Originally designed to be fastened to military cots to keep bugs out, marines liked it so much that they took it upon themselves to use it as a standalone system when a rainfly wasn't needed. In response the company made a few improvements to it to allow rain flys to be attached, ruggedized the design, and have since made hundreds of thousands of these.
Simply undo the cinch straps and hold tightly because it literally snaps open once you let go. After that, there's zero assembly. Seriously. There's even a funny little graphic showing a guy getting smacked in the face by how fast these open. Once it's open and deployed, you can either use it on top of a cot like it was originally intended to do, or throw a rain fly over the top and stake it to the ground to make an extremely quick summer bivy. Folding it up takes practice (each will include instructions) but makes it worth it, as it compacts down really flat.
It's made with pultruded fiberglass rods, giving it an ultralight and super strong construction. The mesh material is 20 Denier "No-see-um" mesh that keeps insects out, and the floor is made out of 75D 1.9oz Ripstop nylon. Incredibly, the whole thing weighs just under 2.0 lbs. Of course, being originally designed as an insect barrier, it's pre-treated with Permethrin to repel insects.
- Made in the USA by Catoma
- Deployed size 90" x 25" x 20" (at narrow end) and 90" x 30" x 26" (at wide end)
- Coyote Brown
- Instant-deployment
- Fits on standard US Military cots
- Permethrin-treated
- Coyote Brown 75D Ripstop nylon
- Fiberglass poles
- Includes instructions on how to fold up
- Includes carrying bag
- Includes Repair Kit
- Accommodates rain flys and tarps such as the included Catoma Wolverine