Has anyone tried making a bug net out of Tulle? Just from the product weights on amazon it looks significantly lighter than 0.5 oz noseeum... Are the holes too big? Is it too fragile? I've also heard (in Derek's book) that bugs are less attracted to light colors...
-gram weenie in training
Tulle is a "structural" fabric. In other words, it tends to be very stiff. It is used for bridal veils and decorative pieces that need to hold a shape. It can be difficult to work with in terms of bugnets for that reason, although it has been done with some success. Tulle is available in different weights so look around on line and you may find some that would be more promising. Of the substitute fabrics for bug nets I have had the most luck with organza. It is another fabric used extensively in the bridal industry but nor as structural as tulle.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
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Stay away from tulle. I am replacing one that has ripped in several places. Just bite the bullet and buy no see um netting. You know..... The right tool for the job and all.
RON
A tree's a tree. How many more do you need to look at? ~ Ronald Reagan
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On that note... stiff does not mean sturdy. In fact stiff fabrics can crack and break when crushed and stuffed.Originally Posted by hangNyak
Also avoid chiffon. It is too soft to hold any shape and tends to sag when used as bug net. Your best bet is real bug net.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
I've made a hug bug net from tulle. You can see it in one of my videos. It was an experiment, and it more or less works but long term it's not a durable solution. I've already torn a hole in it just packing it away. The hug design has little stress on it and so may last better than some other design, but true mosquito netting is probably a better choice (no experience so I'm guessing). I cannot envision a Fronkey style bug net made from tulle lasting more than a few minutes, up until the point where you try to tighten the drawstring.
"...the height of hammock snobbery!"
I have used a HUG style bug net made of tulle with good success. You have to be pretty gentle with it, but after one season of use, I have no problems with man. I have also made a small bug net for ground use as well, and that has lasted ~20 nights. Had a couple nights where I was forced into designated campsites near standing/slow moving water so there was heavy mosquito pressure. Never had any sneak through the tulle. Each net is just shy of 1oz in weight.
It is definitely a little rough to work with. Slippery, thin, hard get precise cuts, and so on. But, for the price (I picked mine up for ~$0.8/yd) and for the weight (again, 1oz for a half net) I am pretty pleased.
I live in Colorado, and prefer camps at high altitudes, so I mainly have these nets as a back up. If I happen to set up in a unexpectedly buggy area, or if I am unsure of what my site selection will be, these guys get tossed in as a little insurance of a good nights sleep. Most of the time, they stay in the pack.
For a UL approach, pretty hard to beat in my opinion.
The only bug net I've owned is made from tulle.
Picked some up at Hobby Lobby about 3 years ago when I was DIY'ing my hammock rig. It's black, very lightweight, packs up super-small, and is not at all stiff. I realize it's not the toughest material, so I try to be careful, yet after all this use it's still going strong without the first rip or tear. Haven't noticed any bugs getting through either. I used some lightweight ripstop to make the ridge line cover, the velcro ends that cover my hammock knots, and the bottom skirts. This way the tulle itself isn't being worn down by the ridge line or the attachment points.
I hate to disagree with Ramblinrev & hangNyak, but the cheap tulle they sell around here works great!
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Thanks Klauss! I might give it a shot!
Papa Smurf made me a nice Tulle net years ago and my experience was the same as Klauss's.
Careful packing and unpacking, along with watching out for grabby nearby limbs makes the difference.
Have used the same one for 2 years. I try to sew it as little as possible. I use binder clips to hold it in place on the ridgeline and hammock suspension. The bottom is open & seals up pretty well against the UQ. I also spray it with permethrin. Any place I might want to sew it, I try to just use a knot. I do have to sew two pieces together to make it long enough, but I reinforce this seam where the seam crosses the ridgeline and at the bottom, since those are the most likely stress points.
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