The Kammok Dragonfly Insect Net rounded out my hammock setup for a three night trip last fall. To see the Kammok Roo and Python straps review, click here. I slept really well during our trip. The temperatures were cold enough to keep most of the flying insects at bay but I used the Dragonfly to keep spiders and other creepy crawlies out of my face during the night. On the first night out, thunderstorms passed over and we later discovered that tornado warnings had been issued for our area. The Dragonfly helped just a bit in deflecting splashing water away from the hammock. That storm was pretty exciting and I was glad to get every bit of protection my setup could provide.
The Dragonfly is constructed from Kammok‘s Dragonet material and totally encloses the hammock. Dragonet is a no-see-um fabric that does not block the view. Just like a hammock, the Dragonfly is big in the middle and tapers at both ends. Draw strings with cord locks cinch the Dragonfly onto the end of the hammock or hammock suspension and totally seal out our little six and eight legged friends.
A YKK double sided horizontal zipper on one side allows easy entry and exit. No problems with snagging were had but it is necessary to hang onto the fabric while working the zipper. The Dragonfly is just too light to offer enough resistance to the zipper by itself. Kammok provides clips at the top of the Dragonfly to hang onto a provided continuous ridgeline which I chose to do without. Using the ridgeline does provide a bit of extra space inside, but I didn‘t find it necessary. More lines are provided at the ends of the Dragonfly that can be used to securely attach the ends of the bug net and hold everything in place.
Installing the Dragonfly onto the hammock is pretty easy. I found the best to first completely set up the hammock. Next, pass one hand into the Dragonfly all the way through and out the other side. The Dragonfly will be bunched up on your forearm. Detach one end of the hammock from the suspension and grab it with the arm holding the Dragonfly. Move the Dragonfly over your hand and onto the hammock. Re-attach the suspension and spread out the Dragonfly over your hammock. The only tricky part is holding onto the suspension while doing all of this. The suspension is tough to retrieve if dropped.
The Dragonfly packs down to roughly 4.75 inches by 7 inches and mine weighs roughly 12.5 ounces with the ridgeline in the stuff sack. The stuff sack is sewn onto the Dragonfly at the middle of the bottom. A roll and buckle type enclosure is used to seal the stuff sack. Reflective guy lines are used and provide good visibility at night.
The Kammok Dragonfly works just as it should. A bug net sewn onto the hammock is going to be lighter, but there are some advantages to this design. First, it is easy to adjust an underquilt. You can just reach right out a grab it. Second, in hot weather when not using an underquilt, the Dragonfly protects the bottom of the hammock where mosquitoes can otherwise bite. Third, in cold weather when no bugs are about, you can leave the Dragonfly at home and save the weight of a bug net altogether.
The Kammok Dragonfly has an MSRP of $75. Click here to visit the Kammok website and check out all of their well-made gear.
– Mark