Bergens 4-6 and insects

[elveys]

I bought a Bergens Lavvu before xmas with the intention of doing some canoe base camping this year. I have a few Scottish trips planned this year (April-Sept) so particularly interested in what folk use for dealing with midges, mozzies, ticks etc inside? I haven't bought their groundsheet yet but had been thinking of getting this particularly for ticks, also been thinking about whether I can rig some sort of hanging net to go over me when sleeping. I see they also do a net door panel but wasn't sure this would help much.

I've had 1 go at putting it up so far which wasn't too disastrous apart from a couple of the wall panels not looking particularly upright. The instructions are a bit on the light side so I wasn't sure how the hood is held in place and closed off if it rains? I ended up just taking the 3 lines down to the pegs and crossing 2 over to overlap the hood to close it off if I needed to.

I think I've probably read and watched everything I can about this Lavvu but could find much at all to help with the above so any help/advice appreciated.

Thanks

 

[GGTBod]

I've never used a Lavvu but it looks like a great piece of kit, I do a lot of Scottish outdoor living, my main defense when up and about is usually just a midge head net and Smidge repellant but when it gets really bad i also use a Beatons midge jacket to save my sanity, for sleeping i use a tarp shelter and under that i use a DD Travel hammock on the ground ,with it's incorporated waterproof ground sheet and micropore insect netting i get a completely enclosed sleeping chamber that not even the smallest midge or tick can get into.

The main thing with any insect netting for Scotland is to ensure you have midge specific nets and not mosquito nets, a mossy net is like an open patio door to a midge, you can buy proper midge net by the square meter

Only time i get bother with ticks in Scotland is if i go wading through the bracken, the Smidge repellant defends against them on exposed skin but it is the ones that get onto your clothing and hang about and end up getting under your layers onto your unsprayed skin that get to have a nibble, i also once done the stupid thing of not giving my backpack a good shake after it had been sitting on the ground overnight, several ticks hitched a ride and proceeded to find my body over the next couple of days and have a bite, trusty tick remover is a handy thing to have in your medkit.

 

[elveys]

Thanks for the suggestion about the DD Travel Hammock. I'd also been thinking about trying a hammock for some local trips and that looks like quite a versatile bit of kit.

 

[GGTBod]

I never use mine as a hammock as the curved sleeping position aggravates my back problems so i use it pinned out on the floor with the netting suspended to my tarp poles to create a sleeping pod, with my foam mat and sleeping bag inside i'm snug without bugs, it was slugs that prompted me to take this action as i used to just sleep in my sleeping bag and bivvi on my mat under the tarp, maybe just me but waking up with slugs on my face is not how i like to start my day even when i am getting in touch with nature that's a bit more in touch than i like

 

[elveys]

Is the micropore netting on the DD travel hammock midge proof? It's described as a mosquito net when you look at the details on the DD site?

 

[GGTBod]

yeah it's definitely micropore, i had the same concern when i bought it but spoke with customer services and they confirmed it's what the Americans call a No-See-Um net, it is seriously small pore size and also black in colour so you can see through it

 

[elveys]

yeah it's definitely micropore, i had the same concern when i bought it but spoke with customer services and they confirmed it's what the Americans call a No-See-Um net, it is seriously small pore size and also black in colour so you can see through it

Great, Thanks for confirming that.

 

[GGTBod]

glad to help if i can

 

[Imagnu]

I've bought a bergans 4-6 too but haven't got round to putting it up yet. I'm sure I saw a couple of YouTube videos but they weren't in English.