1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective garments worn over normal clothes, and more particularly, to a protective garment especially adapted to provide the wearer protection against insects, especially flying insects such as mosquitoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Garments that are especially designed to be worn while a person is hunting are well known in the art and are very often designed in a camouflage pattern. Examples of such camouflage garments are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,656,065 and 5,010,589. Another prior art camouflage device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,471 for a camouflage body wrap for hunters. Such camouflaged garments and body wraps have a disadvantage. They do not protect the neck, head, and hands from insect bites, especially from flying insects such as mosquitoes. In this respect, it would be desirable if camouflaged garments were provided that protect the wearer's neck, head, and hands from bites from flying insects.
Although there are many advantages to spending time outdoors, one disadvantage is the exposure to insect bites, especially bites from flying insects. There are certain places where flying insects are especially bothersome. Such places include the Gulf Coast of the United States, especially near the swamps of Louisiana and Texas where swarms of mosquitoes, gnats, and deer flies are found. Several different approaches have been tried to reduce or eliminate the nuisance of flying insects when a person is in the outdoors and especially hunting.
One way to repel flying insects from biting a person is for the person to wear an insect repellent. Such an insect repellent, for example, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,905. Use of insect repellents runs the risk of toxicity from the chemicals that are employed. It would be desirable, therefore, if insects could be repelled from biting a person without the person wearing chemical repellent agents.
Another disadvantage of using chemical insect repellents is that they have been observed to also repel the game that is being hunted. For example, it has been observed that some deer are repelled by chemical insect repellents. In this respect, it would be desirable if a way were devised to protect a person from flying insect bites without employing chemicals which may repel wild game.
Another conventional approach to protecting oneself from insect bites is to wear conventional clothing that covers extensive portions of the body. For example, long sleeved shirts, a jacket, gloves, and two pairs of pants have been employed. However, this technique is not practical in warm climates. For example, deer season may occur in certain localities, such as Texas, during relatively warm months, such as December. Therefore, if a hunter sought substantial protection against flying insects by extensive body coverage with conventional clothing, the hunter would swelter. In this respect, it would be desirable if a technique were devised which would give hunters adequate protection against flying insects without causing the wearer to experience excessive heat.
Another prior art garment that offers protection against flying insects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,236 for a mesh-like garment that has two major parts: a top part for coverage of from the head to the hips; and a bottom part for coverage of from the waist to the feet, using individual leg-encompassing members. The top part is placed over the head of the person when it is worn. The bottom part is stepped into by the person when it is worn. One disadvantage of the garment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,236 relates to the fact that the bottom part is stepped into when it is worn. Shoes and boots often have sharp corners or protrusions which may tend to snag and tear mesh-like material that forms the legs of the garment. Stepping into such garment legs runs the risk of tearing and snagging the garment legs. In this respect, it would be desirable if a garment offered protection against flying insects that avoided risks of tearing and snagging due to shoes or boots.
A problem associated with the use of mesh-like fabrics for protective garments is that the fabrics tend to cling to the person's normal clothes. In this respect, it would be desirable if a protective garment employing mesh-like fabric would be provided which had a reduced tendency to cling to one's normal clothes under the protective garment.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use mesh-like fabrics to protect against flying insects, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest that it is desirable for a protective garment to provide a number of advantages simultaneously which include: avoiding risks of tearing and snagging due to shoes or boots; and employing mesh-like fabric in such a way that it has a reduced tendency to cling to one's normal clothes under the protective garment. The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the unique protective mesh garment apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.