I'm possibly off to do a bit of travelling again next year and just want to try and sort some kit out.

I am looking for a lightweight self supporting mozzie net/bivy.

When I was previously travelling in Sub-Saharan Africa four years ago someone had a Pop-up mozzie net bivy with a sewn in ground sheet with a zipped entrance one end which worked really well. it was like the Adventure 16 "Bug Bivy" but it was pop-up at each end (forming a tunnel) and the netting stays completely off the occupant so you don't get bitten through the netting when you are sleeping without a sleeping bag. and because it is fully enclosed there is no chance of unwelcome visitors crawling in either.

really it is sort of a cross between the Adventure 16 bug bivy linked above and
Outdoor Research - Bug Bivy™.

I'm looking to have something entirely self supporting as i intend to use it in places where guylines/pegs/rocks are not always an availible option.

ideally weight and packed size should be as low as possible.

have also looked at mozie net tents, and dome bivys (overhead)

anyone know of anything that i might have missed?
or where i might find what i'm looking for??

I think that Lifesystems do a free standing mossie net. I would recommend their mossie nets as they are pre treated with repellent and the mesh will keep all little blighters out. I used one for 6 months in Liberia West Africa which is the home place of cerebral malaria and swear by them.

Hamish, have a look at this on the lifesystems site

Depending on where you are going, you might consider a hammock with integrated mosi net such as this , or this (there are many many products like this, with or without a tarp covering.

Or, for full mosi protection and integrated ground sheet, this which I have seen in my local French travel-health shop. Looks pretty useful but on the heavy side at 1.5kg.

May as well get a tent really looking at that last thing you suggested John, its a bit heavy. Those hammocks are cool though. Whats wrong with the very first link you have given Hamish, looks ideal. Pop up is overrated, all you need to do with things like that one is to put the poles in and yuor sorted.

Gregory,
it totally depends on the kind of camping and where he's doing it. A tent can be a horribly clammy option if you want to use it in the tropics - and the structured mosi nets allow you to sit up, eat, get dressed, see the rhino charging at you etc. without exposure to little biting things.

Personally, I have a single person, single attachment mosi-net that I string from above when bivvying in dryish weather. Such as this recent trip to Corsica . It weighs a couple of hundred grams at the most, I've had it for years to supplementing my very basic army bivvy bag, and when I don't need it I don't pack it!

I want to try out the hammock option but haven't had a sufficient excuse yet. Plus it seems that most of the best jungle kit is camouflage which can be a bit risky for developing-world travel as they think you're a mercenary!


John

Mine is something like this , but actually an old Lifesystems model I think... as I say, about 200g

Space for two at a push...

i'm looking to use it mostly in the desert in north Africa, there will be a tent availible for my use should i want it (like when it is windy/dusty/damp). I would also be using it in the nile valley. so assume i will be in rock/sand/gravel desert. so no trees for hammocks etc hence self supporting.

When I've previously been in africa north and south, i have rarely bothered with a tent except where I've decided there is good reason to use one. based on my previous experiences i am looking for a net which has the sort of characteristics I have already described.

because i will be travelling for a period of 10-12 weeks the mozzie net also needs to pack small and be resonably light.

i'd be tempted to go into what i might be doing more (although still at the planning stage) but in my experience of OM I can see this will just throw in a huge distraction to the point of this thread.

How about a Jack Wolfskin Gossamer without the flysheet on? I haven't got one, but I get the impression from the description it pitches inner first and then you throw the flysheet on, so it ought to work.

Hamish what about the Hex 3 Nest?

Hi, I have a small 2 pole dome net from an Italian firm called Ferrino. It is slightly bigger than a regular Thermarest with steep sides to keep the net away from you and a long zip along 1 side. This sounds like the sort of thing you are looking for. I had tried a variety of other nets and styles but have found it to be much better than most for use in the open where I was worried about spiders and other creepies visiting, and more convenient inside buildings etc.

Not sure where you can get them in the UK though. From the label it says "Ferrino, San Mauro Tor.se (TO) Italy"

price and weight are issues too, a standard tent inner does have some weight to it, the hex3 nest is over 1kg.

where as he OR bug bivy is quoted as being less than half a kilo, which i'm sort of edging towards but postage from the US isn't exactly cheap and SRP is already US$69

Mountain Laurel Deseigns do a bug bivvy that's 155g. Not self supporting but you can sort something out with walking poles as per piccy. Not exactly cheap either.

Also, just came across this as a spacious, midweight (750g) alternative...