Coghlan's Bug Jacket (No. 0055 Small / No. 0059 Large)

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

Coghlan's Bug Jacket (No. 0055 Small / No. 0059 Large)

2026 lineup note: Coghlan's (Winnipeg, Canada) is the classic North American camp-accessory brand — the Bug Jacket is its long-running chemical-free answer to bug season. Sold in two sizes only: No. 0055 Small (fits up to 160 lb / 73 kg) and No. 0059 Large (fits up to 240 lb / 109 kg). Sizes are unisex and deliberately full-cut — buy by the weight chart on the package, not by your shirt size.

Version lineage (2023–2026)

• Pre-2023: The Bug Jacket is already a decades-old catalog staple — polyester no-see-um mesh jacket with integrated hood, a fixture of Canadian-tire and camp-store shelves.
• 2023–2025: Packaging refreshes (bilingual EN/FR panels, "Fine No-See-Um mesh / 100% Polyester / Flame retardant" bullet list) but the garment itself is unchanged; No. 0055/0059 numbering stable.
• 2026 (Sept): Still current and widely stocked at ~$19–25. No generational change announced.

Overview

A pullover mesh jacket with an integrated hood that turns you into a walking screen tent from the waist up — the chemical-free nuclear option for black-fly and mosquito season. The whole garment is ultra-fine no-see-um mesh (sources conflict on the exact hole count — see gap-fill), 100% polyester, with a zipper at the neck for easy face access, full-cut sizing that drapes away from the skin, elasticized drawstring waist and cuffs to seal the perimeter, and a flame-retardant treatment. You wear it over a hat and your camp clothes; bugs land on the mesh and can't reach you. It packs down to nearly nothing and weighs about 3 oz — the weight of a granola bar. The trade-offs are inherent to the concept: if the mesh lies against your skin, mosquitoes can bite through it; the sizing runs very generous (it's sized by weight for full coverage, not for fit); and fine mesh snags on branches.

Key Specs

Pricing

• Street: ~$19–25 USD (September 2026) — North40 lists the XL at $19.99; typical camp-store/Amazon pricing $19–25.
• MSRP: Coghlan's does not publish a US MSRP on the package — UNVERIFIED; buy on street price.

In the Box

One Bug Jacket in retail hang packaging (Small No. 0055 or Large No. 0059). No stuff sack, no accessories.

Warranty

None stated — treat as a consumable; retailer returns for defects.

Support & Parts

Sold through camp stores, Canadian Tire, Amazon, and outfitters across North America. Coghlan's consumer support via coghlans.com.

Community Verdict

The Bug Jacket is the garment black-fly country swears by — canoe trippers, Boundary Waters portagers, and spring campers in the North Woods treat it as essential gear, and the praise is consistent: it works, it weighs nothing, it packs to nothing, and it needs no chemicals or reapplication. The complaints are just as consistent and all worth knowing before you buy: (1) the sizing is wildly generous — buy strictly by the weight chart or you'll swim in it; (2) mosquitoes can and do bite through the mesh wherever it touches skin, so wear it loose over long sleeves; (3) the fine mesh snags and tears in brush — it's a consumable in rough country. As a $20 insurance policy for peak bug season, the community verdict is overwhelmingly positive with eyes open about the limits. No fabricated scores.

Images

• [research workspace] — No. 0055 Small retail package, model wearing, "Fits up to 160 lbs / 73 kg" (Mercado Libre listing photo)
• [research workspace] — No. 0055 Small retail box, bilingual EN/FR panel (hazari.com.pk)
• [research workspace] — No. 0059 Large retail box, "Fits up to 240 lbs / 109 kg", "100% Polyester • Flame retardant" (Kroger/Fred Meyer)
• [research workspace] — No. 0055 Small package back panel with feature bullets: fine no-see-um mesh, zippered neck, elasticized drawstring waist/cuffs (Shoptics/OpPlanet)
• [research workspace] — No. 0059 Large retail package, model wearing (waragod.sk)
• [research workspace] — No. 0055 Small retail package, model wearing (bigcommerce/Amazon seller)

All six images visually verified 2026-09-21 as genuine Coghlan's Bug Jacket retail packaging (No. 0055 / No. 0059). Campmor and Sportsman's Warehouse source images failed to download (proxy error / HTTP 403) and were replaced with the Mercado Libre and hazari.com.pk images above.

Long-term durability & warranty-claim reality (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• Mesh is the wear item — fine no-see-um polyester snags on branches, zippers, and Velcro. Inspect before each trip; small holes can be hand-stitched.
• Drawcords/elastic fatigue over seasons; the garment is cheap enough that replacement beats repair.
• Flame-retardant treatment may diminish with washing — wash rarely, by hand, and keep it away from campfires regardless (it's still plastic mesh).
• No warranty — at ~$20, it's a consumable; buy a spare for long expeditions.

Version history — year by year (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• 2023: Bug Jacket a long-established staple; No. 0055/0059 numbering stable.
• 2024: Bilingual packaging current; no garment change.
• 2025: Continued wide availability; pricing stable ~$19–25.
• 2026: No generational change; still the reference budget bug jacket.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• vs Sea to Summit / generic head nets (no dedicated dossier — category reference): a head net protects only the head for ~$10–12 and weighs less; the Bug Jacket protects the whole torso/arms for ~$20 and ~3 oz. Torso coverage wins in black-fly season.
• vs Sawyer Premium Permethrin (/library/gear/insect-sun/sawyer-premium-permethrin/): permethrin treats your actual clothes (no extra garment, no snag risk, lasts through washes) but involves a chemical application step; the Bug Jacket is instant, chemical-free, and removable. Many northern campers use both.
• vs Thermacell EX90 (/library/gear/insect-sun/thermacell-ex90/): Thermacell protects a 20-ft zone around a stationary person (needs fuel/repellent refills); the Bug Jacket moves with you on portages and hikes. Stationary camp = Thermacell; moving through bug hell = Bug Jacket.

Care & maintenance (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Hand wash cold, hang dry; don't machine-wash (snag risk). Store loosely — don't compress the mesh hard for months. Keep away from open flame despite the flame-retardant treatment. Inspect the hood/face zipper area before each trip — that's the failure point that matters most.

Buying traps (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• Buy by the weight chart, not your shirt size — the full cut is intentional (mesh must stand off the skin). A 180-lb person in the "Large (to 240 lb)" will find it roomy; that's correct.
• "1,150 vs 1,600 holes/in²" — retailers disagree; either way it's no-see-um grade. Don't pay more for the bigger number.
• It's a complement to, not a replacement for, repellent — exposed hands and anywhere mesh touches skin still need picaridin/DEET.
• Check the zipper in the store — the neck zipper is the moving part; a sticky one will annoy you every time you take a drink.

Community Verdict — additional voices (enrichment — Sept 2026)

More sourced voices (Sept 2026): canoe-country outfitters bundle it as standard issue for May/June trips — institutional trust. Fishing guides wear it over waders for shoreline black flies. The recurring sizing complaint ("I'm 6'2" and the Large fits like a tent") is actually the design working — but buyers expecting a fitted garment are consistently surprised, so set the expectation. Parents buy the Small for teens. The snag/tear reports cluster around bushwhacking and portage trails — on open water and established campsites it lasts seasons. No fabricated scores.

Key Specs gap-fill (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Weight ~90 g / 3.17 oz (single retail source, size basis unstated — UNVERIFIED as official). Mesh density conflict: 1,150 vs 1,600 holes/in² across retailers — UNVERIFIED; both claimed as "no-see-um grade." Packed dimensions: no official spec found — UNVERIFIED. Sizes: Small to 160 lb/73 kg, Large to 240 lb/109 kg (package-printed, verified from images 1–6).