Well people, prepare to be amazed (I was) because it does actually work....
As some of you know, I recently went to Australia to visit my baby brother. It was a pretty amazing trip, seeing my brother after 8 years, getting to spend time with my gorgeous sister in law Kath and best of all, getting to meet my delicious nephews Charlie and Jackson.
This trip was all about family. We went stocked with pressies and even took chocolate eggs and bunnies for an Easter egg hunt; it was expensive too and new clothing was a very low priority. So I was pretty chuffed when just before we left, a lovely new hoody arrived in the post for me, courtesy of a kindly PR who'd heard about my trip.
I am highly allergic to insect bites. Both me and the eldest daughter have ended up in hospital after suffering allergic reactions to bites. I carry antihistamine all the time and spend the summer months avoiding anything that might bite me. So I was even more chuffed when I opened the parcel and discovered that the Craghoppers hoody was insect repellant and offered protection from UV rays.
I thought it looked like a great, lightweight top for travelling in (it was) but I was sceptical about the insect repellant element. I was wrong! I didn't suffer a single bite whilst wearing the top. It proved so lightweight and easy to wash and wear that I wore it pretty constantly too. It was a perfect layering garment for travelling in and was small enough to stuff in my rucksack on days out. It was ideal for the slightly changeable weather we had, didn't look nerdy (my teenage daughters allowed me to wear it out in public so praise indeed!) and I'm now a complete and utter Craghoppers fan.
Craghoppers do kids clothing too. And anything that protects kids delicate skin and saves you constantly nagging them to apply insect spray and sun cream has got to be a good thing!
And here we all are in Sydney with me wearing my insect free top!
I bought a long-sleeved t-shirt for my husband and it does seem to work. I can't say he wasn't bitten at all, but far less than usual, and he's a magnet for mozzies. The last time he wore it, I swear they were flying past him to get to me!
This week, I thought I would order something for me as well and find that Craghoppers have changed their website. They have a French site as well now and you're automatically redirected to it. That's nice if you want delivery in the UK, but the billing address for my card is in the UK. The site won't let you put in a billing address that isn't France, so your order is invalid.
We managed to sort it out on the phone to Manchester, but it's not ideal. I hope they manage to improve the site.
Hi - just checked and it is working fine - just hover over the "Nosilife" when you get there. Failing that - here is a link to their main site http://www.craghoppers.com/ and you can get their via the 'collections tab. bonne chance!
Also known as rougets,chiggers or in our house 'pervy bugs' cos they head for your undies, trombicula autumnalis is a nasty, biting, long term itching larva and is found on tall, usually moist vegetation, like raspberry canes and grave vines. It is able to penetrate normal clothes. No joking it's vile. I lost most of my raspberry crop last year because we couldn't pick the because these excruciating bugs bit me head to foot. If this works it'd be a minor miracle!
Nice one. After years of being gradually eaten by the little bar stewards this a a ray of light as foreign travel begins to beckon again. Strangely enough I never have problems with mosquitoes but everything else and midges in particular seem to consider me à la carte straight off the plane :-(
