Finally Built a Bug Net

[sclittlefield]

This forum is absolutely amazing. You guys and girls have been so helpful and I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate it.

First off - this may be a "new" design, but nothing on it is mine, and really nothing is new. I've just used a few different and brilliant ideas and put them together. That's about as far as I go for innovation... I take everyone's ideas and hack and slash them up for my use. Thanks to everyone this came from.

Over the winter I was bit by the DIY bug and made 9 hammocks. Yup. Nine. My wife asked me a silly question the other day: "How many do you need." Clearly, "just one more will do."

I say that every time.

But back to bug netting. That's been my real quandary. I don't particularly like zippers running along the edge of my hammock. I like velcro, but I didn't want to have to re-velcro the opening every time I had to leave the hammock for something. I love HC4U's instructions on a HH clone, but I wanted the netting to be removable, and I wanted to be able to go a-sym from either side, so that wouldn't work.

I really like Risk's quarter-weight style. I like how you can stick some extra gear in the pockets and it holds snug against the side. I liked it... until I actually tried it. Then I hated it. For me, I didn't like how it pulled the sewn side way up towards the ridgeline.

So this is sort of an adaption, starting with HC4U's measuring (ridgeline length, and to each side). Then I added some velcro like I saw on a Speer, but only a little bit... and then Risk's hanging pocket system. It's a perfecta trifecta.

Enough talk, here are some pics. We'll start with the design instructions. Obviously, you'd want to tailor the length to suit your ridgeline. What's nice about this bugnet is that you can add it to just about any gathered end hammock - just sew on some matching velcro to the outsides of your hammock. Also, you can do the whole thing in bug netting, but I had so much of that gray DWR from Walmart laying around I wanted to use it. I like the results.


Now for some real life photos.


My nephew enjoying the new system. You can enter from either side under the hanging openings. Or, if you want more air, undo an entire side, roll it up and tie it off (there are a few ties on one side for doing so).


Here it's hanging with no weight in the hammock. It's very easy to remove, or replace. I really like how it only uses a little velcro at the ends. I don't have to mess with velcro to get in and out. With a little weight in the pockets hanging on either side it stays snug against the hammock, no matter how I move around.

[stormcrow]

Great work sclittlefield! I am about to embark on making a bug netted hammock for the northern hang and I have NOT had good luck with bug netting. I may give this one a shot!

Looks great!

[sclittlefield]

Thanks stormcrow. It doesn't take much netting to make, which is a plus.

Note that the one I made was with 4' bug netting (or some sort of netting, I'm not really sure what it is, it was $0.25/yd at walmart after Halloween - it's got little shiny ghosts at the edges, but those got hemmed in) - so my end triangles are larger than they would normally be. I made the illustration instructions with standard 5' wide netting since that is what most everyone would get a hold of.

Also, make sure the side flaps will be deep enough in the center to give you coverage. They should be with my instructions for most 5' wide hammocks, but add a couple inches to either side if you're concerned it may need it.

[Fig]

I really like this. Plus I was/am really hesitant about trying to sew in zippers. I will definitely give this a try. I think this would be just the ticket for my wife, who hasn't spent the night hanging yet due to concerns about claustrophobia. I know she doesn't want to be zipped into a coccoon.

Have you tried the same net on different hammocks of varying length? I am curious how portable this is to other hammocks if you made just one length. And if so, is it better to go too long or short.

Man, I really need class to end so that I will have some free time.

[T-BACK]

Nice job on the bugnet. If it works OK in Maine it should be good enough for almost anywhere!

[animalcontrol]

Interesting twist on the other ideas...
I've also been hesitant to use my DIY hammocks due to bugnetting issues...this has serious potential.
now, the required question...what does it weigh?

[sclittlefield]

Have you tried the same net on different hammocks of varying length? I am curious how portable this is to other hammocks if you made just one length. And if so, is it better to go too long or short.

As long as your ridge line is compatible with the total length of the bug net it should fit most any gathered end hammock. If you plan to use it on multiple hammocks, make it long enough for the longest one. It will fit anything shorter, but it will yank off the velcro if it's too short when you get in.

Nice job on the bugnet. If it works OK in Maine it should be good enough for almost anywhere!

True enough. The mosquito is our Maine State Bird you know.

Interesting twist on the other ideas...
I've also been hesitant to use my DIY hammocks due to bugnetting issues...this has serious potential.
now, the required question...what does it weigh?

I was too excited to try it out to stop and weigh it. I'll do that when I get a chance, probably in a couple days. Whatever the weight is, you can definitely make it lighter by building the whole thing out of bug netting rather than using some dwr like I did. Also, mine uses more dwr (which also means a longer strip of velcro) than the illustration shows.

[Dutch]

Looks real good. I also like to adapt other peeps ideas to my own. I already see how i would change your idea. Thanks for posting your pics. 9 hammocks is nothing, just wait till next year.

[fin]

Nice job! This may give me a new option for some of my favorite non-bugnet hammocks.

[headchange4u]

That's a cool design.