Getting crafty with it!

How to make your own bug hat:

I searched and searched a couple of years ago for the perfect bug hat. I tried on various ones at MEC, LeBaron, Sail, etc. I didn't like any of them. Granted a bug hat is usually not on the cutting edge of fashion. And the bugs would much prefer you show up without one anyways. I was looking for one where the netting didn't touch my face. I decided to make my own and here's how I did it.

You'll need a sewing machine, thread, fabric, scissors, elastic, and a long shoelace. I went to Party City and purchased a witch's hat for about $5. My logic was that the witch's hat would have a very large brim, and it does. One downside is that these hats only come in witch black. I bought a couple of meters of black very tightly woven netted fabric at Fabricland. I also wanted to make a bug shirt with the same fabric.

This project shouldn't take too long. As long as you have all the necessary items, you could probably whip it up in under an hour.

I measured the circumference of the brim of the hat. I cut that amount of fabric plus an inch for seam allowance for the width. I cut it about 24 inches long as well. I had lots of fabric, no need to skimp. 

Because this is not a pretty item, I really didn't make much effort to do pretty seams. Also, I found the fabric tore fairly easy (on a tough trip going through multiple unmaintained portages), so I'd recommend doing a French seam where the fabric meets itself (not needed on the brim).

Here's where you can see what a French seam is: The Wiki Explanation

Once the side seam was sewn, I sewed the fabric onto the brim. Next I created a casing along the bottom of the "veil" where I inserted a shoe lace I had on hand. This allows you to tighten the bottom of the face screening.

Lastly, I sewed some elastic (black of course) on the hat so I could keep the hat on if a breeze blew up. 

Oh, and because paddling down a lake wear a witch's hat might be a tad bit frightening, I turned the hat inside out and tied a knot in the pointed top, which made it look like it has a rounded peak.

Here's a picture of the final product:

For effect, I have been known to cackle as I paddle down the lake wearing this. Or pretend I'm some Victorian widow while I break out in a very bad British accent.

I've taken a small netted bag meant for some other gear that I don't use it for and I'm able to put this hat into it. There is a wire in the brim and if you grab either side of the hat, twist in opposite directions and fold the two sides of your new "figure 8" on top of each other, it packs down quite nicely. It can go in the bag, or just in the side pack of my large backpack, which is where I usually keep it handy when travelling during bug season.

The black fabric works best for vision. However, I am most definitely NOT a vision while wearing this. Warning, the following photo is not a flattering one.

I am also modelling the homemade bug shirt

Trip Log - Day 2: Cedar Lake to Carl Wilson, June 2015

go to Day 1                      Day 2                      go to Day 3

Good Morning Moose!

I had slept poorly but I managed to sleep in until 8 a.m.  I had left the tent fly open in the front facing the lake, probably one of the reasons why I had been cold.  I looked out onto the lake and directly across from me there was a moose feeding in a marshy area.  I took a picture, but he’s pretty teeny. 

Breakfast was fresh eggs with reheated bacon.  We lingered and didn’t rush.  The previous day’s travel took us 5 hours to get into Carl Wilson, plus the time we paddled around Carl Wilson Lake before deciding on our final campsite.  We would be retracing our steps today going back into Cedar Lake.  The route, now familiar, would be easier going back and we would be going downhill.

We were on the water by 11:15 a.m.  I prepared much better for the first, buggy portage.  Today I had on a cotton t-shirt with a long-sleeved Columbia button up shirt and my homemade bug shirt.  It was a much better solution.  We even found the canoe rest at the halfway point.  I crossed paths with a small garter snake and shrieked.  More in surprise than fear.  Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

We saw our first group of campers after the second portage where we came down the steep portage right by the pretty waterfall.  Two men and a child were fishing in the pool below the waterfall.  They waved at us, then promptly packed up and headed to the single island campsite.  LT thought we may have scared the fish away for them, but I think they were counting on getting that good campsite.  They would not know if we were staying there or not.

LT talked me into carrying the canoe for a bit (just the canoe, not both my bag and the canoe).  I'm telling myself I did about half of the 345m portage and there is photo evidence.  However, vanity is taking precedence here as I am swathed in homemade bug gear.  I look like I'm modeling the newest camping muumuu style.

We were looking forward to coming out of Aura Lee, under the cement train bridge and catching the current in that little river flowing into Little Cedar.  The sides of the river are high here, and it is in shadow, a cool respite.  One more twist and we were into Little Cedar Lake.  We decided to take the left channel to move into Cedar Lake and come around the island campsite we had stopped at the previous day for lunch.  I thought we were stopping for a snack, but LT decided we would stop for the day.

He wanted to scout out some campsites at the complete opposite end of the lake, probably a 4 hour paddle from where we were now.  I was tired.  I was willing to do a couple more hours, but not 4 more that day.  We ended up just using this beautiful island site for the night.

Jack Pine

Looking down Cedar Lake from the top

We ate the lunch intended for the following day: pork jerky from Costco with Triscuits and cheese strings. 

The Chimney

I should have brought my bathing suit.  After lunch I went in the water for a bit.  I discovered that my “land” trekking poles work just as well in the water as I’m stepping around the slimy round rocks along the shore.

We saw our second canoeing party, also a group of 3 in one canoe, going up the lake past us into Little Cedar Lake around 7 p.m.

The bugs were not bad.  It’s mostly pine trees on the island, along with a generous sprinkling of blueberry plants (bear bait in later summer for sure).  We debated erecting the bug shelter.  I’m not tall enough to set it up myself.  I told LT he could make the decision but if it didn’t go up, we’d probably have to end the evening early and crawl into our respective tent/hammock when the sun set.

Despite all the preparation I'd done to prevent being eaten by the bugs I had a major fail on the back of my neck.  I'm sure they snuck in there the previous day on the last portage.  I had on my bug hat and a bandana.  The mosquitoes that I could see were trying to bite through my shirt and distracted me from noticing the harvesting of blood on my neck. LT quit counting at 30 when I asked him how many bites I had back there.

The bug shelter gives much needed respite from the mosquitoes

The New Hammock

We decided to put it up.  The mosquitoes got much worse as the evening progressed.  Dinner tonight was soft tacos: soft flour taco shells with salsa, chicken in taco seasoning, various veggies.  Everything except the shells was dehydrated.  Dessert was banana nut bread pudding.

Our snacks on this trip were mixed nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts) with dehydrated bananas and pineapples.  I made some fruit leather with bananas, strawberries and applesauce.  I also made some tamari almonds.

The clouds had moved in and we had no sunset and no moon tonight.

Eureka! Bug Shelter

There will be bugs.  It's a fact.  Unless you're camping in the deep of winter.

Our first canoe trip together was the last weekend of September 2013.  There were bugs, but they were few and far between.  We could co-exist with them quite happily.  However, after this trip the canoe "bug" bit us hard and we couldn't wait until the official ice-out to get back in the park the following spring.  We both knew that we would need to do something to cope with the bugs and we found it with the Eureka! bug shelter.

She's a beaut!  On our first trip with the shelter, we religiously staked it every day of our trip, however, the bugs were not bad.  We started considering it more as our "bug insurance".

The shelter comes in two sizes.  I originally purchased just the tarp at LeBaron in late March.  They did not yet have their spring stock in and this must have been left from last year.  I started scouring the city for the screened portion.  I went to Bushtukah and asked about it.  Someone piped in that they had their stock in the warehouse, he thought they had the screen portion, it was just a matter of them unpacking and bringing the stock into the store.  They took my name.  And never called.  LeBaron also had my name.  They did call.  But by the time they did, I had already found one at the Boy Scout Store on Baseline Avenue.

I went in on a cold morning in early April.  The cheerful young man at the cash welcomed me to the store, mentioned that they had a "15% off everything in the store" sale going on and asked if he could be of assistance.  I heard "50% off everything in the store" and started behaving just like the woman in the Ikea commmercial "start the car, start the car!".  I mentioned what I was looking for and he went to the back to get one.  Meanwhile, I've got a basket and I'm just piling things into it.

He came over to ask if I had any questions and I asked about a particular item.  He confirmed, "Yes, it is also 15% off."  Ohhhhhhhhhh.  oops.  I put a few things back.  I did buy a Eureka! tripod chair and a Eureka! clear plastic dry bag (I would use for food).  And I went home with the screened portion of my bug shelter.

I live in an apartment.  I was so eager to see how it worked, I managed to set up the structure in my livingroom/dining room area that very morning.  I should have taken a picture of that!

The netting portion fits into the tarp portion with clips.  It's super easy once the tarp is hung to set the screen up.  A key trick is to mark the middle clip of the screen (I have a mint green ribbon on it), so when you pull it out of the bag, you can start with at least one right clip in the right spot. 

The other key trick is hanging the tarp at the right height and choosing trees to hang it from that are the right distance apart.  This is more of a trial and error, we're still working on it.  

When the screened portion has been clipped into the tarp, you have a lot of ways to adjust the structure.  The clips themselves are on a length of webbing - they can be loosened or tightened.  There are plastic parts that allow you to adjust the guy wires as well.  The tent portion stakes not only at the four corners, but halfway down each side.  The entry and exit is through two zippered doors that are at the high ends of the structure.  There is fabric that should be folded under for the "floor" to keep the bugs from coming in the bottom.  However, it does not keep slugs out as we learned on one particularly rainy trip.  

Once set up, it has plenty of room for 2 chairs and we use it to cook and eat in.  It's not overly tall, but neither am I, and I can change my clothes in it.  The tent we are using does not allow either of us to stand.

We bought some bright orange paracord to replace the black cord that came with the structure.  Orange is much easier to see as you walk around the campsite.  We also picked up some lighter weight pegs at MEC.

The tarp, netting, guylines, and pegs probably weigh in at around: 3.34 kg. We do not use the sacs they came in when taking the structure with us.  We have a couple of compression bags we squish them into.  Bulk is the enemy!  But we do store the shelter in the sacs they came in over the winter, where they are loose and less likely to develop weaknesses along the folding portions.  Another reason to stuff it rather than neatly fold and tuck it.

Recommend?  Absolutely!

Here's a link to more online information about it:  http://www.eurekatentscanada.com/products/view/44?s=section_4

How do you cope with the bugs?  I should add a picture of the witch's hat I made into a wide-brimmed bug hat.  :-)