Recreation / Outdoor Clothing / Coghlans Regular Head Net- OK, Not My Favorite

This inexpensive head net is adequate with certain adjustments, but it has a one major drawback that I don’t care for.

You can find this net at pretty much any display of inexpensive outdoor equipment.  That’s always a plus factor, because if you need bug protection NOW, and forgot to bring a net, at least you can get this item almost anywhere.

It consists of a top panel which is usually some solid material, although I’ve seen them with all mesh.  There is a cylinder of mesh sewn to the top circle which comes down around your head (with a seam in the back), and elastic which holds it loosely around your neck.  This last is the feature that I do not like.

My primary hiking buddy has this style net.  In order to keep the bugs from getting to her neck below the elastic she has to keep it over the collar of her shirt, or as you can see in the picture, around the sweatshirt hood.  This works great if you are wearing something with a collar or a hood.  But if you are wearing a t-shirt, it just seems like there is always some bit of space when you are moving that is open to assault by the mosquitoes or blackflies.

It is made of standard nylon mosquito mesh.  There is a finer mesh made for no-see-ums, but we’ve found that this seems to keep even the little bugs out pretty well.

The net is made to work best if you wear it over a hat of some kind to keep it away from your face and ears, but you don’t have to use a hat if you are willing to put up with it being a bit “sloppy.”

My personal preference is a different net, which is apparently no longer being made.  But you can read a review of that net at I Kept the Minnesota Mosquitoes Off My Skin!