perimeter netting vs bug bivy

A bug bivy is an advantage where crawlies are a concern, especially disease-carrying ticks. It can also be used to sleep out under the stars.

I have netting sewn into my Golite SL3, but it also has velcro to attach to floor, and that's usually how I use it. Stuff crawling on me keeps me awake just as efficiently as mosquitoes biting me, but it is less painful and itchy. :)

My experience is that you don't really need either with a pyramid. If you have a good top vent, its easy to pitch close to the ground and still have ventilation and bugs generally stay out too. From my experience, I was shocked that even in really really really bugging Wind river Range conditions that when bugs did get underneath my pyramid, they just hung out on the ceiling. I woke up in the morning after a peaceful night sleep with only one noticeable mosquito bite. Given the conditions, I decided I could live with that. Save the weight and keep it simple, don't need either of them.

Being in a bivy with bugs around isn't much fun anyways, and adds unneeded weight.

Andy- fortunately don't have to worry too much about crawly things where I hike, but the flying biting types seem to be in very good supply :)

Gabe- that would certainly be the easiest solution :), I do find that into the night (and very early morning) the mosquito activity does drop off significantly, probably directly related to falling temps

Mike

Mike, despite your moustache I think you're a good guy (I also disregard all the negative PMs I get about you. ;) So I offer my usual unsolicited acvice.

I think you may be misguided in your pyramid use – probably misled by a hot female salesperson in revealing clothing. Just sew a silnylon floor into yer pyramid (W/ a reinforced hole for the center pole)and add a zippered mosquito net door. Wouldn't that solve a lot of problems?

And stay away from that hottie clerk at REI. She's just out to get yer money. Hussy!

I like that the bivy encourages cowboy camping. Definitely think this will come down to your personal preference. I have both of these set ups and I like bivy+small tarp combo. I feel like I just have a lot more set up options than a straight mid.

Eric- ahhhhhhh you've seen her too :)

yeah that would solve some problems, but might create others- extra weight- not sure how much, cost- I don't sew (but maybe that REI hussy does???) and not so sure how I'd feel about a floor in the winter

if Gabe is correct that a pyra is relatively bug free by design, maybe just a light headnet in those instances when it's not working quite up to snuff

Matthew- I do often go w/ a small tarp (ID poncho/tarp) and bivy (MLD Superlight), nicer weather it works pretty darn well, less nice weather (wind and/or rain), well….. less so- mid gives some options when the snow flies too

if you sew floor on tent, then any water that drips down from the bottom side of the tent will drip onto the floor rather than onto the ground

I don't own a mid yet so take this for what its worth…which is probably nothing. ;) I'm planning on using it (eventually) with a bug bivy. This way I can keep the door open. I enjoy a more open shelter. I'd try it with a bug bivy (assuming you have one already) first. You may find you don't even need the bivy. You can always add a bug net perimeter after the fact if the bivy setup doesn't work out to your liking.

Jerry- good point

weather permitting I kind of like it on the open side as well, I've got a superlight bivy, but was thinking of something lighter as I really don't need any splash protection w/ a mid- something kind of along the lines of Simblissity's inner peace http://www.simblissity.net/inner-peace.htm#images

might start w/ a headnet and work from there :)

Here in Oregon and Washington there's only a month or two when bugs are too bad

I have a circle of noseeum, about 4 feet in diamter, I'll take that when it's super-buggy, use it around camp or over my head if I'm sleeping.

No experience here what ever but I have read the same thing on here that in a pyramid the nasty little bast***s stay at the top Id like to hear more about that

I read that Co2 attracts mossies and that CO2 rises, thus a pyramid will have higher concentrations of CO2 at the top and mossies are therefore thinking that the human is at the top of the pyramid not at its base. It is also apparent that each persons attracts mosquitos more or less so this will influence users experiences.

I have noticed that the peak of Pyramid attracts bugs

I feel a bit sorry that I am killing all these bugs

I assume it's just that they can't find a way out, but they sure try

There must be an idea there for making a bug trap

A web search will find many CO2 traps for mosquitos, I have no idea if they work or not.

I try to remind myself to "Keep It Simple, Stupid" I don't always succeed, but here I feel like I have. Going with neiter is easy to try since you don't have to spend any cash. I always bring a headnet in case it gets real hairy. I will be sitting there eating my couscous with my headnet on and getting swarmed by blood thirsty mosquitoes and I think to myself, "Well I'll be hornswoggled! This is the night I am going to have to break down and sleep with my headnet on." Then like you said, the temp starts to drop and the little punks start to disappear. I crawl in my bag, clap my hands to kill one or two and thats it, they are all at the ceiling. Give it a try! If it sucks, then go buy what you need. I used to use a MLD Superlight bivy under my mid until Andrew Skurka suggested this to me. I was initially very skeptical but gave it a shot and it has really been fine. Now I have sold my bivy, saved nearly a half pound, and got a few bucks back. Even my mosquito magnet wife doesn't mind too much. Now there is an endorsement.

Gabe- I think that's exactly what I'm going to try, headnet would be a worthy addition regardless- the BPL one is under a oz

as far as my wife goes… I move up to a bigger mid and an inner tent- there is no arguing w/ the boss :)

Mike

Good luck mate! Happy camping!

Perimeter nets aren't so effective against scorpions, but ticks aren't really an issues they don't really search. Ticks wait for something to brush against them.
Scorpions search and can sting if you brush against them.
I will say that a tick is far more dangerous than a scorpion, in North America anyway.

I prefer a bug bivy over perimeter net because of the flexibility, for solo use.
With the wife, a perimeter net.

Mike,

I have a Wild Oasis (don't use it much any more) and it has perimeter netting. Not a true pyramid, but the netting allows you to set it up further off the ground in not so bad weather, and allows a lot more ventilation, which is a huge plus. No net door though to look out side, but if the weather is bad, I am inside sleeping any way :). If the weather is good, then no shelter needed.