Got a tarp – Need a bivy

I have a water resistant bivy in argon (6oz) and a bug bivy (7.4oz) from Borah Gear and I can attest, the craftsmanship is superb. If you do get a bug bivy, be sure to get it wide and long enough that no mesh is in contact with exposed/lightly covered skin. Borah Gear custom added a few grosgrain loops so that wouldn't happen in my bivy. You can't go wrong with their gear.

In Oregon usually only bugs for a couple months. I can usually choose a destination not in it's bug prime.

I have 4 foot diameter circle of bug netting. Put my feet in sleeping bag. Netting over head end of me. Works pretty good.

John at Borah Gear is making me a special Large Cuben net Bivy with Argon strips at the head and foot. Also adding 3" to the cuben floor. He is great to work with and will build to your specs. I have tried other bivies and one thing to watch for is taper. Several companies have good shoulder girth but then taper from shoulder to foot in straight line which for me makes it too snug in hips. MLDs Superlight Bivy is very well made with good shoulder and foot girth but was too tight in the hips. lSeveral other companies said that they also start the taper from the shoulders. ZPacks doesn't start taper until the hips but Joe right now has limited sizes. He said he will be making larger sizes in near future but not this season. Borah Gear is the other company that starts taper at hips and as mentioned will make to your specs. If you are a back sleeper this may not be a big deal. I am an active side sleeper and the tight hips didn't work. Talk to John at Borah Gear and get it dialed in.

Kelly. What is the problem with mesh on exposed skin? Bug bites through mesh? Or?

John is fantastic to work with!! I made the jump last year just before my JMT hike and went with a Yama Cirraform tarp and a Borah Gear Bivy. Cuben floor, side zip, M90. I had so many questions and challenges and John talked me through everything and made exactly the bivy that best suited what I was I was planning on doing. I am 6 ft 5 and very claustrophobic so John made mine extra long and wide. I have tons of room to move around and I love the workmanship. I have actually been talking with John about something very similar to what mark has on order. LOL Just send him an email and he will help you dial in what will work best for you, and then he will make it for you

8*10 is a good sized solo tarp, that you can pitch close to the ground for tough weather. This makes the bivy shell choice less crucial that say for a small poncho tarp or a monk tarp etc. In your situation I would go with something also like Mark that is a combo of DWR shell and bug netting. Remember, bug netting isn't invisible to water, it does have some wind and water resistance, just will let a lot through. But better than nothing, and the ends and edges of your bivy cop the most splash anyway.

My personal experience is that bivys are not good in summer bug season. I prefer and now use the Yama bug shelter 1.0 under my Spinntwinn. There are plenty of similar on the market like the MLD bug bivy and Bearpaw makes one as well that fit under your tarp and provide room to move around and vent much better than a regular bivy.

Here in PA/WV bugs are usually not too much of a problem but I wouldn't use a bivy for when they are swarming. I have a Borah bivy that I love but it's for keeping the wind and spray off me while under a tarp in cooler weather (while still being somewhat breathable – I used to use an REI Minimalist bivy but I got soaked from condensation every single time I used it).
I have an MLD solo innernet that I got with my Duomid that I have used several times this spring/summer. Oddly enough, I haven't used it under a tarp or the Duomid. I just throw up the net (1 pole + 4 stakes)and sleep out in the open. The one night it did rain, it got so cool that there weren't any bugs so I just hunkered under the tarp.

"Kelly. What is the problem with mesh on exposed skin? Bug bites through mesh? Or?"

yeah – bugs bite right through – needs to be suspended from skin

bugs won't bite through if the mesh is against your hair.

the mesh is a bit stiff, so there will be folds. You can position it so it doesn't touch your skin much. Not optimum for heavy bug infestations.

Check out bear Paw Wilderness designs bug bivy. Weighs 10 ounces..I use this for total bug protection. If it rains I can pitch my tarp over it no problem. Plenty of room..sets up simple in seconds anywhere I need to camp.
In winter I swap it out and use a Katabatic Bristlecone bivy…same idea.

Thanks for the input guys. I'm sticking with just the Bivy for now because it is primarily for use doing the Wonderland in Sept. I doubt serious bugs will be upon me. I can splurge for the bug canopy next year.