Ex Officio Buzz Off clothing

A recent newspaper comic strip I read depicted a small boy asking his father about the most dangerous animal in the woods. Without a flinch, the father replied that the most dangerous animal is indeed the tiny, inconspicuous wood tick.

I have a friend who has suffered the ill effects of Lyme disease. It's a long, horrible and draining sickness that I would not wish on an enemy, and since this person's diagnosis I've been doubly conscious of the small dangers in the woods.

In addition to bug spray, long socks and a good bodily inspection after any day outside, I've been testing clothing this summer made to ward off insects, including ticks, mosquitoes, flies, gnats, ants and other creepy crawlers. Ex Officio infuses its Buzz Off clothing line with Permethrin, a man-made form of a natural insect repellent found in the Chrysanthemum plant.


Ex Officio Buzz Off Shirt


Ex Officio Buzz Off Convertible Pant

The company (www.exofficio.com) sells shorts, shirts, pants, hats, socks, bandanas and kids clothing in its Buzz Off line. Garments retain the chemical that repels insects through 25 washings, according to Ex Officio. Using the clothing either reduces the need to apply insect-repellent creams, lotions and sprays, or it adds another layer of protection when used in addition to the traditional antidotes.

In my tests, the bugs did seem to disdain anything with the Buzz Off name attached to it. I tried out the nylon Convertible Pants ($79), the polyester/rayon Crosscheck Long Sleeve Shirt ($69), the Super Hiker Sock ($20) and the Buzz Off Hat ($28). Flies noticeably avoided contact with my head one particularly buggy day in the woods while wearing the hat. My hiking partner was swatting and slowly accumulating bite welts on the back of his neck, but I was left pretty much untouched.


Ex Officio Buzz Off Hat

It's hard to say whether or not the clothes warded off ticks in my tests. But after one particularly long day in the woods I came home, showered and found not a single small, evil fellow on my body.

Beyond its bug-eschewing qualities, the Buzz Off line is composed of highly-functional, good-quality clothing. The Convertible Pants are airy and breathable, for example, and the zip-off legs are a nice extra touch. They dry quick when wet and are durable enough for moderate bushwhacking. The Buzz Off Hat is made of a similar lightweight nylon that breathes well, even on hot and humid days. It has a neck-covering cape that protects from both the sun and the bugs, and it folds up and away when not in use.

The sandal test

There are myths and hearsay in backpacking circles of hardy trekkers who go days and weeks on the trail in only a pair of sandals. Now, these are not flip-flops, mind you. Over the past decade, companies starting with Teva and Chaco, and now Bite, Keen and others, have refined the traditional sandal into something with support, grip, comfort and durability.

I recently tested trail-ready sandals from Chaco and Keen and came up with some mixed opinions. Both companies make nice products that excel in their own ways, but I was expecting a little something more when things first got going on the test trail.

The Z/2 model from Chaco are a favorite footwear choice for several of my outdoors-minded friends. They're classy and well-made, and the company (www.chacousa.com) allows buyers to customize the webbing strap color and choose from one of three types of sole grips.


Chaco Z/2

One nice feature of the Z/2 ($90) is their adjustable toe loop, which can be pulled out and fastened around a big toe for a more secure fit or left tucked away in the sandal's thick rubber sole for more comfort. Chaco is a company founded by a former whitewater rafting guide, and as such the shoes are great around water. They stay tight and secure on the foot at all times, even in rushing rivers. The design uses one continuous piece of webbing with a single buckle for easy and precise adjustability to the foot.

Aesthetically, I liked the Z/2 sandals over the Keen models in this test. But on the go, the Chacos felt a bit clunky, and despite claims otherwise from many good friends, they are not the most comfortable shoes I've ever put on. I tested two sizes of the Z/2 over a three month period, and I found the contoured footbed to be comfy for a normal day in town, but after putting on some miles outdoors it began to feel overly contoured on the inside of the arch of my foot.

Apparently, Chaco's sandals were awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the American Podiatric Medical Association in 2004, so they're ergonomically on the up and up. I guess it's just my finicky foot shape.

Keen's footwear design takes cues from trail-running shoes, hiking boots and technical sandals. The large toe bumper area encloses the front of the foot completely, protecting your piggies from unfortunate root and rock encounters.

I tested the Newport H2 and Boulder models, which each cost $90 and are similar in design. The Boulder is more like a shoe, as its heel area is mostly enclosed. The Newport H2 leaves the heel open except for a single strap of padded webbing. Both offer tremendous support for a sandal. On the foot, they feel like trail runners and will even acquiesce with some mild jogging.


Keen Boulder

But like the Chaco Z/2, neither Keen model (www.keenfootwear.com) was overly comfortable. Indeed, a pair of size 12 Boulders gave me blisters on my little toes after a two-mile jog one day. (Upgrading to size 13 helped, though the shoe is loose in other areas.)

Another complaint: Once debris enters a Keen sandal from one of the many ventilation slots it's quite hard to get out. Sand, small sticks and gravel can be quickly shaken out from under your foot with regular sandals; with Keen, I had to remove the sandal several times to shake it out on a hike.

The one other sandal I've been wearing as of late completely and utterly failed in my test trials, and it was proud to do so. Flojos' Mirage ($25, www.flojos.com) are simple flip flops with a flat bottom and a single nylon strap. These are un-technical, relaxation-oriented sandals perfect for making the big hike between your parked car and the crashing waves on the beach.


Flojos Mirage