View Full Version : Free standing bug bivy
My next hike will take me through the GSMNP which requires you to stay in the shelters! I have a very real fear of having mice crawling over me while I sleep!
I'm hoping to find a light weight, free standing bug bivy which can used in the shelter! Does this exist?
thanks
Slo-go'en
12-19-2013, 13:38
Sort of. Outdoor Research makes a bug bivy which is fully enclosed and has a fiberglass pole which keeps the netting off your face. The pole slips into a sleeve in the netting to form a half circle.
There are three potentual problems. One, unless you can tension the bivy by staking down the front and back, the pole tends to fall over on to you. Second, there isn't much head room in the shelter sleeping platform due to the double platform. You would have to hope you get an upper bunk, which has it's own problems. Finally, getting in and out of it isn't real easy if the shelter is crowded, and it often is. This can be a problem if you need to get up in the middle of the night for the usual reasons, and why I don't like the upper bunk, besides the issue of just getting up there...
Yep - I have an iguana pop-up bednet - it has a floor in it - I can use a tarp as a fly if needed.
There are these, too -
http://www.amazon.com/SansBug-1-Person-Free-Standing-Pop-Up-Mosquito-Net/dp/B003BWF9WI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_2
http://www.amazon.com/Iguana-Mosquito-Repellent-Woodland-camouflage/dp/B00BPBOOU0
http://www.amazon.com/Catoma-Adventure-Shelters-Improved-BedNet/dp/B0081CA7QG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1
daddytwosticks
12-19-2013, 17:18
On my Labor Day Weekend hike this past summer in the GSMNP, I used a Six Moon Designs Meteor bivy. It's not free standing, but I used a removable cup hook that I'd screw into the bunk deck overhead. I slept on the lower platform, feet in, head out, and had no problems with this set-up. Stayed at Derrick Knob Shelter and Mollie's Ridge Shelter. Plan on using this same set-up this May when I finish the Smokies. :)
try a military surplus store also...
4eyedbuzzard
12-19-2013, 17:51
Yep - I have an iguana pop-up bednet - it has a floor in it - I can use a tarp as a fly if needed.
There are these, too -
http://www.amazon.com/SansBug-1-Person-Free-Standing-Pop-Up-Mosquito-Net/dp/B003BWF9WI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_2
http://www.amazon.com/Iguana-Mosquito-Repellent-Woodland-camouflage/dp/B00BPBOOU0
http://www.amazon.com/Catoma-Adventure-Shelters-Improved-BedNet/dp/B0081CA7QG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1
Miss Trail Manners told me that pitching one of those in a jammed packed shelter on a cold rainy night could create some social conflict. They do tend to take up quite a bit more room (most are 30 - 40 inches wide plus the room needed to enter/exit) than just one's pad and bag - room that may be needed for other hikers seeking shelter. Something like this http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/88 hung from a line and tucked in close would likely accomplish the same result, weigh a lot less, and take up less space.
How about the Outdoor Reserch bug Bivy ?
http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/bug-bivy-2.html
If you want more protection/privacy than from a bug bivy, you could take a look at the Uber Bivy by Miles Gear
http://www.milesgear.com/UberBivy.html
MuddyWaters
12-19-2013, 19:33
Mices run along the back wall and sides. Sleep head out, and you wont have many issues.
Does it really matter if a mouse steps on your sleeping bag?
I understand your face, thats different.
Thanks everyone! I like the SMD idea using the cup hook! I also found a Borah side zip that I really like! I think the side zip would make getting in & out much easier! They have different fabric options with lightest weight one weighing in at 6.1 oz. for $95. Not bad except that I normally sleep in a hammock and can't imagine I will ever use this setup again!
CarlZ993
12-19-2013, 23:14
This looks promising. Never used it. Wished I had it on my thru-hike when bug season hit in the shelters.
http://www.hikelight.com/adventure-16-bug-bivy.html
Do you need the whole bivy set up or would a head net and a baseball cap do just as well? Depends on temps I guess.