No-See-Um…Is It a Necessity??

[F. Thomas Matica]

Ventilation is a top issue in tent design and performance. In my limited experience, no-see-um bug net substantially cuts down ventilation performance. Or is that just my imagination????

Wouldn't simple "mosquito" mesh do the job in most cases? Could no-see-um be used in lower areas and "mosquito" net higher on the tent? Is "mosquito" net lighter? Who needs no-see-um? Do I need it for winter camping?

I haven't had a tent with the old "mosquito" mesh, so I can't say one way or the other. Are we stuck with no-see-um for general use forever?

I don't need specific answers to all of these rhetorical questions, but opinions and comments would be appreciated. Brainstorm away, folks!

[Joe Clement]

I agree with you 100%, and have even tried unsuccessfully to get a tent built with plain old mosquito netting. Nothing smaller than a mosquito where I live, but I still get to leave a nice summer breeze, and crawl into a dead calm tent (due to the noseeum mesh) and bake. I hate it, makes summer miserable down here.

[Carter Young]

Yes, the netting on modern tents significantly reduces ventilation–that's why four season expedition tents allow you to retract all the netting. The mesh isn't needed in winter, although some might argue that the netting blocks spindrift to a certain degree on tents that don't have solid panels or don't allow you to close up the vents.

I think there is (or was) a tent by Sierra Designs intended only for winter use that has no netting at all. Older Bibler tents allowed you to remove all the netting on the doors.

Back in the early 1970s we reverse engineered an REI expedition tent to make a bunch of our own–out went the fly and the netting, and we made the floor our of heavy polytarp material. We made our own aluminum snowshoes also.

[Lynn Tramper]

If you don't have "no see um" insects bothering you, then you certainly don't need no see um netting. Where I hike, the main critters we try to keep out of our tent are no-see-ums (actually, you CAN see them, but they are very small and have no problem squeezing through mosquito netting). Almost certainly it is not indicated for winter camping and you would be better off with a light breathable DWR lining instead.

[Tim Marshall]

mos net is much better for breath ability. But the down side is most people will be unhappy if the big box tent lets in "bugs" because they weren't smart enough to get the noseeum mesh for areas where those little buggers are a problem. The mos mesh is heavier, but in a bivy or solo single wall the weight wouldn't be too huge. Also a lighter option is wedding veil mesh. It is very light and passes a breeze well. However it is fragile as fly wings. I have a bunch i plan to use for a chest and head bug cover, i wouldn't put it in a tent as it will need to be replaced every season. My 2c.

-Tim

[F. Thomas Matica]

In several posts I've read about midges….I think in Scotland. Maybe by Chris Townshend…???
He smokes them with some sort of burning bug coil, but the point is that the "midges" seem to be a big factor in making a comfy camp. Maybe they are the same as "no-see-ums"???

Yeah, in order to "warm up" my Tarptent Rainbow, I close the mesh no-see-um screen door. It does keep the breeze down and the comfort up….a little.

[Roger Caffin]

> I've read about midges….I think in Scotland.
You haven't lived until you have met Scottish midges or New Zealand sand flies. Sigh.
And yes, they go straight through mosquito netting.

Cheers

[Rick Dreher]

Hi Tom,

I don't run into noseums much in California, and when I do it's either hiking near the coast or lower elevation river valleys in the Sierra, never the high country (others may have had the misfortune, but I've not).

However, I grew up in the Northwest and ran into them frequently in the Cascades and Olympics. They're tiny and they're painful, as well as getting into the nose, eyes and ears. My oulde school tents had regular ol' coarse mesh netting and they flew right through, unimpeded.

So I'd be willing to make the trade from fine to coarse mesh for a Sierra only shelter, but not for the Northwest.

Cheers,

Rick

[Ron Moak]

The beauty of "Make Your Own Gear" is the ability to tailor it to your specific needs. You chose the fabric or netting appropiate to the conditions you expect.

Having experienced the living hell of camping for weeks in no-see-um country in a tent with standard mosquitoe netting, I'd never make a commerical tent that doesn't have no-see-um netting.

Ron

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Ron

And the beard helps ward them off too…?

Cheers

[Author]

Posts