The purpose of a glow in the dark cargo net is to quickly, efficiently and safely secure a load during night time loading. I also use other tie downs techniques in conjunction with the net.

How to Flash the Glow in the Dark Material

I use a high-powered camera flash unit to charge the glow in the dark material. It doesn’t have to be an expensive flash, it just needs a flash test button. The flash is used multiple times from all angles inches from the net. The net will glow. A headlamp is also useful for loading.

Problems of Making A DIY Glow In the Dark Cargo Net

It takes a long time to make a cargo net.

It also takes hundreds of feet of rope or cord to make the net. If the rope is expensive, the costs add up. I used nylon rope or polypropylene rope to cut down on cost.

There are also hundreds of connections in the net. It is very time consuming to make these connections. I used a twisted and wrapped wire loop inserted through both pieces of rope to make the connections. I twist the wire tight and then wrap the wire around the rope using pliers. I then hammered the wire assembly flat using an anvil. I applied wrapped electrical tape or clear silicone caulking over top of the metal to stop the metal from scratching the load. Other possible solutions which I have not tested yet include:

1. Using a commercial aluminum rope sleeve to make the connections.

2. Cut thicker aluminum pipe which is just thick enough to fit through both rope pieces into ½ inch pieces. Hammer the pipe piece flat on the anvil to connect the rope pieces through the clamping action of the squished aluminum pipe piece. Apply clear silicone caulking or wrapped electrical tape on top of the metal.

3. Use electrical staples and putting the two rope pieces through the legs of the staple and then bend the electrical staple legs over top of the rope and hammer the legs flat to pinch the rope in place.

You need to find some creative rope connecting technique that works for you.

Net Lay Out

The braided nylon rope perimeter of the net is laid out on the grass and pegged into place. The polypropylene net is connected to the nylon using a top ossel knot and a wire connection. A smaller net hole diameter is better, because it does not tangle as easily.

Marking The Net—It Improves Loading Efficiency

The net needs to be marked because a pile of net is sometimes confusing. To load efficiently, you need to know where the middle of the net is, where the corners are, and which side of the net is longest. I mark the middle of the net using fluorescent pink yarn wrapped around the rope. I mark the corners using fluorescent green yarn. I mark the longest side of the net by substituting a red piece of rope for the usual yellow pieces of rope.

Adding Glow Material

A net needs lots of glow in the dark material in order to work properly. Once the net is flashed, the whole net should really glow brightly. You’ve got to test the glow in the dark material. Some products glow brightly, and some products glow dimly. For example, I found that I had to apply lots of shirt paint to the nylon rope in order to get it to glow. The more glow in the dark material you can put on the net, the better. This glow in the dark material has to be attached to the net. I used glow in the dark shirt paint and glow in the dark plastic lacing or gimp. Other glow in the dark products are also possibilities. I attached the plastic lacing or gimp using a simple knot through one of the strands of rope and then either attaching two cable ties to either side of the knot or simply applying clear silicone caulking over top of the plastic lacing knot. The cable ties are cut with side cutters and the sharp ends are sanded smooth with rough sandpaper.

Storing The Net

I store the net on either a spool of some kind or in a nylon duffle bag, backpack or reusable shopping bag. Be creative and find another solution. The net should be dry when stored.

Tying Off The Cargo Net On The Truck

The pick-up truck needs to have lots of tie off points in order for this net system to work. The net is attached to the truck by use of ropes. The ropes are “sew” through the holes in the net and the tie off points and then pulled tight. This technique acts almost like a winch. Another option I use is to tie off on the tie off point, run the rope through the net, winch the net tight by pulling down on the rope, and then tie off on the net or a tie off point.

Good Quality Ropes And Good Knot Techniques Are Very Important

Be sure to use good rope, good knots and good tying techniques. To use this technique, you need to know how to tie knots and how to use them safely and appropriately. Using this technique requires a certain amount of skill.

I hope you enjoyed watching the video. Stay safe and Have A Great Day!