Bug Bivy Idea

[Erik G]

I’m thinking about making or buying a bug bivy, and I am leaning toward it being designed to be usable as a “walk around in camp and/or eat food in peace from bugs” piece of gear in addition to its function as a bug bivy, with the sleeping pad placed outside the bivy on a groundsheet so that I can sit up and move around more freely while staying inside the bivy. I’m thinking a DWR, or even non-waterproof, bottom fabric for next-to-skin comfort, and a foot end that could be opened up and cinched around the waist for a “mobile bug shelter.” Maybe even a couple zippered arm holes for increased utility.

Thoughts/questions/feedback appreciated – fire away! Thanks :)

[Lester Moore]

One challenge with a wearable item made of bug netting is that the netting easily clings to your skin, allowing bugs to bite you through the netting. After getting a row of mosquito bites on my torso matching the location of the mesh panels on a shirt, I stopped wearing shirts with netting panels for this reason.

Have you considered the STS Nano Mosquito Pyramid net? It makes a light, simple and fairly effective bug bivy by wrapping all sides under a full length sleeping pad. You can also hang it from a tree branch or trekking pole, stake out the corners and have a fast, portable mosquito-free zone for eating, napping or doing other camp chores.

[John S.]

Dancing light gear used to make a half length bug bag that cinched around your waist while eating and around mid-sleeping bag for sleeping. I sold mine on this site some years ago.

[Link .]

John, Is the Dancing Light net similar to the SIMBLISSITY INNER PEACE ?

[Erik G]

Lester, good insight on the netting, thank you. I think for this idea the netting would be far enough from the skin in most use cases to still be functional. My theoretical use of this would be mostly around camp in mornings and evenings, and maybe during food/water breaks if bugs were really bad. I’ve been on a couple of trips where something more wearable/mobile (as opposed to the S2S Nano) would have been quite nice. A key feature for me would have to be ease/quickness of deployment.

I hadn’t heard of the Dancing Light net before, but I had seen the Simblissity. My inspiration came from this:

http://www.williswall.com/willis-wall-blog/2011/7/3/the-b4-ultralight-upright-and-prone-bug-protection.html

But I’m thinking more of a full bivy, with a center zip for ingress/egress when used prone.

[Michael Schlesselmann]

I’ll agree with Lester that anything wearable is going to inevitably come in contact with your skin unless you are sitting ir standing still. My first thought would ne to maybe make a net that could drape over an open umbrella so that it could be pulled away from your body. This sounds a lot more finicky than just wearing a woven nylon shirt and panys and a headnet though.

[Alex Wallace]

I’m thinking something like Karate Kid’s Halloween costume, but out of netting.

“Sweep the leg, Johnny!”

[Erik G]

LOL, brilliant! ;)

[Lester Moore]

This sounds a lot more finicky than just wearing a woven nylon shirt and panys and a headnet though

+1 on the woven long sleeve shirt, woven pants and hed net. It’s a very versatile combo unless it’s really hot out. If you don’t wear a woven shirt, then a wind shirt works even better against bugs in camp because it has a hood. If you don’t wear long pants, then wind pants in camp would work, but they take more time to put on/off while hiking.

[John S.]

AnnaPurna, yes it is similar but a bit smaller with only an overhead tie-out loop. It was called the ultralight sleep net.

“The insect proof SleepNet is made of nylon mesh, commonly called “No-See-Um” mesh because it provides protection from even the smallest insects.

It is made for those who sleep under tarps, under the stars and in shelters. To provide nighttime protection from biting insects, get in your sleeping bag, sit up, place the SleepNet over your head, pull it down over your torso and tuck it under your bag. Then use the cord lock closure to cinch it tightly around the sleeping bag. It provides protection from insects even on warm nights when the sleeping bag has been partially unzipped, and the arms and upper body are outside the sleeping bag.

We have added a tie-loop to the front of our SleepNets. A length of cord can be secured to the SleepNet and then tied off to another lashing point, such as a loop on a tarp, a nail in a shelter or a tree branch. The front of the net can then be held up and away from the face and head.

When the bug situation gets really challenging, keep the SleepNet handy during the day and use it on your upper body when you stop for breaks. It can also be worn around camp while you are cooking, eating, writing in your journal, etc. When the wearer is sitting, the SleepNet will provide almost total body protection from flying insects.

Also, for those sleeping in shelters and in areas that are used for camping on a regular basis, it can help keep mice (and other critters) out of your sleeping bag and hair. Use of this item can also significantly reduce the need for insect repellants, such as DEET.

If used with one of our smaller ultralight tarps , it is possible to have basic shelter and complete nighttime insect protection with gear that weighs less than a pound and costs less than $100.

We offer this item in two sizes. Regular size is 38 inches long, 43 inches wide, and weighs 2.25 ounces. Large size is 50 inches long, 53 inches wide, and weighs 4.25 ounces. (Regular size is shown in the above photo.)

All sizes and weights are approximate.

The SleepNet was designed by (and is made by) Brawny.

Regular – Item #2038R – $19
Large – Item #2038L – $29″

[R]

+1 to protective clothing w/ head net.

If you hike a bivy up to your waist, now it’s just a shirt; if you stick your arms out, it’s a short sleeve shirt.  You can sit and eat in any bug bivy.  You can easily stick a hand out of any bivy w/ a side/center zip.  If that zip is long enough, you can wear it over your head and torso w/o the need to completely climb in to it – this is your quick trail stop option.  The only real gotcha will be w/ a bivy that only has mesh over the face, rather than the whole head end: you’ll need a hat or head lamp over the bivy to keep the mesh window aligned w/ your face to see out.

[Paul S.]

I think it was Lint who put a S2S net over his umbrella. Seems pretty ingenious as long as you don’t have to worry about snagging in brush. No extra weight if they’re already part of your current setup.

[Erik G]

Rene, true you can sit and eat in any bivy. My thought is to use it in that manner. But, your pad has to be outside the bivy to sit up – unless it’s a pretty huge bivy. So I figured a bivy designed to be on top of the pad might be nice. A bottom fabric that’s nice to sleep on (as opposed to silnylon or cuben) is really the only difference. I thought the ability to get up and walk around with it (not hike, just meander around camp without a pack on, eat, watch the sunset, etc) would be a nice feature with minimal added weight. Maybe that feature wouldn’t be as useful as I originally thought.

Paul, that is some pretty clever multi-usage :)

[R]

If you’re wandering around camp in your bivy, you’ve presumably removed your sleeping bag from it (or haven’t yet put it in), so do the same w/ the pad.  If you’re thinking about waking up, sitting up and eating breakfast, you’ve probably already gotten out to go get your food, so you’re not losing out on any convenience if you have to take your pad out at some point.

Maybe it would help reach a final design decision if you write down the things you do in camp every evening and morning, in the order you do them, and consider how you’d like the bug shelter to function.

[Erik G]

Good points about the actual field use – I have very little experience with bivies in general, so my theories about how it would actually work are, well, theories. :)

I appreciate the logical approach to deciding how it should work based on morning and evening activities. Thanks!

[Author]

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