Imps-net™ Combat & Survival Net

[TeeDee]

Has anybody here tried sleeping in one of these:

http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.exe/agcatalog/level4c.tam?xax=24844&pagenumber%2Eptx=1&M5COPY%2Ectx=7824&M5%2Ectx=7824&M2%5FDESC%2Ectx=Emergency%20Preparedness%2C%20Surv ival%20%26%20Lifesaving%20Supplies&level3%2Ectx=level3c%2Etam&BC3%2Ectx=Survival%20%26%20First%20Aid%2C%20Food%2 0Rations%2C%20Water%20%26%20Fuel%20Storage&BC4%2Ectx=Emergency%20Preparedness%2C%20Survival%2 0%26%20Lifesaving%20Supplies&backto=%2Fagcatalog%2Flevel3c%2Etam

I purchased one many, many months back on a whim after reading Ranger Rick's web site. The price is good, multiple uses.

Got curious today and decided to finally unpack and hang it.

Took a while to make sure it wasn't tangled. The nylon netting ends were severed by a hot knife- I think - and some of them got stuck together. At first I thought they had woven a hole near one end, but then finally figured out that the nylon string ends were simply melted together. Pulled apart easily.

Strung the provided nylon rope through the netting ends, wrapped around my basement hammock stand and back through the provided rings. Pulled fairly tight, but it stretched quite a bit.

Gingerly got into the hammock. I was wearing levi's and the netting kept catching every seam on my butt. Finally got a somewhat centered position and stretched out.

I was really pleasantly surprised. The hammock is really pretty good. Only spent 5 to 10 minutes lying in it, but it was comfortable if somewhat narrow. Not wide enough for my shoulders and my arms hung outside the netting. Couldn't figure what I would do with my arms if sleeping in one.

It would be a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the ground especially in a situation where it would be pressed into use - no sleeping pads. It would also be further away from the creepy-crawlies if those bother you - I don't like sleeping with them. I always think that one would crawl into my mouth while sleeping - kind of like inhaling no-seeums while breathing deeply in the summer :afraid: .

If pressed I think I could spend the night in one.

At 9 oz it can be easily carried in almost any cranny in the pack, even in a pocket - pack or pants.

My biggest complaint was the fact that the netting kept catching on the seams around the back pockets on my Levi's. That kept me from feeling comfortable moving around much.

It is strictly warm weather equipment.

The manual, a simple piece of cardboard a few inches square that lists the items included, the specs and a couple of pictures on use. The specs list the capacity at 500 lbs. I wasn't pushing anywhere near that, but it held me comfortably.

Has anybody spent a night or more than 10 minutes in one of these?

Any opinions on doing so?

[Take-a-knee]

Yes, my unit used to issue something quite similar, maybe the same thing, we used to use them more for camo than anything else, good for hiding rucksacks in the objective rally point, especially if you tie some garnish strips from a torn up camo net onto it. I remember sleeping in it one night at a range that was crawling with fire ants. I don't remember it being real comfortable but I might not have had it stretched tight enough, I was much better off than the guys on the ground battling the ants. I saw a mosquito net somewhere that was a tube with elastic at each end, you'd need that to go with this hammock.

[TeeDee]

Hmmmm - with the mosquito netting, I could use the BPL guyline cord for a structural ridgeline. That would keep th netting away from my face.

Like you say - better than battling the fire ants on the ground. :biggrin: And for the weight and multi-use, not bad to have along in the right country and weather conditions.

[Pappyhighlife]

Yep! bought one from BQ years ago. It took me one day of a three day camp to confirm it sucks for sleeping fell out twice just before dawn. Had it rigged tight too.
But I still use it for hanging food fishing and a gear net around the campsite.

I can string it under my HH and store my ruck in it at night stuff like that.
My buddy uses one to tie under his string hammock when he sleeps in trees.
(Don't Ask, he's just not right! But that's another story.)

Anyway his theory is if he falls out during the night the baby hammock will catch him. Nice guy but just a tad different.

Anyway I have found many good uses for the baby hammock, it's so small and light weight. A real good fishing net. But for sleeping Nah! it just didn't do for me. Your right about catching seams and buttons it can be rigged as a camp chair. We should post the gear we obtained and never used again.

[Just Jeff]

I slept in those several times before I discovered real camping hammocks. They're adequately comfortable and not much more, and they weigh about the same as a ripstop nylon hammock (my mesh hammock is about 9 oz, my RN ones are much bigger and weigh ~10-12 oz including supports). Of course I can't catch fish with ripstop!

I always caught my BDU buttons in the mesh, too.