Mesh Insert Needed for Pyramid in PNW?

[Nicholas R]

I just purchased a HMG ultamid 2. I am planning to use it year round for alpine climbing and ski mountaineering in the WA Cascades. For summer bug season, how many of you rough it without a mesh insert? Any creative bug net solutions that are super light? Would hate to double the weight of my shelter by having to add a mesh insert, but know I will likely be much more comfortable June-Aug with some for of bug protection.

Thoughts or advice?

Thanks!

[dirtbag]

Borah gear bug bivy?

[dirtbag]

If you want minimal weight you cant go wrong with it.. when not needed for bugs you can always just lay on top of it as a ground sheet, if bugs nasty.. hop inside. Unless you want more room to sit up and hang out.. then you would want something bigger.

[Jerry Adams]

I camp in PNW without bug net

But, June to August there can be bugs

I take a head net and use it some.  Also good when I’m not in my tent

I also have a 3 foot circle of netting.  Place it over my face.  The only problem is if it rests against my face, mosquitoes can bite through it.  Wearing a stocking cap helps – netting rests against it and stays off my face.

Usually, after it gets dark, the bugs recede.

[Nicholas R]

I’d actually been looking at this one. Looks like the lightest full body bug net out there…. and it’s cheap!

[dirtbag]

Which one?

[Nicholas R]

Sorry, I meant the borah gear bug bivy… I see they also have a DCF version that’s lighter, but wouldn’t durability be a concern?

[dirtbag]

I have both. First picture is regular one.. the second picture, in my yard is DCF one. Personally,  the regular one I prefer. It rolls and packs smaller then the DCF one. As you may know, I am no longer a real fan of DCF…

[HkNewman]

Worst mosquito swarm attack I’ve experienced was south of Crater Lake (re: NNW of Klamath Falls, OR), so I’d vote yes on a summertime bug net of some type.  They didn’t let up until 3 hrs after sunset buzzing right outside my bivy, and I had to press my pack upright inside the bivy to make a “mini-tent” to avoid my skin pressing against the netting.

There’ve been a couple other mosquito rich evenings in OR, but that was the worst.

[Bruce Tolley]

 

I use a MLD mosquito net bivy under both my tarp and mid when expecting mosquitos in the Coast Range or the Sierra Nevada.  I tie up some of the anchor points with bungee cord to the under side of the tarp to keep the net off my face.

[SIMULACRA]

I have the 1/2 insert for the Ult2 and it sags in quite a bit. More room than a bivy but my head and back touches at the sloping sides. So mosquitos congregate there. A lot. All sorts of bugs fly in and get trapped into the peak canopy. Stay there all night but settle down a bit until you start moving about, then it’s crazy town again. I’m going to put some tie outs on the bug netting with the Zpacks DCF patch pulls and attach them with opposing patches to inside of the Ultamid. Not sure if I should use bungee cord with the clips though

[Bruce Tolley]

@ simulacra.  The thin ( 2mm?) bungee cord comes with the MLD bug net bivy. You could use any old cord I think. The advantage of the bungee cord is that it causes (in theory) less stress on the tie out of the shelter.

[Curt Peterson]

As HkNewman notes, there can be insane bug pressure at times. It’s not season-long and constant like my Minnesota days, but seems to be a matter of catching the hatch just right (or wrong). My worst was at a lake where I was covered head to toe in windshirt/windpants & bug netting. The only thing exposed was my right hand that was casting a fly. It was thoroughly doused in DEET. Later in the tent I counted 48 bites on the back of my hand. If I didn’t have my mesh insert that trip I’d have been in a world of hurt.

That said, with “normal” bugs, they tend to congregate at the peaks of pyramids. Even moderate bug pressure doesn’t seem to be a huge issue down at sleeping level. More annoying than problematic. For me, it’s the wet ground that’s a bigger issue. There are times it’s truly impossible to find a patch of ground that’s not soaked in the PNW, so the insert goes with me. One night sleeping in a soggy muddy mess makes the extra weight worth it really fast. Plus the condensation is 1000X lower with a ground barrier. Floorless would be great in the Rockies, but in the Cascades it’s part of the price of admission in my opinion. You can counter the extra weight by rarely carrying water since you’ll pass it every mile or so in PNWet.

[john mcalpine]

@Hkmewman….absolutely agree with southern Oregon.  I came thru there on the PCT in 2015.  Thick with mosquitos.  I had to wear a head net and socks over my hands.

You definitely need a mesh inner in Oregon and Washington in August/September.  You’ll be horrible without one.

[Brett Cooper]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Six Moons Serenity works in the Ultamid. It packs smaller than a DCF insert. Sea2Summit has a floor less bug net, 3 oz(works as a just in case and is slightly better than being confined to a bivy.</p>

[SIMULACRA]

The advantage of the bungee cord is that it causes (in theory) less stress on the tie out of the shelter.

Bruce,

that’s what I was thinking as well. Also if I raise or lower the shelter, the pullouts aren’t in a static position making it difficult to adjust. I’ll look into 2mm bungee, thanks

[Bruce Tolley]

@ simulacra

MLD provides mitten hooks that mitigate the need to use knots to attach the bungee cord to the tie outs.

Cheers

[SIMULACRA]

Yup, mitten hooks or toggles with bungee will be the ideal choice. I was initially thinking of these as a combination, but once received, realized they would be too taut

You definitely confirmed my feeling for using bungee though. I feel the mitten hook will hold more securely but the toggle/bungee might be easier to fasten/unfasten. Mitten is slightly lighter

[Bruce Tolley]

I personally would go with the one I could attach easily in the dark since I often get to my site late.

[Nicholas R]

Thanks for the awesome guidance everyone. I really like the Borah bug bivy. However its 12 week lead time means June and July without bug protection.

Any alternatives to Borah, or should I perhaps order it and make due till August?

[Bruce Tolley]

@ Nicolas

How tall are you and do you sleep on an inflatable pad?  I think I still have in my gear closet an MLD bug bivy that my wife used to use. It was originally mine but then I had MLD make me a longer one.

If you are interested I can dig it out and get the measurements.

Cjeers

[Nicholas R]

Hi Bruce,

I’m 6’2”. I sleep on a neoair xlite women’s pad.

I would be very interested in the measurements.

thanks!

[John L]

Hi I use a ccf pad it is easy to cut to customized specs

[Bruce Tolley]

@Nicolas I will search tonight and see whether I still have it.

Cheers

[Bruce Tolley]

@Nicolas

The bivy is 25 inches wide at the foot and 32 inches wide at the head and 77 inches long at the center. Attached is a photo. it was used 2 times before I switched to a longer MLD bivy.

If you are interested I could send more specs and pricing via messaging. Do you have attachment points already inside your mid?

Cheers. bruce

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