bug nets

[conly]

Hi all,
I am newish to hammock camping and have a relatively basic question that has probably been answered before. I have slept in my friend's warbonnet hammock setup and liked it a lot, especially the shelf and the footbox. I suggested this setup to him because I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2011, and that's the hammock that got the most praise from the people I met. I also heard good things about Hennesy hammocks. (side note, Tom Hennesy is a super nice and helpful guy) I really like the warbonnet, and it's made me consider getting my own hammock setup. That being said, I do most of my camping in an EXTREMELY buggy place, and even a double bottom hammock couldn't keep the skeeters from biting my backside at times. Although an under quilt stops this, our summers can be pretty hot, and sleeping without an under quilt for the first half of the night is very nice. I like the ides of an integrated bug net, but a netting sock would be more bug resistant.

That leads me to my question: integrated bug nets vs. netting socks, what are the advantages and disadvantages? I am considering getting my own hammock setup, but I should clarify that it would be DIY if I did. (I didn't post this in the DIY section because I'm not asking how to make one, just which one would best suit my needs)

I would like my setup to be as light as possible, without sacrificing too much comfort. For context, I love light weight gear and the DIY materials nowadays are amazing, but I acknowledge that most of my camping will be done on canoe trips when weight is less important. In other words, I don't want to skimp too much on design, but I'll try to save weight in materials. I've thought about making my own warbonnet style hammock, but it wouldn't solve the skeeter problem without adding something like loose netting hanging underneath. That makes me think that a separate netting sock would alleviate that problem. However, the socks don't seem to be as popular, which makes me wonder why. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

As a secondary thought/question: the other issue I see with a netting sock is that they prevent one from having pullouts on the hammock which pulls it asymmetrically, keeps it from swinging too much, and is also the key to the nice shelf in the warbonnet hammocks. I feel like this problem could be fixed if the netting was designed specifically for the hammock, and the pull out cords were passed through small grommets. This would require one to pack the hammock and netting together, but that doesn't seem terrible. Has anyone done this?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

[Baka Dasai]

I have a separate, non-integrated bug net, and I always wonder why they aren't more popular.

Advantages? No zips to open and close, easy to get in and out of, no zip resting against your head or against the back of your legs when sitting up, easier to adjust your UQ when you're in your hammock, and better protection against bugs when there's no UQ.

Disadvantages? Harder to install and uninstall your UQ, and harder to remove and reinstall the bug net itself (especially when there's quilts in place).

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages for me.

[SilvrSurfr]

You're probably overthinking this. Personally, I find a Fronkey bugnet (sprayed with permethrin) to be the most effective way to combat mosquitoes. Just use a simple, gathered-end hammock. No need to buy an expensive hammock with integrated bugnet.

By the way, I've always found integrated bugnets to be an invitation for mosquitoes to enter the hammock when you do. The interesting thing about a Fronkey bugnet is that mosquitoes can't figure out the whole bottom-entry idea. They attack horizontally, not vertically. Maybe one day mosquitoes will figure it out, but they have a lot of evolution to get to that point. I've never had a single mosquito inside my Fronkey bugnet.

[brutalguyracing]

I too vote for and love my fronkey style bug net


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[MAD777]

Another vote for a simple gathered end with Fronkey bugnet. I don't put an elastic channel in the bottom just let it drape. The key to any bug proofing Is permithrin, no matter what style hammock.

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[Baka Dasai]

...I've always found integrated bugnets to be an invitation for mosquitoes to enter the hammock when you do.

I remember this from my tent days. Unzip the tent to get in, and a couple of mosquitoes get in with you. It doesn't happen with the bottom-entry fronkey bug net.

...I don't put an elastic channel in the bottom just let it drape.

I have shock cord in the channel at the bottom, but have gotten out of the habit of tightening it. I've never had a mosquito enter. So maybe it's time I got rid of the shock cord?

[Heavyhiker]

I bought a summer sock from Dutch for my DIY hammocks and I like it a lot. It provides bug protection as well as acts as an UQP. As for pull outs, what I have on my list to try is to sew small rounds magnets onto my hammock, then put another set of magnets into a small bag attached to zing-it that I can stake out. The magnets should hold together through the bug net fingers crossed

[oldpappy]

I have both and a simple gathered end hammock with Fronkey style bugnet is my go to for hot weather.
My Hennessy (Classic bottom entry) with integrated bugnet is too hot in the summer and any part of me that gets exposed gets bit.
My simple gathered end hammock with Fronkey style bugnet is much cooler and no bug bites - I use permethrin on outer clothing but not on my hammock/bug net.
Also, on hot nights I slide my 3/4 UQ off to the side to get to sleep, then if it gets cool later on slide it under me. Fronkey style makes this easy.
The Fronkey style bugnet stays on the hammock all summer long.

[cougarmeat]

One reason why a separate (sock) bugnet isn’t mentioned is many hammocks have one built-in (like the Hennessy) AND they don’t have the extreme skeeter problem you do.

So understanding you are in a bit of an extreme situation may help explain why others aren’t seeking the solution you need.

Also, there have been threads where most agree there is little dollar saving over a DIY project because vendors can get volume discounts and pass the savings on to their customers in terms of price. DIY’ers are in it for the pleasure of making their own gear. So if “fun” isn’t heavy in your DIY equation, you might try BIAS’s (Butt in a Sling) light weight bug net option. They run from 5 to 9 oz. and use a bottom entry.

When I just want “some” protection - just takes one skeeter to ruin an afternoon nap - I carry a HUG net. It just overs your top half, expecting your bottom half to be covered with an UQ or other covering and that you are already protected from below.

Many of the Full Nets with zipper openings were designed as an add-on for hammocks like the ENO’s and other single layer open hammocks They are heavier but an advantage that can be pretty big is you are be sitting in your hammock and still be inside the full net sock. That is, you are protected without being confined to lying down in the hammock.

Maybe this will be the summer I embrace permethrin. Sounds like that treatment is key, to keeping the skeeters AWAY, not only out, of any net.

As far as pullouts. I don’t think they are there to stabilize the swing of a hammock. My experience is a hammock doesn’t swing very much after you get in it. In fact, people make an effort to make it swing by tying line to a branch or some such they can pull. The hammock pull-outs keep any netting away from your face. You know that even though the skeeter can’t bite you, it can still buzz by your ear all night. So keeping the net some distance from your ears is desirable. Instead of pull-outs, I just put an inflatable pillow or jacket or some extra clothing up by the side of my face. that pushes the net away. Again, permethrin is your friend.

I think the Fronkey style is popular because, without zippers, it is lighter and has fewer moving parts. If I needed more than my HUG, or the built-in netting that is part of the hammock design, I’d use a zippered net sock. But maybe that’s because I have a few left over from my early ENO days.

[DocWatson]

I initially had a separate bugnet that had a integrated gear hammock in it. (I miss the gear hammock) My current hammock has an integrated bugnet. With both I've accidentally slept with my face against the net and awoke with mosquito bites (going to treat the net this year) I don't worry about weight, but the separate bugnet took up a lot more room than the integrated one does and that is the biggest benefit for me. There's two things that I miss about the separate bugnet - 1) the gear shelf, I would put my pack there and have extra clothes to put on during the night if I got chilly. 2) the ease of adjusting the underquilt - with the integrated bugnet sometimes grabbing the quilt through the hammock to adjust just isn't good enough so I have to unzip the net to adjust the quilt.

You mention the heat of the summer and underquilts. I am a hot sleeper and find that an underquilt is too much during the summer. What I do is use a windproof flannel picnic blanket. It rolls up relatively small for my backpack (packed, it's a little longer than my packed underquilt but much smaller in diameter) and I line the hammock with it to keep the cool drafts off my backside during the night and I haven't had any issue with the New England mosquitos biting me through it.

- Clyde