Bug Skirt for a Shelter – A Few Questions

You can always go to a Joann's and buy some Toile. They sell it fairly cheaply, and it has larger netting holes than Noseeum. What about putting a small patch in the middle as well? Seems like it would still droop in the middle with a taut stretch, and stretching really tight might make the two corners come apart.

If you want it to work well you'll need to either sew the net material to the tent body all the way around or if you want it removable will need to essentially have velcro completely run the entire perimeter (heavy!).

DIY Gear Supply has noseeum netting for $3.25 a yard. I've worked with them multiple times and been very satisfied.

https://diygearsupply.com/product/noseeum-netting/

Ideas for how to add the mesh to a shelter similar to the SL-2 can be found in Shires' original TarpTent write-up.

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html (click Henry's Tarptent under Shelters)

You probably want to sew it onto the bottom of the shelter.

I don't think that you will find much difference in ventilation between big holes and small holes.

–B.G.–

George, that's a good call. I would probably start with the velcro spots at each corner tie-out, but add a few in between as needed to keep it taught.

I know it'd be simpler, but I don't want to sew it in. I think the netting is pretty likely to get torn up and destroyed faster than the rest of the tent, especially if I use tulle, so I want it to be easy to replace. I also feel like it would just get in the way when I don't need it.

I'd say be sure to make it long enough to create enough of a flap to weight it down. I ordered it extra on my MLD duomid, and it was actually kind of a pain. When the wind would blow under one side, the other side would just blow out from underneath it. I ended up having to scatter my gear around the edges to weigh it all down, otherwise even the slightest breeze ruined the effect.

YMMV of course

Amazon sells various types and quantities of mosquito netting:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mosquito%20netting&sprefix=mosquito+nettin%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amosquito%20netting

attach the netting with something like these

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=mVZozXuShCYPLM&tbnid=EttRQBVqwb6WTM:&ved=0CAYQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibaba.com%2Fproduct-detail%2FPlastic-snap-button-for-raincoat_203038951%2Fshowimage.html&ei=QqgjU7LrNYb42AW6mIDYCA&bvm=bv.62922401,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNEvDhgkT4KXreZrzmLu-lh2Sh7SXw&ust=1394932161224356

Michael, I’m also in the “design process” of adding bug protection to a Cuben Pyramid tent I build last year. I also would like to be able to remove the skirt and have some flexibility. Sometimes I will want to add just a skirt (when I’m alone and want mosquito's protection), other times I may want to add a full netting floor (a la ZPack’s) for full protection from crawling bugs (When I’m with my girlfriend since she is not very keen of sleeping on a floor-less tent).

One of the options I’m considering is taping a Flap on the perimeter of the tent (in your case since you are working with silnylon you may have to sew it) and attach the bug skirt or full floor to the flap with plastic snaps. There will be a bit of excess material on the netting to create a “seal” against the inverted “V” created by the flap and the tent wall. I know this sound a bit confusing so perhaps the following diagram helps.

This is just an idea I have and I would appreciate it if anybody has any thoughts, critiques, etc.

Why do you need a flap?

Why not just fasten or sew the netting to the bottom edge of the main tent wall?

I think you will have enough extra weight from snaps and flaps and tape that you would be better off just permanently sewing the netting with nothing else.

–B.G.–

I like the concept of creating a seal at the edges of the fabric instead of at the fastener. Here's the design I've been throwing around in my head. It's less complexity, adds less weight (both in the skirtless and skirted configurations), and would probably create a tighter seal. The tradeoff is that it takes a little more effort, because you have to find some rocks. Shouldn't be much trouble though. Pebbles would work even, since the netting won't catch enough air to be blown around.

What do you think?

Alex, do you have experience using those snaps on fabric that's under tension? I'm worried that they might pop out of the tent wall.

Bob, my thinking was that there would be gaps between the two fabrics as they get further from the snaps where crawlies can get inside the tent. The inverted “V” with extra noseenum netting jammed into solves that problem by creating a “seal”. Yes, there will be a small weight penalty, but very minimal. In my case I have 6 panels, at 5 feet perimeter per panel. If I make the flap 1” wide it’s total weight would be about 0.21 oz (I’m using 0.74 oz/yd cuben). The other advantage is that all the snaps would be placed on the flap fabric so I will not be compromising the delicate cuben fabric of the walls which will be taking all the tension (specially near the guylines) from the stake pullouts etc.

Mitchell, good alternative. One would have to tinker a bit with the guyouts and the bottom edges of the tent wall would have to be quite taut to create the seal on the fold between fabrics (My tent does not have catenary curves). Also. This approach probably makes sense if you are doing a skirt only, but remember in my application sometimes I will put a full netting floor (A la Zpack’s). In that case under your configuration the added weight from the extra netting will probably be higher than my little flap. (in your design the netting goes out and then back in, in my approach only drops down so much less fabric used.