Handy Bag - Mist Net Storage Bag

The problem. Mist nets ship in grocery bags. The grocery bag handles provide a great way to keep trammel lines separated and easy to find. Unfortunately after so many uses the bags are destroyed and replaced. We searched for a thick mil color coded grocery bag for our own use and apparently this type of bag just is not manufactured. White Nose Syndrome and the stringent decontamination protocols finally killed the mist net grocery bag storage system in 2009. With the WNS decon protocols, we may be washing and attempting to dry dozens of mist nets every night. Washing a mist net in a plastic bag....well, just doesn't work. We tried lingerie bags, mesh bags used to keep delicates together in the laundry, but the nets tear when snagged on the zippers, and they snag all the time. Worse yet, both grocery bags and laundry bags are susceptible to other items in your kit bag puncturing and snagging nets.

The handy solution. These heavy duty mesh bags are custom manufactured exclusively for BCM. Smaller than the laundry bags and stiffer too so the bag shape is maintained, making it easier to find the opening. The bags come with NO drawstring. End users add simple 5/32'' neon cord (Handy Rope sold separately) for color coding you net sizes. The idea is to simulate the large handles of a grocery bag using about 22'' of accessory cord, keeping the trammel lines organized the way you are familiar with, not simply dropped in the bag to become a nightmare to fish out later. With the cord color coded to your mist net length, you no longer have to individually mark each net, or rely on labels and ink that fades over time. Our Handy Bag should outlast your mist net. Updated May 2014 with softer mesh that the net does not stick to or snag on the seams.

WNS Decon. Your mist net lives in its storage bag. It is washed in that bag as well. Every time the net is removed from a bag there is a chance it is going to get damaged. If you just put an entire net in a lingerie bag, soak it in WNS decon solution, and spin-dry it in the bag, often the net will come out with a knot because the trammel lines were not secure throughout this process. With a Handy Bag, the lines are always secure. The bag is color coded to net length. Nets are washed, dried, and stored in the same bag, without needing you to remove the net from the bag. In addition, the heavy fine mesh is much more puncture resistant than a grocery bag and lingerie bag combined.

Making your closure. Handy Bags are shipped with no drawstring closure. Use Handy Rope or your own if you want different colors. Develop your own color coding system to keep your mist nets organized at a glance. We suggest using 22'' or 24'' of Handy Rope for each Handy Bag. This allows the cord to be long enough to keep trammel lines separate and tie the bag closed easily. BCM uses green for 2.6m nets, orange for 6m nets, yellow for 9m nets, and white for 12m nets.

How to use this Handy Bag. These bags are made of a mesh material which will soften after a few washes (some people wash them a few times before use). You may be used to allowing the net to pull out of the grocery bag during deployment. It is best to open the bag and completely remove the net in one motion, then deploy the net keeping the net bundle controlled under an arm, etc. If this is already your net deployment method then you should perfectly comfortable using the Handy Bag. If using a spin dryer, be sure the drum is balanced properly and not overloaded where damage to bags and nets may occur. Handy Bags are NOT returnable if they are used. 

Available In Stock, Usually Ships 1-2 Days