If you need permethrin-treated clothes with out the mess of DIY Permethrin sprays, Insect Protect’s Straightforward Packs service is a handy, cost-effective choice. For $124.95, you get a pay as you go 19 x 14 inch UPS envelope that you simply fill with your individual washed clothes, ship it off, and obtain all the pieces again neatly pressed, discreetly tagged, and professionally handled to repel mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges. For thru-hikers, backpackers, fisher-people, and guides, treating a devoted bug-season package as soon as and shifting on is well worth the upfront value.
Testimonial
I’ve been utilizing the Straightforward Pack service for a number of years to deal with my new mountaineering and fishing clothes as a result of I stay in a rural space the place Lyme disease-carrying ticks are considerable (and there are extra deer than individuals). I repeatedly hike and bushwhack off-trail, via farmers’ fields, and alongside brush-filled river banks, so overlaying up and taking tick precautions are foremost on my thoughts.
Whereas I began making use of Permethrin spray to my very own clothes nearly 20 years in the past, in recent times I’ve despatched it to Insect Protect for skilled remedy as a result of it’s quite a bit much less problem and simpler to suit into my busy schedule. My favourite clothes producers, together with Railriders, Ex Officio, Eddie Bauer, LL Bean, and others, additionally stopped promoting clothes pre-treated with Permethrin (presumably to chop prices), leaving it as much as the patron as an alternative. Whereas I nonetheless personal and use their clothes, I now take issues into my very own palms and have it handled myself.
On this newest batch (high picture), I’m sending in 6 objects: three pairs of Railriders Bone Flat Pants (with facet vents), two long-sleeve Columbia fishing shirts, and a long-sleeve Eddie Bauer shirt, which I plan to put on this 12 months for Tenkara fly fishing. I choose these light-weight garments and barely put on waterproof fishing waders, as a result of they’re too heavy and sizzling to put on when mountaineering into distant mountain streams. I’m filling a second Straightforward Pack with the clothes I’m taking to hike the Pennine Approach in England and Scotland later this spring as nicely.
Sturdiness
What units the Insect Protect Straightforward Pack service aside is sturdiness. Insect Protect’s Permethrin remedy is rated to last as long as 70 washings, the efficient lifetime of most clothes, far outlasting typical do-it-yourself Permethrin sprays that solely final for 4-5 washings. For hikers, backpackers, anglers, and yard staff in tick-heavy areas, that “deal with as soon as, neglect about it” longevity is a serious worth add.
The Course of
The method is easy. Order a number of Straightforward Packs, wash your garments first, full the included type, and drop the crammed envelope at UPS. They’ll deal with all the garments you possibly can match into the Straightforward Pack envelope. Bulkier objects like shirts, hoodies, and pants take up extra space, so you possibly can match fewer of them. However you possibly can match as much as about 15 pairs of socks inside.
Processing time is usually 5 enterprise days after receipt, and all transport is included within the worth. When your objects return, they’re pressed and marked so you possibly can simply establish which items at the moment are insect-repellent. In case you’ve ever tried to maintain monitor of which shirts you sprayed final season, this can be a welcome contact.
Limitations
There are vital limitations. Solely sewn clothes are eligible, and objects should be machine-washable and tumble-dryable. Meaning undergarments, water resistant or waterproof items, objects with welded waterproof zippers, and something labeled Dry Clear Solely, Do Not Tumble Dry, or Line Dry are forbidden. Footwear can also’t be processed; Insect Protect suggests month-to-month DIY spraying for footwear.
Turnaround is nice however not rapid. With the five-business-day processing window (plus transport every means), you’ll need to plan forward of peak bug season or a giant journey. Nonetheless, I contemplate that turnaround time completely acceptable.
Backside line
Insect Protect Straightforward Packs ship the longest-lasting permethrin remedy most individuals will ever want, with minimal effort. Who’s it greatest for? Anybody in tick- or mosquito-country who needs set-and-forget safety: hikers, backpackers, path crews, gardeners, anglers, vacationers, and outside staff. The foundations and restrictions are actual, and you have to plan per week or two forward, however having bug-repellent clothes that stays efficient for as much as 70 washes makes this service a straightforward advice for anybody critical about decreasing bites and tick publicity.
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