[pct-l] Mosquitos- How bad are they really on the PCT?

[Ikem Freeman]

In 08, the bugs were bad in Yosimite for me. I used my head net and my rain
suit (called it my bug suit), in fact, I used it for bugs more than I used
it for rain! They key is to not stop. They smell the CO2 that we all
release, so I've been told. That's one of the reasons I really liked my MSR
Hubba tent. I traded a little extra weight for the bug protection, not only
mosquitos but also ants. There were even times in the middle of the
afternoon that I'd take the 5 minutes to set up my tent just so I could stop
and take a break and not be so bothered by all the bugs.

O. Ikem Sofar

On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 9:51 PM, Eric Lee <saintgimp at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Matt wrote:
> >
> I've camped/hiked/climbed/etc a fair amount in New England, and I was just
> wondering: How bad are the mozzies on the northern (OR/WA) sections of the
> PCT?
> >
>
> It depends on how the weather and the snow melt goes each year, of course.
> The usual rule of thumb is that mosquito season runs from late June to late
> July or early August.  Most "normal" thru-hikers will be doing Oregon in
> August and Washington in September, and they usually miss most of the bug
> season in those states.  However, above-average snowfall or a late melt
> could significantly extend the mosquito season - last year was horrible
> with
> serious bug issues all the way through the end of August.  And obviously if
> you're a fast hiker you could easily wind up in Oregon before bug season
> ends even in a normal year.
>
> I guess "bad" depends on what you're used to, but last year on my Oregon
> section hike the week before Labor Day I walked through some areas that
> were
> bug-free and others where if I stopped for even a minute I would have
> several dozen bugs on me.  It's not Alaska bad but it's no fun.
> Fortunately, I normally wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and I had a
> good headnet, so I did ok.
>
> You'll probably want to carry a headnet at a minimum.  Some kind of bug
> shelter like what's been discussed recently is worth its weight in gold if
> the bugs are bad.  In the past I've carried a homemade tarptent with
> netting
> that hangs down around the edges.  I set it up, crawl inside, and spend a
> few minutes squishing all the mosquitoes that snuck in with me.  Next year
> I'm thinking about trying a regular tarp and separate bug shelter, but
> haven't decided yet.
>
> Eric
>
>
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