I have lost more camp dinners to mosquitoes than I care to count. Last June at a spot outside Flagstaff, we gave up on burgers and ate in the car with the windows up. That is when I decided to try a screen house, and the Alvantor pop up has become the one piece of gear I refuse to leave behind. It is not the most exciting purchase, but it has changed how we camp more than any new tent or sleeping bag.
It is a room of mesh with a roof and a floor that pops open in minutes. The first time I used it, Ray and I had it up in under five minutes, and we spent the rest of the trip eating dinner without a single bite. That was a year ago, and it has been on every trip since. We camp about fifteen weekends a year, mostly in northern Arizona and southern Utah, and the screen house goes in the back of our 2016 4Runner every single time.
Skip the bug spray and the headnet
The Alvantor screen house turns any campsite into a bug-free zone in minutes. Check today's price on Amazon to see if it fits your next trip.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →It sets up in under five minutes
The Alvantor pops open like a giant umbrella. You pull it out of the bag, unfold it, and lock the four legs. I timed it the first time at six minutes, and now I do it in about three. My right knee complains if I have to kneel, but this one goes up from a standing position. No poles to thread, no ropes to tie. That matters when you arrive at camp after a long drive and the light is fading. On a trip last May to the eastern Sierra, we pulled in at 7:30, and the screen house was up before the sun went down. Ray handled the tent while I did the screen house, and we were both done in under ten minutes.
It keeps dinner on the table, not on the ground
We have had flies land on plates and bees buzz the potato salad. With the mesh walls, the food stays covered, and the table stays clean. One evening a gust of wind blew a napkin off, but the screen held it inside. I no longer have to guard the burgers with a fly swatter. Last summer at a spot near the Grand Canyon, a swarm of gnats came through at dinner. Everyone else at the campground was eating in their vehicles. We sat in the screen house and finished our steaks. The mesh kept them out, and the zipper door sealed the entrance. That one night convinced me.
It gives you a shaded spot for the hottest part of the day
The roof blocks a lot of sun, and the mesh lets a breeze through. We sat in there reading for an hour in the middle of a July afternoon, and it was ten degrees cooler than outside. The UPF rating is a bonus, but even on a cloudy day the shade is welcome. We have used it as a base camp for day hikes, leaving our chairs and a cooler inside. When we came back from a four-mile walk, the inside was still cool. I put a small camp table in the center, and it became a reading nook. It is not a room, but it feels like one.
It keeps rain off your meal
Last September at a site in southern Utah, a shower rolled in during dinner. We pulled the screen house over the table, and we finished eating while it rained around us. The floor kept our chairs dry, and the mesh kept the drips out. It is not a tent, but it is dry enough for a meal. The rain lasted about twenty minutes, and we stayed comfortable. Afterward, we shook the water off the roof and it dried quickly. I have used it as a quick cover when a passing storm hits, and it beats scrambling to pack everything into the car.
It stops bugs from riding into your tent
Before I used a screen house, a mosquito would slip in when I opened the tent door. Now I take off my shoes and brush myself off inside the screen house before I unzip the tent. That simple habit cut the number of bugs I bring to bed to zero. The mesh also keeps out pine needles and stray dirt. The floor is easy to sweep with a small broom. On a trip to the Kaibab Plateau, the mosquitoes were thick at dusk. We changed into our sleep clothes inside the screen house, and not one bug came with us. That alone makes it worth the space in the 4Runner.
It gives you a clean staging area for gear
I pack out of plastic bins, and they used to sit on the ground. Now they go inside the screen house, off the dirt and away from critters. I can sort cooking gear, fill water bottles, and lay out jackets without kneeling. For someone with a bad knee, not having to bend down to the ground is worth the price alone. The floor gives a clean surface, and I can keep the bins stacked. It also keeps ants out of the dog food. We learned that the hard way when a colony moved into a bin one year. Now the food stays sealed and the bins stay clean.
It turns evenings outside from a chore into a pleasure
The best time of day at camp is dusk, which is also the worst time for bugs. With the screen house, we sit out until the stars come out, drinking coffee and watching the fire. I do not have to wear a headnet or douse myself in repellent. The Alvantor has given us back the after-dinner hour. Last October in Utah, we watched a full moon rise over the canyon while the fire crackled. The mesh let the breeze in but kept the mosquitoes out. Ray fell asleep in his chair, and I did not have the heart to wake him. That is what a screen house buys you.
It is a safe spot for the dog
Our dog, Scout, likes to be with us, and she hates bugs. Inside the screen house, she lies on her mat without scratching. The mesh keeps out the biting flies that pester her on a hike. We put her bed in a corner, and she stays calm while we eat. It has made camp quieter for all of us. On a trip to the Mogollon Rim, the deer flies were relentless. Scout would normally pace and whine, but in the screen house she settled right down. We could eat without one hand on her collar. The screen also keeps her from wandering off, because the door zips shut.
It holds up in wind better than a tarp
We have had it through gusts that knocked over our camp chairs. The poles are sturdy, and the stakes that came with it held firm. One night a storm moved through, and the screen house stayed standing while the canopy next door collapsed. I do not have to rebuild it every morning. The fabric is thick enough to shed light rain, and the seams have not pulled after three seasons. We had a windy night at the Grand Canyon, and the guy lines I added held it steady. It is not a storm shelter, but it does not blow away.
It pays for itself in peace of mind
The real cost of a screen house is not the price tag; it is the nights you do not get eaten alive. After a dozen trips with the Alvantor, I would not camp without it. It is the difference between coming home tired and coming home happy, without a single new mosquito bite to show for the trip. I have recommended it to three friends, and two have bought their own. The third borrowed mine for a weekend and ordered one the next week. It has become the piece of gear that stays in the 4Runner all year, ready for the next trip.
What I'd Skip
If you only camp once a year and do not mind bugs, you can skip it. If you are an ultralight backpacker who carries everything on your back, this is far too heavy. It is a car-camping piece, and it does not belong on a trail. And if you expect it to be a rain shelter for a full storm, it is not that either. It is a bug shield and a shade, not a replacement for a tent. I would also skip it if your campsite is always bare dirt with no flat spot, because the floor needs a level area to sit right. But for most of us who camp out of a vehicle, it earns its space.
I have not worn a headnet since the Alvantor went into the bin.
Give yourself back the evenings at camp
The Alvantor screen house has been the best money I have spent on camping gear in years. See today's price on Amazon and decide if it is worth a try.
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