who needs a bug net?

So I realized its been a whole season and I haven't used my bugnet yet. Not one mosquito bite (while camping) I backpack in VA NC TN area and my biggest complaint with bugs has been gnats while I'm hiking in later afternoon on hot days, or someplaces there were some flies that were annoying when I stop hiking. Once I have a capmfire and night comes...I don't notice anything.

I think the idea of a bugnet is probably a visceral response to many people who want critters out of their tent but in a hammock they have to "walk the tightrope" to get in anyway. Its not the same as tent camping with bugs / critters potentially all on the ground.

Now I know some of you live in areas that are different and I'm not saying that all parts of the country don't need bug nets, but.....I don't even bring mine anymore.

The irony is when I first started hammocking there was no chance I was not going to buy a bug net when I got my hammock based on my tent experiences. So people who make and sell hammocks probably contibute to an unneeded purchase to make people like me feel more comfortable with a new set up even though it is not really always needed.

You black fly country and mosquito swamp campers out there can just take my apology in advance for minimizing your need for a bugnet, but I like my tarp up high and no bug net when I sleep

cooldays

I hear ya. I was thinking the same thing last trip up to the Smokies. During the day the gnats and skeeters were a PITA, but at night the bugs went away and no bug net was needed, which is why I feel fine keeping just a 1.5oz tulle net handy for when bugs are actually a problem on that rare occasion around here.

But when I was living in LA, the 'skeeters would come out with a vengeance around sunset and spend all night trying to bite through the hammock body. If I went back to a place like that I would likely use one of my Hennessy Hammocks for the substantial bugnet and room away from the bugs you need down there in season.

When I had my headlamp on at night in the Smokies, lots of bugs landed on my skeeter net. Glad I had it then...but maybe it wouldn't have been a problem if I just turned off my headlamp.

I have yet to get my first "wilderness" hang under my belt, but have lots of ground dwelling experience. Since moving to NC, I have noticed the drop-off of blood sucking activity after sundown. Dusk and dawn can still be bad, though. I have lived on mango islands and high altitude desert and have seen the extremes in bug life. Lately I have been wondering about exactly what you posted. Looking forward to seeing more replies.

Thanks

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Originally Posted by Just Jeff

When I had my headlamp on at night in the Smokies, lots of bugs landed on my skeeter net. Glad I had it then...but maybe it wouldn't have been a problem if I just turned off my headlamp.

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LOL, when was that? Also, what elevation? My experience with this was up at 5,000', I bet it would have been different down on the Lakeshore.

I should be clear and say I have also treated my hiking clothes with premethrin and but I don't sleep in them and the flies and gnats didn't care about my premethrin too much ....heheh....I need to send them to premethrin school discipline training or me to better application or premethrin school.

At night I am not in treated clothes and sleep without my bugnet..

Climate change is having a dramatic effect upon insects. I believe in the United Kingdom where they have an annual survey of insect species they have noted a decline in numbers.

Come to the north east during black fly season (My friends in Vermont, Maine, etc feel the pain). Or just NJ near any river.

No lack of bugs here :)

When my daughters were 9 & 5 we took a canoe trip mid-June down the Saco River in ME. and camped (tent) on sandbars. My youngest, now 25, still remembers that my oldest and I wanted to play "connect the dots" on her face!

You should have seen me after a couple of weeks in Baghdad my first tour. We got there just in time for 'skeeter season, and they have a bunch of diseases like malaria. Ouch.

Like xexorz said...you can some of ours anytime you'd like!:D

In FL the mosquitoes leave once the blood is gone. Only takes about 20 minutes :lol:

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Originally Posted by GrayDog

In FL the mosquitoes leave once the blood is gone. Only takes about 20 minutes :lol:

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I saw a TV documentary about that once. Apparently they (FL 'skeeters) have been known to kill a cow overnight from blood loss. Sounded a little exaggerated, but who knows.

I had the same thing happen for me in MD out in the apps went out there for a whole week didnt have a problem at all with the skeeters they just were not out.

spend all week not one bite got back and while putting my gear back out in the shed got like 20 bites.

Baghdad may have been bad but the worst I ever encountered was at Da Nang. I had lived on Guam and the Philippine Islands prior but the skeeters at Da Nang were the worst. No matter how slathered up with Deet you were, you'd always get bitten. Coming in the the morning (I always worked all night) we would first spray under our mosquito nets to kill what had gotten in prior to us getting under them and catching some shut eye.

Out here on the left coast we have lot of mosquito's in the Redwoods and a bug net is a must.

I'm with you cooldays. I camp in the exact same area that you do. My go-to hammock used to be permethrin treated until I got sketched out by the possible health effects of that stuff. I never got around to making a bugnet to fit a gathered-end hammock, so this season I've gone without and haven't really missed it. The mosquitoes in the mountains are very polite... they don't bite through the hammock and whatever quilt or sheet I'm using is protection enough. Once in a while I get a few mossies around my face. Usually I just throw my extra shirt over my face, which works fine if it's not too stinky. I may eventually make a small head-area net that hangs off the ridgeline, but that's about all I think I need in our little corner of paradise.

GNATS, I hate the little beasties! So, sometimes I have got to get away from them, if just for an hour or two during the day. & sleeping in my back yard, the skeeters are active all night. I don't mind the bites (Gnats or skeeters) so much, its when they buzz into (yes INTO) my ears & eyes.

So for me, the netting is vital to my well being while hiking.

I hate the eye gnats too. I've used a headnet for them before, but that can be annoying and hot. I've noticed from doing trail maintenance that when I wear safety glasses, no gnats. It seems like any glasses that fit relatively close to your face will keep them out... they don't have to be goggles that actually seal against your skin.

I'm way under par as far as camping goes this summer, but the last time I went in the Finger Lakes a few weeks ago the 'skeeters were buzzing and hitting my bugnet (just flying or trying to get at me? I dunno). Really depends where you go and when, but it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Only takes a couple to wreck my slumber.
Minnesota = bugnet until Labor Day.......
Skeeter Shug

I would rather pay the price for the couple of extra ounces the bug net cost me and not have to worry about if the bugs are out or not.

Many times when I hiked the AT in my youth I would try and sleep under the stars with out setting my tent (hey it was the 70's) only to end up having to set up the tent due to skeeters.

I'm so jealous of you guys! Here in N. Ontario, if you go without a bugnet, you WILL be carried off by either blackflies, mosquitos, no see-ums, you name it. I camped one weekend this summer where it looked like I had a rash on both my shoulders from the mosquito bites - right through my hammock as my underpad shifted during the night and it was so hot I had pushed my sleeping back to the bottom of the hammock.

Luckily the bugs relaxed enough for me to go without mine a bit ago when we camped in the smokies. That bugnet seems to provoke my claustrophobia no end.

High tarp and no net (skeeters permitting) - right on!

I wish I could go skeeterless but where I like to campe critters glore. I wouldent of sleeped a wink this summer on the LT if it wasent for my bug net although I would of love to sleep with out one. Feel the air flow is so much better with out. But in Fall and Winter I like to pull the bugnet back on my WBBB. Im hopeing to have a travler by the winter time (fingers crossed fingers crossed)

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Originally Posted by cooldays

You black fly country and mosquito swamp campers out there can just take my apology in advance for minimizing your need for a bugnet, but I like my tarp up high and no bug net when I sleep

cooldays

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I've just returned from the Neusiok Trail (Croatan Nat. Forest) which is a true swamp trail. I took a group of my younger Boy Scouts out there for a weekend backpacking trip. We were INFESTED with chiggers and ticks!!! One kid counted 74 seed ticks as he pulled them off himself. And that was just one scout. All the rest of us were doing the same thing, just not counting. Now a bug net wouldn't help with this situation but after we mostly dealt with the ticks we could find, then the skeeters came out. Next was the knats. Oh, and the big red ants. Of all the strange things, the ants were falling out of the trees!!! Even with my hammock having a bug net, I still managed to get a red ant inside with me because the thing was on top of my head!!
On the plus side, we did see bear sign and bobcat tracks. Oh, I think the shelter we stayed at on Saturday night might have been flea infested.:rolleyes:

The skeeters and the knats were almost an after thought by that time. Or as they say, it's just "icing on the cake".

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Originally Posted by TinaLouise

I've just returned from the Neusiok Trail (Croatan Nat. Forest) which is a true swamp trail. I took a group of my younger Boy Scouts out there for a weekend backpacking trip. We were INFESTED with chiggers and ticks!!! One kid counted 74 seed ticks as he pulled them off himself. And that was just one scout. All the rest of us were doing the same thing, just not counting. Now a bug net wouldn't help with this situation but after we mostly dealt with the ticks we could find, then the skeeters came out. Next was the knats. Oh, and the big red ants. Of all the strange things, the ants were falling out of the trees!!! Even with my hammock having a bug net, I still managed to get a red ant inside with me because the thing was on top of my head!!
On the plus side, we did see bear sign and bobcat tracks. Oh, I think the shelter we stayed at on Saturday night might have been flea infested.:rolleyes:

The skeeters and the knats were almost an after thought by that time. Or as they say, it's just "icing on the cake".

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Whew. Sounds horrible. I got tore up by mosquitos last weekend on an overnighter at Badin lake. I didn't feel em bitin me, but the next day I was covered in bites. That was before I got into the hammock. If I hadn't have had a bug net I would have been sorry.

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Originally Posted by SGT Rock

LOL, when was that? Also, what elevation? My experience with this was up at 5,000', I bet it would have been different down on the Lakeshore.

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Probably 3000'. Luckily the ear bombers and eye gnats went away at night, though.

graydog, that's a kewl virtual hammock in your gallery!!

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I've just returned from the Neusiok Trail (Croatan Nat. Forest)

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Hey TinaLouise, My son and I were out there Sat night hanging along the Nuese river part of the trail and we had no bugs. Which shelter did you stay at ?

I stoped hiking the trail in May due the number of ticks and deer flies and do not plan to start hiking it again until the weather cools off some more. Much nicer to camp and hike this trail when it is cool/cold out.

bump for impington who just asked the same question more or less

I live in central North Carolina and camp all over the state year round. The ticks don't seem to bother me much but mosquitos love me. That being said, I've been sleeping in an eno doublenest for the last year or so, but have yet to purchase a bugnet as money has been tight. I usually just spray myself down before going to sleep with whatever bug spray I'm using and just make due, and honestly I haven't had many problems with this method. I will however get one eventually for comfort's sake. Overall I would say in NC its not a necessity, but a great luxury item.