Mozzie Nets & Protection

Wyn

Hello all
I’m travelling to Kerala at the beginning of March and have been looking at the different sorts of mosquito nets available. I’ve decided to get a net treated with Permethrin but I’m torn between two styles. I understand that the wedge style is the most widely used but requires securing to the ceiling etc. The alternative is a self supporting dome style, which would cut out the hassle of clambering around the room looking for a fixing point. It seems that the only drawback of this style is it’s compact volume, which restricts air circulation and accordingly may be stuffy. Has anyone had any experience of using these dome nets? Is the trade off of convenience against coolness a reasonable one?

J&M

We were in kerela last April and did think about taking nets with us. In the end we decided against and used DEET spray as protection and covered up in the evenings and night time (long sleeved light coloured clothing). Generally the mosquito's love me and I didn't get biten once (was even fine doing the backwaters - I was thinking I would be a luxury feast for mosquitos, but all good).

Wyn

Cheers for the reply. I want to use alternatives to DEET if possible so may well need a net as back up.

On the subject of mozzies, I’ve read that A/C keeps them away as they don’t like moving air. On that basis is it worth trying to get hold of a small fan when staying in rooms without A/C?

Nick-H

That is a myth. The mosies in my house like to sit in the cool draft from the AC!

I've been using local-brand Odomos for the last couple of months... seems to work well, even better than DEET stuff from UK.

But I think it is a very individual thing, whether the combination of your body smell and a particular deterent will work. Last year I was using some stuff from UK that was a total failure ,,,, Nova or Nuva something? yellow and red container....

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Wyn

Hehe, well I'm not getting a fan to make mozzies comfortable. I've been told to try and get hold of a plug in called "All Out" once I arrive.
While browsing around I came across www.masta.org (associated to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). They offer alternatives to DEET along with links to studies that show comparable efficacy.

thaneb

I brought the wedge type that has to be tied to the ceiling, then didn't use it because it had be tied to the ceiling. Perhaps the dome type would be better, I know there are a couple of people on here who swear by them. Probably this doesn't help much but yes, it can be annoying to have to hang them up. The few times I did use it I had to tie a centre line across the room from to lights, or the window or something. It was ridiculous.

Wyn

Thanks for the reply That's exactly my concern. I've been told that with perseverance it's possible to erect a net virtually anywhere, but after a long day I'm sure I'm not going to be in the mood for net erecting acrobatics.
The dome net it is then. I've decided on a very small net with a "patented pop up spring system" that automatically unfolds. I'll report back as to ease of use and any problems.

SarahM

Hi
I would be interested in which one you get and what shop. i am in Budapest at the moment and will be going to the UK in April to buy my "supplies" for my trip to India in June/July, so any tips of where to get them would be helpful as i am only there for a few days and with a list a mile long.

UNLESS...... anyone is here in Budapest and can recommend where i can get a mossie net easily as i am not a Hungarian speaker!

lonelyaztec

Use Nylon net, it is the best.

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Wyn

Well I decided to order from www.masta.org based in the UK who sell a range of health related travel stuff including insect protection, medical kits, sun protection & water purification products. I'm not sure that it's the cheapest available but they offer a 5% discount for web orders increased to 10% if you buy a personalised health briefing.
It seems that worldwide delivery is not a problem, although it is chargable on the basis of weight.

SarahM

Which one did you go for and is it any good???

I also noticed you get a MASTA health brief which would be handy from here as i am not getting on to well with the native GPS here fro advice. Has anyone used this service?

Wyn

I won't be using it until early March but I'll certainly report back what I think.
You can view a sample brief on the website. It seems pretty basic advice that's available for free elsewhere on the internet. But for convenience, it's reasonably priced. The only time I'd consider it would be if I was travelling through multiple countries.

SarahM

Wyn, Will be interested on how you get on, let me know when you get back.

Are more people using the suspended mossie nets or the free standing ones, does anyone know?

abracax

I carry both, without the insecticide (most are worse for humans than bugs). My self-standing net is actually quite roomy, but they're hard to find these days. As for the hanging wedge, in many places it can be used to replace the holey nets already on offer (universally useless), and in most places I have been able to find some way of hanging it using sufficient lengths of nylon cord, of which I always carry about 20 metres in 5-metre lengths (use the thin super-strong stuff that has to be cut with a flame).

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SarahM

That's interesting what you say about the insecticide being worse than the bugs..... why, is the smell, skin reaction etc, interested to know as i do suffer allergies.
Cheers