Colorado Trail question

[elliotth27]

Hello All! This is my first forum post so please excuse me if I've put this under the wrong category.

I'm backpacking segments 1 - 6 of the Colorado Trail (Denver to Breckenridge - ~105 miles) in early August, and planning to hang. I normally carry an ultralight kit and keeping weight low is important to me. My question to the esteemed hanging experts on this site is.....

Bug Net hammock, or open hammock ?

I'd prefer to save weight if possible, and go without the bug net, but unsure about the mosquito conditions on these segments of the CT in early Aug. I believe it may be cool enough in the evenings where bugs aren't an issue, but have seen a couple of youtube vids showing lots of skeeters in the summer (not sure what month those were filmed, though)!
Any advice would be so appreciated, thanks in advance!!!

[OutandBack]

I've had more issues with biting flies during the day than mossies at night. Do you have issues with deet? A small bottle just in case might be an alternative.

[MattK]

I have spent a little bit of time in the areas you will be trekking through. I haven't done all of those sections yet (primarily the first couple), so I can't be a 100% on conditions. Take this with a grain of salt.

You will likely encounter some mosquitoes. It has been a wet year and is more buggy than normal around here. That being said...

If saving weight is top priority, here are my suggestions. 1) Be picky about your sites, sites at (relatively) higher elevations and further from water sources will be preferred, 2) pick up a bottle of permethrin and treat all your clothes and your hammock with it, and 3) carry a small thing of deet. This is the approach I have taken to bug protection on a lot of my recent trips, and it has worked well. I have historically slept on the ground, but still just using a tarp. Permethrin does a good job of keeping you from being bitten, the deet helps keep them at a bit of a distance, and a good site will be nearly bug free anyways.

My other suggestion, if you want a bit more flexibility in camping locations (which can be nice on longer trips) is to make a HUG style bug net using tulle netting from the fabric store. This netting will keep everything out, and is less than half the weight of nanoseeum mesh usually, though it isn't very durable. It would make a pretty good 2oz insurance policy. But, like I said above, I think you could get by without it.

Worst case without a net is you end up in buggy site for the night, and end up staying awake and out of the hammock a little bit later until it is all dark and the mossies go to bed. Then it's your turn.

You are in for a treat! Sections 5 and 6 are awesome. You should see if you can squeeze in 7 too, while you're at it .

[elliotth27]

I've had more issues with biting flies during the day than mossies at night. Do you have issues with deet? A small bottle just in case might be an alternative.

I don't have a problem w/ Deet and usually carry a small dropper bottle of it. Thanks so much for the reply and suggestion!!

[elliotth27]

MattK, thanks so much for the thoughtful response!!!!
Yes I have already thought about careful site selection away from water, and that is really great advice.
I had NOT thought about treating my hammock w/ permethrin - that's an awesome idea and I will definitely do it at your recommendation. Sounds like you are pretty familiar w/ the area and that I'll likely be OK without the bug net hammock. Thanks also for the tip on tulle netting - I was totally unaware of that great weight-saving alternative.
I will be bringing a Sea2Summit headnet, so worst case I could always wear that in the hammock while sleeping to keep 'em off my face, and just burrow under my quilt to protect the rest of myself. Again thanks so much for the reply!!

[OutandBack]

I forgot about the fishermans bug net idea. That is a good way to go. One lives in my pack because you just never know from nite to nite.
Water is a big issue on these segments. When you find it load up.

If you want a quick peak of seg 2 here is a few pict.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57642300665143

And seg 6 one of my favorites.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57637806844283

[elliotth27]

I forgot about the fishermans bug net idea. That is a good way to go. One lives in my pack because you just never know from nite to nite.
Water is a big issue on these segments. When you find it load up.

If you want a quick peak of seg 2 here is a few pict.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57642300665143

And seg 6 one of my favorites.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57637806844283

OutandBack,
Thanks for the advice on water and the awesome seg 2 & set 6 pics !! I've obtained a lot of good info on water sources from both the CT data book as well as the guthook guide app, and they concur with your advice on water scarcity in the early segments.

Also, reviewing your pics led me to another question re: underquilts.

I am not planning on bringing my Jacks R Better greylock 4 underquilt (currently my only UQ) as I think it would be overkill for the season. Instead I'm just planning on using my thermarest neoair (small) coupled w/ a closed cell gossamer gear torsolite pad, which i've done successfully in temps down to mid 50s and stayed warm. This setup also gives me flexibility (when coupled w/ my warbonnet Edge hex tarp) for a ground sleeping option if (god forbid!) it's necessary. It appears from your pics that in some cases you used a UQ and others you did not. Given your experience hanging on the CT, do you think this is a reasonable plan for early Aug?

[Spark]

I forgot about the fishermans bug net idea. That is a good way to go. One lives in my pack because you just never know from nite to nite.
Water is a big issue on these segments. When you find it load up.

If you want a quick peak of seg 2 here is a few pict.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57642300665143
Judging from that big grin, I'd say you had a great time!
And seg 6 one of my favorites.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57637806844283

Judging from that big grin, I'd say you had a great time!

[elliotth27]

You should see if you can squeeze in 7 too, while you're at it .

MattK,
I have 8 days allocated for hiking on the CT, so depending on pace, I'd LOVE to try to squeeze in segment 7. Will just have to play that by ear. I'm shooting for an average of ~14mi/day which should be fairly easy to achieve (hopefully!). Perhaps a little less the first day since I'm not leaving waterton canyon trailhead until around 1 or 2 pm on Day 1.

[OutandBack]

OutandBack,
Thanks for the advice on water and the awesome seg 2 & set 6 pics !! I've obtained a lot of good info on water sources from both the CT data book as well as the guthook guide app, and they concur with your advice on water scarcity in the early segments.

Also, reviewing your pics led me to another question re: underquilts.

I am not planning on bringing my Jacks R Better greylock 4 underquilt (currently my only UQ) as I think it would be overkill for the season. Instead I'm just planning on using my thermarest neoair (small) coupled w/ a closed cell gossamer gear torsolite pad, which i've done successfully in temps down to mid 50s and stayed warm. This setup also gives me flexibility (when coupled w/ my warbonnet Edge hex tarp) for a ground sleeping option if (god forbid!) it's necessary. It appears from your pics that in some cases you used a UQ and others you did not. Given your experience hanging on the CT, do you think this is a reasonable plan for early Aug?

In August you won't need much quilting. A summer set like Wilderness logic sells or equivalent is about perfect for weight, space in the pack and the right amount of insulation.
On Seg 6 if it happens to snow you can always do the hot water bottle trick.
As for pads I don't know. They sure are a pain to mess with but if you are used to them OK. You will be dead tired hiking at altitude. 7-13 miles per day will be about it.

On the seg 7 suggestion. I also agree worth doing. seg 1 the first 7 miles is on a dirt road you might consider skipping 1 and do 2 thru 7.
If you don't mind a dirt road walk it is quite beautiful and there is a herd of ~35 bighorn sheep that live along that road.
They come down to water everyday and the fishing is great if you like trout.

CT Seg 1
https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57635020894575