In the “Not a Bad Idea!” catagory, while stumbling around Amazon.Com this morning, I came across this Pramex Insecticidal Mosquito Netting. In a size large enough for two people, it comes in blue, and the individual size is in white netting. The CDC suggests their use in countries where mosquito-borne disease (malaria, West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, etc.) is rampant, but I’m thinking my neck of the woods is as good a place as any to try it! Here are some pics:

You clearly need nearby trees or structures to tie them to, so they wouldn’t be useful in every environment. But I am impressed by the idea of inherently insecticidal netting– don’t just keep them out, kill the little buggers!

Okay, next cool– but admittedly expensive– new product, also found at Amazon:

This is Brunton SolarRoll 14 – Solar charger – 14 Watt. Amazon’s product description reads, “Take the next step in solar power technology with the Brunton SolarRoll, the first flexible solar panel on the market. Backed by glowing reviews and a pioneering mindset, the portable SolarRoll folds up and stores in a convenient storage tube, so you can take it on everything from mountaineering expeditions to family camping trips. Yet despite its lightweight profile, the unit delivers a healthy 14 watts of power, more than enough to run a satellite phone–essential when climbing a tall peak–charge a laptop, or run a video camera. To increase the power output, simply buy additional SolarRolls and link them together. The unit’s Tefzel fluoropolymer construction is also extremely durable, so you needn’t worry about rips, while the integrated amorphous thin-film solar cells are effective even in low-light conditions. The SolarRoll, which measures 12 by 57 inches when open and weighs a mere 17 ounces, includes a battery clamp cable for charging car batteries, along with a vehicle outlet cable and multi-linking cable. It’s also backed by a one-year warranty.”

And, last this morning is the book Survive! by the Suvivorman himself, Les Stroud. Forty-eight reviewers– all die-hard campers, hikers, climbers, etc.– give the book 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.