Gossamer Gear Bug Canopy
On my past two backpacking trips, I've brought along a Gossamer Gear bug canopy to keep the bugs of my face when I sleep in open shelters. Weighing only 2.3 oz., this bug net can be hung underneath a tarp or in a shelter. Setting it up requires a little practice however and it's best to try it at home before you leave for a trip. The netting is very fine and is sufficient to keep out black flies and mosquitoes.
The bug canopy comes with five tie outs and two pockets that hold rocks to keep the back of the bug net on the ground. Fully extended, the bug canopy will cover the upper one-third of your sleeping bag. Four of the tie outs can be staked and consist of a loop with some lightweight cord attached to them. The fifth tie-out controls the height of the canopy can be hung from a tarp pole, a tarp loop, or tied to a shelter support.
The bug canopy is designed to be used with Gossamer Gear's Spin Shelter, so it may take a little fiddling to get it to work with other tarps. However, it works fine in a shelter, once you get used to the rock pockets on the back of the canopy, which I assume are provided to help you save the weight of two stakes.
The cost of the Gossamer Gear bug canopy is only $30. Thanks to my friend Quoddy for recommending that I try it.
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looks like it would move on your head.
If you stake it out under a tarp or use eye screws to hold down the tie outs in a shelter it doesn’t move around if you toss and turn. I was paranoid at first about it, but it has worked fine for me and the weight is great.
I am finding this as one of the lightest bug nettings, but I think if I get hot during the summer and want to unzip my bag a bit and hang a foot out I’ll get eaten alive.
I also think if I get holed up during a rain storm under my tarp tent, I’ll want a full length bug netting as I won’t be in my sleeping bag the entire time. I think the full length bug netting would be worth the weight penalty in this case.
Thoughts?
I guess, it depends on what the rest of your sleep system looks like. For example, I usually sleep in long underwear and socks even in summer to keep my bag clean. If you sprayed long underwear (very thin) with permethrin, you could probably stick out a leg and not have it chewed off by mosquitos. On the other hand the MLD bug bivy is worth looking out – I think it’s 7oz for full length coverage. Definitely a nice system.