No more Vacco Headnets – DIY time – Info repository

I've found the pore size of tulle to be too large. It holds the big insects out, but the little suckers get through. I found this out the hard way in Alaska. Proper netting seemed to work much better for me, and the weight penalty was a tenth of an ounce or something. I also found the proper netting to be much stronger. This is an issue because I frequently use my head net as a temporary stuff sack. Multiple use, blah, blah.

–B.G.–

That is a bummer to hear… I can't say I was definitely going to order one, but I pondered it more than once… Problem is, as little as I even need to use my bug net, I have been perfectly fine with the one I have, which is the one from Sea to Summit. Weight wise, in a tiny cuben stuff sack, it is only 0.8 oz. It fits me good, and keeps the bugs off/out. I haven't really found myself having issues with seeing through it, and while on a still, hot muggy day, it can get a bit stuffy in it, but I find that it is the same way when taking the head net off too… Durability wise, it seems to be fine too… And it was pretty inexpensive IIRC…

+1 on the S2S headnet. Pretty cheap, easy to find. Cannot comment on how it deals with those teeny tiny midges and black flies, however, it has worked well for everything I've encountered.

I use the Sea To Summit headnet and I think they're terrific. They're quite long, so I can tuck them into my shirt, ensuring complete neck coverage, and they are black mesh which I find to be the easiest to see through. They're $10, but I always count the value of my time and would rather pay the $10.

"So looks very likely Peter Vacco is retiring from the head net business permanently."

So the 10 I've been hanging onto might be worth a bit now?

You might be the most popular kid at the GGG with ten of those, Doug.

The biggest pluses of the tulle fabric for headnets are 1) the breathability (no more suffocation inside the net) and 2) the visibility factor (I actually forget that I'm looking through fabric with the PHN). If I might run into noseeums I would bring a different net, but I am not aware of them being where I hike in the Sierra (at least I haven't encountered any). If mine ever wears out, I have a backup, but then I will have to start sewing my own from tulle.

Doug, 10 of them? You are a tulle!

Lucky for me I did get one from Peter and I'm glad I did. Yes I like it and will hold on to it.

If I recall correctly, iron-on vinyl is what Peter uses to reinforce a couple of stress areas in the headnet – at the intersection of the center back seam and the bottom elastic casing (locking the elastic into place), at the front bottom where the elastic emerges to go through the cordlock, and also at the crown where the elastic emerges to go through the cordlock (for tightening around hat crown). Other than that, elastic casings are just doubled-over tulle zigzag stitched on both sides (around 1/4" wide casings for 1/16" elastic).

Hope this helps DIYers.

The vinyl is probably similar to this stuff, but don't hold me to it: http://www.amazon.com/IRON-ON-Transfer-Vinyl-Cricut-black/dp/B007LRNJ08

"I use the Sea To Summit headnet and I think they're terrific."

+1 It even accommodates my sputnik sized head.

"Doug, 10 of them? You are a tulle!"

I was only kidding. I do have two of them, Peter even put my name on them! They're definitely keepers.