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  1. #1
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    first night in a bmbh

    So a buddy of mine and I went out to Honey Hill Recreation Area in Francis Marion National Forest for an overnight. I took along my WBBB just in case, but plans were to sleep in the BMBH I borrowed from Fin.

    I used my No Sniveller as an underquilt, no pad and my Snug Pak 20* synthetic bag. I'm not sure if I had the UQ suspension set up right, though. I used the JRB suspension through the steel ring where the two webbing straps come from the corners of the hammock then hooked the biners into the grosgrain loops on the UQ. Since my quilt has FLOT, I sealed that up against the side of the hammock. I had some cold spots on my lower back and my hips where they were against the bottom of the hammock, but for the most part I was very warm. I even woke up sweating and had to remove my fleece jacket.

    Sleeping flat on my side was great, but I'm not sure I had the hammock suspended correctly either. I'd wake up every now and again with my head against the end cap. I'd tried adjusting the suspension a couple of times but always seemed to end up with my head cramped up into the hammock end.

    Overall, I was comfortable sleeping and the setup was easy, but I think I need a wider option. The only real complaint I have is the perceived instability when sitting up to get out of the hammock.

  2. #2
    Senior Member RAW's Avatar
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    Was the one you used the newer model with the wider bars?
    As a bigger guy, I'm curious if the BMBH would work for me.
    I'm very interested in trying one out before I'd buy.

  3. #3
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    It's weird how that instability thing works. That was also my first impression. First time set up in the woods I went to sit up and nearly fell out of the thing! Strangely, since I got used to it, I find it to be one of my most stable hammocks overall. I don't know what the dif is. It helped me be less concerned though when I tried to roll out on purpose and found it really difficult.

    If you have not already, just try to make sure there is about 9'6" between the outer rings. Or, if the net is on it, just pull it so the net is tight and then back off a bit. Also, seems like when it is about right, the ends are lower than the middle, a "reverse banana", opposite what you see with a gathered end.

    Also, I think too tight it gets more unstable. Too loose, not sure, but I suspect the overall width gets a bit more narrow, or so it seems to me.

    Once again opposite: your head was hitting the end, instead of the typical 1st experience in a gathered end! Kind of funny, every thing seems opposite with this hammock(except being comfortable). In fact, I almost always hang the foot end a bit higher with all other hammocks, rather than level, or else I slide to the foot. But with the BMBH, I actually have to hang the head higher than the foot, by at least a few inches, or my head is too low. Plus, I def need a good pillow with this hammock. Unless I am far enough to one end so that my head is on the end caps. But a good pillow is better.

    Don't know about other UQs, but when I set it up with the MWUQ, I connect the elastics to the outer ring, then run the biner through the loops on the hammock ends, then connect biners to UQ. Turning the hammock upside down and laying the quilt on top of the hammock, correctly oriented, makes it easier for me to keep the quilt off the ground during set up. That only works with the BMBH.

    Glad to hear you were comfortable on your 1st night. If you think you might prefer gathered end, don't give up on it too quick, as you have it to play with. It's so different! If you think you have too much shoulder "squeeze" on your back, experiment with going just barely side ways, like an inch or two off center. It still pretty much feels like I am on my back, and very comfortable. But, this gets one shoulder up, sort of out of the hammock, so that only the back of the shoulder is in contact with the hammock. So it can't really be "squeezed".

  4. #4
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RAW View Post
    Was the one you used the newer model with the wider bars?
    As a bigger guy, I'm curious if the BMBH would work for me.
    I'm very interested in trying one out before I'd buy.
    I didn't know the newer model was wider. Stronger yes, but I didn't know about wider. Is this correct, that it is wider?

    Raw, How wide are your shoulders?

  5. #5
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    @ RAW - I'm not sure what model this one is. I think the spreader bars are ~2ft long.

    @ BillyBob - I didn't really have shoulder squeeze lying on my back, but I wasn't trying to sleep on my back. Side sleeping was fine, but I eventually had to stuff a jacket and blanket under my head. You're right about needing the pillow. I had one that I got from pgibson @ Arrowhead, but it's way too small for that hammock. If I continue on the path to bridge hammocks, I'll probably get an inflatable pillow.

    Does putting a pad in the pocket help with keeping the hammock flat?

    Thanks for the advice on it. I'm wondering if there's a way to get a bridge that's maybe 6 or so inches wider.

  6. #6
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulminated View Post
    @ RAW - I'm not sure what model this one is. I think the spreader bars are ~2ft long.

    @ BillyBob - I didn't really have shoulder squeeze lying on my back, but I wasn't trying to sleep on my back...........

    Does putting a pad in the pocket help with keeping the hammock flat?

    Thanks for the advice on it. I'm wondering if there's a way to get a bridge that's maybe 6 or so inches wider.
    My(old style) spreaders are 31.25" total length.

    A full width pad does seem to flatten(left to right) and widen the hammock. It doesn't actually widen it, width being primarily controlled by the bars, at the shoulders anyway. But, I guess it "flattens" the bottom, by decreasing the amount you can sink down into the hammock? Which feels at least a bit like wider.

  7. #7
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
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    BillyBob - the Bridge Hammock can easily fool you about the head end and foot end and being level.

    But it's not too hard to understand. In a gathered end hammock the weight is shared equally by both ends of the hammock. The fabric of the hammock carries the load to the suspension ropes and each suspension rope carries 50% of the load.

    This is NOT true in a Bridge Hammock. The arc webbing/cord carries the load to the suspension, not the fabric as in a gathered end hammock. The load is carried from the bottom of the arc to the end.

    Thus any load past the bottom of the arc towards the head is carried to the head end suspension only and any load past the bottom of the arc towards the feet is carried to the foot end suspension only.

    Now most of the weight of the human body is in the buttocks and above, i.e., at approximately the mid-point of the body to the head. Most people lay in a Bridge with their buttocks at approximately the bottom of the arc or slightly to the foot end. Thus most of the weight is carried by the head end suspension.

    I usually estimate that the load is split 60% head end suspension to 40% foot end suspension. it might actually be closer to 65%/35%, but 60%/40% is a good estimate. For somebody with an especially well developed/muscled upper body, the split could be even more uneven.

    Thus as you have probably guessed by now, when you get in a Bridge and lie down, the head end of the hammock is going to end up sinking more than the foot end will. The sag angle on the head end will be greater than the foot end sag angle. This is another topic and leads to other rather surprising effects for a Bridge Hammock - surprising for people who have used gathered end hammocks exclusively.

    If you hang the Bridge Hammock with a level ridge line (real or virtual), that ridge line (real or virtual) will no longer be level when the hammock is occupied. Instead the head end will be lower than the foot end.

    To compensate, if you want a level ridge line, you have to hang the head end higher than the foot end.

    I like a level ridge line when in my Bridge and so have to hang the head end about 6" to 8" higher than the foot end to get that level ridge line. The amount varies of course with the tree span.
    Last edited by TeeDee; 11-29-2009 at 15:29.
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  8. #8
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulminated View Post
    @ RAW - I'm not sure what model this one is. I think the spreader bars are ~2ft long.

    @ BillyBob - I didn't really have shoulder squeeze lying on my back, but I wasn't trying to sleep on my back. Side sleeping was fine, but I eventually had to stuff a jacket and blanket under my head. You're right about needing the pillow. I had one that I got from pgibson @ Arrowhead, but it's way too small for that hammock. If I continue on the path to bridge hammocks, I'll probably get an inflatable pillow.

    Does putting a pad in the pocket help with keeping the hammock flat?

    Thanks for the advice on it. I'm wondering if there's a way to get a bridge that's maybe 6 or so inches wider.
    From what I understand about the BMBH, you don't need or really want a "wider" BMBH. What you really need is a longer spreader bar for the head end and leave the foot end spreader bar as is. If I remember correctly the fabric is 49" wide on the end. For the fabric width, you need a spreader bar at least 35". Of course, that would necessitate drastic modifications to the hammock and void your warranty. I think Mule did some modifications along those lines to his at one time.
    Those who sacrifice freedom for safety, have neither.

    Do not dig your grave with your teeth. (Unknown)

  9. #9
    Senior Member MedicineMan's Avatar
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    For levelness (if that's a word) a line-level from ACE is super cheap and not even 1/2 ounce in weight.
    For 'perceived instability' the first time i got into the bridge I thought back to my kayak, in grading kayaks there is initial stability and secondary stability, the bridge has the later but not the former...i ended up taking a guy line from the corner ring to the ground on one side to stop the swinging more quickly, third time just reached to the ground after I was in and stopped the motion by pushing the ground.
    Tightness- I think my chest is freekish in width but felt comfortable the first time i climbed in.
    Gaps-if you've got a JRB BMBH, the MWUQ was made exactly for it.

  10. #10
    Senior Member RAW's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    I didn't know the newer model was wider. Stronger yes, but I didn't know about wider. Is this correct, that it is wider?
    Actually, I guess the spreaders may not be any wider. I just thought that someone had said they were.

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