Velcro Bug Net

[jbo_c]

Yeah, my Noseeum was less than four bucks from OWF. They had the best price if I remember correctly.

Jbo

[gargoyle]

The netting I got at walmart. I've found it in white and black ( red,yellow etc. available) in the toule section of the fabric dept. .75 cents/yd. to $ 2.00/yd. I did a rolled hem around 1" wide to allow for string installation, I didn't bother with doing a finished double rolled hem, since I'm the only one inside looking at it. Definitely doable tho. On the drawstrings, I used two cordlocks, so I could cinch up the netting tight at both ends, I can cinch the foot end tight, climb in get situated, slide the loose (head end) around me all the way to the other end and cinch the drawstring closed from inside. I'll get it set up later and post pics.

Stormcrow, I'm not sure on the weight, I don't have a scale. Not much is all I can say, but it is more material vs. sewn on netting, but I don't have a zipper or velcro adding weight either, so there is kind of a trade-off.
I could also install a zipper at the halfway point, vertically, to allow for another entry/ access point. A small zip (12" or so) could be added as well, near my head, to reach out to grab things from my gear bag if needed. Or shine my flashlight around for sasquatch invasions.

Another nice feature I found with the sock is, once enclosed, if I drop something it doesn't hit the ground, just falls into the netting. I also have a spot to store damp clothing to dry, if needed. And I can leave an extra layer of warm clothing (jacket or hat) down underneath me, just reach down and grab it if I get cold. Packs down small as well. About the size of a baseball.

It does suspend above me on the ridgeline, very nicely I might add.
One warning I will say is that my hammock needs to be hung a few inches higher, so the netting doesn't drag on the ground when unoccupied, without the girth of my body, it sags kind of low. But it is livable.

[TinaLouise]

Can you imagine being trapped in your hammock, with a stuck zipper, and without a knife?

I've yet to meet anyone who has had a zipper failure,

I've had a major zipper failure in a tent
yup, middle of the night, stuck zipper and I've got to pee
man ol man but I truly hated that tent
I've never once had any problems with my hammock

[Cannibal]

I've had a major zipper failure in a tent
yup, middle of the night, stuck zipper and I've got to pee
man ol man but I truly hated that tent
I've never once had any problems with my hammock

That's cause nobody with zip-ties has found you hangin yet. Amazing how much entertainment can be had from simply putting a zip-tie between the two zips.
Not that I would ever do such a thing to a hanger. Tents are fair game.

[GREEN THERAPY]

I'm going to make a hammock basically following HeadChange's DIY Hennessey plan.

I think I'm going to do this one with velcro instead of a zipper, though. I think it will be more forgiving than zippers. I ordered 1.5" velcro from OWF. Is that a good size(now that it's too late)?

How big a pain will it be to put the net on do you think?

Should I use vecro on both sides or just one(sew the other)? I'm no gram weenie so carrying the weight wouldn't really bother me.

I'll probably put a zipper on the next one.

Thanks for any input.

Jbo

I have made my hammocks using both velcro closures as well as zippers and my preference is a zipper. The problem that I encountered fairly often with velcro is that it tangled up in the netting and made a bit of a mess of it.

The zipper that I use is a non seperating that I found locally at a custom upholstery shop and so far have had no failures on any of the hammocks that I have made. As I am one of those "excessive compulsive" type personalities I have made far to many hammocks and have also joined the club that sleeps in one almost every nite. My humble opinion is go with the zipper as trying to close the bug net with velco closure that is all tangled to chit when getting eaten by skeeters is up there with stuck zipper when ya gotta pee.

[dblhmmck]

Oware has netting for $2.75. Click on "fabric", and scroll down. Beware of imitations like "toule", they don't have the same stretch charactaristics, and rip much more easily.

[gargoyle]

Okay heres some pictures of my bugnet sock.
stove and net 006.JPG
Hammock and ridgeline.
stove and net 005.JPG
Netting installed over suspension.
stove and net 004.JPG
Close up view of cordlock, cinched up.
stove and net 002.JPG
How everything looks from the side.

The trees in my back yard are really far apart, so netting doesn't reach the ends on both sides in the photo. I could have restrung my whole outdoor set-up for the photo, but you get the idea. Under normal conditions,with better trees, the netting covers both ends of the hammock.

[Frawg]

That's a nice, clean piece of work, gargoyle -- looks good! Thanks for posting the pics.

[Cannibal]

That looks very much like Trek Light's new bug-netting; except black instead of white.
Do you have any problems deploying it when you are in the hammock? I found it fairly easy to close, but getting out of the hammock is more challenging.

Nice work!

[Ramblinrev]

Toule is not a good substitute for bugnet. It is designed for a stiff application like decorative collar pieces and wedding veils. Something where you need body that doesn't go limp. Chiffon is fine for bugnet and is much softer and drapy. Chiffon and toule may well be displayed in the same section of the store as both look like nitting but they are very different in texture and feel. Toule also would not be as fine a mesh. Not a problem if the state bird is a mosquito but the little buggers could still get through.