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  1. #71
    Senior Member egrant5329's Avatar
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    In my first attempt at this style bridge (camo version) I didn't have a sleeve and I found it difficult to keep my thermarest prolite in place on entry and while moving around. The sleeve could probably be replaced by a couple of straps to keep the mattress from twisting.

    I'll also add that when the temps are cold the narrow prolite isn't wide enough to keep me warm. Anywhere my sides or arms touched the sides I froze. The cheap wide foam pad feels like the R-value is less, but it is wide enough it protected me.
    Ed

  2. #72
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    I did not even try a narrow mattress and went straight to a wide neoair.

    It barely fits in width in the center so its easy to pin down when entering.
    Not a big deal IMO, but for 2 oz a sleeve is good too. Just looking at numbers.

    A short 1/8 or 1/4 sideways pad might be a solution for you around the shoulders.

    A wide neoair pad is really almost like a bed in my hammock and I think that is the way to go.

    The neoair channels run sideways and even provides more of a flat lay. That said I think Ideally you would want a wide old neoair that is rectangular but it does weigh 4oz more than the new Xlite and they are not made any more.

    Now I just need to work in my memory foam topper and memory foam pillow - LOL.

    If I build another I think I would build it out of 1.65oz and make it a lot wider.

    Got the pole adapter down to 3.2oz for the pair. Red Oak dowel, blue wire nut, Thick nylon washer, Thick nylon 1/4" spacer for the dowel.
    Last edited by tammons; 01-18-2013 at 13:29.

  3. #73
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    LOL - Hiking pole blowout

    Tried adjusting the length with a slightly longer dowel.
    This was at the foot end, but when I was entering and adjusting.
    I guess the wire nut must have been slightly off center or maybe just too much force or both.

    IMO - now to use a hiking pole the wire nut deal is not safe unless you are lightweight and IMO it needs to have a different tip style or a different adapter so the bearing is on the aluminum shaft and not concentrated on the very tip.

    It broke exactly at the end of the alum shaft.

    It snapped down unfortunately and shot through my hammock, but its repairable.

    It did not damage the webbing/tip holder.
    It did not bend the trekking pole.

    Shot off like a rocket.
    Good thing nobody was standing there, well maybe the X would have been a plus.


  4. #74
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    So now I know the above type of hiking pole end wont work safely when loaded on the end with this type of pole holder.

    These are flex tip poles and that is typical on most, but these Komnperdells have two buttons that stick out on the sides that are in the way.

    I now think the downward break was due to the way the pole holders are set up. IE you have to twist up the outer strap to get the pole end in. This imparts some downward rotational force on the pole end when you really want a purely axial load especially loaded on the very tip.

    Obviously when I tried the longer length that increased the axial load and the bending force on the end of the tip and snap. No warning, nothing just an arrow and bow.

    I think this type of tip below will work so I am switching to Leki poles for the more robust expansion nut, supposedly higher quality aluminum and the tip. The Leki tip looks the exact same to me as the black diamond tip.

    This time it will be loaded on the shelf which is over the Alum tubing, via a washer. Not sure how much pressure it will take and that would take some destructive testing but I think it will work fine.


  5. #75
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    Okay now repaired and back to testing.

    My pad sleeve is the full length of the middle section IE about 4'-8" long and arched on the sides. I tried a full size CCF pad, IE fit to the hammock edges and 72" long and it worked but not quite there for total comfort. A full length neoair wide or other pad in this
    hammock would be ideal for me.

    After spending more time in this rig, I find that although fairly comfortable for back sleeping with no CCF or with a CCF there is still a little too much shoulder scrunch on the edges and the foot area is too narrow. For side sleeping, it might be better.

    Also after fiddling with the Neoair pad short wide, I now think because of the narrow foot end that a Neoair Xlite or Xtherm wide will work best for me.

    The neoair I have been testing is very comfortable and very flat. The solution for the cold spots around the edges would be similar to my pad above only thinner and shorter, IE a Xlite wide weighs 16oz and a 1/8 pad that size would weigh 4 oz. 1/4" or 3/8 would do for colder weather.

  6. #76
    Member Tijereyes's Avatar
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    I decided to give this style a try as well. It's still a work in progress (since most of my time is spent on the honey-do list :-D).

    I used some heavy-duty fireproof (!) nylon that I got on ultra-clearance ($0.75/yd) as the main body, with a 1.1 ripstop liner / second layer. I'm going for cord channels as the suspension, with interlocking amsteel dogbones to hold the spreader bars

    Far from lightweight (2.75 lbs so far; probably ~3 lbs + poles when I'm done), but it didn't cost me anything but time, really. I made it big; a buddy of mine who does way more backpacking than I do (and who is a veritable Paul Bunyan of a man) is going to test it out for me. Opted to go for a full-length double layer on the foot end, since I'm not sure what the fireproof coating is on the heavy duty fabric, but it's not very comfortable to lay on.

    What do you think?










  7. #77
    Senior Member egrant5329's Avatar
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    It looks really nice. I'll be very curious to see how the channels work for you. I have not tried channels because it seems like the material would slide on the cord.

    Keep us posted on how it works out.
    Ed

  8. #78
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    Not to be critical or anything, but this is what I would do.

    Heavily Reinforce the areas you have cut out in a U and triple stitch the entire perimeter.

    I never really realized how much force is on these hammocks until I built one.
    They are very comfortable, but after I had a blowout it actually makes me a bit nervous to get in and out of mine.

    The majority of the forces are concentrated at the hang ends obviously and there is a ton of force at the pole ends.

    Just be sure to hang it low to the ground and have a mattress under you or something like that for the first week or so.

    The foot end of mine blew out and my bottom end dropped about a foot onto
    my mattress and even with that my back was squirrelly for a couple of days.

  9. #79
    Member Tijereyes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tammons View Post
    Not to be critical or anything, but this is what I would do.

    Heavily Reinforce the areas you have cut out in a U and triple stitch the entire perimeter.

    I never really realized how much force is on these hammocks until I built one.
    They are very comfortable, but after I had a blowout it actually makes me a bit nervous to get in and out of mine.

    The majority of the forces are concentrated at the hang ends obviously and there is a ton of force at the pole ends.

    Just be sure to hang it low to the ground and have a mattress under you or something like that for the first week or so.

    The foot end of mine blew out and my bottom end dropped about a foot onto
    my mattress and even with that my back was squirrelly for a couple of days.
    Hmm, good advice. I'll be sure to reinforce the cut-outs; I just haven't gotten to that point yet. I was planning to fold over the sewn edge I have and triple-stitch the fold to make the cord channel -- hopefully it'll hold.

    For the head & foot ends (as well as the sliding) I was hoping to use the cord suspension to my advantage. My thought (at the head/foot ends) is to have the two amsteel loops sticking out the ends as little as possible, then larks-head them together using a continuous loop that'll attach to the ridgeline (probably by larks-heading over a descending ring). The thought is that the weight of the occupant will tighten the larks-head enough to keep the two ends together tightly, so I'm not depending so much on the stitching at the ends to keep things together.

    Does that make any sense? It's one of those things that seems like a great idea, but could (will?) turn out to be a disaster when you try to implement it

    Guess we'll see.. good thing I'm not the guinea pig

  10. #80
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    I did the edges like the griz video IE triple fold but continuous. I am not sure how that U shaped cutout will hold, up. Lots of forces right there and you cant roll that inside area.

    I did not build in my loop hang ends.

    I just added a 20" long (I think) strap at the end 1" out in the center to form a loop then sewed the rest down the sides after it was rolled. X stitched it and put a bunch of bar tacks on it. Think about 8-10 down each side.

    At the loop at the ends, I bar tacked that together to make a loop then stitched to the hammock body. Of course you cant sew all the way to the corner due to the webbing thickness, so that was the first thing that popped. If you want some detail photos let me know. Its all black so it doesnt show up too well.

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