I first sewed a tarp shelter for use back in the 1970's but have always been less than happy with the combination of tarp + headnet in the extremely buggy northwoods. In some areas of the country and during shoulder seasons, camping out under a tarp with no bug net is quite managable and enjoyable, and in cases of moderate bugs, a headnet provides security for sleeping even if you don't need to wear it around camp.
The real problem with bugs is when they're BAD. Like, Alaska/Canada/Northwoods bad. This is when sitting around in swarms of mosquitos, black flies, horse and deer flies can conspire to test a campers' resolve. And i've been there, done that. But it
s no fun. far better to have an airy, bug free space to lay out and relax at end of day.
Inspired by several manufacturers tarp shelters with bug net skirts and portager's canoe shelters with mosquito netting fronts, (Oware designs in Washington, henry Shires old floorless tarptents, Six Moon Designs, and others), I picked up yards of no-see-um netting over the winter and added an 18" netting skirt with 6" ground flaps to an old shaped sil-tarp I had in the gear tubs.
Report: great success all around... there's 18 inches of netting skirt to hang vertically, a set of tie down loops at the corners, and middles of each side, plus an additional six inches of netting to serve as a ground flap, to take up any terrain irregularities, and to layer under a full floor IF i needed a high degree of bug security.
Entry is simple, just lift one side and slide in, brushing off any mosquitos that may have hitched a ride.
I belive this method offers more ground space and head room, at lighter weight, than the Henry Shires tarptents. but without the sewn in floor. Henry used to, maybe still does, offer his tarptents 'bare bones' sans floor.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32881867@N02/9304918929/#
