Allen;

I have been wearing the Kelley nylon suits for years.  I like the zip-on
veil suits as I can drop the veil when driving or when I want a clear look
and I can buy new veils anytime to replace worn ones.  I like the zipper
veils as they are bee-tight as there are few things worse than having a bee
flying around inside the veil aiming for your earlobe, as that is the spot
that hurts the most for me.  They are hot but hey I live in North Carolina
- the land of heat and humidity -so I just wear shorts and a t shirt under
the suit and sweat.  Hydrate up before going out and sweat, just don't get
too hot.  I like Kelley's nylon suits because they last forever, are
relatively cheap - $72.50 with veil, and the bees don't sting through the
nylon even when stuck to your skin.  Wash them and they dry in 15 minutes,
so I do a dunk in a 5 gallon bucket with a bit of dish detergent at the
honey house to keep the suits out of the family washing machine.  The main
reason I wear a suit is the keep propolis off my clothes.  I travel a lot
too and when doing consulting work wear almost all nylon now as it is
lightweight and I can wash nylon shirts and pants in a hotel sink and
air-dry overnight.  I have had too many clothes go walkabout in third world
laundries so now I don't tempt the launderers and do my own.  Makes for a
lightweight bag too.  I get my nylon goods at REI and Bean, as the
guarantees are for life.  When I travel I wear what the local beekeepers
wear.  Currently I am working in the Republic of Georgia and the bees are
lovely.  We wear a simple one piece light cotton hat/veil combo that costs
about $2 to make.  When working in Southern Africa we dress for war when
working those bees though.....heavy cotton suits, wellies, heavy rubber
gloves.

Bill Lord
Louisburg, NC

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