InsectGuard - Permethrin Treated Tick Gaiters/Sleeves and Mosquitoes Flies Chiggers & More Insect Repellent, White, 4 Inch

I have Lyme and a few other tick-borne infections ( been fighting them for over 2 years) and I now have a very serious fear of being in the outdoors without protection. I'm a biologist, hiker and gardener so my fear is truly a hindrance at times. In fact, I can't enjoy watching nature films with grassy fields without screaming ' ticks!" in my head. My carefree unprotected days of lawn croquet and badminton are over. You will now see me sporting these on my wrists, tall boots and permethrin treated clothing. If you think I'm being overly dramatic, get Lyme and get back to me ( but I hope anyone reading this never gets sick). These are easy to carry in my bag or pockets and I love them for picking berries and veggies from my garden. They also repel mosquitoes which are just as frightening as ticks IMO.

This pair of InsectGuard Insect Repellent gaiters are sold by ThndrMntn (www dot thndrmntn dot com) in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and fulfilled by Amazon. I received them from Amazon as part of a multi-item shipment. They were packed in a clear plastic bag that, in turn, contained a dark red tinted (UV blocking?) zip-lock bag containing the gaiters. I didn't find any labeling that indicated where these gaiters are manufactured. Anyway, in my opinion, they really don't fit the definition of gaiters which I always considered to be protective leggings that covered from the boot in-step to just under the knee. These are more like cuffs and, in fact, are advertised for use on either your wrists or lower calves. The InsectGuard cuff has the appearance of the top of a white tube sock that has been cut off and hemmed on both ends. They are not 7" as advertised. I measured the cuff to be 6 1/4" long by 3 1/4" wide. But they do have some pretty impressive insect repellent technology integrated into the cuffs. A company, Pulcra Chemicals LLC (www dot pulcra-chemicals dot com) in Rock Hill, South Carolina has taken Permethrin, a widely-used synthetic broad-spectrum chemical insecticide, and microencapsulated it into the material. Pulcra has branded this insect repellent apparel as "Skintex MR III" and has received EPA registration numbers 86110-2 and 53263-31 for the product. The labeling lists the active ingredient as Permethrin at a concentration of 0.52% w/w.As advertised, the cuffs had very little odor and no residue rubbed off on my fingers. It is claimed that the insecticide will be effective for 25 washings. The cuffs are supposed to be washed separately from other clothing and thrown away after 25 washings. They should not be dry cleaned, re-treated with Permethrin, or used for any other purpose than as an insect repellent. In my opinion, the purpose of the InsectGuard is two-fold. First, it protects the opening between your pants and your socks and, second, it keeps ticks from crawling up the outside of your pants. To use InsectGuard as a leg gaiter, just tuck your pants into your socks and then pull the cuffs over the area where the sock top covers your pants legs. I have worn these for a short time in some tall grass and have not found a tick on me. Of course, I really can't judge the effectiveness in such a short time and that is where the problem arises. ThndrMntn claims "One Size Fits All - Ages 12 to Adult!". Unfortunately, the InsectGuard cuffs are too small for me to wear comfortably over a long period, such as a day hike, so I am giving it four stars instead of five. ThndrMntn needs to offer a larger size for large legs and bulky clothing. Oh, one other thing, the InsectGuard is not to be confused with the TickGuard which is also sold by ThndrMntn. The TickGuard is simply the untreated cuffs...you have to spray them with Permethrin yourself when you use them.

They work well over my wrists and ankles could be little longer.

These are comfortable, and effective, as far as I can tell. I was worried that they would be too tight, but they easily slip on and cover the space between the top of my hiking shoes and the bottom of my pants. We're overrun with ticks in this area, and this seems to be the worst spring yet, but I've not had a single one on me while wearing the gaiters. Just ordered a pair for my father for Father's Day

Other reviewers had mentioned how small these ran but others said they were OK. I'm small ( 5'3", 112 lbs) so I thought they might work. When I took them out the package, they looked like they were made for kids, not adults. Their height is barely 7" which, once I saw them, really isn't enough height to protect well from ticks but the circumference is not at all adequate. I could barely get them on over a lightweight pair of summer-weight hiking pants & I had to take my boots/shoes off to put them on. They felt tight & I think they would be pretty uncomfortable after a couple hours walking. If they shrink when they're washed, then I might not be able to get them on at all. Not worth the money. Possibly might be OK if available in larger sizes but I would prefer enough height to go from the tops of my boots to just below my knees w/o constricting circulation. Great idea but not well-executed. The loose knit weave would not work on trails with lots of brush--only trails that are "groomed". I returned them & will try another brand.