of this hat I have not gotten a sunburn.
Rain Protection:
This hat is not advertised as a rain hat and should not be worn as such. On a recent trip to the Sierras my hike turned from a sunny one to
sprinkles, then to big, fat rain drops coming down hard for about 20 minutes or so. During this time I was also wearing a poncho that I tried to
keep up over the hat, but it still managed to get wet (on the front half of the hat). The hat quickly became wet and stayed wet well into the
next morning. It only dried after sitting in the sun for an hour or so.
Good
- Comfortable fit
- Excellent sun protection
Bad
- Does not completely keep bugs away from my face
Read more reviews of Ex Officio gear
Read more gear reviews by Jennifer Pope
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