british army mozzie net. soldier advice?

[RAPPLEBY2000]

hi i have an insect net (box shaped) that i believe is an up to date version issued to British troops now.

my question is this how is it ment to be set up?

is it designed for jungle/hammock use only?

there seem to be pockets to put vertical posts to keep it up at the corners, are the sticks issued or do you cut them fresh or is it part of a frame bed system?

are you ment to tuck the waterproof skirt under you, your sleeping bag, sleeping mat. or does it sit higher up?

is it ment to atatch to the current issue basha, or not, or does it fit to something else?

is it designed to be used in a temperate/boggy/midgy area?

why one person sized when army shelters (i.e. shell scrapes)are usually designed for two? would you use two side by side?


sorry about the questions, but i'm trying to find the ideal way of setting it up if there is an ideal.

cheers.

[Paganwolf]

Im not sure about your one matey but in general your mozzi net needs to be fully enclosed around you with no gaps or openings for obvious reasons and no part of the net should touch your body as the little bleeders will have you through the netting, and treat it with a mozzi net mozzi repelant i think nomad sells it from memory, whereare you going to be using it?

[woodrat]

it most likely is for the issue cot. there is a set of uprights that attach to the cot that support it , a niece bit of multi-function kit. you should be able to use it in numerous ways.

[Gary]

Woodrat the british army issue bed is nothing like the US one. As for the Mosi net I too have no idea as I never say one in the army unless we bought it ourselves!

[spamel]

It normally comes with four 'Broom handles'! They are tapered at one end to fit in the holes in the american folding cot that it so sought after by british troops! The rounded end then sticks up for you to put the net over and tie the little tapes to secure it into place. Then you gather the skirt around the cot on the floor and nothing should get in.

Incidentally, the french mozi net is even better, like a dome tent made from mozi mesh, with an inverted T shaped zip. It has those bendy pole things with elastic inside to form the dome, and they fit into the holes on the french cot (very similar to the american cot). Whilst in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2003, something like 17 french guys went down with malaria, but none of the Brits! This was due to the french not taking anti malarial pills.

Edit: The old British Army cots were a canvas affair with four legs that went from the left to right side of the cot. These are being phased out and the US cot is starting to get issued when a tour crops up. We got loads of goodies for The Congo!

[RAPPLEBY2000]

cheers thought as much, it's just it has "field" on the label i assumed it was suggesting on the battle field as in bashas and poncho shelters.

so i guess it means in the barracks.

[spamel]

Well, not quite barracks! It could be used on a basha, as it was when the advance party got into Bunia, DROC. They put bashas up between six foot angle iron pickets driven into the ground, and tied the net off of the holes on the basha. After the infrastructure was in, we lived in 12' x 24' canvas tents, which took a battering off of the C130s landing 30 metres away! Then the nets were put on the cots.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

not meaning to be annoying but,

can you explaine in more detail, like how high they are hung, where on the basha(middle or side)?

just so i get a real idea if the net is worth much to me, also can the net be used if the basha is at standard hight ie just off the floor, or do you just zip up your sleeping bag /bivi bag tight, and use a head net?

cheers.

[spamel]

Well, we were using the new style basha in a typical tent style set up (inverted V) at about chest height and the net was tied into the eyelets at the foot and head end, the ones between the apex and the bottom edge on either side. This left the net in a box shape, with a decent roof to shed the ridiculous rain that occurred in africa!

The net will touch the floor, and if you let enough contact, then nothing should venture in. But if you want to stop snakes or scorpions/spiders from getting under then you can tuck it underneath you. Make sure that you aren't touching the net with your bare skin though, for obvious reasons.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

cheers mate thats what i immagined thanks for the info!