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Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

Bug Chaps

Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Make Your Own Gear › Bug Chaps

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
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  • Jul 27, 2020 at 12:12 pm #3666686
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    I made a pair of bug chaps before I went on my latest trip. They were awesome!

    Bug Chaps

    I made them by laying a pair of rain chaps down on some noseeum and tracing them out with pins adding a generous seam allowance. You could also use a pattern which you can find with a quick google search for rain chaps pattern. Basically you just need the legs part of the pants and then a little bit that rises up the hips toward your waist band. I hemmed all the exposed edges and then at the top where it meets my waist band, I folded it over so I could insert mini carabiners. I used the mini carabiners to attach the chaps to the belt loops on my shorts. If you don’t have belt loops you can always insert a belt or a shock cord through the carabiners to hold them on.

    I also put some elastic and cord locks around the ankles so that they could be loosened to put on over my shoes and tightened around my ankles.

    You would think mosquitoes could still bite you through the pants but I found I kind of never stood still long enough for that to happen. And they were loose enough they could be kept away even from my knees.

    Jul 31, 2020 at 10:59 am #3667731
    Michael B
    BPL Member

    @mikebergy

    Curious, what differentiates chaps from pants? Are  they open in the back?

    Jul 31, 2020 at 2:43 pm #3667763
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Chaps are crotchless pants.

    Jul 31, 2020 at 2:48 pm #3667764
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Humans probably invented chaps before modern pants.  Wrapping your bum and naughty bits in one piece and adding chaps for each leg involves far simpler tailoring.

    And was the original convertible pants/shorts.

    I think there was a scientific paper from a  few years ago that pushed back the oldest known pants many centuries with a well-preserved exhibit from the Mongolian steppes and theorized it was related to their equestrian lifestyle.

    Jul 31, 2020 at 2:50 pm #3667765
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Ah, here a summary of that article.  3,000-year-old pants.  Specifically for riding a horse.

    https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-06-10/world-s-oldest-pants-found-ancient-chinese-grave-have-seriously-huge-crotch

    Jul 31, 2020 at 2:56 pm #3667766
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Sorry for all the posts, editing keeps timing out.

    Back to Diane’s OP.  That’s inspiring.  Because I’m often wearing long pants for the mosquitos when I’d rather be in shorts for the temperature.

    In lieu of mini-biners, what about a toggle / button?  A chunk of rubber or neoprene to use as a button to the belt-loop’s buttonhole.

    Jul 31, 2020 at 9:22 pm #3667835
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    You could attach them however you like. I am not a very good seamstress so when I rolled over the top edge I thought maybe my belt would fit right through, but it didn’t. Turned out being able to easily attach them with a carabiner made them easier to put on and take off anyway.

    Chaps are a lot easier to sew and if I’m already wearing shorts anyway, full pants aren’t necessary.

    I didn’t mention that I also slept in them. They kept my sticky knees from sticking together without making me as hot and sweaty as my windpants.

    Aug 3, 2020 at 3:41 pm #3668657
    John S.
    BPL Member

    @jshann

    Thanks for the info Diane.

    Aug 3, 2020 at 5:09 pm #3668671
    Jeffs Eleven
    BPL Member

    @woodenwizard

    Locale: NePo

    They not cheap but Snow Peak makes some bug pants. And a jacket that the hood zips up over you face! Properly weird!

    Aug 3, 2020 at 5:15 pm #3668673
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Wowsa!  The Snow Peak bug pants are $210!

    That buys a LOT of mosquito netting at the fabric store.

    Aug 3, 2020 at 5:25 pm #3668677
    Jeffs Eleven
    BPL Member

    @woodenwizard

    Locale: NePo

    Yeah, do you know about fashion, David?!?  😜

    I said they weren’t cheap!

    Aug 9, 2020 at 3:55 pm #3670155
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    Coghlan’s makes a bug jacket and bug pants and they’re about 1/10th the cost of Snow Peaks’. I made my bug chaps myself because I had some noseeum netting lying around from a failed bug tent project. I’m really glad I made something worthwhile out of the netting.

    Aug 9, 2020 at 7:09 pm #3670181
    John S.
    BPL Member

    @jshann

    Walmart was selling the shirt and pants for awhile under the UST brand. I picked up a pair for the heck of it.

    Aug 13, 2020 at 4:09 pm #3670654
    John S.
    BPL Member

    @jshann

    just noticed that rei has on sale the ust bug suit.

    https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/157564/ultimate-survival-technologies-no-see-um-suit

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