Love my Speer hammock but have never liked the velcro. It is a hassle to get the netting sealed up well and especially so when trying to do it it quickly to keep the 'skeeters out.
I had a two-sided-pull zipper from an old Walmart sleeping bag and had been pondering how to install it. I thought about just adding velcro to the zipper and attaching it "between" the netting and hammock like Ive seen other folks suggest. I mocked it up and didnt like the way things matched up at the ends of the zipper. So, I decided to install the zipper into the bug netting, just above the velcro.
I started by finding the center of the netting (fold in half and pin at the middle) and deciding how long I wanted the zipper. I went with about a foot in from the knot on each end, which gave me about 6 feet of zipper.
I pinned then sewed the zipper to the outside of the netting with it overlapping the velcro about half the width of the zipper tape. I ran two lines of stitching, on at the edge of the zipper tape and one at the edge of the velcro.
I then pinned the netting to the other zipper tape to ensure that it was straight and was not bunched or folded. I sewed one line of stitching on this zipper tape at about the half way point - about the same place as the stitching on the edge of the velcro for the other side.
Then I cut the bug netting right at the top edge of the velcro and folded the flap up as a hem which exposed the teeth of the zipper. I sewed the second line on the top zipper tape to secure the flap.
Finally, I used some bar tacks to secure both sides of both ends of the zipper. I also cut the zipper to length so I bar tacked across the teeth at that end.
Took some pics of the finished project but cant really tell anything. The length and positioning worked out very well. Operation is smooth - no binding at all.
WindChill
Reply With Quote
The netting is minimal and feels very confining. I just resigned myself to using the Speer for a winter hammock. 
Bookmarks