Bridge Hammock Question

[GW Sears]

I've been reading all the stuff that I can find on the bridge hammock, and nowhere have I found a description of how you stow one away or the size of the bundle that you have to find space for.

How do you fold up a bridge hammock, and roughly how much space does it take up in your pack?

[Ramblinrev]

I have made Blackbishop bags for mine. I just cram the beatie into the bag. It's not all that big unless you include the Underquilts. Then it depends on what you are carrying.. ie synth, down,, ccf,, I'd have to measure the bundle and I don't really have one handy to do that atm. Maybe later today if noone else chimes in.

I know, not including the tarp and suspension rigging, my wife's DIY bridge packs down smaller than my HH Safari. (Which isn't saying all that much given the size of the Safari.)

[FanaticFringer]

Not really different than any other hammock. My JRB spreader bars fit in my side pocket of my backpack. When using my DIY bridge, I'm using my hiking poles as spreaddr bars.
I even use snakeskins on my JRB bridge.

[Dutch]

Unless you are making a real long one it should be less than a gathered hammock. I think most gathered hammocks are 10' x 60" and a bridge is 6' 5" x 50" plus the end caps if you have then. Mine fit in a blue Wally world stuff sack. It is a little bigger then a Nalgene bottle and it goes in the bottom of my pack on top of my quilt/bag.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I made a "Bishop Bag", a sack with a hole in the bottom that the suspension cord passes through. Has a draw-string at the top. The bag lives on the suspension cord just above (e.g. closer to the tree) the top of a suspension triangle, with the opening towards the hammock.

To pack up I disconnect the suspension from tree at the other end of the hammock, and while holding the hammock in the air

• coil the suspension cord from the freed end and lay that on the hammock end
• start rolling the hammock body into a cylinder, towards the bag, folding sides up into the center as I go. It is not particularly neat nor precise. But brings the volume down over just stuffing it.

When I get to the bag I put the cylinder in, disconnect the suspension line from the bag side, coil it and put it into the bag, and close up the bag. My tree straps go into a bag with stakes because they have gotten some sap on them and so I keep them separated from the rest of the stuff.

I had my dual mode bridge out yesterday doing a little door to door hammock evangelization (, actually, was at a couple of picnics, back-to-back at the same location, so brought it to take a break. Did actually get a lot of interest...) so it's out of the pile and I just measured it. The cylinder is about 13" high and 5" in diameter. But this is a long gathered end hammock as well as a bridge. My bridge only versions---bundled up the same way---are significantly smaller. More like the nalgene that Dutch describes.

The bag I use is big enough so that I can roll the hammock with my short 5/8 length (48/80) lightweight UQ attached, and still get it into the bag.

And like FF, when I'm carrying the poles, they go into a side pocket on my pack.

Grizz

[TeeDee]

Depends on whether you are using webbing on the Bridge arc or cord.

In my experience cord is easier to handle and makes a smaller bundle so you might want to stow a webbed Bridge differently than I do.

Also, since I now use the hang rope (I like HeadChange4U's name better - Single Line Suspension, SLS, and so if HeadChange4U doesn't mind I will in the future adopt his name for his and my systems ) and stow the suspension and ridge line separately, it is easier to stow my Bridges.

On take down I un-attach the suspension triangle at one end from the SLS and hold the two corners in one hand. Then un-attach the other end and add those two corners to the first 2 in my hand.

I then have the Bridge folded neatly in half with over cover or bug netting and end panels and/or gear lofts tucked inside.

I then just grab the bottom and bring it up to the 4 corners in my hand and add it to what the hand is holding. I then continue folding in half in that manner until I get a bundle too small to continue folding.

I then use the cords of the 2 suspension triangles and wrap the bundle, tucking the end under the wraps to secure.

The size of the resulting bundle depends on whether the bug netting or over cover is included. If neither is included I get a bundle just slightly larger than my open hand. With either the bug netting or over cover included, the size of the bundle is approximately doubled.

I have tried this method with regular, Hennessy, hammocks and it just doesn't work for me since there is way too much fabric. My Bridges use 1.9 sq yards of fabric. A Hennessy ULBA uses slightly over 5.5 sq yards of fabric, without the bug netting, i.e., more than twice as much fabric. A Safari is even worse. A Speer type is probably about the same as the ULBA.

So bundling my corded Bridges by folding in this manner makes for a small bundle that is not tightly compacted and can be squished into small corners or crevices as necessary.

I tried a BB sack, but had the same problem as with skins with the SLS. Since the SLS and hammock are put up and taken down separately, the BB sack or skins get bunched up at the suspension triangle apex and I didn't like that much. Either that or I had to completely remove the sack or skin when I set the hammock up and then thread the suspension triangle cord through the skin or BB sack every time I take it down and that just negates any convenience in their use.

Thus, I stopped using skins or stuff sacks and just fold and wrap. It is easier for me to stow that way and just another piece of now un-necessary gear.

I have found that an added benefit of the SLS for my Bridges is that the suspension line, ridge line and suspension triangles no longer get tangled when stowing. Thus, unbundling and hanging is a LOT easier.

Folding and wrapping also works for me since I stow all top and under quilts separately in their own dry sacks.