Well I lived there for a few years a loooong time ago (late 1970s) and didn't need any blood transfusions.;)
We had a partially camperized Volkswagen Van but if I recall correctly most of the camping we did was by canoe and backpack tent. Most of this would have been in the Hidden Lake area off the
Ingraham TrailWe would pick a small Island that had an exposure to the breeze which keeps mosquitoes away. We also hoped the bears would not consider supper worth the swim.:)
I recall one Island where we couldn't get the breeze and we had to resort to the tent. It was interesting to sit inside and watch through the screen as the mosquitoes got snapped up by a large group of dragonflies. There was an audible snap each time one got caught.
We never used any nets or anything other than deet if they got real bad.
I am probably not the one to listen to as I grew up on a mosquito farm in Sask and seem to have an immunity to most of them.
Blackflies are another matter but I only recall encountering them when we portaged through the woods.
We returned many years later at the request of a son who was born there. I recall the mosquitoes being particularly bad at Hay River.
We rented a trailer at
Fred Henne Territorial Park. It turned out there was a major music festival at Long Lake at the time and we enjoyed two long evenings sitting on the rocks enjoying this. I don't recall a mosquito problem.
I knew Fred Henne. He was the Mayor and had two Cabin Cruisers which he used for a charter service on Great Slave Lake. He once invited me to join a group of six on a trip to the East arm of Great Slave. I think we each threw in $100 for gas and beer. We towed a couple of 16 footers for fishing and I think we had 2 45 gallon drums of gas which he had arranged to replenish from a fishing camp in the east end.
It is very different and beautiful in the east arm, high cliffs and water 2000 feet deep although the surface is only 600 feet above sea level. Best $100 trip I ever took. I don't recall the mosquitoes.
On our later trip we took highway 7 across the territories and came out north of Ft Nelson. We tented a few days on the banks of the Liard River near Nahanni Butte. There was a nearby family who flew groups into
Virginia FallsUnfortunately a nearby forest fire kept it too smoky and we could not go. I don't recall the mosquitoes:)
Go for it, stay in the open whenever possible and I think you will enjoy it.
