Gear Review: Royal Robbins Expedition III Shirt & Wilder Pant

Mosquitos galore, and not a single bite.

Spring is my favourite season. The drab brown forests come alive with a lush green canopy filled with a cacophony of songbirds. However once the birds appear, it also means that a major food source is also abundant.

That means nights of lying in your tent and listening to the high-pitched drone of bugs eager to feast on you. And it’s not just limited to spring... Pitch your tent near a marsh? Rainy day? Hiking in a tropical climate? Is it dusk? Better find something to protect you from those mosquitoes.

Bug spray is your best line of defence but the different kinds range from either being completely ineffective to quite possibly dangerous for your health. Some clothing manufacturers have figured out ways to integrate a type of bug spray (Permethrin) into the clothes although eventually it does wash out. Here in Canada Permethrin use is restricted as there are human health concerns as well as the possibility that it is toxic to beneficial insects such as bees.

This year Royal Robbins released a new line of clothing to not only help you stay protected, but do so chemically free. That immediately sounded up my alley especially during Spring portages and backpacking trips. I chose the Expedition III Long-sleeved Shirt and Wilder Pant from the full lineup of clothing and I’ve been very impressed.

Bug riddled portage? No problem!

The Expedition III Shirt is 100% polyester and the Wilder Pants are 94% nylon with 6% elastane to give them a little stretch. The first thing I noticed when wearing both pieces of clothing was how thin they were (something that doesn’t equate to insect protection). This thinness isn’t a downfall however as the pants are still tough enough to stand up to abrasion and they both provide great sun protection (UPF 40+ and also provides both UVA & UVB protection) and breathability.

Neither of them takes up much room in your pack and you can roll them up quite compactly. The Expedition III shirt only weighs 164g/5.8 oz and the Wilder Pant weighs 269g/9.5 oz.

During the warmer months of the summer I sure appreciated the thinness of the Expedition III shirt after getting it quite sweaty after steep vertical ascents. Arriving at the top, it didn’t take long for the shirt to air dry and I was good to go again.

Despite all of this, I was floored that I wasn’t getting a single bug bite. Everything from black flies to mosquitos were endlessly seeking a place to take a bite, but coming up empty. This is thanks to the built-in Mosquito Protection Technology (MPT) which uses a chemical-free, engineered, tight-weave fabric that provides a robust barrier against mosquitos that won't wash or wear away.

The Wilder Pants are just as protective from mosquitos and thankfully very quiet as they don’t swish when walking. You might think a tighter weave in the clothing would make it feel abrasive, but both are very comfortable, loose fitting, and didn’t rub when wearing a pack thanks to the flat stitching.

The Wilder Pants also have a minimalist draw string at the bottom for when you want to wade through some water and raise your pants up to prevent them from getting wet. They also have an eco-friendly DWR coating for water resistance and a 7.5 CFM wind rating which sure prevented wind from cutting through on cold blustery hikes.

The Expedition III shirt includes a fold up collar, providing a little more protection from the sun (it sure saves the back of your neck from the unrelenting rays) and buttons tight to prevent bugs from sneaking down inside your shirt. There are also two zippered chest pockets which are still accessible when wearing a backpack. You can unzip them for a little extra airflow as well as they are meshed lined.

Be sure to check out the Expedition III Long-sleeved Shirt (Men/Women) and the Wilder Pant (Men/Women) from Royal Robbins. It’s so nice when clothing companies focus on bug protection and Royal Robbins has aced this.