Be very careful when using rear sliding window in Scamp

[BatDude]

We spent the past 10 days on the road and had yet another new item added to the learning curve of Scamping.

We found a great little spot along a small creek in a township park with only electrical hook up provided. There was water so we were able to fill our water tank, but no dump station. We considered this being in training (soft entry) for serious wilderness camping

It was relatively warm by Michigan standards so we had all the windows and roof vents open. Actually this was the first time in the 3 years we have lived in the state I was almost up to operating temp having moved from the tropics.

We woke after a nice dark (no campground lights), quiet (no party noise), smoke free (no raging cooking fires replete with noxious smoke) night.
Surprise surprise like being home in the tropics again. A rough estimate only (no body count made nor standard biological data recorded) nearly 100 mosquitoes had filled our Scamp.

Apparently while the side louvered windows and screens are "bug" proof the rear sliding window (over the bed) has a sufficient gap even with the screen to provide mosquito entry.

We avoided smashing any of the well fed and engorged ladies* on the rat fur walls.

So another lesson learned do not use rear window in heavy mosquito areas.

* only females bite, males are plant feeders.

[CampyTime]

Thanks for the lesson. Although not funny for you, I did laugh at your story telling. How'd ya get rid of the pesky bloodsuckers then?

My strategy is always to pluck them off the rat fur with a baby wipe in hand. Minus the few I probably eat while sleeping, this seems to work well.


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[Jon in AZ]

Probably happened because the screen is moveable, or maybe they entered through the drain holes. Perhaps a piece of weatherstripping foam temporarily inserted around the perimeter of the screen (when the slider is open) might help. I'd hate to give up the open window on a warm night…

I knew there was a reason I moved from the muggy East coast to AZ…

[floyd]

We have slider windows on both sides, over the kitchen and of course in the back. Never a problem with the screen's effectiveness in eleven years. In fact I prefer them.
Are you sure your screen was shut all the way and seated in place?
Maybe the mosquitoes came in when the door was open?
BTW. we do camp in WI andMN. At LaCrosse the mosquitos were so thick you couldn't see 1000 feet.

I haven't done this , but how about spraying the screens with BUGOFF!

[stevebaz]

If you have a powered roof vent/fan have it blowing in instead of out. Mosquito's don't like flying around in moving air and the air pushing out is far better than air sucking in and the bugs with it.
Looks like you may have to replace the little plastic screen retainer clips on the sliding window frame.

[Darral T.]

Oh mann...is this the place where I can say "A/C ALL THE WAY BABYYYY"

[Postman]

I've found that with my '09 Scamp mosquitoes can somehow get in even when my door is closed--especially when my lights are on, attracting them. So when I'm in a heavily infested area I close my screen door as well as the exterior door. It works for me.