MiniBullDesigns Bug Bag

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I had been to his site and read the information you linked to before my first post. I clearly understand the concept, but what I’m looking for is firsthand user experience. Thanks!

I don’t have any firsthand experience with this product, but similar homemade versions I’ve seen work only so-so, b/c there’s nothing to hold it away from your skin. Instead, I just made a big netting shroud with a few grosgrain tieouts: two to clip it inside my tarp, and two or three to stake it into shape. Its not enclosed, but simply drapes down with at least an extra foot to bunch up on the ground, or be tucked under my groundsheet to avoid crawling bugs. It works the same way, in that you can hang it up for rest breaks without your shelter, but its simpler to get in and out of, and isn’t draping against you all the time. Sorry, hopefully others will chime in too.

just a note, if you haven’t got the MLD bag yet, Ron is on a pretty long waiting list right now. Cheers.

Dancing Light works fine for me while eating. Sit down, cross my legs and it goes all the way to the ground. Use Pemytherin on the bug net in heavy bug areas. Kinda heavy though at 3+ oz.

Hi-

I have one and I’ve been very happy with it- the white is nice to look through and the bag has loads of space. But watch out for durability- this is a lighter weight mesh and tears if you aren’t careful. That said, if you’re used to ultralight and can keep spinnaker intact, this bag shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Best of luck!
Doug

Doug, Thanks for weighing in here. I’ve been eyeing the MBD BugBag for a while. Lot’s of skeeter pressure locally and black flies farther north. I’ve been skeptical of its usefulness. I value your opinion and so based upon your recommendation, I’ve added it to my “Acquire this Spring List”. Many thanks.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Comments about the net laying against the skin coupled with durability issues (I’m of a bit of a tosser and turner) have got me thinking that a DIY project might be called for (and fun!). Looking at Thru-Hiker’s wonderful list of goodies, it looks like I could make a 55″ by 108″ shroud of nanoseeum with small grosgrain tieouts as well as some extra little loops on the ceiling of my Gatewood Cape for the exact same weight and slightly less money than the MDB bug bag. I think that setup will be more adaptable, easier to get in and out of, and keep me from worrying about tearing the netting I’m laying on if I twist the wrong way while trying to wriggle into some longjohns.

My rusty trigonometry is telling me that if I suspend the netting ~15inches above me with 45 degree angles to the ground, I’ll have 6 inches left on either side and a ground coverage area of around 30 inches. Obviously, I could lengthen the line clipping up the netting to sacrifice some height for width if I needed more for tucking under me. I’m wondering where I should add in loops… Jason, do you clip it at the head and the foot or more towards the center? If there’s something I’m missing here in terms of usage, let me know.

In any case, thanks for all the help, and I’ll try to let everyone know if this kind of rig can stand up to Yellowstone’s summer critters.

>it looks like I could make a…of my Gatewood Cape

I picked up a Gossamer Gear Bug Canopy, and I’m hoping I can rig it for my Gatewood Cape.

Douglas, I think that will work really well.

I would have gone with the GG except that I’m planning on carrying a 25F not-so-summer quilt/bag hybrid and want the option to be able to use it as a comforter without having to worry about the biting and crawling things. Perhaps I’m overkilling a bit, but if so, it’ll be really easy to cut off 2 yards of the mesh, add some loops, and make something very similar to Gossamer Gear’s product.

Let me know how the GG Bug Canopy works for you and where/how you end up placing the hang loops on the Gatewood. Happy Hiking.

Jason, do you clip it at the head and the foot or more towards the center?

Mine has two tieouts, one at head and one near the foot. One would certainly work tho. I also prefer more than 6″ extra at the bottom. This is a personal preference. Actually I have about two feet extra, given my typical tarp pitch, so that I can hang the shroud without my shelter, high enough to bathe or change clothes with ease, or cook safely. I’m sure mine weighs a bit more than the Bug Bag, haven’t weighed it yet (gasp!). When I do I’ll probably be tempted to snip. Otherwise, sounds good. If you do decide to diy, good luck!

Jason, what’s the width of your shroud and how did you get it that wide? The nanoseeum from Thru-Hiker comes in a 55inch width. Did you just sew two pieces together length-wise, or did you have another source that sells wider pieces of the stuff?

Yes, mine is two pieces sewn together, with the seam running horizontal. I did get my mesh from thruhiker, same stuff. Each side panel is 72″. The bottom tieouts for stakes are 20″ from the bottom edges, which actually makes for ~1.5 foot extra that can be tucked under the groundsheet. So the seam is usually under the groundsheet. Or, alternately, it can be pitched higher, w/ 2-3 short guylines. Hope that’s understandable!

Something smaller could certainly be made without anything but a ridgeline seam, using the 55″ width vertically. Headroom would just be more limited. I wanted mine roomy for camp chores, sans tarp. Or a vertical seam could be used, eliminating the ridgeline seam. I’m happy with mine, but I’m still open to other ideas.

Another thing I’ve considered is making a silnylon floor which tapers into a bivy-sack shaped footprint in the foot, w/ a 6″ tall, bath-tub style lip all the way around. Mesh could be sewn to that with only a ridegline seam. A zipper could even be added to the head-end (a la MLD bug shelters), but I still think I’d leave the mesh unattached (and longer) in the front and along the front 2 ft of each side, and just tuck that section under the groundsheet. Something like that could function a bit like a bivy, but with the head-end roominess of a groundsheet/shroud. Vertical silnylon or Pertex Quantum head and foot panels would enhance storm protection. Obviously an attached floor would be less suited to bathing and cooking however.

Sorry if all that complicates the discussion, but just thought I’d offer a few ideas beyond my current solution. I guess it depends on how involved you want to make it.