Gatewood Cape and Mosquitoes

[Chance09]

Has anyone here had much experience sleeping in a Gatewood cape in bug territory? Can the sides be brought down low enough to the ground to keep the little buggers out? Thanks for the info.

[Slo-go'en]

You need to leave some gap along the bottom for ventelation. I'm more concerned about crawly things though - spiders, ticks, ants, beetles, etc. So, I always used a bug bivy with the cape.

It turns out that with the bug bivy, there is no weight or volume savings over using a tent like the Lunar solo and the tent has more room in it, so I've gone back to the tent. The serenity net insert for the Gatewood cape might make it completative to the tent, but the cape is pretty cramped for space inside and your almost up to the price of the lunar solo tent.

[tammons]

Yep you need the inner net tent for for bugs. Too small for me though as I am 6-3 - Serenity NetTent.

Weighs 7 oz

Makes the entire package about 19 oz without stakes and poles, but it doubles as raingear.

The tarptent moment weighs 28.5oz with pole. Contrail about 24.5

[Wise Old Owl]

Bearpaw has the Gatewood Cape.

[Mags]

I used the Gatewood Cape on the CDT. You need to buy bug netting.

If you are looking for the Gatewood Cape strictly as a shelter (do not need the poncho part), check out the Wild Oasis. (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=48)

It is has built in bug netting, light and easy to set up. It is what I now use.

It is NOT for taller/bigger people though. I'd say it caps out at roughly 5'10".

[Long feet]

I'm 6' 4" and I pretty much max out my Gatewood Cape. It is really tight, but I love it. I use a really thin plastic drop-cloth and am planning on using a head-net for bugs. These two should add up to under 2 oz. I took it out on a 50 mile section hike this last weekend and got lots of rain. One night I staked it down to the ground and got loads of condensation. I used a really light tyvek bivvy, but didn't really need it. I only had a problem with condensation when I staked it down to the ground. When I used the included guy-lines I had no problems, and needed no bivvy. I have not used this during the prime bug season yet, but I think a head net and a baseball hat will work just fine.

[Wise Old Owl]

Long Feet the head net is fine for hiking and lousy for sleeping, they still get your nose and ears all night long unless the tempreture drops.

[Wrangler88]

I bought a tigoat bivy with the full head net to use with my gatewood cape. Although it does make the shelter setup a lot heavier, it still comes out less than most tents in general.

My set up is something like: Gatewood Cape - 11oz and Tigoat Bivy 7oz. So basically between 18 - 20oz. Still less than most shelters.

Plus you can use your bivy by itself some nights or in shelters when it's buggy. Or tarp without bivy when it's not.

Aaaand it's your poncho as well. So you it makes up for your raingear in the summertime.

Pretty good deal to me.

[Long feet]

Thanks Owl,
How about this bug net?
http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Bug-Canopy.html
It's only 3 oz., but if the serenity net tent is only 7 oz. the bathtub floor is very worth 4 oz.
http://sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=55

I used mine this last weekend with a lot of rain and loved it for rain gear, and I have a Packa. I think I like my cape better.

[Barbarosa]

I used the Cape on a 3 week AT section in September. The solution I tried for bugs was to spray some DEET on the inside of the Cape as needed. Worked ok, but left some oil stains on the Cape.