Trying to move on to the UL status. May get a MLD Patrol Shelter, but looking for some sort of half bug bivy or larger bug netting cover. Mainly because a bivy would be too warm at times when hitting the sack, so need to be able to throw a leg or two out until my bod cools down, so need to be able to keep mosquitoes off me at least for a bit. Under a few oz.? Piece together two torso length bug nets?
Duane

Maybe something like this. http://www.bearpawwd.com/shelters_floors/pyraNet2.html

MLD makes a couple of net tents, too.

Both the above have too heavy of netting. Also looked again at the Borah bivy. I was looking again at the MLD bug net tent. Thinking it is going to be hard to get the netting to drape nice and stay spread out for a myog project. The ZPacks Hexamid with beak and netting is still looking good and no messing around with hanging stuff or keeping things dry. I'll see what else I come up with the next week or two. Already spent money for a new ZPacks pack. May or may not pick up a second piece of new gear this year. I still need to finish gearing up my newer motorcycle for camping.
Duane

Have admired the A16 from afar, due to its clever design that keeps the netting off the face, but it's not "ultra" in any sense (6oz IIRC).

I have an OR bug bivy but it's pretty mondo, in large part because of the heavy floor fabric.

"No Bug Shall Enter, Nor Snake, nor Wolverine nor Honey Badger"

Cheers,

I sent an email to Borah last night, so we'll see if they can mod their cuben bivy to have a full net top. Got a reply from DP, said I was the first bper to ask about their netting. 3/4oz. looks pretty good. May have to reply back to them. All this is just so expensive, hate to see some of my bonus and Fed income tax go to save only a little weight. I may just get some no-see-um netting from ODW and drape it over me, but suspended from the roof of a tarp. Nothing fancy, maybe pockets on the outside to hold rocks or dirt for the night to keep it in place.
Duane

I know you can get the MLD Superlight bivy with a larger bug net head area (I'm planning on picking one up for this summer), but it sounds like you might want more bug netting than that, or more of a tent.

I got a good deal on the Borah cuben bivy, exactly like I wanted it. It was a demo from the GGG meetup in CA a week ago. Cuben, bathtub style bottom, noseeum top, 4.5 oz. with side zipper. Looking at tarps now, just need to make up my mind on which size. ZPacks has a 7X9 at 5.3 oz I believe.
Duane

I have enjoyed using the zpack hexamid for the the last few years. It's been very simple to use. The only downside is that the entrance is quite low... I brush the top of the door when getting out which can be annoying after a rain.

Given the conditions you mentioned, I would be inclined to go with a net tent. I have done a minimalist bivy that has DWR top fabric with netting around the face. In warm weather I really want so air flow which these don't provide.

I used the A16 bug bivy for a couple of years. The down side is that it only covers the upper portion of the body... you have to kee your legs inside your bag for protection which isn't so great when it's hot.

--Mark

Also with a net tent, you can set it up by itself on clear nights.

I'm trying to stay under a pound with bivy, tarp, poles, stakes, lines. I think I'll be at 17 oz. 9-10 less than my TT floorless Squall with tent pole. A bug tent would be nice, but then the weight with everything else added in gets me back to where I'm at currently or in the case of MLD gear, way too much $$$. We'll give the bivy a shot and see how I like it, with the ability to raise the netting off of me, I can hang a leg or two out of my bag/quilt.
Duane

1lb, that's pretty darn good! Have you decided on a quilt?

I never made it up that way, sorry!

rockchucker, a guy from Vegas is coming up here 16-17 and going snow camping with some of us to Mt Tallac/Gilmore Lake. I mentioned the trip to a couple guys I do a trip with now and then, so it has grown from two to maybe 3-5 and one dog.
Duane

I need some teensie line locks, looking at around 12oz. with the 4.3oz. Borah cuben bivy with noseeum, bare bones ZPacks Hexamid, 8 stakes. I may get to set it all up this coming weekend. No quilt this year, did buy for winter a 17oz winter pad with my dividend and 20% discount and selling a few things, so the new pad was next to zero cost out of pocket.
Duane

I gotta admit Duane, your evolving SUL bug bivy setup sounds intriguing. I can't wait to see how it works out for you this Spring during bug season.

I'm hoping for enough room to read a little if needed in the bivy. Not sure what I'll do if the bugs are crazy thick and I have no where to go as the bivy might be too confining if it is warm out. For weekend trips, I'm getting close to SUL, if I lost at least another 1.5 lbs, but then I couldn't fish. The opinion seems you still need to have all the bases covered, so leaving a shelter behind or another key piece of gear does not count. It is interesting, thought I'd never be this light. I can already see my new pack may have a little too large capacity. I'll get a nice Spring weather trip in soon, last weekend while out Saturday night, it still got down to 26F. For snow camping, the new Xtherm I have ordered will save about 1.5 lbs over my recently sold old Exped DAM9, plus I already saved a little weight this winter by not using a blue CCF pad and using two torso GG Nightlight pads under the inflatable. I'm short on classic stove acquisition money now.
Duane

Did not like the hassle of getting into the chest zippered Borah bivy. After one night, it is for sale, I'd have a hard time climbing into it during bug season. I'll see if I can get an insert from Zpacks or get some netting to sew up a door and around the bottom perimeter of the Hexamid. By adjusting the pole, I was able to extend the coverage outward a little, it also rained a little Saturday night while I was out, so I got some use time in. Also checked the fit of my silnylon anorak to see how I could rig it over the opening for some weather protection. I think with a couple patches I have ordered and some light cord, I can clip my anorak up, then I'd have to see how I can anchor it a little to keep from flapping in any wind.
Duane

So Duane, your bivy only zips across the chest? I was looking at a video of one that comes across the chest but also a ways down the side and it didn't look too bad to get in and out of. The guy was Chad Poindexter if your interested.

The zip goes down the side a short ways, not a quick in and out when needed. I'll be sending my tarp to Zpacks to sew in bug netting to turn it into a tent, it will only be an oz. more than the bivy was and I'll have all that room to change clothes, get in and out of my bag, eat if needed. I thought I did my research on this before I made my decision.
Duane

I much prefer adding netting to a tarp as well. I haven't even tried a bivy since I have no interest in it. I like to move around too much, journal, get maps out, etc. The downside is the extra overall weight I'm always carrying I suppose, which I think was on the order of 6 oz. You didn't see it, but I was using it when I met you in the Winds in 2010. I've made a larger tarp now without netting for those non-buggy times.

When I originally got the first Borah bivy, then sent that back as I thought it was the one with full netting over the top, I was going to go with a flat tarp, then went with the bare bones Hexamid since my bug protection was the bivy. Well, after trying to get into the bivy last weekend, I could see this would not be fun in July or August if bugs were bad. ZPacks gave me the option to have the netting added now, which only adds an oz. over what the cuben bivy weighs, so I'm happy now, just need to get a reply back from potential buyers for my bivy.
Duane

Under one pound with bug protection:

Zpacks tarp: 5 oz
Borah Gear Bug Bivy: 6 oz (Or cuben bivy: 4 oz
Gossamer Gear stakes (8): 2.25 oz
Zpacks Tarpline: .5 oz for 50 ft

Total: 13 oz

I had them turn my tarp into a tent. 12.5 oz. with the stakes and tent pole. I sold it, got a SMD Skyscape X, set that up in the yard, don't like it. On to something else before next Spring if I can sell the "X", because all I have left is my winter tent and a old SD Halfmoon that is used for car camping.
Duane

Hm if you are looking for a new, ultralight shelter you should check out Borah Gear. I really like their "Borahgami" http://borahgear.com/borahgami.html