Head Nets with bivy’s

James,

Not a direct answer to your question, but more of a comment/observation.

I have a MLD Soul Side Zip bivy that has a built in bug net.

I also carry a BPL head net.

I probably would not want to wear the head net in a bivy that does not have a built in bug screen because the head net offers very little head room/space between myself and the outer edge of the head net.

The bivy gives me a lot more space, which really gives mental comfort and less possibility of skin to bug net contact, which might allow for something to bite/sting me through the netting.

With a bivy that has a head net, I can increase the amount of space between myself and the net by using a guy line to pull the head of the bivy up and way from me too.

So using a heat net and a bivy that does not have bug netting built in would be the lightest option, but on a comfort level might be less than desirable.

Each person is different on what is comfortable for them, but I just wanted to offer my thoughts and observations.

Good luck!

-Tony

You are answering my question, Tony. I was wondering, even with a ballcap, if there'd be enough clearance between my face and the net. I guess since I have to buy a head net anyways, I should buy one, put on my ballcap and climb into my sleeping bag to see how comfortable it is. I don't want to sacrifice comfort for a savings of .75oz and $20 if that's the case that it's not.

James,

Would a ball cap and bug head net work?

I think that it could, but are you an active sleeper?

What happens if you move around and turn over while sleeping at night?

The bug netting could come into contact with your skin and a bug could land on the netting and get at your through the tiny holes of the net.

For me, the issue is more about my personal level of comfort.

I happen to sleep like a log and don't roll around much, but I have an extra wide bivy and I pitch my bivy with guy line attached to my poles or to the underside of my poncho tarp to lift the head area/bug netting higher up to give me more interior head space, which psychologically adds to my comfort.

Like anything else that is about comfort, it is a very subjective thing for each person.

Something else that I just thought of…the possible buzzing should of insects near your head.

A head net is relatively small.

Would you be annoyed with the buzzing sound of insects close to you?

Again, a bivy can give you a little more distance from yourself and nature.

Like you said, it might be a good experiment to sleep in your sleeping bag with a head net and ball cap and see how it works for you.

Luckily, the head nets are relatively cheap and if you decide that you can not deal with it, you still have a head net for using when you are on the trail.

Let us know what you decide to do.

-Tony

James,
I have both. A bivy with a bug net (Ti-goat) and one without. I definitely think the integrated bug net is the comfier way to go, especially if the bugs are really bad. If you go sans bug net and just wear a headnet, you will have to wear a baseball/brimmed hat to keep the net off your face (like you mentioned). If you really hate the integrated net, you can always cut it out…my tigoat net is nice and big, I can even read in there.

James, one of my bivies (Equinox) doesn't have an integrated net so I bought a BPL headnet; however, I find that I use it more during the day than at night because I'm usually at elevation, and after the sun sets it gets cold and the skeeters tend to go away. So I usually use nothing. But when I have used the headnet – lower elevation on the Selway river in the Bitterroots – I used it without a ball cap because I'd treated it with permithrin. Skeeters won't land on permitherin.