I thought I would jump in on this discussion. I bought a netless hammock this year and started looking around for a commercially produced bug net. I wanted a bug net that was both light and reasonably priced (under $70).
The following bug nets met my criteria (weight is based on manufacturer's website):
$39.00: (sale): Sheltowee Hammock Company- Boone Topper, 5.5oz- including stakes, cordage & full net (staked down, bottom entry)
$39.99: Arrowhead- HUG 1/2 Bug Net, 5oz (1/2 net)
$45.00: Deep South Mountaineering- Bottomless Bug Net, 4oz (1/2 net, looked perfect for for what I was looking for, but was out of stock- darn)
$55.99: Dutchware Gear- Fronkey, 6.5oz (bottom entry, shock cord)
$59.95: Simply Light Designs- Mosquito Defender 360, 6.5oz (opens from end of hammock)
$59.95: Simply Light Designs- Bottom Entry Net, 6.5oz (bottom entry)
$64.95: B.I.A.S.- Nano Buginator, 6oz (bottom entry)
$65.00: Dream Hammock- BugSock, 8oz (opens from end of hammock)
I ended up buying the following:
Dutchware Gear- Fronkey
Sheltowee Hammock Company- Boone Topper
Dutchware Gear- Fronkey
Overall impressions:
Each of the above nets are well constructed.
The Dutchware Fronkey is bullet-proof to set up and use.
The Sheltowee Boone Topper is very good also but the stakes add a bit of complexity to the setup.
Arrowhead- HUG 1/2 Bug Net was the most challenging to set up (lots of cords and clips), to get oriented in the right position, and to provide good consistent mosquito protection. Everytime you shift around in your hammock, the darn net has the tendency to lift and let mossies in.
ONE BIG WATCHOUT....
I was completely focused on price and weight, but I missed one big criteria- packed size! The no-see-um material just does not pack down well. Even with extreme compression, the smallest I can get one of the full sized bug nets compressed to is the size of an oversized soda can.
In the photo below, I have my compressed, all-in-one hammock setup for fast-packing. Included in the silnylon sack is a Dutchware netless hammock, the HUG 1/2 Bug Net, UCR slings and MULE line 6ft tree straps. The HUG 1/2 Bug Net is the smallest bugnet I have and it still takes up almost 1/2 of the size of the hammock setup sack.
cheers
Sirenobie
Attachment 117293
(sorry, I can never figure out how to rotate photos properly to match with Hammockforum.net's format)
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