Skeeter Beater

The Skeeter Beater is a magnetized no-see-um mesh screen that goes over the outside of your vehicle's windows. They keep bugs out while allowing free air flow. Great for camping, fishing, hiking and hunting trips when you want to leave the windows open in your car or truck, but keep the bugs out. Whatever vehicle you own, there is a Skeeter Beater to fit it. Available in four sizes. Cost: $23-25

The Skeeter Beater is one of those products that makes you wonder: "Gee, why didn't I think of that?" It's really nothing more than no-se-um mesh cut to fit your vehicle windows and then attached using water-resistant magnets that are sewn into the edge. So, why not make my own? Simple, these are custom made of quality materials for a cost that is far less than you would likely spend, if you were to make your own.

Simple, practical, cheap. They pack small in their own draw-string bag that fits easily into the glove box, a door pocket or the map pocket behind your seats.

I have the perfect place to test the Skeeter Beater, but that won't be until September when I go to fish the beaches of Ocracoke Island. The mosquitoes there are sometimes referred to as the state bird. They will definitely give the Skeeter Beater a run for their money. We'll see. I'll update this review in September. I have high hopes for this product being effective on the beaches of North Carolina. If not, I will revise my rating accordingly.

Update 9/25/08: I tried the Skeeter Beater out on the windy beaches of Ocracoke Island, NC. The results were not good: It did not fit the window very well, and a 15 mph sea breeze lifted the mesh causing the magnets to slide, which made the Skeeter Beater uneffective. Great concept, except they didn't work for me. I've revised my rating from a 5 to a 1.