Homemade Speer Bug Netting Questions.

[Alligator]

I'm in the middle of a homemade Speer hammock. I'm just following the book's instructions coupled with Clarissa's helpful tips. I have a couple of questions though.

1. The book says that the width of the netting should be ~24". Is there any benefit to making it wider, I have a full three yards at I think 60"? (The 24" figure seems small to me.)

2. I'm putting the D-rings in per the book for the netting ridgeline. Does this ridgeline hang horizontal or does it sag? I'm having difficulty picturing the netting reaching the hammock. Maybe the sidewalls reach up also?

3. If I decide to add a structural ridgeline, can this serve as a ridgeline for the netting? I expect that a structural ridgeline will be horizontal, so if I would need more netting(width) to not need a second netting ridgeline, I would like to just go with a wider net now.

I'll play the pity card here. I'm leaving tomorrow evening and if I don't finish it tonight I may have to sleep on the ground . Any help you can provide would be appreciated.

[funbun]

1. My bugnet is a Mirage style bugnet. Basically it's sew two 60 in wide pieces together with stretch chord along the bottom.

2. No, it shouldn't sag.

3. Of course. But do not use those sewn in D rings as the tie off for structural ridgeline. You could die. Either make your structural ridge just below the stop knot on the hammock body, or tie them off on the rings on a dual ring system.

Are you going on an overnight trip or something longer? IMO, just sleep on the ground until you've had more time to think about how you want to make this hammock. If it's just overnight then go ahead and throw something together and go test it.

[Hooch]

IMO, just sleep on the ground until you've had more time to think about how you want to make this hammock.

Blasphemer!

[Alligator]

I've already got the body made with the loop (hook &) attached to it so it's just a matter of the netting. I had seen that the structural ridgelines were attached near the end knots . I was thinking that if I liked the structural ridgeline I would just remove the D-rings, pending the results of these questions. I wasn't sure if the netting would hang too low if hung on a structural ridgeline.

I'm going out for a week. I hung for a week last summer using a Byer but I don't like the strings, they are hard to keep dry.

[funbun]

Blasphemer!

Either blaspheme or die. Hammocks are too risky, especially he's never even pitched one before. He could have bad thread or something. That what happened with my first Speer style. Bad thread and the moment I put weight on the thing, snap, snap, ripp. Just imagine if I had been out on a trip overhanging a cliff. . .

[funbun]

Do whatever you want with the D ring, just don't attach make it structural on the D rings. I just won't want to see you get hurt. Haste and gear don't mix, especially when you're making it yourself.

Or if you do carry this hammock with you, be prepared for some tarp camping in case it doesn't work out.

[Alligator]

I'm a very experienced tarp camper, nothing to worry about. I should have a little time on Sat. to give it a test run before I head out on Sunday. Provided I can get to some trees.

The Speer website lists the bug netting at 2'X9' in his kits. I'm just going to cut the netting down the middle and sew it up. From what's been said, the bugnet ridgeline stays horizontal, as would a structural ridgeline, and the structural ridgeline would be lower, so the bugnet should fit on any future structural ridgeline if I go that route.

[FanaticFringer]

1. My bugnet is a Mirage style bugnet. Basically it's sew two 60 in wide pieces together with stretch chord along the bottom.

2. No, it shouldn't sag.

3. Of course. But do not use those sewn in D rings as the tie off for structural ridgeline. You could die. Either make your structural ridge just below the stop knot on the hammock body, or tie them off on the rings on a dual ring system.

Are you going on an overnight trip or something longer? IMO, just sleep on the ground until you've had more time to think about how you want to make this hammock. If it's just overnight then go ahead and throw something together and go test it.

Funbun or anyone else, do you know where I can find details as to how to make a Mirage style bugnet? It sounds pretty easy but I dont sew and would be having someone else make one for me. Thanks.

[funbun]

I'm a very experienced tarp camper, nothing to worry about. I should have a little time on Sat. to give it a test run before I head out on Sunday. Provided I can get to some trees.

The Speer website lists the bug netting at 2'X9' in his kits. I'm just going to cut the netting down the middle and sew it up. From what's been said, the bugnet ridgeline stays horizontal, as would a structural ridgeline, and the structural ridgeline would be lower, so the bugnet should fit on any future structural ridgeline if I go that route.

Cool, go for it.

Funbun or anyone else, do you know where I can find details as to how to make a Mirage style bugnet? It sounds pretty easy but I dont sew and would be having someone else make one for me. Thanks.

No, I don't know where. I just looked at his website, thought through it a lot, then made it. I've got a few things to change, but it works better than I thought it would.

[NCPatrick]

I'm in the middle of making an HE style bug bivvy.

Due to my "measure twice, cut once, then sew it all back together" sewing style, (and since I ran out of thread), it's been just a teensy bit more complicated than it should have been.

My next one will most likely be just a simple tube (2x 55" wide x 124-ish" long noseeum sewn together longways) with a #5 zipper in one of the seams and drawstring closures on the ends. Maybe that'll be simple enough to still work.