winged death survival

[HaYWiRe]

Right, so how do you guys do this...

Pitched up, lovely spot, evening draws in, and then its like a biblical plague, midges, knats, biting flying things, millions of them!
Everyone complains about the Scottish highland midge, but down here they've been living off of the SAS training in the beacons for years,
Hilltop, away from lakes, quite a strong breeze, and even heavy rain and they're still eating me alive, battle hardened buggers


Right, rant over, what are your survival techniques? I find I'm most comfortable either sharing a tent, or in my hammock, as both are bugproof, but how do you keep them at bay in a bivi or tarp setup?
Or is this why tarp tents have their popularity along with bug bivis

[Single Speed George]

i sewed a midge net in to the mouth of my bivi bag,

allso a head net for packing up in the morning

[Gari]

Bothies!!!

[ScotRoutes]

Smidge made bivvying possible for me

[ootini]

I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Or just use loads of Jungle Formula

[Pickers]

Smidge worked for me in Scotland.
Didn't work in Wales cos it was still on the bloody shelf at home. Won't make that mistake again

[ctznsmith]

i sewed a midge net in to the mouth of my bivi bag,

I was wondering about this. Can you post a photo? How do you open the net?

[Single Speed George]

Will take one tonight when home from work... But pretty much round the mouth of the bag with a draw string in the top.

[benp1]

I use Nordic Summer, but I don't know if it works when in a swarm of them. Works fine when there's a few knocking around though

[ScotRoutes]

Sonme bivvy bags come with them already fitted (and removable)

[Yorlin]

The wee buggers are out in force just round my local bit of Edinburgh :O Never seen the like!

[FLV]

As you tried, I prefer hill top windy bivi's in midge season to the oft more convenient riverside.

My preferred bivi bags are either Borah for lightweight tarp use, which is a full head section of net. Or MSR AC without tarp. which also has a midge net but is a little more subject to condensation than the Borah.

No form of spray works for me in particular.
If I think its going to be a problem I combine the high level, windy pitch and then I go for full coverage if needed. leave the bibs on, leg warmers and socks, long sleeve base, thin gloves, 2x buffs. they only way in is through my eyes then

[HaYWiRe]

I tried sewing noseeum onto the opening of my hunka, with a zip going halfway and a loop to hang it off my face, however getting in and out left me tired, confused and tangled up trying to zip up, and the tine it took I ended up inviting all the flying teeth in with me, I thought there must be a better way


I like the idea of sewing a net tube onto the opening with a second drawstring, might give more room and less to fail compared to a zip, just need to get ahold of more noseeum to try

[Single Speed George]

I like the idea of sewing a net tube onto the opening with a second drawstring, might give more room and less to fail compared to a zip, just need to get ahold of more noseeum to try

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111373490481? ... EBIDX%3AIT

thats the stuff i bought its ok quite stretchy in one direction so was a pain to sew on the machine and get in straight lines but then again im not a great sewing machinist hahaha works well though
not shure if im tramp camping or not yet as might be goin Scotland climbing with the girl friend but if i do go tramp camp and you are there i can give you the rest of it as there is loads left oand have no more use for it

[ctznsmith]

If you were using a tarp (maybe with a pole) could you hang a mosquito net under there?

Something like this
http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/lifesyst ... colour=180

[deft punk]

Stop after it gets dark because they seem to be most active around sunset & sunrise, stop somewhere windy, practice your swearwords & invent new ones, take antihistamines before you need them, wear Smidge or Autan, wear/sleep in a midge net (sewn in nets are a pain in the hoop & they're no use if you want to do anything other than sleep), bivvy inside a pentagram made from bog myrtle.

[fatbikephil]

The problem with a tent or a bivvy is its hard not to end up with them joining you in there. Some kind of airlock with a decontamination spray maybe?
Or a hotel.... Off to midge central next week so I'll let you know