Reviews > Clothing > Shirts > Ex Officio Lite LS Shirt > Thomas Vickers > Long Term Report

Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite Long Sleeved Shirt- Field Test Report

November 2, 2004

Thomas Vickers
36 years old
Male
5 ft 11 in tall (1.8 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area

Background: 
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over the last 4 or 5 years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible.

Manufacturer Details:
Website:http//:www.exofficio.com
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
Colors: Blue, Sand, Juniper
Weight: NA

Details from Tester: (all measurements are approximate)
Size: Medium
Color: Sand
Weight: 8.7 oz (247 g)
Arm Length (shoulder seam to cuff): 24 in (61 cm)
Collar Circumference: 17 in (43 cm)
Torso length (base of collar to tail of shirt): 29.75 in (76 cm)
Chest: 40 in (102 cm)

Additional Tester Measurements:
Arm length: 22 in (56 cm)
Chest: 38 in (97 cm)
Waist: 33 in (84 cm)
Neck: 16 in (41 cm)

Test Locations:
This item has been tested in three locations:

Colorado (Flat Tops) - Altitudes of 9,500 - 11,500 feet (2,869 to 3,505 meters).   Tons of sunshine and daylight temperatures from 40 degrees F to 80 degrees F (4 degrees C to 27 degrees C).

Southeast Texas - Little or no altitude. Nighttime temperatures ranged from 70 degrees F to 85 degrees F (21 degrees C to 29 degrees C). Daytime temperatures were 80 degrees F to 100 degrees F (27 degrees C to 38 degrees C).

Arkansas (Eagle Rock Loop Trail) - Altitudes of 500 - 2000 feet (152 to 610 meters). Nighttime temperatures ranged from 60 degrees F to 80 degrees F (16 degrees C to 27 degrees C). Daytime temperatures were 80 degrees F to 90 defrees F (27 degrees C to 32 degrees C).

These trips have been 1 to 5 days in length during the long term testing period.

Test Conditions:
The shirt has been worn during a variety of activities. So far I have day hiked, geocached, mowed the yard, and taken two extended hiking trips with the Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt.  It has been worn in sunny warm weather and in every form of precipitation from rain to hail.

Testing Impressions:
My summer trip to Colorado proved to be a great test for this shirt.  I spent five days and four nights in theEx Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt during this hiking trip, and other than a quick body wash or two, I never really took the shirt off, for good reason. I ate in it, slept in it, sweated in it,  and hiked in it relentlessly during this trip.  

I am from Texas and I have spent a life time avoiding the swarms of bloodsuckers that thrive there. I still do not have adequate words to describe the ones in Colorado.   Swarm, infestation, plague all come to mind when I remember this trip.  What also comes to mind is the wonderful shirt that I wore.  It had been washed all of 7 times prior to this trip, so I didn't worry that my level of protection had dropped that much.

While I don't think that the shirt protected me less on this trip, I do feel that the mosquitoes of Colorado were less than impressed with its effects.  

Day one of the trip found me camping next to aptly named Mosquito Lake.  Flies and skeeters were thick and I quickly discovered that having the sleeves rolled up was not the way to go.  I was being bitten from my elbows down to my hands, something which had not occurred before.  The shirt normally protected my elbow region from insect bites when rolled up, but not in Colorado.  So, to make my life easier, I unbuttoned the straps and rolled the sleeves down all the way.  I even flipped the collar up, which seemed to help dissuade the bloodsuckers from attacking my neck.   Once buttoned up in the Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt, I was much happier.  I did have to resort to wearing my gloves because there was no protection for my hands.   I guess that really motivated insects are not going to be driven away from a meal just because the meal is rather close to an Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt.

The next day was much better, especially since I was able to move away from the dreaded Mosquito Lake.  The next night (and for the remainder of my trip) my campsite was situated at the base of a large patch of snow/ice that was slowly melting and draining away via a small stream.  While this was great for having water handy, it turned out that mosquitoes do indeed live at altitudes of over 11,000 feet (3300  meters). 

It was during this part of my trip that I was very happy to have the BUZZ OFF Lite shirt with me.  Not only did it provide great protection from the hordes of skeeters and flies, but it also kept the sun off of me.  There was no shade or cover on the Flat Tops and when it came to the choice of wearing Bug juice and sunscreen or rolling the sleeves down on the shirt, rolling the sleeves down was the only choice for me.

It also made my evenings and mornings easier.  I usually but on a long sleeved top to sleep in, but with this shirt, I just made sure that everything was adjusted correctly, then into the sleeping bag I went.  No getting up, changing out of my sleeping gear or putting sleeping gear on before bed.  The  Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt was comfortable to sleep in and didn't get too bound up at night.  My usual complaint about sleeping in a shirt of this nature (button down front) is missing buttons after a couple of nights of sleep, but there are none missing on this shirt.  It not only provided me with bug and sun protection and a comfortable shirt to sleep, but it also held up to all the abuse I put it through. 

Overview:
I have been wearing the shirt back in Texas and it still keeps the plain old Texas skeeters away, even when the sleeves are rolled up.  The Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt vents well when I am out without a pack and even when I am wearing a pack, it keeps me cool.  Over the course of this test I have sweated gallons (liters) into this shirt and it always dried very quickly.  

Despite being worn for days on end without washing and after only being washed 13 times in six months, it hasn't picked up any permanent hiker odors or stains.   Being a smelly hiker and one who spills his meals quite often, I am very happy with this part of the test.  I wore it, I stunk it up, I washed it, and by golly it is almost as good as new.

I also like the fact that for a 'hiking' shirt, the Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt looks very stylish.  I wore it to my trip in Colorado (airport, plane, and all) and for the entire hiking trip.   There is nothing better than clothes that I can go out in public in (without the wife griping) and hike in.  I have to give the  Ex Officio BUZZ OFF Lite long sleeved shirt a big thumbs up on style. 

It looks good, it smells good, it is durable, and it keeps the bugs off. Oh what a shirt.   I do think I may have noticed a slight drop off in its protection ability at this point, but it is not enough to keep me from wearing this shirt in the great outdoors.   Despite it being assaulted in Colorado, I think the level of protection it offered was far superior to my normal hiking clothing. 

I have been surprised and pleased with this shirt over the course of the test.  I was very skeptical about the insect repellant properties which Ex Officio advertised, but it seems like they got it right. 

Reviews > Clothing > Shirts > Ex Officio Lite LS Shirt > Thomas Vickers > Long Term Report