A shirt that fends off insects well
Columbia’s Insect Blocker shirt has a treatment that should last for 70 washes – similarly to the Rohan Overland. To help guard against the bugs and the sun, the collar has an extra flap too, which should cover the neck to the hairline. The sun protection has a value of UPF 30. The fabric also uses ‘Omni-Wick’ technology – basically it is pretty effective at wicking away sweat. There are double-button cuffs and tabs to tie them up with. The two chest pockets have Velcro-style fasteners. It would have been nice to have something slightly more secure though. The only feature I found a little odd was the positioning of the shirt’s second button down – the one it is mostly fastened on – which seemed lower than normal. I felt I was sporting a 1970s shirt, just without the extensive collar points! Apart from that very minor quibble, it’s a good shirt with a tightly-knit fabric that should go some way in fending off the little blighters.
First published: Spring 2014
