Roomy, bugnet-first shelter for hot. buggy nights?

[Joshua Rodriguez]

After an enjoyable but hot (and buggy) early trip to the Sierras this year, I’m strategizing a shelter for this unique blend of conditions.

The Borah bivy I brought was fine, but I found myself wishing for something a bit more spacious — a place to eat dinner and hide out from the bugs for a bit. Especially with the very long days, it’s almost inevitable that one finds oneself with some downtime while the sun is still up and temps haven’t cooled down enough to send the bugs packing.

I have other UL trekking-pole-supported shelters, but all of them are fly-first designs — i.e. the bugproof inner hangs from the tarp. That’s one thing I do miss from my freestanding tent days — the ability to set up a shelter sans rainfly when the weather allows. This is especially nice when it’s hot out and you can get some breezes moving through the tent.

What I’d really like is something that can be set up standalone as a roomy, well-ventilated, bug-proof shelter, with a weatherproof fly that can be added if conditions require. Something that provides bug protection with maximum ventilation. I see lots of “bug bivy” type shelters out there but many don’t really have room to sit up.

Anything like this out there? I hike with trekking poles so I generally go with shelters that use them, but I’m open to anything lightweight. Interested in both 1 and 2-person shelter formats.

[Bill Budney]

MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House series are mesh A-Frame tents with bathtub floor. One side and one end are wind-resistant, the rest is mesh. If you set them up with a ridge line, then you can easily put a tarp over the top (also in A-Frame mode).

Modified A-Frame looks like it could be made to work, although you would be back to setting up the tarp first and hanging the Mesh House from it.

(The 1p version appears is more like an oversized bug bivy: room to sit up but sloped for lower tarp pitches.)

Their Front Range pyramids appear to go up similarly. That may be true of other pyramids as well.

[HkNewman]

Eating and general living? Mesh taller than the typical bug bivy sack/bivy sack.

Ridgeline inners like YamaMountainGear’s bug “inner tent”, depending on your height, or the aforementioned MSR.

Also look at mids and their inners.  Smaller is the Six Moons Designs silnylon and their Serenity net; bigger is MLD with the Solomid XL and its separate inner.   There’s also the Deshultes Plus with a perimeter bug net and net door that secures by elastic.  Doesn’t work on ground critters though (seen others use a tyvek groundcloth and maybe lace the edges with permithrin?).

If a single wall can be used there’s the Tarptent Prolite.  I’m 6 ft and had enough room to [barely] sit cross-legged by the door.  Same with the SMD Lunar Solo and probably other designs from TT, Zpacks, etc.. that fit.

[baja bob]

Yama Mountain Gear makes a 1p and 2p bug shelter.  The 2p is roomy.  56” wide at the head end. Weighs 15 oz.

https://yamamountaingear.com/products/2p-bug-shelter-silpoly

opens on both sides and the head.  More comfortable than the 1p.  At 6’4” I can move around without my legs rubbing the top of the netting.

[JCH]

The non-pro Durston XMids, both 1p and 2p, can be set up inner only.  A “Stargazer kit” is available to facilitate this, or DIY your own.  They are excellent, super high quality shelters at a very competitive price.

The fly of the Tarptent Dipole DW can be rolled back or left off entirely.  Ditto on quality, price and value.

 

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

Can you tie any of your inners to an overhanging branch?

[David D]

https://durstongear.com/products/spare-tent-parts?variant=47640921506083

10.7oz, ~$100 US

[Brad W]

https://www.tarptent.com/product/stratospire-li/

[Alvie C]

A second for the sil-poly X-mids, but you don’t really need the stargazer kit.  Check out this guy’s youtube pitching variation.  Just need a couple extra stakes.

[Joshua Rodriguez]

Wow, some excellent suggestions here, thanks for pitching in, everyone! Had no idea that the X-Mid was so adaptable to a mesh-only setup.

[David D]

I don’t use the stargazer kit.  I just redeploy the fly corner guylines and tie to the mesh buckle and then tie a hitch around the pole top then route to a peg.  Fast and no need to compromise the integrity of the fly by keeping it connected and tensioning string around it like in that video

[Author]

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