View Full Version : Is it worth bringing a bug mask?
I am up in the air about bringing a bug mask on my thru this summer. Something along these lines: http://www.rei.com/product/780999. Do the bugs get bad enough that its worth bringing a mask, or is it tolerable?
The Cleaner
02-15-2011, 10:02
The worst are the gnats which come&go.One day no bugs,a few days&miles later you get eaten alive...better to have¬ need...only weighs a few ounces if that...
A bug net is the only thing I've ever carried and never used once.
royalusa
02-15-2011, 10:42
I'd recommend carrying one. There's not much of a weigh penalty for the peace of mind for having a bug net. Biting black flies, mosquitos, deer flies, horse flies ... you name it, we had it.
Here's a couple of our journal entries to give you an idea:
http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=318095
http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=318109
mweinstone
02-15-2011, 10:50
bug mask ? no. bug net, bug hat, bug sheild, bug apperatus, bug hood, bug headwear, bug visor, bug clothing, bug keeper awayer,......but never, bug mask. and no, they arent carried. the only thing they do is block vision, touch hot sweaty skin in a way not unakin to the pawings of an unwanted dates advances, and they make great stuff bags and look so cool as your ditty bag that they just dont stay long on the heads of hikers.their is however a perpendency to wear them among thruhikers named with states in their trailnames such as minnesota and wyoming.
mweinstone
02-15-2011, 10:55
carry it, it actualy weighs less than stuff folks say weighs virtualy nothing. its so cool as your ditty bag cause when you open the lid of your pack you can see whats in the bag without fussin. it filters cowboy coffie and scrubbs pots clean and goes to town cool as your shopping bag too.its a peice of gear we all have owned and no one has ever used for bugs. no bug has ever even seen one. and no hiker has ever been outside with one. we try them on, thats it.
jersey joe
02-15-2011, 11:33
I didn't have one on my thru hike, but there were times in Vermont and Maine when I wish I had one!
I suppose i'll pick one up then for the minimal weight. Maybe wait until summer and have it mailed to me. Thanks for the responses!
northernstorm
02-15-2011, 12:13
the mosquitos will carry you away. haha!
garlic08
02-15-2011, 15:39
Another vote for the head net. It's probably the most valuable one ounce I've ever carried. I don't carry or use repellents.
I always carry a bug net, even on day hikes. There's no real weight penalty. It's like carrying a couple kleenexes as far as weight goes. And when you need it, it's worth a million bucks.
Blissful
02-15-2011, 15:51
If you hit the onslaught mosquitoes in MA, it could come in handy. The weight is negigible, the relief (if needed) priceless.
My bug net head thingy was also my clothing bag and my pillow. Never did use it to keep the bugs away, but it made for a great lightweight pillow and clothes bag. And if I'd needed it as a bug net, I would have had it.
Turtle Feet
02-15-2011, 15:58
I wear one - alot - especially here in the northwoods of WI, MI & MN. I wear a ball cap and it keeps the mesh off my face. Wouldn't head into the woods without one.
You need to try different ones though - they come in different colors of mesh, and different sizes, so some are easier to see out of. It comes down to personal choice. :D
tf
Rain Man
02-15-2011, 16:05
I am up in the air about bringing a bug mask on my thru this summer. Something along these lines: http://www.rei.com/product/780999. Do the bugs get bad enough that its worth bringing a mask, or is it tolerable?
Not sure what you are asking. Are you asking (1) whether we recommend some form of bug netting, or (2) that particular version on your link?
That version on your link is mostly over-kill. BUT, as others have said, some form of bug netting is invaluable some of the time. Make a mask, a la Zorro style, from netting. It'll cover your eyes and ears just fine, the two worst areas to get gnats.
Now, if you are asking about mosquitoes, that's another story and the full-blown version at your link may be the way to go.
I have taken both forms of bug netting and have used both. They were well worth it, IMHO.
Rain:sunMan
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daddytwosticks
02-15-2011, 17:02
Get one from Wal-Mart...cheaper. :)
carry it, it actualy weighs less than stuff folks say weighs virtualy nothing. its so cool as your ditty bag cause when you open the lid of your pack you can see whats in the bag without fussin. it filters cowboy coffie and scrubbs pots clean and goes to town cool as your shopping bag too.its a peice of gear we all have owned and no one has ever used for bugs. no bug has ever even seen one. and no hiker has ever been outside with one. we try them on, thats it.
Wow, some great ideas I had never thought of! Your reply definitately fits into the category of finding a dual use for your equipment. I keep one in my bag in the summer and have used it at camp in the evenings on particualry buggy nights.