Ex Officio Buzz Off Insect Shield Clothing

In certain parts of the world, something as small as a mosquito bite can turn the trip of a lifetime into one prolonged, disastrous nightmare. South Asia is one such place—before heading there last October, resident expats had fueled my pre-travel paranoia with tales of dengue fever, a horrid infection that causes high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, vomiting, a full-body purple rash, and bleeding from the nose and gums, not to mention the symptoms of dengue shock syndrome. What's more, unlike malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses, there's no preventative medication and the only cure is to let this demon of a disease run its maniacal course.

Needless to say, deet-infused insect repellent is the perfume of choice among expats living there, and while I planned to liberally apply that magic potion all over every square inch of exposed skin, I feared it wouldn't be enough. Perhaps my ghost-white complexion lures mosquitoes and legions of other biting insects like bees to honey… I'm not sure. All I did know was that I didn't want my trip to turn into one prolonged dengue statistic. Thus I took every available precaution.

Enter Ex Officio's Buzz Off Insect Shield. This clothing line has permethrin, a man-made version of a centuries-old natural insect repellent, bonded to the actual apparel, so it repels mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and no-see-ums without having to apply any chemical to your clothes. The odorless protection lasts for 25 washings, doesn't change the feel of the garments, and comes in everything from socks and shirts to hats and vests—you could swaddle yourself in the stuff.

Of the many styles, I heartily embraced the Convertible Pants ($79). They're lightweight, quick-drying, made of breezy 100 percent nylon, and may be the best traveling pants going. In addition to the expected profusion of pockets, the pants have a micro-zip security pocket on the left hip, ideal for carrying your wallet and passport. And the seams of the zip-off legs blend into the garment, so you can sport them in an urban environment without looking like you just trekked in from the jungle. They also provide 30+ UPF protection, a godsend for pigment-challenged folks like myself. I also liked the long-sleeved V-neck ($64; on sale now for $32), a wicking cotton/poly-blend T-shirt with color contrast on the inner seams, and the Baja Long Sleeve ($84). The latter is a button-down long-sleeve shirt tailor-made for safari outings, thanks to its poly/cotton blend, 30+ UPF protection, Velcro-closed mesh-lined vents, roll-up sleeve tabs, and cavernous chest pockets.

But does the Buzz Off Insect Shield work? Well, I never jumped headlong into standing water in some South Asian jungle just to see if the hovering mosquitoes would strike. And I did practically bathe in deet every morning. But I was in-country for over three weeks, wore at least one Buzz Off garment each and every day, and was stung only once, on the ankle, just below the cuff of my pants—the deet failed me, but the Buzz Off kept its promise. One bite? For a human pincushion like myself, that's downright miraculous. www.buzzoff.com

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