Best DIY tarp and net design for ground or hanging?

[Opus]

I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I'm also new to hammock camping.

I'm trying to start out simple and wanted a tarp that would work well for either ground use or hanging. I'll make my first hammock soon, probably a simple gathered-end version to test my as-yet undeveloped thread injector skills. However, I'm fairly sure that there are places I'll camp where hammocks are not feasible, such as Florida state parks. Hence the need for a multi-use tarp. I don't anticipate any cold-weather camping.

I looked at dejoha's article on tarps and found it very informative. I'm wondering if I could go with a rectangular tarp which can be pitched symmetrically for ground use and asymmetrically for hanging, or do the dimensions work out? I assume that a hex/cat cut would work for both uses, right?

I'll also need a no-seeum net capable of handling Everglades sand flies, to cover the entire area under the tarp when in ground mode. (The Everglades species can approach lethal ferocity.) It needs to be large since I might be trapped there for a couple of hours in the late afternoon if the critters are really hungry. I'd thought of a ray-way net tent but I'd be carrying extra weight (the floor) when I don't need it and don't think it would work well over a hammock. How would something like the net portion only of a ray-way net tent work? Zipper on one end, zipper or sewn shut on the other, intended to drape to the ground over a ground cover in ground mode and hang over or clip to the ridgeline when hanging?

You can tell by my questions that I'm extremely new to this and would appreciate any information you could provide. I've searched a good bit but haven't found what I'm looking for but that may be due to my lack of search skills.

Thanks!!

O

[Hammonkey]

http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/diy-guides/tarps/The Hex or Winter tarp are what i'd recommend. In fact, if you were to use on the ground, you could still use the hex design, but leave it rectangular instead of hex.

[Taliesin96]

I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I'm also new to hammock camping.

I'm trying to start out simple and wanted a tarp that would work well for either ground use or hanging. I'll make my first hammock soon, probably a simple gathered-end version to test my as-yet undeveloped thread injector skills. However, I'm fairly sure that there are places I'll camp where hammocks are not feasible, such as Florida state parks. Hence the need for a multi-use tarp. I don't anticipate any cold-weather camping.

I looked at dejoha's article on tarps and found it very informative. I'm wondering if I could go with a rectangular tarp which can be pitched symmetrically for ground use and asymmetrically for hanging, or do the dimensions work out? I assume that a hex/cat cut would work for both uses, right?

I'll also need a no-seeum net capable of handling Everglades sand flies, to cover the entire area under the tarp when in ground mode. (The Everglades species can approach lethal ferocity.) It needs to be large since I might be trapped there for a couple of hours in the late afternoon if the critters are really hungry. I'd thought of a ray-way net tent but I'd be carrying extra weight (the floor) when I don't need it and don't think it would work well over a hammock. How would something like the net portion only of a ray-way net tent work? Zipper on one end, zipper or sewn shut on the other, intended to drape to the ground over a ground cover in ground mode and hang over or clip to the ridgeline when hanging?

You can tell by my questions that I'm extremely new to this and would appreciate any information you could provide. I've searched a good bit but haven't found what I'm looking for but that may be due to my lack of search skills.

Thanks!!

O

if your looking to buy eureka tents offers thier cvs tarps either 13 or 16 A sym with a clip in bug room.

http://www.eurekatentscanada.com/products/view/43

[Tendertoe]

I suggest the BearPaw Wilderness Designs Net Tent 2 for bugs and ground use and a Warbonnet Superfly tarp that can be used both over the Net Tent 2 and over a hammock.

You would still need a hammock and separate bugnet such as the Warbonnet Blackbird (which is a hammock with integrated bugnetting) or a hammock and separate bugnet such as the Warbonnet Traveler hammock and separate bugnet.

With these 3 items (Net Tent 2, hammock with bugnet, and tarp), you'd have a netting tent for ground use with bug protection, a hammock for hanging with bug protection, and a tarp that could be used over either of them.

Edit - just re read this and saw the DIY part. I'd say use the dimensions of each of the items I mentioned and have a modular ground setup and separate hammock setup. Better to have 2 separate setups that work well at what they're designed for than 1 setup that kind of accommodates both scenarios IMHO.