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Date: November 3, 2004
  Summary
I wore the Ex Officio BUZZ-OFF Lite LS Shirt on 14 outings
(predominantly backpacking) totaling 38 days over the six-month test
period. I found the shirt to fit well (although the sleeves and tail
could be a bit longer), comfortable to wear, and to have a broad
comfort range. Its insect repelling feature is effective for skin that
is covered by the shirt, but it has no noticeable repellent effect on
adjacent exposed skin. For complete insect protection, it was necessary
to use supplementary DEET on exposed skin. After repeatedly wearing the
shirt while carrying a backpack, and sweating heavily between the shirt
and the pack, I developed a skin rash that I attributed to the
Permethrin treatment of the shirt. The rash disappeared after I stopped
using the shirt. Overall, I am very pleased with the quality and
effectiveness of the Ex-Officio BUZZ-OFF Lite Long Sleeve Shirt. It
enables me to achieve complete insect protection with minimal use of
contact repellents. However, because of the skin rash problem, I am
hesitant to use it for backpacking.
Manufacturer Information
Name: Ex Officio
Website: http://exofficio.com/
Product Information
Product Tested: Ex Officio Men’s BUZZ OFF Lite Long Sleeve
Shirt
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Fabric Description: 65% Polyester/35%
Cotton, 3 oz/sq yd (102 g/sq m), treated with Permethrin
Color: Juniper (green); other colors available are blue
and sand
Size: Men’s Medium
Weight Listed: None
Weight as Delivered: 8.7 oz (247 g)
MSRP: $79 US
Product Description
Ex Officio specializes in outdoor and travel clothing. The
Lite Long Sleeve Shirt is a member of Ex Officio’s new BUZZ OFF Insect
Shield garments. The following descriptive information
is obtained from the manufacturer’s website and product literature. The
Insect Shield treatment is Permethrin, which repels mosquitoes, ticks,
ants, flies, chiggers, and midges or no-see-ums. The Insect Shield
treatment lasts for 25 washings, and the manufacturer advises against
retreating the garment with other Permethrin insect repellent products.
Appropriate uses are paddle sports, fly-fishing, hiking/camping, resort
travel, and urban travel—anywhere insect and sun protection are needed.
Information On Permethrin
I did some internet research on Permethrin (the BUZZ OFF Insect Shield
treatment) to find out more about it. Permethrin is an odorless
synthetic analog of a naturally occurring insecticide Pyrethrin from
daisy chrysanthemum flowers. In the formulation that is applied to
clothing (approximately 0.5%), Permethrin is essentially non-toxic to
humans. It is poorly absorbed by the skin and is rapidly inactivated by
skin esterases. There is no evidence of accumulation in the body, and
it has not been shown to be a human teratogen (cause
malformations of an embryo or fetus), mutagen, or
carcinogen.
When applied to clothing it chemically bonds to clothing fibers as it
dries, thus its persistence through multiple washings. Manufacturers of
spray application Permethrin products (0.5%) for clothing recommend
that for best total protection from biting and bloodsucking insects,
Permethrin clothing treatment should be used in combination with a slow
release DEET formulation on the skin. This is standard practice for the
US Military in situations where there is high risk of insect-borne
diseases.
Long-Term Report
Test Locations—During the six-month test (May through
October), I wore the Ex Officio Lite LS Shirt on 14 outings for a total
of 38 days, in the mountains of Southwest Colorado and Wyoming. The
breakdown is as follows: (the following is a table)
|
Activity
|
Trips
|
Days
|
|
Day Hiking
|
2
|
2
|
|
Backpacking
|
12
|
36
|
Test Conditions—There were very few bugs on the first two
outings, so I mostly tested the shirt for comfort on those outings. On
seven backpacking trips in June and July the amount of flies and
mosquitoes increased each time. On one longer trip, a 6-day backpack on
Colorado’s Continental Divide Trail, the mosquitoes were really
numerous and aggressive, so the BUZZ-OFF shirt really got its chance to
do its job. When I hiked through forested areas, the mosquitoes swarmed
around me within minutes whenever I stopped. They were particularly
heavy when I camped in the forest at lower elevations (10,000-11,000
ft/3048-3353 m) near water. In August through October the bugs
diminished down to nothing, and the BUZZ-OFF feature of the shirt was
less relevant.
Daytime temperatures were 40-70 F (4-21 C) and nighttime temperatures
were 30-55 F (-1 to 13 C). I encountered a lot of wind in early summer,
and a lot of precipitation in late summer.
Insect Repelling Properties—The BUZZ-OFF Shirt definitely
repels flies and mosquitoes. When I was in
woods thick with mosquitoes, I found that the insects did land on the
shirt, but they did not bite through like they otherwise would. They
sat there for several seconds, then flew away. The mosquitoes were very
pesty and did bite my exposed skin (head, neck, and hands), and I did
have to put DEET on those areas to repel mosquitoes. The situation was
the same with flies later in the summer. The combination of BUZZ-OFF
clothing and repellent on exposed skin worked very well, providing me
with complete insect protection using a minimal amount of DEET.
While I cannot say this with absolute certainty, the Permethrin in the
shirt did not appear to deter mosquitoes and flies from landing on and
biting adjacent areas of exposed skin. If I was not wearing DEET on my
skin, the bugs landed and acted normally, meaning they tried to bite.
Comfort—The Lite Long Sleeve Shirt fit well and is very
comfortable to wear. For me, it would fit better if the sleeves were
about one-inch (2.5 cm) longer so they cover my wrists better. Also it
would be nice for the tail to be about two-inches (5 cm) longer so it
would stay tucked in better. The mesh-lined cape back and front pockets
provide some decent ventilation, but the cape was covered by my
backpack most of the time.
The shirt has a broad comfort range; I have worn it comfortably without
an underlayer in temperatures ranging from 45-85 F (7-29 C) and in
windy conditions. I sweated a lot in warmer temperatures, especially
when carrying a pack uphill, but the shirt dried out quickly when I
stopped.
 Skin
Reaction to
Permethrin—Unfortunately, I did have a skin reaction to the shirt’s
Permethrin treatment. After using the shirt weekly during the summer,
and sweating heavily where my shirt contacted my backpack, my back
broke out in a rash (photo). The rash got progressively worse over a
three-week period, to the point where I stopped wearing the shirt in
early September. The rash went away within two weeks and has not
re-appeared.
Versatility—I have worn the shirt for day hiking and
backpacking. It has functioned well in both activities. I have
frequently worn the shirt under a rain suit while hiking, and under a
wind shirt. The combination of a wind shirt over the Lite LS Shirt
works extremely well under cool windy conditions.
Usability And Durability—I have found the shirt to be
sufficiently durable for backpacking use. It has no snags or abrasions.
The shirt is resistant to getting dirty and launders well. I have
washed it eight times so far, according to instructions. It cleaned up
well without any special treatment, except for some pitch that required
using spot treatment with a cleaning solvent.
The shirt has faded from exposure to the sun at high elevations. I can
actually see the pattern of my backpack on the shirt, especially where
the shoulder straps go over my shoulders. I usually turn the collar up
for sun protection on my neck, and sun block lotion from my neck has
intensified the green color of the shirt.
Ultralight Backpacking Use—The Lite Long Sleeve shirt
works great for backpacking. At 8.7 oz (247 g) for size large, the Lite
LS Shirt weighs a little less than a Patagonia mid-weight Capeline top
(9.2 oz/261 g) or a Wickers LS turtleneck (9.9 oz/281 g). This shirt
has a good balance between durability, functionality, and lightweight.
The cape back is not functional for ventilation while wearing a
backpack.
Overall, I am pleased with the quality of the Ex Officio Lite LS Shirt,
its broad comfort range, and its effectiveness for repelling biting
insects. However because of the skin rash problem I had from wearing
the shirt with a backpack, I am reluctant to use the shirt for
backpacking, especially in hot weather.
Tester Information
Tester: Will Rietveld
E-mail: willi_wabbit@bresnan.net
Male
Height: 6 ft (1.8 m)
Weight: 170 lb (77 kg)
Age: 62
Body Measurements: Chest 41 in (104 cm); sleeve length 34
in (86 cm); waist 34 in (86 cm)
Location: Southwest Colorado, USA
Backpacking Experience: 46 years
Backpacking Style: Ultralight (6 years)
Personal Website: Southwest Ultralight Backpacking
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Ex Officio and the BackpackGearTest
Group for selecting me to participate in this test.
Will Rietveld
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