Recommendations for long shirt/pants to combat black flies!

Columbia sportswear has a a good selection of long sleeve treking shirts that may work for you. Not too terrible on the wallet either. Frequently, the shirts pop up on sale.

For pants, I have been using Arc'teryx Rampart hiking pants and have been exceptional. They are light and not too hot during the summer. the fabric has a fairly dense weave to keep the biting nasties at bay. The cut of the pant for me is just perfect, not too tight nor too baggy. They offer a good range of movement for climbing over logs. Pockets lay flat and are well thought out. They have been very durable, may favorite go-to hiking pant.

I have found the nylon clothing from ex officio to be some of the lightest which seemed to stop biting bugs I have personally encountered. Permethrin on synthetics seems to have worked for me… though when there are lots of bugs a number have gotten through my treated featherweight base… which is why I often use the ex officio shirt which has both permethrin and a weave that is very tight.

–Mark

FWIW, I've never been bitten by black flies through any kind of clothing, even light poly t-shirts. They don't have a long proboscis like mosquitoes do, so I think they need bare skin to bite. So, any kind of long-sleeved shirt and long pants should do fine.

Unlike mosquitoes, though, black flies will crawl down your neck, up your sleeves, under your hatband, etc. So, be wary of your wrists, neck, etc.

Scott, you're technically correct, the mosquitos bite through thinner fabric, black flies divebomb the eyes, ears, and any exposed skin-the saltier the better! I'm looking for protection from both.

I recently bought a Mountain Hardware sun shirt that I think will do well against mosquitoes/flies. I am going to treat it with permethrin. It's at least partially nylon with an excellent venting system: under the arms and partly down the sides. It hangs a lot looser than my capilene base, that's for sure. I've found that mosquitoes can't bit through my nylon pants or even my Houdini. I'll find out how well this shirt performs in about two weeks. I know that the MH shirt will way outperform my capilene base for mosquito repellency!

I went to REI and found both a pair of Arc'Teryx and ExOfficio pants. The former worked superbly without binding in thick, chest-high, wet grass this morning on my hiking trail. I'll try the others tomorrow.

I looked at a Columbia Tamiami II long-sleeve shirt that was lighter than anything I've seen Columbia do before, and at a really great price. The ExOfficio Air Strip Lite looked like a really good option as well.

Thanks again!

I would recommend Patagonia's 'Tropical Flats' pant. A little pricey but very lightweight, much like your typical nylon running short. I don't overheat in them here in the southeast.

Glad you like the pants. I love my ramparts and they have stood up to desert cat claw and thorns for a few seasons now with virtually no wear (I also wear them frequently in the city). They should last you a very long time (making up for their cost).

For a shirt, I also wear the Arc'Teryx Phase SL long sleeve. It doesn't have a dense weave and will snag unfortunately, but it is the lightest and most comfortable long sleeve I have found and works great for me in the Desert Sun. With permethrin it should be decent bug protection without being too hot.

In New England you can probably get a way with something a bit heavier though with better bug protection, something like a vented Rail Riders shirt. They're often made of a dense weave nylon and people love them even in the desert (I haven't bought one yet but it's on the list of "things to consider").

Yeah, last week the black flies were out in force in the ADK's. I just used a set of light Smartwool to fend them off. DEET around wrists, ankles, face and throat. I got 2 bites in 8 days through many bad swarms.

Nylon, wool, or some others will pick up permethrin quite well. Polyester does not. Mosquitoes started to be a real problem in the evenings. They can bite through light cloths. Two layers often fends them off if the temp is cool enough. Eucalytus, citronella, and others work to some degree, as does DEET. Sometimes they swarm on you. Not much to do except get a fire going, or, move. Smoking a cigar helps. Lots of things will help, none will stop all the critters.