Craghoppers NosiLife Midge Head Net Review
Anyone who's camped in the Scottish Highlands on a still, damp evening in July knows exactly why this review exists. Midges don't bite through clothing the way mosquitoes sometimes do, but they swarm the face, ears and neck in numbers that can make sitting outside genuinely miserable. We tested Craghoppers' NosiLife Ultimate Hat with its integrated head net, one of the more widely used midge protection setups on UK trails, to see whether it earns a permanent spot in a summer camping kit.
What it is
The NosiLife Ultimate Hat is a wide-brimmed, UPF 50+ sun hat made from Craghoppers' treated ripstop fabric, with a fine mesh head net that stows away inside the crown or folds up over the brim when you don't need it, and drops down to fully enclose the face and neck when you do. The mesh is fine enough to stop midges — which are considerably smaller than mosquitoes — rather than just larger flying insects, and it cinches at the base of the neck with a drawcord so midges can't simply crawl up underneath it.
Craghoppers' NosiLife treatment is built into the fabric of the hat itself (not the netting), and is marketed as giving long-lasting protection against biting insects for the working life of the garment, rather than being a spray-on treatment that washes out.
When you'll actually need it
Midges are a Scottish Highlands and islands problem more than a UK-wide one, though they're found in damp areas elsewhere too. They're most active from late May through September, with the worst of it typically in June, July and August, and they thrive in still, humid, overcast conditions — a breeze of more than a few miles an hour is often enough to ground them, which is why exposed, breezy pitches are usually far more comfortable than sheltered, still ones near water or woodland. Dawn and dusk are peak biting times. If you're wild camping or backpacking through the Highlands in midge season, a head net isn't an optional extra — it's the difference between an evening you can sit through and one you can't.
Pros
- Mesh is genuinely fine enough to stop midges, not just larger insects — this is the detail cheaper generic nets sometimes get wrong
- Integrated into a proper sun hat, so it's not a separate item you have to remember and carry on its own
- Drawcord at the neck stops midges crawling up from underneath, which is a common failure point of loose head nets
- Doubles as genuine sun protection (UPF 50+) outside of midge season, so it earns its place in a pack year-round
Cons
- Wearing any head net for an extended period restricts visibility and airflow to the face — expect an adjustment period
- Doesn't protect hands, wrists or ankles, so it's usually paired with midge-proof gloves or long sleeves for full protection
- The hat's brim and structure won't suit everyone's preferred style of headwear for hiking
- Costs meaningfully more than a basic standalone head net, though you're paying for the integrated hat too
Who it's for
Anyone camping, hiking or working outdoors in the Scottish Highlands, islands, or similarly midge-prone parts of the UK between late spring and early autumn. It's less essential further south and east where midge populations are lower, though still worth packing if you're near still water or woodland on a humid evening anywhere in the UK.
Our verdict
It's a well-made, genuinely functional piece of kit rather than a novelty — the mesh fineness and neck cinch are the two details that actually matter for keeping midges out, and Craghoppers gets both right. If you're heading to Scotland in midge season and haven't been bitten into submission before, this is the kind of item you'll wish you'd packed the first time and won't leave behind again after.