Creating your own homemade mosquito net is a simple, cost-effective way to protect yourself against warm-weather pests you may encounter on your travels. PVC tubing provides a great, low-price framework for constructing a simple mosquito net and PVC is also a lightweight material for traveling. For less than $10 you can purchase all of the PVC materials that you will need at any home construction store. You will need to purchase four pieces of 10-foot PVC tubing that has a diameter of 3/4 inch (you will cut the tubes down to the desired length at home). You also will need eight PVC slip caps (3/4 inch in diameter as well). This quantity of materials will be sufficient for the construction of two full-sized mosquito nets; for more or less, divide the quantities accordingly (one net would require two pieces of PVC tubing and four PVC slip caps). You also will need duct tape and the mosquito netting itself when you set up camp on your actual excursion.
After you have attached the slip caps to the ends of each PVC piece, the tubes will be approximately 10 feet, 1 inch in length. At this point you will cut each tube into two roughly equal sized tubes, measuring 5 feet each. Take an additional 18 inches off of four of these tubes, so that you are left with four tubes measuring 3.5 feet in length and four tubes measuring 5 feet in length.
When you have arrived at your destination, you will use the duct tape to attach each of the PVC tubes to the bedposts or bed corners. Ensure that you tape the longer tubes to the side of the bed that is closest to the center of your tent, so the smaller poles can stand next to the downward sloping outer sides. Finally, simply drape the mosquito netting across the poles, ensuring that the poles are not touching the tent itself. At this point, you may also want to tape the netting to three of the poles to ensure that it stays in place while you sleep.
