I considered the Dutch Chameleon with moonlight top cover for the longest time but I just couldn't swing the cost. I'm sure from the reviews it is worth the cost, unless you don't have the funds, right? I'm considering a top cover mainly for winter, but, it may stay with the hammock year round as low nightly temps in the UP and N Wisco tend to end up in the mid to high 40s unexpectedly.
So I just purchased a Ridge Outdoor Gear 11' hammock with an integral bug net. It's no Chameleon, but, it is very well made and I'm happy so far. It has similar interior and exterior tie outs like the Chameleon. I want to try to add an adjustable/removable top cover.
Here's my plan. Go ahead and shoot holes in it if you just can't hold back, but, I'm really looking for constructive criticism to help me make this work.
I'm planning on taking a piece of rip-stop nylon about 11' by 50"ish and putting a seam/channel similar to a hammock on the foot end. That end will attach with a cont. loop to the foot end of the suspension similar to how the ridge line attaches, but, allowing the cover to slip under the bug net and above the ridge line the length of the hammock with a small seamed channel at the peak to keep it centered. The ridge line will carry the bulk of the weight of the top cover. The bottom edges will follow the zipper for the bug net (not sure how I'm going to anchor it at the zipper just yet, but hold on!). Just past the middle of the hammock the top cover will be lightly anchored (maybe velcro) to the sides of the hammock so that I can just roll it back toward the foot end to allow ventilation. As it cools off I can close it a bit to seal off the wind that comes from under my tarp. I will probably build it so it can close almost completely, but, I don't see me having it closed under normal winter situations. I see being able to close the windward side and opening the leeward side for ventilation. With the top cover under the bug net me thinks i can just tuck the leeward corner by the head between the ridge line and bug net. The downside to all this is a ridge line bag will be limited to an far head end or not at all unless I put a couple slots in the top cover peak to accommodate.
I'm thinking velcro is the answer for anchoring it to the bug net zipper seam. That's a lot of sewing for my skill level. I think I can do it though.
I'm open for suggestions. What part of this do you think will work and what parts are crazy?
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