Discussion: Burlap, leafy cut, Military netting, or ??? for Boat Blind

NickR

NickR

Well-known member
I'm building a boat blind based very closely on Carl's plans. It's on a 14' Alumacraft F7 - a basic 14'er with benches.

If you aren't familiar with Carl's blind, it involves conduit uprights with a PVC top rail that is easily removable. The blind material can be fixed to the top rail like a curtain on a curtain rod. I'll be hunting cattails and pencil reeds / bulrushes in Minnesota.

What should I use for camo material? It will take approximately 35 feet of material to circle the boat. I will probably cut it into multiple sections. I'd like to use Military netting, but I'm concerned that it is too dark and possibly a little heavy(?)

As always, cost is an issue.

Any and all commentary will be appreciated.

Thanks!

NR
 
Nick,

Don't be afraid to mix and match.This is a 14-ft V-hull under a 10 X 20 military net. I first cut (separated the panels length wise down the center for the cockpit opening leaving the ends un-separated. Then wove burlap strips into the net to lighten the color, provide a change in texture and in my case I strung them vertically to provide a reed / phragmites impression. I used the net for years until enough of the "leafs detached. I thought of adding a bunch more burlap but that would have increased the weight and held a lot more moisture. If using the flip boards now I either use fast grass or drape with burlap panels.

farris5.jpg


Best,
Scott
 
I like the depth the mil. net. provides, but it is too dark as you said. Scott has a good idea weaving the burlap strips in or ya can rattle can some pattern to break-up the dark blob look. You can tie some reed bundles on it to break-up the outline too. Burlap makes a good base, but it soakes up rain like crazy & if it freezes its like iron, it can be painted to match your background too. I'v used the leaf cut stuff too. It comes in a pattern/ color that can be matched to your background. It breakes the wind ok, shedes rain, but its lite weight needs to be tied down on the bottom or wind will move it too much. With the leaf cut make shure it's printed on both sides, I had some that was white(not printed) on 1 side, I don't like that on the inside of a blind.
 
I like the look of raffia grass tied on to the netting. i like fastgrass or realgrass but it is expensive.
 
I cut a cam0system's "praire grass" colored net in half (length wise) and cable tied strips of averycamo mosquito netting material to emulate a mud buddy shaggy blind. I used the mosquito neting because it does not soak up water like burlap.

In the past, I have added raffia grass to an Avery quickset blind. It looked great and provided depth to the blind. However, I cussed it everytime we deployed the long lines. The raffia always tangled in the clips and was general nusciance.
 
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Thanks for the discussion!

I forgot to ask in the first post and it sounds like I have my answer, but just to be clear . . .

If I buy the Military Netting or the CamoSystems netting, I can cut it up w/o it falling apart?

Thanks again,
NR
 
This probably isn't the right place to ask, but where can Carl's design be found? Two buddies are in the middle of a similar project on their 16 foot Lund. After talking to both of them this week I know they are not the same page about implementing their back of the napkin design, but they don't seem to realize that yet. A workable design and some photos would provide a boost to their creative juices. :)
 
Some great advise for your blind...I had burlap on my blinds (Mud Buddy's Shaggy blinds) and have since removed every bit of it as I got tired of eating strands of it in everything I ate, spitting out peices in the morning coffee, replacing bilge pumps twice a season, and cleaning it out of everything. I replaced it with rafia grass ziptied to netting and couldn't be happier. I got the rafia from J Stern for $150 and had enough to cover my 1854 LegendCraft, a 12" Gregor, my Four Rivers, and still had enough to make some top covers for all the boats.
 
Barre Army Navy usually has a great deal on basic green/brown military netting, I love the stuff I bought off them two years ago. Great stuff. I use it doubled over, with the brown out, so the green shows through from the back.
View attachment BoatBlind1.jpg
 
This probably isn't the right place to ask, but where can Carl's design be found? Two buddies are in the middle of a similar project on their 16 foot Lund. After talking to both of them this week I know they are not the same page about implementing their back of the napkin design, but they don't seem to realize that yet. A workable design and some photos would provide a boost to their creative juices. :)
Click to expand...



I planned to post some pics when I'm done. If you want some preliminary pics, let me know. I hope to get all the materials by the end of the weekend, but I don't know if that'll work out.

NR
 
Well, I am a DIY kind of guy. If it were my boat, I would get some 1" shrimp netting and make two pieces - one for port and one for the starboard sides of the boat. Tie on some jute twine, cut up burlap, dyed fabric of your choice (old white T-shirt works great), and some killer weed from Avery or palm fronds/leaves. Add to the netting as you fit with whatever material you can find. The cheaper, the better.



Nate
 
I used military netting for my blind because I had it and do not care for it to much. It catches on everything but it was free. I wanted to replace it but did not have the funds so I started just draping burlap over it in sections. This has worked really well. The burlap is heavy enough that it stays in place and having the separate pieces breaks up the boat into sections because the boat is not covered with just one material which I think hides it better.
 
I have used burlap for the past 3 years on my boat. Rattle can spray paint and local vegetation works well. Burlap does get heavy when wet and does not block wind well but if your on a budget it will work in a pinch.
 
Hey Nick -

There is military netting and there is military netting and most of them I have tried at some point. Here is what I have learned.

1. Thelight airy fluffy stuff sold by avery and others is junk. It is a non woven material, shiny, too lightweight, rips easily and blows all over the place.
2. Military netting that is sold as "German WWII" netting (or other surplus netting) can also be junk. The plastic they use does not suit Minnesota very well as wen it gets eral cold, this stuff gets real stiff. Any type of blind you are putting on you boat that is a folding or removable design, you will have problems with the netting folding nice and clean. The netting either comes with a "netting" or some type attached to the back or not. If these is a net it is good to prevent rips from propagating but it is a poor design. This netting is glued onto the camo and the glue does not hold up well in cold weather.
3. Raffia grass is great when tied to a net of some type. Looks natural.
4. Best camo netting I have found used to be available as "Bushy Ridge" camo netting". This was the real stuff that the US military is currently using. Eric P. knows about this stuff and can vouch for it. It was made by Teledyne (I believe) and is made of plastic that does not get stiff in the cold. It also comes with a net attached or without. This net is attached by metal rings and it never comes a part. The plastic camo part can alos take regular paint to add some "highlights".

Whereas other camo netting would last a couple of years or slightly longer, the Bushy Ridge material has lasted many many seasons and it still looks as though it will go many more. Here is the problem with the Bushy Ridge material - It is very hard to find as the Bushy Ridge product. Turns out the stuff also reflected radar or soemthing or antoher and the pot growers found this featuer useful somehow. Turns out the bigeest purchaseer of this product, other than the military, wasn't sportsman but large scale dope growers.

Cabelas sells the new version of the Bushy Ridge material but it does not have the netting. While not as durable as the stuff with the netting, it is still much better than the "German WWII" netting sold by others. Here is the link to the stuff but they are sold out. Might be worth a call to see when they might be getting more in.

http://www.armynavydeals.com/asp/products_details.asp?SKU=6514&ST=2

Another link for Bushy Ridge

http://www.wingsupply.com/shop/Scripts/prodViewSKU.asp?SKU=RLM10

The product by Camo systems may be a private labelled Bushy Ridge product. Similar construction and all. I know Cabela's sells this brand as well as many others. Herer is one link

http://www.flyingtigerssurplus.com/big-id-8-shbgid-3591.html

One more link to what looks like it could be Bushy Ridge material

https://www.armynavydeals.com/asp/products_details.asp?SKU=MC237&catid=1583&ItemName=Military Issue Camo Net 10'x20' Color#7

Mark W
 
another vote for bushy ridge. much more durable than anything i have ever had before, and much better than camo systems. still have some tan bushy ridge from about 8 years ago, and just bought some new brown/green from wingsupply. only drawback is the limited colors available.
 
I realize you never know what you're going to get but about 10 years ago I ordered a triangular piece of the 3 color military heavy duty stuff at a surplus store...I think I paid $80. This thing was gigantic...it was for a howitzer the size of them my garage I guess. It was unused. I used some of it for large panels and I often cut scraps for small details. It's held up amazingly. With rare exceptions I use the netting to hold natural vegetation that I cut in the area I'm hunting. It's a very versatile background unless you are hunting bleached out reeds etc.
 
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