1/2 bugnet, 1/2 DWR?

[Doftya]

Just wondering, I've seen a couple of people post that they have thought of making a bugnet that has DWR on the bottom. Does anyone know of any reports of how well this has worked? I'm thinking of making one, but would like to get some advice on what would work best.

Dave

[Just Jeff]

I've been considering it but haven't made one yet. I have a few all-DWR versions (2 Hammock Socks and a Travel Pod) that would have even less ventilation. Based on my experience with these, I think the only problem would be condensation. I've experienced it a few times in the socks/pods, but it wouldn't be as much of a problem on the bug net version.

Other than that, the DWR restricts the view. Not much of an issue while you're sleeping.

Just for discussion, here's why socks are prone to condensation. The moisture coming off your body and out of your mouth is at a temp above the dewpoint when it leaves and as it rises. But the sock itself is not directly heated by your body, like your quilt, so is often cooler than the dewpoint. So when the humidity tries to "ventilate thru" the "breathable" DWR, it instead condenses on it. The same thing can happen to bug net...it just breathes better.

I've had condensation a few times in the socks/pod, but the only time I'd call it a problem was at Mt Rogers last year when the freezing fog came thru, and my son and I were both in the sock. When he got up to pee in the still-dark morning, we had frozen condensation falling onto us from the foot end and quite a bit of moisture near the head end, inside the sock. Not enough to make me worry for a one-nighter, but a few nights like that with no way to dry it out and I would have been concerned.

I've also been planning for a sock that covers the bottom and the top is shaped like a Clark's end covers. I'll make a few inserts for the center-top section...one is all bug net, one is all DWR, and one is bug net over my torso area with DWR over my feet.

Long way of saying I think a dwr/bug net sock would work well.

[Doftya]

Sorry, I should have added some more info on this. I posted this just before midnight, so I wasn't thinking the best I could have. The reason I was thinking of having DWR on the bottom was that it would function something like a Garrington Insulator and help keep my back from cooling off too much when the wind blows. Add some gear or some insulation and it would be still warmer, without the problems of ventilation. Maybe just using uncoated nylon would be better from the condensation point of view, because I'll be under a tarp anyway. Although I have read that spray can get at you from underneath.

So the idea is to have a netting top to keep the bugs out, a nylon bottom to keep my back warmer, and possibly hold some gear or insulation.

BTW, this is my first post, and I'd like to thank everyone here for sharing info as well as they do. I've been trolling as a vistor for a long time. Made my first hammock this summer. Made ones for my wife and kids to hang out in as well. So far we love going to a day hike and we'll set up the hammocks to hang out in over a lunch stop. Just getting to start stitching up my silnylon tarp and getting to thinking of the bugnet as the bugs are bad around here in the spring and summer.

But yeah, thanks for all the great info!

Dave