Comments on: DIY Lightweight Recycled Tube Bug Net

By: Derek

Derek — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 01:10:46 +0000

In reply to Todd Merrill. Nice!!

By: Todd Merrill

Todd Merrill — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 19:36:09 +0000

I had a day off today, so I made this for my wife. I hung it up in the backyard and it looks very good!

We’re going to use it this weekend at the NOC for a BSA campout!

I’m setup for DIY and it took me a leisurely 3 hours including a trip to WalMart for shock cord.

By: Derek

Derek — Sun, 22 May 2016 04:05:50 +0000

In reply to Kim. I just used some cheap poly string I had lying around. Nothing too serious. I'll sell you mine for $10 shipped usps if you want it.

By: Kim

Kim — Sat, 21 May 2016 21:57:36 +0000

Hi! I’m just getting into hammock camping and want to try and DIY where I can. I was curious about the type of cord that you recommend, as well as the length I should purchase. I’m a little overwhelmed by all the choices out there. Thanks!

By: Derek

Derek — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 17:57:28 +0000

In reply to Tim. Machine.

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 16:58:48 +0000

Excited to try this! Just got my Mombasa bug net from REI. Did you sew the mosquito netting by hand or with a machine?

By: Derek

Derek — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 15:07:35 +0000

In reply to Steve C. Thanks! And thanks for your details. I think those are good ideas.

By: Steve C

Steve C — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 15:04:43 +0000

Thanks for this article. I made two of these this week. I don’t have a lot of sewing experience, but I’m getting better. I must have skipped over the “a moderately-difficult project” as I somehow thought this was going to be easier than it was.

We picked up two of the Coghlan’s Mosquito Nets as our base material. (As I get more comfortable with this stuff, I’d probably just get tulle or smaller hole bug net material.) I picked up a couple of stuff sacks on clearance at Gander Mountain because I figured I needed somewhere to store the nets. (I know I could make them, but at the time I decided my time was worth the $2/ea.)

I made the first net following the base instructions above. I guessed on the draw cord length though. It ended up being about half the circumference of the opening. We’ll see if that’s enough.

When I made the second net, I decided I wanted to try the alternate finishing instructions. I wasn’t sure about the size to cut the short opening. Then I remembered your post about converting a stuff sack into a bishop bag. I wondered if I could simply sew the net’s short end to the inside of the bottom of one of those (4″x9″) stuff sacks. Turning the sack inside-out, I put the corner of the sack’s square bottom at the end of the bug net’s top seam. I sewed the net around the rest of the bottom. I then just laid the netting on the floor and sketched an arc from the bag to the net’s bottom and made one long seam as you describe above. I used the button hole setting on the sewing machine and made a 1-1/2″ opening in the bottom of the sack. I fed the end of the hammock through that new hole and stuffed the hammock (GT Ultralight) and net inside. It’s a great fit and the loop/hook on the end of the hammock makes a convenient hanger for the packed setup. This also leaves the original hammock sack to hold a flashlight, book, etc.

We’re planning on using the hammocks for the first time this weekend at cub scout camp. Wish us luck!

Thanks again for your fantastic site and book!