Quarter Weight

[jbo_c]

Does the Quarter Weight(or Gear Weight) net really work well? If it does, why would I go to all the trouble of attaching and zippers and velcro et cetera?

I just finished my first DIY Hennessey(ish) clone and put a zip on bug net. Came out OK, but I'm wondering if it was really worth the trouble(a real pain since I'm new to sewing).

I have an idea similar to the Quarter Weight that I may try, but if it doesn't work well, I would rather conserve the effort.

Jbo

[Dutch]

It works, but you don't get the seal you get with a zipper. I never really tried velcro b/c that looks like a pain. It is much easier to sew, but it doesn't look quite as cool IMO.

[pedro]

I use quarterweight nets and I like them. They are KISS approved. I use one in the tropics, and I am sweetmeat for the bugs, and I never get bit. Of course, if I don't apply bug juice before I get out of my hammock, they're all over me like white on rice.

[gargoyle]

A sock is another alternative to think about. Sew up a full length tube of netting, install two drawstings, and slide it over the hammock suspension. Tie on a ridgeline to keep netting off of you while in the hammock.

I tried the weighted netting but could not get a good seal, unless I laid perfectly still. Every time I moved the netting had small gaps that let bugs in, not fun.

Some have had success with it, I didn't. Your sewing will get better with practice. Try some smaller projects for a while (stuff sacks, etc.) to get better acquainted with your machine. The right thread and needle for appropiate materials helps alot. And watch Ramblin' Rev's videos for pointers.
Sewing skils come with time and alot of patience, stick with it and it will become second nature. It is like any other power tool, there alot of do's and don'ts. Good luck.

[vitamaltz]

I use a nickel weighted net on my bridge and it works great. It drapes along the edge and totally shuts off the bugs. I could see that it wouldn't work as well on an asym gathered end hammock. The long edge of a bridge is taught, parabolic, and suspended away from the person in the hammock. This makes the drape very effective. One nickel sewn into each end and one in the middle is all it takes. For an asym hammock you still may have luck with the method, but it seems like you're more likely to have gaps between the net and the hammock since the net doesn't drape as uniformly.

[Hawk-eye]

I rigged a bug net out of an old US Army cot bug net. Cut most of it away and used the reinforced post patches to run the ridge line through. I then stitched in straps to secure it to the ends of the ENO's Single Nest.

This is the prototype sketch ... the tie points I ended up stitching that area solid together. The area between the two bottom "tie points" on each side of the hammock ... installed bungee cords and a common cord lock.

Works like a charm. Easy to access and easy to get out of but hugs the hammock perfectly.

The photo shows my lovely daughter Kristi helping me debug the rig. In this shot the bungees are not yet installed but you can see the idea better. I'd also not stitched the ends up yet. You can see the lacing I was using temporarily to secure that end shut. Works better sewn.

Sorry I didn't get a shot of the finished rig ... I was in too big a hurry to get it done and ready for a camping trip!

Oh and the heavy weigh no-see-um in a stuff sack with straps and ridge line weighs 14.2 oz ... so lighter stuff than the old Army netting could cut that in half. But that I already had ... so I used it.

[oldgringo]

Could you not just make the skirt long enough to touch the ground, hose it down with permethrin, and call it good? No zip, no velcro, no nickles, and no bugs.

[Hawk-eye]

Could you not just make the skirt long enough to touch the ground, hose it down with permethrin, and call it good? No zip, no velcro, no nickles, and no bugs.

Now where'd be the fun in that?

[Optimus]

seems to me, that an unsecured net might be a problem if it got a little windy.

Slopes

[sclittlefield]

seems to me, that an unsecured net might be a problem if it got a little windy.

Slopes

I often use a net like this, weighed down with gear. That keeps it secure no matter how much tossing and turning I do, and even with a brisk wind.

Also - if there's a good wind, that tends to keep the flying insects at bay anyway.