Anyone play around with making a Bug Hut?

[SGT Rock]

I don't know that I would want the floor made of a waterproof material.
It would be likely to gather water at some point.

I had wondered about a section of a more durable net/mesh material. It wouldn't need to be very big, just large enough for your foot traffic.
Maybe even a smaller, replaceable, shake off-able piece of some waterproof material (Tyvek maybe), being smaller, it wouldn't be as much of a water trap.

I hear ya. let me back track a little and explain the why of all this.

I plan to someday hike the PCT (distant future) and I was recently watching Jesters video "Wizards of the PCT" if you haven't seen it, you need to!

Anyhow, I talked to Jester about using a hammock on the PCT which has always been a concern of mine. He told me one of the guys he hiked with had a hammock and used it almost every night along the trail (you can see it one of the shots - looks like a Hennessy). So I feel encouraged by that. I've started thinking of what I would do in the few situations where a hammock cannot be used.

My tarp can serve as a tarp shelter without the hammock, I can use treking poles and make an A-Frame. I've got a pad I like to use because it is lighter for the warmth than underquilts, so that took care of sleeping on the ground. To cover the ground I took an old tyvek ground cloth and made a hammock cover out of it - so it can be used around the hammock for a little extra warmth when needed, and on the ground under the tarp when the hammock couldn't be used (4.98oz). To increase the chances of using the hammock I also came up with a couple of dynaglide tree strap extenders to allow use on bigger trees or places where I need longer suspension. On top of all that, my hammock is only 7.98oz with all the suspension and extenders, so it is a slightly heavy pillow for sleeping on the ground with when it cannot be used as a hammock.

So most of the gear is figured out. The one thing I didn't have a good solution to replace is a bug shelter. A sock would work while in the hammock, and a head net for walking around in camp. But having an enclosed space is nice, snd in Jester's video, the Skeeters are monster swarms that don't compare to most other places. So I've been thinking on this a while, how to make an enclosed space that would work with a tarp or a hammock equally as well. I decided that it needed to be less than 9 ounces, so that is what I am using as a guideline for the design.

So back to the floor. If I had to go to ground, I already have a tyvek ground cloth in the plan. So the floor of the bug shelter doesn't need to be solid. I like your idea of a mesh, the bug net does serve as a mesh bottom, and I wouldn't be going in with shoes on, I figured the nanoseeum is sort of tough (I've worked with it before) and I could keep it mostly intact over a long hike. I would put the tyvek under the bug net, and I think it would give the tyvek grip. Thru-hiker has a 3D mesh, but I don't know the weight and don't have any experience with the durability, but thinking through the idea you started, it might do the trick.

[SGT Rock]

There is a lot of math on these, I don't known if it will make sense to anyone besides me.

[slowhike]

That all makes perfect sense. I'll sure be interested in seeing your progression.
Yeah, I've thought that if the floor section of the bug hut developed a few holes, it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal as long as it could always be hung in a similar configuration so that it remained on the ground, rather than being hung higher so that the holes became part of the exposed walls.

Having the tyvek hammock cover that doubles as a ground cloth is surely a good idea.

I'll check out the video.

[SGT Rock]

It's getting dark, so I'm running out of light to finish today, but here is the prototype so far:


Net shown fully up with the tarp up in "front porch" configuration.


Side view.


Sides down in A-Frame configuration. I need to change a little on this part of the design to prevent sag on the front side.


Showing A-Frame from the side.

I got lucky and found some sort of nylon mesh that wasn't tulle, but came in at 0.7 oz per square yard. The pull outs are heavier by a little, and the zipper I used was about twice as heavy as the stuff I plan to use. But with all that the material (after cutting) were spot on with my estimate, and even using the heavier hardware it still came in at only 9.2 ounces. I'll take some more pictures with me inside in the morning. Sorry the pictures don't looks so good.

[Shug]

That looks mighty fine....will keep those skeeters away from your ears.
Shug

[Redoleary]

Man that came out really cool. I like it.

[slowhike]

Very nice space! I imagine you would leave some other hikers on the PCT wishing they had that 9.2ozs

Knowing your attention to detail & weight consciousnesses, I could imagine you losing a little off that large space in front & still having a spacious enclosure.
Maybe even ending up with a somewhat smaller floor space since the top area is held open the way it is. You would still have more than enough room for your gear and ground sleeping when necessary. If the walls angle outward slightly as they rise from the ground, it would seam safer for using a stove to cook/heat water.

[SGT Rock]

Knowing your attention to detail & weight consciousnesses, I could imagine you losing a little off that large space in front & still having a spacious enclosure.
Maybe even ending up with a somewhat smaller floor space since the top area is held open the way it is. You would still have more than enough room for your gear and ground sleeping when necessary. If the walls angle outward slightly as they rise from the ground, it would seam safer for using a stove to cook/heat water.

Funny you mention that, I was thinking that the floor space should be a little smaller.

[ShadowAlpha]

very nice!
I think I saw some bug huts on Vermont army navy site.
http://shop.vtarmynavy.com/insect-ne...nets-c111.aspx

the pyramid style might work?

I'll be watching to see how your project progresses

[wisenber]

I mentioned it. I have one, but it is heavy, and the tarp doesn't cover enough IMO. I'm thinking of something that could be set up without the tarp if the user so desired because, as I hear, PCT thru0-hikers can generally count all the times they needed protection from rain on their fingers and still have a few fingers left over. But the skeeters on the other hand....

You might take a look at this design by exped. It is heavy, but not as heavy as the hammock Bliss model. It incorporates three straps along the top to allow you to tie the sides away from the hammock to provide more volume under the net.

I've got one if you want to take a look at it. I've used it once. I imagine that redesigning it with some tweaks and lighter materials would be of use, but it might be a good reference point.