What is your Hexamid bug protection solution?

I can't speak to the hexamid, but I really like the borah gear bug bivy I picked up on gear swap. I'm a large guy and I bought a long/wide and don't find it restrictive at all as long as I have the loop at the head end pulled out. In fact I might get someone to sew on another loop near the foot end to give it more of a "net tent" style.

Mine also has silnylon ends for extra splash protection at the open ends of an A-frame(which helps as I use it under a poncho tarp or spinntwinn). Even with all that it is 6 oz in the stuff sack! Crazy stuff for how cheap they are. And yes the bathtub floor seems plenty substantial as long as it isn't right up against your tarp's edges.

Here in the VA mountains I have found a bivy fine as the mosquitoes are not that bad until the sun goes down. If I was back in my native Florida, I would be bringing something bigger (like my Contrail) because bugs are bad 24/7 down there.

Good luck on your search :)

I wouldn't try using my MLD bug bivy under my Solo Plus Hexamid tarp… or any other A-Frame style bug bivy… it just doesn't work that well…

If you don't mind small, enclosed places, I would say a Borah bivy (with side zip) would be an excellent option.

If you wanted something with a bit more room, you could go with the Hexanet from ZPacks. This is my favorite option… excellent set-up IMO… However, you say "Hexamid"… so I am not sure if you mean "Solo" or "Solo Plus"… I guess the Hexanet *could* work under the Solo, but likely not ideal… under the Solo Plus though, it is awesome…

If you have a Solo size, I would suggest the Solo size cuben ground sheet from ZPacks, and pair it with the Sea 2 Summit Nano pyramid netting. Should be around 6 oz (or a hair less) for the 2. The ground sheet will provide an excellent bathtub floor, which will make pitching the tarp in less than ideal places a little better, and the netting can fall inside the groundsheet around the sides.

Chad's system looks pretty sweet but I'm too tall for that inner.

I tried using a S2S nano with my (then) Hexamid Twin Tarp and found that I was swimming in the netting and really didn't like it. I thought about adding some tie-outs inside the tarp to help clean up the mess I created but opted to send it back to Zpacks and had them add the netting.

I agree with Chad, the Sea 2 Summit Nano pyramid netting is the lighest and cheapest option. It works just fine for me.

I also have Six Moons Design Serenity Net-tent from my Gatewood Cape that works even better, but it is 5oz heavier than the Sea 2 Summit net paired with a Zpacks ground sheet.

Edit: I have the version of the Sea 2 Summit net that is pretreated with premethrin, so it has that going for it too.

(a) Send your tarp to zpacks and have them install netting.

(b) Sea 2 Summit Nano

My vote goes to (a)

I sent my Hexamid Solo back and had the net added. It's a pretty easy process and the set up is still easy. I pair mine with the MLD bivy as I only break out the tarp in really buggy or rainy weather.

Thanks for all the advice! It's the solo tarp and ideally I'd like to keep my cost to around $100 or less for the inner option. For some reason I have just never liked the sewn in netting idea, but it's good to have as a final option.

I did just have a Cabelas open near me and saw the sea to summit net while I was there. Unfortunately I wasn't really thinking at the time, it would have been a perfect opportunity to pick it up and try it. Did anyone who uses this have any qualms about the lack of connected floor/bathtub? I could see the drape factor being mildly annoying for me without a mod. Worth trying out for how easy it is to return anyway.

For the borah bivy, am I right in assuming that a regular length/ wide width would be ideal for a 5'10" 165lb side sleeper? Any issues with spray when the beak is down, or should I consider one of their fabric bivies?

Again can't speak to the hexamid, but the borah gear bivy is very spacious IMO.

I'm a 6'2 205 side sleeper and don't feel any constriction in the L/W version on an exped pad (2.8 in thick).

In fact it is large enough that I can put the rest of my gear in my backpack and fit it in the head end with me if the rain is blowing sideways.

Would a borah bivy paired with a simple tarp be adequate for 3 season use ? What I mean is would you need an additional groundsheet or would the bivy work as a bathtub floor with bug protection ?

Depends on the size of the simple tarp, pitch configuration and how much wind/rain are encountered and how mucky the ground is where the shelter is set up.

If the tarp is pitched high and doesn’t cover a large enough area, or if the wind changes direction, rain can definitely blow in.

Sometimes, even with a nice bathtub bivy like the Zpacks Splash (of which I have a custom-made clone), it is nice to throw down a piece of polycryo if the ground is really muddy already.

This weekend I am going to test-drive the Borah bug bivy for the first time. It has a silnylon, non-bathtub floor but I think it will work fine. A bathtub floor doesn’t come into play unless you get a lot of rain so normally there won’t be a problem. However, I have experienced a couple of deluges where the bathtub was very much appreciated.