Annoyed by the mosquitos, deer flies, horseflies, and other small bastards? Get one of these South African Defence Force mosquito nets, and they will bother you a lot less. The rigid brim keeps the net away from your face, and you can tighten the lower edge under the collar or a scarf.

History

Originally, the South African Defence Force (SADF) used old British khakis, but in the early 1970s, they switched to the classic Nutria Brown gear. The color choice may seem a bit strange, but it works reasonably well in South African bush. Nutria Brown was used on all sorts of clothes and gear and by all kinds of troops.

Nutria Brown gear was taken out of use in 1994, pretty much at the same time as Apartheid was terminated. So, this color scheme represents the darker side of South African history. SADF was replaced by SANDF (South African National Defence Force) and the Nutria Brown color scheme was replaced by the Soldier 2000 camouflage pattern, which is still in use in South Africa.

Features

This is an ingenious contraption, and it should have all the design awards out there. Unlike the traditional bank robber face mask-style nets, the rigid brim keeps the net away from your face. So, the mosquitos cannot sting you through it, and the net won’t fondle you in a disturbing manner. Furthermore, the rigid ring pairs up with boonies and other wide-brimmed hats very well. With a baseball cap, you will look a bit dorky though.

We don’t know how the SADF regulations dictate that you should wear this, so put it on as you please. However, we felt that with the hat on top, the mosquito net stays in place a lot better. You should push the lower edge under the collar or wrap a scarf around it to keep the small vampires from attacking you from below.

The holes in the mesh are small enough to keep out the mosquitos, horse flies, and deer flies, but the no-see-ums and other smallest fucktards might be able to get through. At least the net will slow them down. These are made from some synthetic material but specific material data isn’t given.

Condition

South African Military surplus. Condition varies from unissued to more used.