My criteria for the modification were:
1. Completely bug proof (crawling and flying)
2. No decrease in weather protection of cape (not even thread holes over the occupant!)
3. No decrease in functionality – i.e. can still be used as both a cape and shelter and living space is not decreased.
First photo is the groundsheet pattern. Margin around back and sides is for “turn-up”.
Second photo is lay-up of groundsheet, netting between ground sheet and underside of rear and side tent rim and door with vertical and horizontal zippers.
The idea is to attach the netting to the underside of the hem of the gatewood cape using velcro.
The inside of the neting was attached to the ground sheet and the outside to the hard side of velcro such that it can be attached to the soft side velcro under the hem of the Gatewood Cape.
This is a better picture of the pattern for the top of the door. That square piece folds over outside the harness to seal up the hood opening.
This is a test piece for the corner assembly
showing 2″ riser to the net and the net stretched out to attach to the underside of the cape –
and this is the final product
– you can see that I had to add two triangular pieces of material to the door to increase it’s lower length to go around the pole.
This was the first piece I cut and the only piece I cut wrong!
This shows the assembly for the top of the door
This shows the groundsheet attachment at one of the corners. You can also see the line stitching the velcro to the cape’s hem.
This shows what it looks like from the inside at the pole.
Setting up is much easier than I thought it would be. There is no extra piece to look after as I leave the harness attached to my one piece ground sheet/bug netting. To pitch, place groundsheet on ground where you want to pitch the cape, place cape over it and attach harness – follow cape instructions. When done attach the elastic tie outs from the ground sheet to each of the tie down loops (5), attach the velcro tabs at the top of the door to the corresponding tabs on the harness, then starting with the door work your way around attaching the velcro everywhere (in practice, when you attach the ground sheet to the tie out loops, most of the velcro attaches itself to the perimiter). Hop in.
The cape weight, as worn, is now 11.3 ozs. The insert (including the harness) weighs 12.8 ozs.
I had intended to add tie outs at the base of the ground sheet but as this would mean stitching through the ground sheet – I’m hesitant and there may be enough of the bathtub effect just from the elastic and the attachments that are a little off the ground.
