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Bugproofing a Gatewood Cape


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Home Forums Gear Forums Make Your Own Gear Bugproofing a Gatewood Cape

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  • #1218963
    Hught
    BPL Member

    @hught

    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”.
    Ground sheet layout. Margin 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.
    Layup of groundsheet, netting, door and 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.
    Top of door detail
    This is a test piece for the corner assembly
    Test corner
    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
    Complete
    – 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
    Detail of door top
    This shows the groundsheet attachment at one of the corners. You can also see the line stitching the velcro to the cape’s hem.
    Corner attachment detail
    This shows what it looks like from the inside at the pole.
    Inside detail at pole. Netting is stiched to ground sheet at one side of 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.

    #1359071
    Kevin Vandergrift
    Spectator

    @krazyvan

    Wow…very nice! Silnylon floor material?

    #1359073
    Hught
    BPL Member

    @hught

    Thank you and yes – 1.3oz Silnylon. I left the extra width attached at the front so that I’d have a place to step out before putting on my sandals (that’s what is bunched up outside the cape in the photo of the pole from the inside).

    #1359117
    Vick Hines
    Member

    @vickrhines

    Locale: Central Texas

    Wow!
    Just Wow!

    #1359512
    joseph daluz
    Member

    @jfdiberian

    Locale: Columbia River Gorge

    what a good job. does the velcro attached to the netting, snag on the netting?

    #1359751
    Hught
    BPL Member

    @hught

    I’m using this mesh “http://seattlefabrics.com/mesh.html#No-See-UM Mosquito Netting” and it doesn’t seem to snag on the Velcro at all. The only snagging I’ve had is between my velcro and the little piece of velcro on the cape that closes the end of the door – not a big deal.

    #1495777
    Matthew Roberts
    Member

    @matthewjamesroberts

    Locale: San Fernando Valley

    This is awesome! Good work.

    #1495812
    Steven Evans
    BPL Member

    @steve_evans

    Locale: Canada

    Hugh, awesome job! The additional triangular pieces just add character!

    #1497731
    Hught
    BPL Member

    @hught

    Thank you for your compliments. I did this project back in 2006 before the Serenity Net Tent was available. The Serenity is considerably lighter than my solution.

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