Cargo nets aren’t a lot of fun – unless you have a little imagination and a certain disregard for common sense, in which case they can be heaps of fun. We’ve put together a list of fun, weird, innovative, and downright ridiculous things you can do with cargo nets. Most of them are a mixture of all of the above adjectives, actually!
Family Fun Times
One of the unexpected benefits of cargo nets being so strong and durable is that they’re great for outdoor fun with the kids. The only real limit here is your imagination, but to get you started, here are three ideas we find interesting:
Extreme Blanket Fort
Cargo nets are kind of like blankets, right? Right? Well, no. But you could build a great backyard fort with them, whether you go whole hog and build a frame to attach it to or just sling a net over a tree. If you use the thick mesh variety they’ll make a sturdy, shady shelter. Use a more ropey variety and you’ve got a fort you can climb (assuming the net is well secured).
Climbing Wall
Speaking of climbing, these things can support a lot of weight. Secure one to a wall of the house or garage and you’ve got a very fun, only mildly dangerous climbing wall!
Swingy Bridge
This one requires a bit more construction, but if you build a solid frame and have a cargo net hanging down between it, you’ll find yourself with a very strong, very swingy backyard bridge.
Heavy Duty Hammock
Do you know what’s great about hammocks? Swinging in the breeze, sipping a beer, reading a Dean Koontz novel and hoping no one sees you. Know what’s not so great about hammocks? Their inability to support loads up to 1000 kilograms! Sling out a cargo net between two trees and you’ll have a tough oversize hammock the whole family (or a small rhinoceros) can enjoy!
Sleep-Walker Security
Do you ever wake up in the morning and go to eat some leftover pizza for breakfast only to find your sleepwalking housemate or spouse or child asleep on the kitchen floor covered in grease and pepperoni? All the time, right? Sleepwalking is one of the most mysterious and annoying behaviours humans exhibit. But, with a little ingenuity and a high-quality cargo net, it doesn’t have to be. In case you haven’t caught the drift, I’ll spell it out – strap them down under a cargo net while they’re sleeping (with their permission, of course). They’ll be able to breathe just fine, but what they won’t be able to do is steal the last slice of meat-lovers!
Pokémon Prison
Are you a tradie who’s also a total nerd? Or are you a total nerd who happens to own a ute? Either way, you’re probably putting yourself in dangerous situations playing Pokémon Go all the time. You’re probably also frustrated that you can’t show off your collection of fighting anime abominations in every waking (or sleepwalking) moment. Be frustrated no more! All you need is a cargo net for your ute and a winch pole or similar. Secure the corners of the net to the pole and you’ve got yourself a traveling Pokémon prison. You’ll need to buy plushy representations of each Pokémon you catch, of course, but once it starts to fill up you’ll have all the nerdy street cred.
