I'm in the final stages of helping my 13 yo daughter gear up for a Wonderland Trail hike (she's going with my wife and I) at the end of the month. She'll be using the solo shaped tarp I built a few years ago, and have used successfully since under a variety of conditions. Pics of the tarp as used previously in Rainier NP are here:
Given the time of year, I expect at least a couple buggy campsites on our trip. In the past, I've managed with a headnet, but I wouldn't call the experience pleasant. I've also had rodents run across my face a couple times–not surprisingly, neither of these situations appeal to my daughter.
So the options I've come up with for better bug protection and critter deterrence are either making a small mesh inner for the tarp, or making a bivy (prob. with mesh from the chest zipper up).
Advantages of mesh inner: a bit more room (I'm thinking 74" long, 48" wide at the front, tapering to 24" wide at the foot), easier entry/exit, better ventilation, more traditionally tent-like. Disadvantages: a bit heavier, a bit hard to pitch, maybe a bit more work to build.
Advantages of bivy: a bit lighter, a bit of added warmth, keeps pad and quilt in place. Disadvantages: more fiddly to enter/exit; potentially cramped, possible condensation issues.
Finally, for either option I need to decide on floor material. I have some fairly heavily coated 1.1 oz silnylon (~1.5-1.6 oz finished wt.), but rain at least one or two nights is likely, and required campsites can make site selection less that ideal. Do I need a floor with higher HH, or could I supplement with a sheet of polycryo if necessary?
Any input welcome.
