Ultralight Bug Bivy Shelter for Insect-Free Sleep

I got this bug net primarily because I was spending a month in Louisiana with a lot of sleeping outside. There were handfuls of reviews about it being flimsy and cheap. I couldn't disagree more. This bug net bivy did exactly as expected and did it will. The bivy is lightweight, packs up quickly and sets up even quicker. This outing was much more cowboy camping if you will, no sleep mat and minimal blankets. I have set this up at home with my Sea to Summit sleep mat and personal sleeping bag, it all fit well and I believe will work in all situations.

I'm planning to walk the Camino de Santiago for the first time next summer, and I heard quite a bit about bed bugs. I bought the bug bivy and the Outdoorsman Lab Ultralight Sleeping Pad to go inside it. I was looking for a very light bed bug proof sleeping system that I could either use on top of a bed, or use to sleep outside if the weather permits, and I can find a place to set up. I just set this up at home, and tried it on the floor. Everything is fine, except I agree with the other posters that it needs additional support to keep the net off the rest of the body. I won't usually be able to stake it out. I'm going to try modifying it with polyethylene tubing from Menards (I think it's 1/4"). My plan is to take a wide cloth ribbon cut to the width of the bag, double the ribbon, and sew the sides, leaving the middle open for the tubing. I think I will need to also sew an additional ribbon inside the bag, to avoid stressing the netting. (cut 3 lengths of ribbon that are the width of the bag. Sew 2 of the ribbons together along the width. The single ribbon goes inside the bag and is sewed thru the netting on to the double ribbon that is outside the bag, sewing only along the outer edges of the ribbons.) Basically, I'm duplicating the existing channel that has the poles. I think I'll run one ribbon width-wise at around hip level, and possibly another ribbon over the lower leg position. I'll sew a little pocket at the bottom of each side of the ribbon channel, so the polyethylene tubing doesn't spring out. The polyethylene tubing is cheap ($7.00 for 100 feet, way more than anyone needs), light-weight and very packable. The ribbon won't add much weight, and is also cheap. If the tubing is too flimsy, I'll probably thread some type of wire inside the tubing. I have very low-level sewing skills, so I would rate this at a beginner-level modification. I included the exact sleeping pad I bought, to answer the question of whether a sleeping pad would fit inside. As far as roominess, I'm 5'3", and on the chubby-wubby side, I obviously fit length-wise, but I also found it roomy enough in width. I'll be buying a silk sleep sack, since I'm traveling in the summer, and there's plenty of room for it. If you are buying the bug bivy and plan to only use it outside, you may be able to stake it out in such a way that the netting stays off your body and legs, and then you won't need to modify the bag,

I used this item in Korea last year. It performed well. It actually helped me stay warm too. I used this item with a tarp to stay out of the rain. Used to set up, small, light. Saved me from carrying extra weight. I tried it without the pole - no problem is you don't mind the netting laying on your face - I didn't. If you are a weight weenie keep the pole at home. The foot is 22" wide FYI. If I do extended section hikes in the AT this bivouac is in my pack.

I'm not a weight weenie, but when I can reduce bulk [weight and volume], It's always good. I have a few O.R. items in my camping and outdoors gear list and I've always been pleased with them. That trend continues with this Bivy. The Bivy construction is very good. Stitching is well done and overall, I expect good reliability. The underneath is tough wearing and as I use a light weight groundsheet for an extra layer anyway. The pole is easily put in place once you find the little velcro entry on the side. There are marking to show you where to insert the pole. It packs away to a very small and manageable size. I'm ~6", ~100lb so I'm consider myself the larger side of the one size fits all chart. I was easily able to roll inside and I had plenty of head room. Access to the zip [door/entry] was easy and the zip operation was positive. This product does what it says and provides great protection against airborne and ground borne blood suckers. A colleague woke in the morning from his tent and upon checking himself, found two ticks on his upper body. We're pretty used to mozzies now and they are not disease carrying. Ticks are real threat however. Two ticks in the tent was somewhat of an exception in fairness [first time in many trips], though certainly not shocking. If I needed a case in point to justify my new bivy purchase, I had just been given one. I don't see any negatives to be honest. I used a Thermorest and Snugpak lite sleeping bag and everything worked well. OK, this is all light stuff. For instance, a blow up mattress or other luxury bedding may make the available space too little and defeat the point of this bivy. There is some room for some small items in the head area of the bivy [keys, phone, camera and the like]. Not enough for anything more than a small fanny pack or the like but again, storage is not what this product is about. I did not use the guy line or stake loops on the first night and had no problem. The delrin pole was standing up well. I did on the second and this helped the delrin pole remain upright better. I put in my larger 4 season bag [Mountain Hardware] just for a test and found it works well also. The purchase experience from Amazon was great. I needed the item fast and I was impressed with Amazon and their shipping partner choice. I live in EU. This solution would work well on an MTB / bike trips, hiking, fishing etc. If you need to go light, are in warm climates and need protection at night against bloodsucking bugs, this is certainly a product you should consider.