Bug Net - Separate or Attached?

[ThatTallHammocker]

I do not see the bug net making any difference with comfort
Ankle pain a result of squish??
or a result of the very beginnings of bed/pressure sores from being stationary in the hammock...something that does bother me and requires moving the position of my feet every once in a while in either of my Hammocks

I think it is more a result of being stationary for a period of time in my hammock. I am glad to know that I am not the only one who experiences this .

[ThatTallHammocker]

My first hammock was a Hennessy Expedition Asym Zip but I also tried a Byer Moskito Hammock and spent one night in a WBBB. All three hammocks had integrated bugnets, and I got leg cramps (calf ridge).

After a couple of years, I tried a Buttinasling Weight Weenie DL. No more leg cramps! I've since tried tablecloth hammocks, a couple of other Buttinasling hammocks, and am currently using a Dutch PolyD 1.4 hammock. I haven't had a leg cramp since leaving integrated bugnets behind.

Here in NJ, I really only need the bugnet for three months out of the year (mosquitoes are lethargic at 60* F, and immobile at 50* F), so I get nine solid months with no bugnet. Is a Fronkey-style bugnet a bit more of a pain in the butt than a zippered bugnet? Maybe, but it's a price I'll pay. Besides, I hate zippers.

I feel somewhat of a calf ridge too! That is interesting and I will have to try my XLC without the attached bug net to see how it goes. Thanks.

[Theguywitheyebrows]

i'm nearly finished with a Sgt Rock style bug tube. the shoddy Singer i was using would NOT stand up to the mozzy netting enough to do a good job so it ate my lunch for two whole runs of the long side and one run of the other long side before it D I E D a terrible needle shattering death (needs to go to the shop with the 1970's singer that i've got) but the White 1620 super zigzag machine did a fantastic job trucking right through the last long run and the shockcord channels. will post more tomorrow after i finish it all the way. im good with separate, im all about modularity and using only whats needed and i like to camp in the cold. less bugs in the cold, less reason for the bugtube.

finished it, and its hideous lol.

[ThatTallHammocker]

I just spent 40 minutes in my WBBB XLC without the bug net attached and it is noticeably more comfortable! I barely noticed the calf ridge and from he time I spent, my ankles where fine. It seems that the attached net pulls the sides of the hammock up, causing slight ankle pain and pushing my feet closer to the center and thereby pushing my calves more onto the centerline.

Of course, I can't tell for certain until I spend at least a night in it without the net on, but I won't be doing that till the temperature and the bugs drop!

Thanks again for all the replies.

[ccolclou]

Very cool thread, I would not have thought an attached net would make a noticeable difference in comfort for so many people. I don't use one, but that is due to having a dog, so I don't have a helpful comparison here - I have often wondered if I am missing out by not having an integrated net, but I like to switch sides during the night so I doubt it.

[mychal]

This is totally a personal preference thing. The conventional netted hammock with attached zippered net does limit the hammock to one shape. Not necessarily a bad thing. (The exception being TTTG Switchback hammocks.)

A separate net lets the occupant change diagonals back & forth during the night, with equal comfort. So, maybe if you toss & turn a lot (like me), you might prefer a separate net.

The other main difference is some folks want to be buttoned up, and others want a quick exit. Maybe it depends upon how many times you water the bushes at night.

And then there's setup time. There's nothing to set up with a built-in net.

For what it's worth, the SLD Trail Lair is not asymmetric...er, symmetrical...whatever...it doesn't have a lay direction with the net on. In other words, both the hammock and the integrated net are symmetrical, which is different than Hennessys, DH's, Hammecks, and WBBB's. I'm just sayin'...

[Theguywitheyebrows]

i finished building a bugtube yesterday https://www.hammockforums.net/galler...p?i=10388&c=15 as per sgt rock's design (mostly) and i hada upgrade my stuffsack on my hammock to accommodate the suspension and the bugnet because the bugnet, while removable, takes an involved process to remove it and im certain i don't wanna deal with that out in the wilds. while it's hung in my room, it stays put up, but when i got out, i'll slip it out and around manipulate the cordlock and im sittin pretty. i feel that ridge sometimes without a net, but i think thats just how the fabric is twisted underneath me ebcause it goes away when i adjust. i keep my knees slightly bent to avoid the ankle/knee pains. straight legs make my joints hurt.

[Cheapshoes]

I don't have a hammock with an attached bug net - so I use Eno bug nets for my/my family's hammocks. Things I like:
* net is really loose and allows just about any hammock sleep position or shifting in the night you want
* has a huge amount of hang below the hammock, which makes for a 'basket' to hold stuff in the night... LOTS of stuff. Came in handy more than once.
* dark screening makes it nearly impossible to peer at the person inside - and the psychological benefits therein
* adds warmth - noticeable
* does the job like 98%

What I don't like:
* mandatory extra ridge line that is dedicated just for the net. The little hooks can and do come undone and the ridgeline is outside the net.
* weight