At what point is a bug net necessary?
Beginning in late March at Springer. Trying to minimize weight. Thanks!
We are getting some warmer temps already this year. I'd say mid-April, if things continue as have.
Things may have changed, but I never needed one in 1990. DEET works wonders.
It also depends on your hiking speed (where you are during certain seasons), your tolerance to the buggers, and how much you like to use chemicals.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
I have hiked between Franklin, NC and Springer Mountain, Georgia, between May and October for years. I have never used a bug net in that area. I do have one, but it is just extra weight. I do understand the further north you get and the warmer it is, you will need some type of protection.
im just curious if your talking about a head net, or a full bug tent? Not that either weighs all that much.Originally Posted by GreenBlaze
Here in Southern Ontario I always carry a head net for bugs. It resides in the small compartment in the top of my wide-brimmed-hat–for-a-bald-guy. Weighs next to nothing, and I completely forget it's there — until the little bugger are buzzing me.
(Being attractive to bugs is one thing I wish I wasn't good at …)
I'm hoping to not need to wear the bug net until the middle or end of May, but this is forecast to be an early Spring up here. Damn …
Bruce Traillium
BTW, bug head net weighs about 35g — an ounce and a quarter …
Pfft!
Bruce Traillium
people lived without any kind of bug netting for thousands of years, so its never necessary.
it might save your sanity however in swampy mosquito ridden areas like NJ.
Well interesting question clearly based on experience.
You cant sleep in a head net, they still get you.
At what point is a bug net necessary?
The point where you cant sleep the most.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Some people are more tolerant to bugs than ME!
And people lived without synthetic fabrics, cuben fiber, running water, electricity, internet, etc...but we're ALL a lot more comfortable with those things now.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Even at just a few ounces.. if I never use it, I don't want to carry it. Thanks for the replies. I'm taking the 'better safe than sorry' route and taking the head net.
I know in early April down at the very southern end of the AT here, the nats can drive you crazy. They dive bomb your eyes, nose, and ears constantly when you stop and the breeze isn't blowing. They go away when it cools off in the evening. Carry a lightweight head net at least. Later in the season, they go away. Never had any issue with skeeters down here any time of year.
Different people definitely have different tolerances. In college I took an ecology class with field trips. Our professor was giving an outside lecture in a forest where the bugs were terrible. All of students were swatting and running around, doing anything to fight off the onslaught. Meanwhile the prof just went on like nothing was happening. Eventually he notice that no one was listening to him so he asked "what's wrong". We all shouted abot the bugs. He said "There are bugs? I hadn't noticed".
I have it a few spots a few times that OMG they were bad, but honestly I haven't had a real issue as night.
The first time I remember really needing it was tinker cliffs halfway through VA, from that point on it was a necessity. I didn't always use it but when I did need it I was so glad to have it. What are they 3 ounces?
AT2015 GA-ME
My Peter Vacco Head net is .65oz and cost $20. It keeps the bugs and bugs spray out of my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Also, keeps them off my neck. Cheapest sanity on the market!
"gbolt" on the Trail
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I did a trip into the Canadian Rockies one summer and we had to don full gortex rain suits in the evening to cook and eat dinner as the skeeters were so thick! Gortex was the only thing they couldn't bite threw. Then it was dive into the tent and spend 10 minutes killing the ones which followed you in.
If you get caught in Black Fly season in VT, NH or ME, if you don't have a tent or bug net, you'll go insane.
However, for some reason shelters for the most part tend to be flying insect free. However, when sleeping on the ground, I always want to be enclosed in a tent or bug net to keep all the creepy crawling things off me.
In fact, when thinking about this this weekend, I decided to order a Serenity net for my Gatewood cape and use that combo instead of a tent for my upcoming 1/2 flip flop hike. I figure heading north from HF in mid April will put me smack in the middle of peak bug season for the North East and would like to have a net to use in shelters.
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