[pct-l] Bivy?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

How different our experiences were!

I would go to bed right after dinner, anytime between 6pm (yes!) and  
9pm. Plenty of mosquitoes were out when I put my head down!

I also managed to go through Oregon in July. There was not a single  
moment at any time of the night when they weren't swarming. It was  
such an overwhelming experience that I became extremely gunshy  
whenever I saw a mosquito. I really tried to be all Zen about it and  
think of them as my fan club, but it was no use.

I would have died of insanity without a fully-enclosed refuge each  
night from about July 13 on until I reached Canada on August 31.

I envy those who can sleep outside.

Diane

On Mar 11, 2010, at 4:36 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

>> You had some other technique to ward off the bugs, right?  I just  
>> find it
>> hard to believe you could hike the PCT without having some strategy
>> for keeping the bugs away at night.
>
> Well for one thing, I treated all my clothing/hat with Permithrin  
> at Kennedy Meadows and I wore long pants and sleeves.  This worked  
> to keep the bugs away from me for the most part.  With the  
> exception of Northern Yosemite which is the only 2 days I used DEET  
> on the entire trail.I sometimes used a headnet in camp or on long  
> breaks if they were really bad (Rae Lakes, N. Yosemite).
>
> I never was one to hang out inside a tent so any bug shelter would  
> only be used when I go to sleep.  I cowboyed camp for all but 9  
> nights on the trail when weather threatened.   I tended to camp  
> high (below the snow line though) so it was usually too cold for  
> them.  In lower elevations, I continued to get before dawn (just  
> like in SoCAL)) before the mosquitos are active.  In fact, it was  
> usually the first lone one buzzing near my ear that woke me up many  
> mornings and provided motivation to get moving rather then sleep in  
> as I knew I'd be swarmed if I stayed for much longer.  I only go to  
> bed after it gets dark and most mosquitos quickly leave.  I  
> sometimes went to bed with a headnet on, but usually only did so  
> for a short while before taking it off as the mosquitos were soon  
> gone.  The few nights they were really bad, I slept in my regular  
> bivy sack with it zipped shut, which does have a netting over the  
> face area.  Though once again, I normally opened it up after they  
> left w
>  hen the temperatures started to drop.
>
> I sent the bug bivy home in Mammoth Lakes because it wasn't too  
> warm to use my regular bivy sack which also offers weather and wind  
> protection.  If I had been hiking back east where the night  
> temperatures are much warmer, I might have kept the bug bivy  
> instead since it's cooler to sleep in.
>
>
> I hiked the Sierras with only a handful of bites (mostly on the  
> hands).  My methods work for my hiking style.  I'm fully aware it  
> wouldn't work for everyone just as tarping or cowboy camping doesn't.