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  1. #1
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    DIY Bug Net Concept

    Somebody tell me if someone's tried this already, or if there are any obvious drawbacks I've overlooked:

    The idea came to me from a banana that had triangular cross section (must've been in the middle of the bunch)

    A bugnet made of three segments--Two trapezoidal (long side is cat-cut to follow the ridgeline) side panels that converge at the suspension points, and a narrow floor panel that tapers at each end to the same suspension points. The floor panel is only about 30+ wide or so. The sides are kept from drooping in on the occupant by two hiking poles or spreader bars laid in the bottom of the netting. Some judicious reinforcement of the bugnet, and the poles would holds the sides out and the bug net in place with their own weight. The net could swing independently of the hammock, or it could be guyed to a tarp to keep it steady. I figure if the wind is high enough to blow it into you, the bugs will have a hard time getting around as well.

    Obviously, different hammocks would require different entry methods. My hammock has a Hennessey-style center-line entrance, so I'd split the netting in that area, and add a couple overlapping baffles that will pull closed over each other under the weight of the poles in the net.

    Anyone tried something like this?

    TCB
    www.hammockforums.net --I get it!

  2. #2
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    Can you show us a diagram or picture?

  3. #3
    Senior Member Beast 71's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrmike65 View Post
    Can you show us a diagram or picture?
    I think that a diagram would be helpful. You lost me at banana .
    "In your face space coyote"-HJS

  4. #4
    Senior Member AaronAlso's Avatar
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    I've considered making a net like this, 3 pannels. I had thought I would somehow stake the sides out from the lower seam on each side to keep the net taught. I pretty much abandoned the idea as I decided it would be to much trouble to get in and out of. I never actually made one.

    You might consider asking yourself a few question and pondering a few scenarios before going through with a build.

    Will you really need 360º bug protection, or is top & sides enough for you?
    Can you keep the bottom pannel from touching th ground, where most of the insects are?
    How easy will it be to get out of/into in the middle of the night for a nature call?
    Is there a simpler solution already available, that you can make myself or buy even cheaper?

    Ultimately, only you can answer these question for yourself. If you believe you can overcome these basic design challenges then more power to you. Make a prototype and share it with us. Maybe you will redefine the meaning of hammock bugnet.
    "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." -Plato

  5. #5
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    Sounds like you've created a fronky bug net, with an extra bottom bit.

    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ad.php?t=39983

    His net is two trapezoids connected without a 3rd piece.

    I've made one with two entrances. A synched up bottom entrance, and a zippered entrance along one end to make it able to be rolled back and easier to install an under quilt.


  6. #6
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    Here's a Paint sketch of the idea. Unlike most hammocks, my UCH setup doesn't have much fabric off to either side of the user (its basically a very narrow bridge hammock) so a Fronkey style that lays against the sides of the hammock body is a no go. The hammock is also completely open, which is great for hot weather, but terrible for keeping bugs out.

    The entry way will be a simple split in that netting panel, with two flaps of netting sewed to either side that lay over each other and close the door under the tension of the poles/bars.

    The poles could be attached to the outside in hanging loops as well, and I suppose that would make setting this up a bit easier as well.

    TCB
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    www.hammockforums.net --I get it!

  7. #7
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    Okay, I've think I've got it. Like every other aspect of my funky design, it's a hybrid solution*. I'll use one bar at the head end to hold the net material off my arms which hang off to the sides. I've rigged up a crude version of this and it works great; very open on the sides. The net drapes over shock-cord extending from the ends of the bar to the sides of the hammock near my waist, keeping the netting off my shoulders.

    From the waist to the feet, the profile is narrow enough for a Fronkey-like tube shape, but the shoulder/head area will be more like a bridge net with an end cap (only inverted, with the "spreader bar" hanging below my shoulders)

    Thanks for the suggestions and ideas, hopefully I'll have something to show for it in a day or two. I should at least have "in progress" concept pictures before then.

    TCB

    *My UCH hammock is functionally a hybrid of a gathered-end and bridge hammock
    www.hammockforums.net --I get it!

  8. #8
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    lol. looks sounds like Venus fly trap.

  9. #9
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    Made a ton of actual progress on this today; most of the effort so far has been planning and mocking up ideas. I'm about 70% done with the portion of the net above me, and when that's done I'll attach the panel to close out the bottom.

    Building this net (and the hammock, too, to a lesser extent) has been very challenging because my cheap steel hammock stand deflects so much. As it deflects, a crucial portion of my suspension slides through one of the rings at the end (it won't in practice, but read on). If the ridgeline were fixed at the length it needs to be when weighted, I'd have to pull the cable ~200lbs taught to string the stand like a giant bow. The movement of the suspension through the ring isn't in and of itself a problem, but it makes figuring out where stuff needs to attach and in what lengths a bit hard to nail down.

    The gist of the design is that it uses one of my hiking poles behind/beneath my head as a spreader bar to hold the net out from my shoulders. The forward portion of the net simply drapes over the side rails of the hammock, but splits at the unique entry way and attaches to either side of the opening with nylon button-snaps (if/when they wear out, I can easily replace them with plastic or metal versions). Where my feet stick out the ends of the footwells, a loose envelope of mosquito netting will hang to guard them; if I get bit through it, I'll add a second layer or pleats to this area to keep the bugs out.

    Contrary to the bug net in my Henessey, this setup is very spacious and open. No more feeling like I'm sandwiched between two surfaces with a slit between them to look out of. I basically have a 360degree view all around minus whatever the tarp will block. And my arms, feet, and top of my body are all open to cooling breezes which will be extremely nice here in Texas (if it ever does heat up this year; only got up to 80 or so today and we're almost halfway through June )

    Oh, yeah, I'll try to get a work in progress picture up later. 12 hour shifts at work means I may not feel like it until next weekend, though

    TCB
    www.hammockforums.net --I get it!

  10. #10
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    First phase completion pics are imminent! Just a few seams to finish tonight, and I should be able to take it out for a spin in the daylight. Progress has been a bit slower, what with the long hours and all, but things seem to be falling in place at the end, now.

    This one's real close; I think I have just enough noseeum netting left of my 3yds to finish, but it's really close. I've got everything but the head end closed up; it's by far the hardest nut to crack because of some cables going through there.

    The rest of it is basically constructed to hang from the underside of the ridgeline, and each side wraps down over the sides and attaches at the centerline of the underside of the hammock. Unless I make it an "integral" hammock and just sew the dang thing in place, making it removable over the cables at the head end will require another buttoned panel or two to seal 'er up. Not the ideal simple solution, but it should work well and be secure enough to leave attached for the duration of a trip (I don't anticipate taking it off an on frequently).

    It's hard to tell from inside the hammock, but I don't think my body contacts the netting in any significant amount through the hammock. Even if so, I plan on treating it with Permethrine which has worked well for me in the past and should repel most irritants. It will be more than sufficient to keep flying and crawling critters out, even if it isn't hermetically sealed.

    TCB
    www.hammockforums.net --I get it!

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