Searching for the perfect mosquito net

When I’m heading off on a trip one of the most important items for me to make sure I have is a decent mosquito net. I suffer from something called Skeeter Sydrome, which is basically a horrible allergic reaction to mosquito bites so I have to do everything I can to try and keep the little suckers at bay. However, I HATE the process of buying a new net, almost as much as I hate getting bitten, it is so much harder than it needs to be. A decent net should be in everyone’s bag when they are heading to certain countries so why is it so difficult to find a decent one?

We travel as a couple so need a double net, which seems to make it even more difficult.

We travelled to Asia and Central America with the Lifesystems BellNet Double but it caused endless problems...it is quite small for something that is supposed to fit a double bed and while on a small double bed it just about reached the sides, with anything bigger it was quite a squeeze let alone having enough spare to tuck under the mattress. Then, because you had to let it just drape on the bed if you had a fan in the room it would blow the whole thing open so I would have to secure the opening with a collection of hair clips (the only grippy thing I had). Also the nylon top didn’t last very long and soon the spreader poles popped through creating holes, which isn’t great for keeping mosquitoes out and after a number of attempts to sew it up it ended up being sealed nightly with electrical tape! Plus it weighed in at a whopping 661grams!

​​The double Lifesystems BellNet looking tight over a single bed! So for our upcoming trip to India I figured it was time to invest in a new net and now I know what I’m looking for I was hoping to be able to find one more fit for purpose...nope, turns out it’s actually made it harder now I know what the downfalls are! There are good nets out there but no one seems to be able to take the good elements from the different nets and create a decent double one...or one that is practical for using in a room over a proper bed instead of just for camping. Sea to Summit have what looks like a great ‘nano’ net the Nano Mosquito Pyramid Net, the net is really fine stopping even the tiniest of bugs, it hangs well with a spacer at the top, it’s super light at just 137grams, looks like it’s really good quality but after reading the dimensions I cannot see how it can be long enough to cover a bed plus all the pictures show it being used for camping so I was reluctant to purchase. They have developed a brilliant net but don’t appear to have made it big enough for use on beds...just camping.

Sea to Summit Nano Pyramid Mosquito Net

Back to square one, I searched and searched on the internet and came up with nothing that ticked all my boxes and I don’t think I’m asking for too much from a net... - Big enough for a double bed - Fairly lightweight - Easy to hang - Minimal hanging points - Long enough to be tucked under the mattress - Robust enough to survive being put up and down a number of times Surely these are all the fundamental basics of what we are looking from a net? Pyramid have a good range which I liked but with the Bell Net weighing in at about 450grams that’s pretty heavy to be carrying around all the time. They do make a Compact Net but it looks pretty cheap and with no spreader at the top it looks like you’ll end up with the net in your face plus it still weighs 300grams.

The Pyramid Double Bell Mosquito Net

As far as I could see I was now left with going back to Lifesystems, I refused to purchase the BellNet again and so it looks like our next best bet is the MicroNet Double weighing in at 379grams, despite reading reviews that people have found it too small to fit over a double bed and the nylon at the top ripping...hmmm sounds familiar!! I didn’t feel there was really much choice, frustratingly Lifesystems have created a Superlight MicroNet option, but it only comes in a single.

Lifesystems MicroNet Double

So I have purchased the Lifesystems MicroNet Double, a product I don’t feel totally happy with but will review fully after it’s spent a month travelling across India with us. However, I remain confused as to why there are such limited options, in this day and age why is it so difficult to get something so simple so right?

#holiday #travelling #mosquitonet #packing