There’s nothing quite like relaxing in a hammock. A light breeze gently swinging you, the sound of running water, and the seemingly endless cloud of mosquitoes that always seem to show up. We don’t know about you but we’d definitely prefer to do without that last one. Thankfully hammock bug nets can completely block out any biting, stinging insects that want to ruin your relaxing day. Today we’re covering a variety of products to help you find the best hammock bug net.
Best Hammock Bug Nets
- ENO Guardian Hammock Bug Net
- ENO Guardian Basecamp Bug Net
- Everest Double Hammock with Mosquito Net
- Wise Owl Outfitters SnugNet Bug Net
- Chill Gorilla Oh Hell No! Hammock Mosquito Net
- Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter XT Mosquito Hammock
- Unigear Camping Hammock Bug Net
- Serac DartFrog Camping Hammock Bug Net
- Kammok Dragonfly Insect Net
When looking at hammock bug nets the first thing you’ll notice is the major price differences between different manufacturers. The market is crowded, with everyone boasting about this special feature or their own proprietary whatchamacallit.
To help you get through all the advertising noise we picked out several great hammock nets across a range of price points and styles.
ENO Guardian Bug Net
The ENO Guardian Bug Net is a lightweight hammock bug net designed to provide total protection from insects. It’s made from ENO’s patented SkyWeave mesh with 40 denier ripstop nylon framing.
It weighs just 15 oz and is designed to go up without the use of a single knot. The mesh is fine enough to stop even the tiniest of No-See-Ums and is available in an insecticide treated version as well.
The Guardian gives you 950 square inches of protection with a drape pattern that offers maximum coverage and comfort. It has internal gear hooks to hang hats, gloves and other small items as well as a full vertical zip entrance.
The ENO Guardian bug net is a high-quality product at a reasonable price. It offers a good mix of features and is easy to set up and use.
ENO Guardian Basecamp Bug Net
The ENO Guardian Basecamp is a larger and more comprehensive version of their popular Guardian bug net. It offers full protection from mosquitoes and No-See-Ums with its SkyWeave Mesh.
At first glance the guardian Basecamp looks a lot like an old school a-frame tent. Its designed to cover your hammock from peak all the way to the ground without a gap. It actually has a waterproof bathtub style floor made from 30 denier silicone impregnated nylon.
This keeps your feet nice and dry in even the boggiest of ground conditions. Getting in and out is easy with its full vertical zipper entrance. One downside of this design though is its weight— just over 45 oz.
That can make it a little annoying to pack the Basecamp in and out of the backcountry.
Overall the Guardian Basecamp is a quality hammock bug net that provides you with some extra comfort while out hiking or camping. It’s definitely on the pricey side but it gives you a lot of useful features for your money.
Everest Double Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net
The Everest Double Camping Hammock with mosquito net is a lightweight hiking hammock designed with a full mosquito protection system. The hammock is made 70 denier ripstop nylon and is rated to hold up to 400 pounds.
It includes everything you need to enjoy your hammock, from straps and clips all the way to a bug net. The net itself is made from No-See-Um mesh polyester with a horizontal zip opening using YKK zippers.
The hammock has several internal pockets as well as a gear hook to hold lights or other small items. The mesh is fine enough to block out any nuisance insects and goes up with the hammock itself.
If you’re looking for an integrated hammock and bug net system the Everest Double Camping Hammock with mosquito net is an affordable and well made option.
Wise Owl Outfitters SnugNet Bug Net
The SnugNet from Wise Owl Outfitters is standalone No-See-Um mesh bug net designed to fit over any hammock. It’s 11 feet long by 4.5 feet wide, large enough to allow diagonal laying to maximize your comfort.
It comes with a 30 foot long ridgeline that’s designed to quickly and easily clip along the length of the net. The mesh is designed to prevent insects from getting in without reducing your visibility. It has a full vertical entrance with a double sided zipper.
The whole thing packs down into a compression sack about twice the size of a pine cone for easy storage. It weighs just 20 ounces including all hardware.
The Wise Owl SnugNet is a lightweight and affordable hammock bug net. It works with just about any hammock out there and provides comprehensive protection from insects.
Chill Gorilla Oh Hell No! Hammock Mosquito Net
The Chill Gorilla Oh Hell No! is a standalone bug net designed to work with a wide variety of different camping hammocks. It’s made from a superfine No-See-Um resistant nylon and offers 950 square inches of coverage.
One of the best features of the Oh Hell No! is how easy it is to set up. It’s designed to clip right onto your hammock’s straps with a 5 meter ridgeline. It’s 11 feet long yet packs down into a 4” by 5” pouch.
The entry and exit system is honestly really cool. Instead of a standard vertical or horizontal zip the Chill Gorilla uses a half moon zip. This allows you to open up the entire side of the hammock with plenty of space to hop out.
If you’re looking for a lightweight and affordable hammock bug net the Oh Hell No! From Chill Gorilla is a great option.
Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter XT Mosquito Hammock
The Skeeter Beeter XT from Grand Trunk is an updated version of their wildly popular Skeeter Beeter Hammock. It’s a fully integrated hammock and bug net system that’s designed to be an easy to use and highly portable sleep system for any level of hiker or camper.
The hammock is made from parachute nylon and capable of supporting up to 400 pounds. It can be used with or without the bug net depending on conditions and is available in a variety of colors.
The net itself is made from No-See-Um nylon mesh and uses a 4 point hanging system to maximize your internal space. A pair of aluminum spreader bars keep the net properly deployed at all times so you’ve got tons of headroom inside.
The whole system weighs just 34 ounces and uses a knotless cord lock system for easy deployment. One of the best things about Grand Trunk is their lifetime Guarantee. If your hammock gets damaged for any reason they’ll replace it for just a small shipping fee.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive hammock sleep system with a quality bug net the Skeeter Beeter XT definitely deserves consideration.
Unigear Hammock Bug Net
The Unigear hammock bug net is a standalone bug net designed to work with any hammock on the market. It’s made from polyester No-See-Um mesh with a very large amount of headroom.
It uses an extended ridgeline system to achieve this. Instead of a single peak at the height of the hammock it extends up several inches above.
The main ridgeline goes up quickly and easily, allowing you to clip the netting to it. The Unigear bug net uses a horizontal zip system that’s easy to open and close and gives you plenty of room to get in and out with.
The Unigear bug net is an inexpensive and reasonably high quality product. It keeps all kinds of insects out yet is lightweight and easy to set up.
Serac DartFrog Camping Hammock Bug Net
The Serac DartFrog is a lightweight and easy to deploy hammock bug net. It’s made from No-See-Um mesh and is 10 feet long.
It weighs just 15 ounces and includes a knot free hanging system that takes just a few minutes to get set up. It hangs down well below the hammock yet has a spacious ceiling. This gives you plenty of room to move around and relax in.
The DartFrog uses a full horizontal zip closure and is available in several different colors.
The Serac DartFrog is a no frills hammock bug net that gets the job done. It’s affordable, works well and is light enough to include in any pack.
Kammok Dragonfly Insect Net
The Kammok Dragonfly is an ultralight insect net designed to protect you from any disease carrying insects. It’s made from Kammok’s proprietary No-See-Um mesh and weighs just 9.8 ounces.
This makes the Dragonfly one of the lightest bug nets out there. Setting it up couldn’t be easier, just string up the knot free ridgeline and slip it over the hammock ends.
It’s 10.5 feet long and offers full coverage for just about any hammock size. The interior has gear loops for easy organization and has built in reflectors to make it easier to get around in the dark.
The Dragonfly uses a horizontal zip closure with double sided YKK zippers. This makes it easy to get into and out of the hammock without worrying about snags.
The Kammok Dragonfly is one of the lightest and most durable bug nets available. It’s definitely pricey, but it sits firmly on the high end of the market.
Buyer’s Guide to Buying the Best Hammock Bug Net
When you’re comparing hammock bug nets it’s easy to get confused. A lot of the differences between different products are very technical and might not seem important to a casual user.
To help you out we’ve covered the most important things that go into making a quality hiking hammock bug net and how to figure out which ones you need.
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Price
Many people are surprised by the average cost of hammock bug nets. High end models can cost as much or more as a quality hammock.
Generally speaking the market starts around $20-$30 for a basic mosquito net and shoots up to over $100 for top-of-the-line treated No-See-Um mesh designed for tropical climates or other adverse conditions.
Ease of Setup
The best hammock bug nets will go up in just a few movements. If you really want to get the ultimate in deployment you should check out hammock tents and hammocks with built in bug nets. These allow you to your bug net at the same time you’re putting up your hammock.
When comparing different types of standalone hammock bug nets think about how quickly you want to set up camp. Some models require their own guy lines while others are built to drape freely over your hammock.
A recent innovation was the creation of the knot free attachment systems. These are designed to let you string your bug net to a tree and attach it to your hammock without tying a single complicated knot.
Type of Netting Material
In the past mosquito netting was made almost exclusively of cotton. Now you can get high quality products made with polyester, nylon or polyethylene.
The material of a mosquito net determines how durable it is and what kind of use you can put it to. With hammock bug nets you want to be able to pack them down quickly without worrying about snagging and tearing the material.
Synthetics like nylon are great for this.
Hole Size
At first glance many people assume all bug netting is the same. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The most basic netting is designed with larger mesh holes to keep out mosquitoes and other larger flying insects. It’s a great place to start but doesn’t offer protection against all kinds of insects.
No-See-Um netting uses a much tighter weave to create what’s basically a semipermeable fabric wall. The holes are small enough that no insects can get through but unfortunately they also block out the breeze.
For that reason No-See-Um netting is less comfortable than mosquito mesh. It’s also darker and harder to see through at night.
If you’re somewhere like a tropical setting with significant presence of small biting insects it may be necessary though.
Treated vs Non-Treated
Some hammock bug nets come pretreated with permethrin or a similar insecticide. It instantly kills any mosquitoes or other biting insects that land on your bug net.
There are pros and cons to both treated and non-treated bug nets.
Treated nets are much more effective at keeping large swarms of mosquitoes and other biting insects out. If you’re in a part of the world where mosquito borne illnesses are prevalent they’re essential.
Depending on your own ethical views a non-treated net may be the way to go. Treated nets unfortunately kill bugs that aren’t trying to bite you. You also have to perform regular renewals on the permethrin of a treated bug net.
Weight and Size
Hammock bug nets are designed to be as lightweight as possible for their size. Most are larger than 900 square inches to give you total coverage from head to foot. Make sure you compare the size of your sleeping bag to any bug net you’re considering.
You always want to have room to spare.
Ultralight hammock mosquito nets can weigh as little as 10 oz while full scale bug resistant sleep systems can approach 3 pounds. There’s always a tradeoff between more durability/capability and weight.
Built-in Bug Net or Standalone
Some specialty hammocks actually have a bug net built right in. They end up more like a small suspended pod than what we would think of as a traditional hammock.
These are great because it makes setup faster and easier. Most also have an opening system that allows you to use your hammock with or without the bug net. The biggest downside is usually their greater price.
Standalone hammock bug nets are more flexible in how you use them. Some models are actually large enough to stretch over two hammocks if they’re placed closely enough together.
They also allow you to use them as a general purpose bug net if you don’t want to set up your hammock.
Entrance and Exit
How you get into and out of your hammock bug net will vary by manufacturer. Some go for a velcro system that splits open down the side of the hammock and lets you easily roll out.
Others prefer zippers that let you securely seal the entrance and slip out down the middle. Think about how you like to get into and out of your hammock and try to find a bug net that best matches that.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best hammock bug net doesn’t need to be too complicated.
Figure out where and how you intend to use it and pick the one with the features you most need.
For most people an inexpensive net with basic features will probably do fine. If you’ve got more strenuous needs make sure you pick out a bug net that matches.