Coghlans Bug Jacket

Got a set of these (jacket and pants) for a trip to Boundary Waters. Works GREAT! Absolutely will not go into bug country again without this! I have only worn the jacket, not the pants (so far). I am very pleased with the effectiveness against biting flies and mosquitoes.

The jacket packs up really small. Fits easily in a pocket or a hip pack. In fact, I almost forgot I had brought it with me until the morning of the second day of our week long trip when I realized I had used up almost a third of my bug spray and at the rate I was using the spray, it wasn't going to last. After taking out the jacket (which I just wore on portages and at camp), I rarely used the bug spray the rest of the trip.

The hood is such that you can zip it open at the front of the neck and fold open the hood for eating or other activities where you need to place your hands up to your face. I often wore it with the hood over the back part of my head and over my ears, but with my face exposed. The mesh is reasonably cool on hot days but it does obstruct your near vision a little bit (like reading, for example).

When I tried it on before the trip my brother laughed at me and said I would be lucky if my trip mates would let me wear it anywhere near them because it looked so geeky. WRONG! Well, okay, it does look geeky but that is completely overshadowed by its effectiveness and my trip mates said they wished they had the same protection in spite of looks. Hey, when you are being eaten alive by biting bugs, fashion takes a backseat to comfort.

I have used a simple bug hood before getting this product and can report that the jacket works better because it protects your arms and your body and it is easier than the solo hood to cover just part of your head. Also, I thought it might not work where the mesh is in contact with your skin, but only a very few bites actually get through.

I am a wildlife biologist who teaches university field biology courses. I purchase these for my students to use in my field courses. I had little hope these would be any good when I purchased the first set. However, not only are they effective at preventing most mosquito bites, but they have stood up well to some pretty horrible field conditions. We've used them extensively in thick palmetto understory that leaves our pants and boots shredded, and they have only a few tiny holes. Minor drawbacks are that the head net over your face does obscure vision a bit (we usually fold those down and tighten the jacket around the neck and use insect spray on our heads), and in our extreme heat and humidity they are a bit hot (and the net doesn't absorb sweat so it gets a little slimy). Still, it's better than getting West Nile and they don't deplete my budget.

I used to spray with chemical all over before I started to use this product. The net covers entire upper body and very effective in preventing mosquito bites. Without using any deet chemicals, I was bite free for an entire day while I worked mosquitoe infested garden this summer.