Wind jacket as bug/sun protection?

Hey Brett, I’ve done that. It works. Expect to get a little warm if hiking while the day is sunny and/or warm, but the sun protection will be effective and the bugs won’t bite.

Most any loose-ish fitting wind jacket, like my Patagonia Houdini, provides pretty good sun and bug protection. In tight-fitting areas like shoulders, mosquitoes might bite through, unless you treat the jacket with permethrin.

On hotter days, sweating makes me unzip the front and want to take it off – but tradeoffs. Even a mediocre UPF means using much less sunscreen.

Love my Houdini in a wide range of conditions.

— Rex

I don’t have any experience with it in terms of bug protection, but BD Alpine Start is fairly high CFM and others have used it for warm weather sun/bug protection.

Sorry, the Westcomb had a CFM of about 42.

Does the item have to be hooded? You thinking of multi-use so 1 item serving as both windshirt for cool windy and sun/bug otherwise?

People may be different here, but I tend to sweat a lot on the move, and if it’s warm enough for me to need bug protection, it’s too warm for me to wear a windshirt all day.  I wear a woven nylon shirt like the Patagonia Stretch Sun Shirt for sun/bugs (treated with permethrin if I think bugs will be bad) and use my wind shirt for cool mornings/evenings, or cold wind.

I also could never imagine using a rain shell as a windshirt – I’d sweat to death,  but people do, so that just shows everyone is different.

The Cotopaxi Paray is a good candidate on the breathability factor. Size up.

<span style=”text-align: right;”>The trick is finding one that is breathable, light color and has good and hem drawstrings and cuffs that have Velcro and/or elastic. Permethrin treatment would help </span>

I feel like using a  bug shirt for sun and bugs and carrying a rainshell for weather is better than wind shells. Ive gravitated from the woven shirts, and been just using a sun hoody treated with permethrin. With a merino 150 tshirt, a patagonia tropic sun hoody, and light rainshell i can hike from 100 degrees to 30 degrees F comfortably with no additional wind shirt or other insulating layers besides wool glove liners, and alpaca beanie.

The underlying motivation for using a wind shell for sun and insect protection is multiple use. It’s simply a matter of color choice if the wind shell is a breathable as it should be.

I tried an ash colored  (pale gray) Alpine Start for bug and sun protection two summers ago on multiple day hikes. Last time it was 65 deg and calm. Ended up next to skin, with the front zip all the way down, sweating, getting bit on the chest and neck. Windshirts are for below 45 deg, maybe 55 if next to skin. YMMV (e.g. “run cool”)

^^ Yeah I can’t imagine climbing say 1500 feet in 2 miles at a temp above @ 45 with a windshirt unless it was also blowing @ 20. HYOH YTempMV. OTOH with something like the Kuiu Tiburon.

There are also some more or less regular old button up shirts with an open weave and stretch like Brad upthread and Craig Wisner mentioned one in another thread. I’ll try to find that. I used to use a Mt. Hardware Canyon Shirt until I found the Tiburon on sale. Yeah it’s a little pricey. I treated mine with permethrin. The mozzies don’t hand around long enough to bite through the holes.

The only reason I haven’t tried something like the a Patagonia tropic sun hoody mentioned upthread by @andy-s is I’d rather wear a wide brimmed hat but the concept seems correct, at least for sun and bugs.

Tiburon looks interesting. Can it stop bugs? That was my object with trying the Alpine Start as a sun protector: stop sun and bugs without engaging in chemical warfare.

As I edited above I treat mine with permethrin. So yeah chemical warfare. Never tried it without. The stretch is nice too but the fabric also seems relatively tough. No pack strap wear yet.

Do you think a sun hoody would stop bugs? I find them too warm as well. I’d rather go for a light button down shirt and a wide brim hat.

When it is hot I sweat as much as the next person and I have not found a sun/bug shirt that breathes as well as my Crest Hoody.  Except for me thin 60/40 dress shirt.  And next to skin I can wear the hoody up to about 75F or more just walking

And yes, I can see the Pat Sun Hoody for sun but it would have to be treated with permerthin, repeatedly and for that I may as well use my Echo ls quarter zip or Echo hoody and treat that.  But I am also not one to keep out in the sun for hours on end.

The Tiburon may be great but hard to know.

‘^^ Yeah I can’t imagine climbing say 1500 feet in 2 miles at a temp above @ 45 with a windshirt unless it was also blowing @ 20. HYOH YTempMV. OTOH with something like the Kuiu Tiburon.’

Yeah.  It is all based on environment and usage  I am just walking about from place to place.  The highest rise around is 500ft.  And wooded most of the way.  Just more as an if needed thing.

Thank you all.

Has anyone tried a Montbell Ex Light Wind Jacket in white as a bug shirt? It’s got mesh in the armpits and the new fabric is supposed to be much more breathable than the old Tachyon. My dark grey Tachyon Anorak is miserable as a bug layer in the sun. I’ve been tempted to try one over my favorite Tropic Comfort sun hoody.

https://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=25014&p_id=1103286&gen_cd=1

MHW Kor Preshell is Pertex Quantum Air, higher air permeability and nice soft feel against skin. Comes in some light colors, including white, and on sale at the moment so can try it out without breaking the bank.

That sounds like a great idea to try out.  Just have to find one in XXL white then.  Thank you!

I’ve sprayed UV-resistant polyester shirts with permethrin and it worked well with other precautions (over the head bug net, DEET in skin, etc..), even with a persistent cloud of skeeters following me for hours.

Any untreated or unprotected skin was a different matter.

I am probably being an idiot and overthinking things and trying to cram too much into one item.

I am going to edit this post I just put out.

It would probably be best if I try to use my white OR 1/4 zip ls echo or get the hoody for sun and use the permethrin for bugs. I can layer this over my echo t for when it is cooler out.

I would like to layer a Alpha Direct hoody over this but I need a shell.  I use a poncho/tarp for rain.  Any suggestions?

I will still try the Crest Hoody out in the summer to see how it does.

Okay and thank you.

I purchased a few items and tested them.  The manufacturers would say all of these are around 15 which is not bad for me.

The Westcomb Crest Hoody went pretty nice.  It is very breathable and a tight enough weave to stop most bugs I have found.  The fabric is Pertex Equilibirum and is supposed to be worn next to the skin.  I found it wicked away the sweat I had a a pretty decent rate but the fabric would stay damp for a bit while it dried.  Mine is in Black and the other colors they have are a dark blue or a red.  I am sure this would help a little but probably not much.

I thought about using the new Patagoina Airshed Pro Pullover but the lower sleeve and hood are made out Capilene® Cool lightweight fabric which will not stop any bugs unless coated with chemicals.  The rest of the wind shirt would though by the looks.  What do people think about coating that with chemicals?  The light color they have is almost an aqua blue.  Def more breathable that the Crest Hoody so maybe that 60cfm is pretty bang on.

I also picked up a MH Kor Preshell that uses Pertex Quantum air in the Pristine color which is about the lightest color I could find in a hooded windshirt.  It is def not as breathable as the other two.  Walking around  with a pack it will build up moisture where the pack and belt were resting against me in my lower back while walking around in 80F temps.  I could feel a bit of a breeze coming through when the wind was blowing.  I have only done a small bit around bugs but it seemed to do well.

Those are my thoughts  It would be nice if the Airshed was the same fabric throughout but it seems there is a bit of cfm vs color contrast.

You will more than likely never get a breathable enough wind shirt/jacket to out perform a treated sun hoody for sun/bug protection.

It would be nice if they made the Airshed Pro in the same material all over.

I’ve used the Mountain Hardwear Canyon sun shirt for years–it’s a tank! My old version is a bit warmer than another sun shirt I own, but even without permethrin it’s pretty darn mosquito resistant. I’ll typically spritz it lightly with permethrin once bug season starts. That, REI* nylon pants, wide brimmed hat and netting and sungrubbies make me almost bullet proof. Even better than netting (which I’ll bring anyway) :

https://www.sunprecautions.com/product/48100

That HUGE drape can be pulled up over your nose and cover all of the face, neck and ears (it has velcro up the edges so can be ‘zipped up’) It’s loose, and mosquito proof with no treatment. Then when the mosquitos are gone, let the drape hang. Versatile and not hot. A bit dorky but what’s new?