Insect Shield offering U.S. military-approved bug repellent for clothing

By Kelly Hodgkins Published April 28, 2017

EasyPacks2

You probably don’t recognize the Insect Shield brand, but if you have ever donned a piece of insect-repellent clothing or bug-resistant gear, then you likely have experience with the company’s technology. The company’s proprietary permethrin formula is used by the U.S. military and by more than 70 lifestyle clothing brands.

And it is used for good reasons — permethrin is effective against a variety of insects including mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and no-see-ums. With the introduction of its new Easy Pack program, Insect Shield’s highly regarded repellent formula is now available to the public.

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The Easy Pack program is a mail-in service that allows consumers to send their clothing to Insect Shield for treatment with this long-lasting permethrin formula. The Easy Pack simply is a pre-paid Priority Mail envelope that measures 17.25 inches by 14 inches. Customers can stuff the pack with clothing and then ship off their items to the company using the prepaid label. Customers can send any type of clothing except underwear, waterproof layers, or dry-clean-only items. Upon receipt, Insect Shield will treat the clothing with its permethrin and then send the treated items back to the consumer.

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Anyone can purchase a small bottle of permethrin and treat clothes themselves, but this unique formula from Insect Shield is superior to any homemade concoction because of its durability. Clothing treated with off-the-shelf permethrin requires regular re-treatment because the repellent loses its effectiveness after a few cycles through the washing machine. The Insect Shield formula, on the other hand, is a one-time treatment. According to the company, its formula is EPA-registered to last for more than 70 washes, which is the average lifespan for most articles of clothing.

Customers can visit Insect Shield’s website to purchase an Easy Pack, which are available in three different increments. The company is selling a single pack for $65, a double pack for $112, and a triple pack for $149.

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Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…

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