Cargo net tricks

The neighbor saw me repainting my cargo net tricks, and said "That's neat! where did you learn that?" Umm. I thought it up.  "have you told other people about it?" No, don't think so.

I carry a cargo net in my truck, useful for all kinds of things. I installed 3 loops per side on the top edge of the bed of the truck and hooks at the back of the cab and the tailgate, so I can attach the net, or other tie downs easily.

I have good metal hooks I use rather than the plastic ones that came with the cheap nets, but they would work this way too.

When I get a new net I lay it out on the ground flat, find the long sides, and carefully gather each loop of the edge sections on the long sides. I lay them out nicely in a stack, spread them just a bit, then spray paint the loops, several coats, and flip them over too. This makes it so you can always find the sides of the net.

I paint my good metal hooks in pairs, purple, blue and turquoise (or whatever colors) and put them on the edges of the net so each color is across the truck bed from it's mate. I end up moving them to adjust as needed, but I keep them basically spaced right but closer to one end than the other. I always need more net at one end.

So how does this all work? When I take it off the truck, I grab the hooks in order on each side, then hold all the hooks together, and the net is now folded, I lay it in the truck that way (I tuck it in the crack by the toolbox.) When I pick it up to use it, I pick it up by the hooks, find the sets, and put the hooks on the loops down one side in order purple, blue, turquoise, then walk to the other side and hook it going up, turquoise, blue, purple, then adjust tightness as needed by moving hooks. If I get it snarled up , I can shake it out, and see the colored edges easily, makes it fast to untangle it.  

I don't know why they don't mark them like this when they sell them. It's a lot easier. I net many things by myself with no hassle at all. I have seen people get so mad at tangles and hooks and just throw them away in frustration. That's probably why they aren't marked, more repeat business when people need to buy another.  :D

I just got a PM asking me for pictures of this. It's pouring rain. I'll get some up in a day or two :D

Ok. Pictures, finally.
When I put the net away, I gather all the hooks in my hand, this makes the rest of the net fold neatly on it's own.
When I pick the cargo net up out of the truck, I grab it by the hooks, and it looks like this hanging there.



I find the hooks for the two sides, keeping it in the folded position, then open it up, each side of hooks in a hand. Had to lay it down to take a picture, I didn't have a camera hand left :D



To use it, I hook each side with the colors in the order I use to the loops on the truck. My hooks can move around for tensioning it.



When it's laid out flat you can see the hook layout, and the painted edges that make it easy to untangle it when needed. (Like the macrame cord repair on this one?)



And this is how an edge looks when it's gathered neatly for painting (this one just got new paint.) Gather it like this, lay it on cardboard or something, and paint the loops, flip it over, and paint the other side too. Both edges, both sides.



You'd be amazed how much more useful this makes my nets. I had a guy working with me groan when he saw me pull out a net, "I hate those things, they are a pain to deal with!" I handed him one side of hooks, said "Purple hook toward the cab, blue in the middle, turquoise toward the bed" and we were done in 20 secs. He was stunned. It wasn't a mess, it wasn't a problem, and it was quick and easy. I'm almost that fast doing it by myself. Its REALLY worth considering something similar if you use a cargo net.

:D