No perfect set up?

[yves.hikes]

I've now wild camped a few nights and I can't find the perfect shelter for the variable English weather.

Hooped bivies are great for cold nights but I overheat in mild temperatures. Last week there was 1 night at 0C followed by 1 night at 10C.

If I open the bivy I get worried about bugs.

I love sleeping under a mesh but don't want to get wet, nor crawl out in the middle of the night to pitch the fly sheet or the tarp.

If I pitch the tarp I can't see the stars.

Am I being difficult?

At this stage I'm thinking of how to pull the tarp over/away like a curtain from inside a mesh bivy underneath without getting up!

I realise bushcraft is a bit about labour and apologise for seeking a perfect lazy night ;-)

 

[hughtrimble]

Definitely no perfect shelter, always varies depending on weather, terrain and local conditions. But versatility within a system will be able to keep you covered for most things.

If I pitch the tarp I can't see the stars.

Am I being difficult?

At this stage I'm thinking of how to pull the tarp over/away like a curtain from inside a mesh bivy underneath without getting up!

You and me are after the same thing, and I've managed this a few times, but it's definitely not for when it's windy or going to get really rainy later on, more in case of an unexpected shower and otherwise calm.

I did it by having the tarp resting on central guy line, then having the two tarp corners at my feet securely attached to trees or pegged to the ground, and then the two corners at my head end attached via cordage to small logs with some shock cord too to absorb mishaps. Before bed, bunched the tarp up so that most of the tarp covers me, but my upper torso and above is exposed to the sky, with the logs either side of me within arms reach and the tarp at the head end therefore dangling slack over the guy. Then when woken by pattering of rain, thrown the logs out to where the corners should roughly be, and gone back to sleep.

I wanted to rig up some kind of cordage system to draw out the tarp nicely and thereby reduce the risk and potential for mishap and misthrow with the logs. But haven't worked out how to do the pulley system with the tarp! Do share if you have any better ideas

 

[C_Claycomb]

I will try to answer all the questions you asked.

Am I being difficult?

Yes.


Since there wasn’t another question in your post, I am not sure what, if anything else, you were wanting to know.

Good luck with your musings about erecting or deploying a tarp or umbrella while still zipped up inside a mesh bivvy without opening it. Probably more effective than counting sheep. Practically though, you will have to at least unzip and reach out to even inflate a fisherman’s umbrella. I guess that in some circumstances you could create a Heath Robinson-esque contraption of lines and pulleys to extend a pre-rigged tarp like a curtain or sail, but it seems an absurd amount of trouble to go to in order to see the sky while falling asleep.

good luck
Chris

 

[yves.hikes]

Logs are a great idea!

For the tarp curtain pulley system, I'm thinking far pegs with carabineers which guy lines are looped thru and can be pooled on from inside the mesh bivvy and made secured/taught the closer pegs already there for the bivvy/poles.

 

[yves.hikes]

I will try to answer all the questions you asked.

Yes.


Since there wasn’t another question in your post, I am not sure what, if anything else, you were wanting to know.

Good luck with your musings about erecting or deploying a tarp or umbrella while still zipped up inside a mesh bivvy without opening it. Probably more effective than counting sheep. Practically though, you will have to at least unzip and reach out to even inflate a fisherman’s umbrella. I guess that in some circumstances you could create a Heath Robinson-esque contraption of lines and pulleys to extend a pre-rigged tarp like a curtain or sail, but it seems an absurd amount of trouble to go to in order to see the sky while falling asleep.

good luck
Chris

I will try to answer all the questions you asked.

Yes.


Since there wasn’t another question in your post, I am not sure what, if anything else, you were wanting to know.

Good luck with your musings about erecting or deploying a tarp or umbrella while still zipped up inside a mesh bivvy without opening it. Probably more effective than counting sheep. Practically though, you will have to at least unzip and reach out to even inflate a fisherman’s umbrella. I guess that in some circumstances you could create a Heath Robinson-esque contraption of lines and pulleys to extend a pre-rigged tarp like a curtain or sail, but it seems an absurd amount of trouble to go to in order to see the sky while falling asleep.

good luck
Chris

I dont mind unzipping the mesh bivvy open and even sitting and reaching. It's standing up, putting shoes on, pegging, taking shoes off, etc all in the dark and rain and cold that gets me...

I'm thinking hard about this partly because I like to do multi nights and hoping to increase that beyond weather forecast reliability.

 

[Broch]

Your biggest problem is trying to stay so well protected from bugs!

I sleep regularly with just a lean-to tarp so I can see half the night sky clearly without even a net in the way. If it's blustery and wet I sometimes get water spray in around the sides, in which case I sleep in my army bivy bag as well.

For bugs, I just use an insect repellent before going to sleep - it's worked for over 50 years.

You'll have far more options if you just ditch the need to be behind the net.

 

[yves.hikes]

Yes I have mild tick anxiety what insect repellent do you use?

 

[hughtrimble]

Logs are a great idea!

For the tarp curtain pulley system, I'm thinking far pegs with carabineers which guy lines are looped thru and can be pooled on from inside the mesh bivvy and made secured/taught the closer pegs already there for the bivvy/poles.

I think I can see what you're getting at. Just need to get out and try it - and make it reversible for when the weather clears

 

[C_Claycomb]

Yes I have mild tick anxiety what insect repellent do you use?

For ticks, it is hard to beat spraying clothing and fabric with a permethrin based product. Repels and kills those that have a go anyway.
Next would be the BushWear NO Tick wash in repellent.
Finally for something to wear on oneself, I favour a picaridin based product rather than DEET.

I have rather more than a mild dislike of ticks. One of the benefits of hammock camping is being out of crawl range.

 

[Broch]

I had always used the Lifesystems products going up in strength depending on the risk I see. However, over the last few years I have exclusively used Smidge for all insects and it seems to work. It will even keep the slugs off your face whilst you sleep

The modus operandi of ticks is not generally to crawl over the ground to reach you but to latch onto you as you push through long grass and bracken. I have never had a tick get to me in my tarp camping. If you put a groundsheet down under your sleep mat you should be fine.

The most pleasurable experience of any of the many camp/sleep systems I have tried is to wake up looking straight out of my tarp opening (on the ground or in a hammock) at the rising sun followed closely by the experience of watching the last flames flickering away in the campfire as I fall asleep - both so much better without a net in the way