We love to travel for our photography, often to remote countries around the globe. And with travel to exotic jungles and forests comes the risk of insect borne diseases. Zika, dengue, malaria, west nile…if you read the list of nasty diseases that mosquitos carry you might not even leave your house. And let’s not forget about ticks…encephalitis, Lyme and others. What’s a photographer to do?
First, research the area you are going. Check for travel vaccinations and concerns on the CDC website (cdc.gov)…this is the first thing I do when I book a trip to a new country. Find out what are the routine vaccinations you need, and other diseases insects might be carrying in the area. Check the season as well…spring and summer is often when the bugs are the worse, while winter they can be almost nonexistent. If you need to take malaria medications or get other vaccinations you will have to start before you leave, sometimes weeks in advance. Check in with the local travel clinic…we use Passport Health, they have travel nurses who will let you know what you need.
There are other ways to fend off those annoying insects, such as using bug repellent. A lot of staying healthy on safaris and shoots is common sense. I always wear long sleeves and long pants….I know I might look a lot cooler in safari shorts and shirts, but less skin exposed means less bug bites and less sun exposure.
There are some great brands of clothing out there that are treated to repel bugs. Look for labels saying “Insect Shield”, a common clothing treatment that repels insects like mosquitos and ticks. Another option is to go to your local outdoor store and pick up some Permethrin and spray your own clothes. We spray our favorite lightweight safari pants before heading to Africa every year.
Check out these brands for some great insect repelling clothes:
Sitka: This is a hunting brand, and they make pants and tops that use Insect Shield. We love their Equinox Guard Pant. This pant is durable, is treated with Insect Guard, and has an internal gaiter to keep ticks and chiggers from crawling up your leg. Most of these pants are in camouflage, but they do offer a brown pair as well (we don’t wear camouflage in Africa, not recommended due to military references). They also have an equinox Guard Hoodie that keeps the bugs away on the top.
Simms: Check out their Bugstopper pants and shirts. These are super lightweight and treated with Insect Shield, a great choice for warm locations and safaris.
LL Bean: LL Bean makes great insect repellent travel clothes, check out their No Fly Zone shirt and pants.
Craghoppers: Another brand offering a variety of Insect Shield treated garments.
One other brand needs mentioning here, that is OBSC…the Original Bug Shirt Company. This company takes a different approach…their fabric is so tightly woven that biting bugs can’t get through. Their pants have an internal gaiter so nothing can get up your leg, and their ‘shirt’ has a hood and bug net so it is virtually impossible for an insect to get to you! These clothes get a little warm in hot environments, but if you want to keep all the bugs away check them out. I wore these in Tsetse fly country in Africa and kept those little monsters off me!
Insects just come with the territory for many photo adventures. I never let that slow me down, I just take precautions, wear some insect repellent clothing, and enjoy the shooting. Check out the clothes above if you are concerned about bugs on your next photo trip!