Tents n'tarps

[petemaz]

I'm trying my hardest to convince myself to buy an Alpkit tarp and bivy bag so I can reduce luggage size and weight (currently I use a Mini Peak 2 with custom inner). My only concern is from April to Sept it can be midgie hell up here in Scotland and it seems to me that a tarp offers little protection from the wee bastards once they're inside. Apart from maybe carefully picking your campsite (higher up, with a breeze, away from water etc ), what do you tarpers do to keep them at bay? I've yet to find a really good spray, really only head nets have been of any success.

[Pyro]

The Alpkit bags are good, but maybe look at a bivvy with mesh at the head? I've got an ancient Phoenix Phoxhole bivvy and a Borah Gear bag, and both have mesh at the head. Pays dividends in buggy conditions.

[Mike]

I just wear a head net to sleep in

[ScotRoutes]

Smidge is your friend. Without it, I'd have never considered bivvying.

A bivvy bag with a mesh panel is also excellent. I use a Rab Ascent.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Bivvy bag with netting for me. There's also the option of hanging a net under the tarp if things are really bad ... lightest is the Sea to Summit Nano but obviously it's not the cheapest.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Summit-Mosq ... B00BTO42PK

[Yorlin]

Here's a nice wee thread about attaching a net to a bivvy yourself :
http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... f=7&t=1847

Agree about the midges - Ronald Turnbull claims if you screw the bivvy opening into a sort of tube that will keep them out... don't believe it myself! Smidge is pretty good, but it doesn't stop all of them. Some people are hugely attractive to midges, like my friend. If I go camping with him, I'm fine as he loses blood by the pint :twisted: I invite him as much as I can in midge season...

[petemaz]

Thanks all for the replies. When I'm out in the wilderness I like to stop earlyish to enjoy my surroundings, make dinner, and generally just chill (plus I'm usually knackered). If the bugs are bad, it's good to have a tent with bug protection to prepare food, check the map etc. A bivy with netting pretty much means that's you retiring for the night!

I'll have a look at some of what's been suggested as I do need to loose gear weight, but I guess it all comes down to personal preference..

[Chew]

I'll have a look at some of what's been suggested as I do need to loose gear weight, but I guess it all comes down to personal preference..

Its about being comfortable first.
In all reality a lightweight tent is a similar pack size/weight to a bivi & tarp combo
Excluding tent poles, theres not much difference between my terra nova tent and hunka + tarp

[ScotRoutes]

Thanks all for the replies. When I'm out in the wilderness I like to stop earlyish to enjoy my surroundings, make dinner, and generally just chill (plus I'm usually knackered). If the bugs are bad, it's good to have a tent with bug protection to prepare food, check the map etc. A bivy with netting pretty much means that's you retiring for the night! .

In that case, maybe a bivvy bag and tarp isn't for you (on those trips at least). I don't think it's a question of having one or the other, I think it's about having a choice based on your plans. Lightweight tents weigh little more than a bag and tarp. Indeed, I'm considering another tent at the moment,, one that I hope will combine the "good view/outside feeling of a tarp with a bit of midge-free space for relaxing in.

[Yorlin]

Yep, agree there - one of the points of the bivvy (with or without tarp) is you can use it anywhere that you can lie down comfortably, with a smaller footprint than a tent - and you feel more connected to your surroundings. Of course, when those surroundings include midges, I'd go for the tent every time 8-)

Sometimes when you get to a place and want to set up a 'base' a tent can be best, ie multi day stuff, but if you're bopping up to the hills for one night, you want to go as far as you can, then settle down for a kip to get back up at first light (ish), for those a bivvy is most fun.

This guy has an amazing blog http://mcalisterium.wordpress.com/ but there's a lot more good stuff out there to read!

Another option, might be to look up the Mountain Bothy Association? Bothies are generally fun :)

[petemaz]

Stuart, I like the idea of using that netting for a myog project, is that material midgie proof?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Stuart, I like the idea of using that netting for a myog project, is that material midgie proof?

Very midge proof ... I forget how many holes per cm makes something midge proof but I do recall the Nano has about double the amount.

[petemaz]

Great, thanks!

[restlessshawn]

There is always tarp tents for the best / worst of both worlds

I have one of these though I have yet to test it in a full on midge attack

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tarps/WildOasis.html

[wingnut]

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/reviewpo ... roduct=604 wear a head net around camp then sleep in something like this. http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B003BBTX8U

[Backcountrybiking]

I must confess to being a tent man...... I've a few.. My wee one is a Force ten carbon heliun 100 round about 900G all up. Can be pitched without it's inner 'tarp like' the pole sections are tiny too very bikepacking friendly. the other plus is that the inner and outer packs down to nothing and will fit anywhere in your gear. great wee tent often over looked, for more expensive and heavyier ones.

this all said I do sell force ten tents :)

But I also have a go-lite shangri-la and that's ace too!

ANdy