Self-End cap Bridge... with B A I T

[FanaticFringer]

I highly recommend Grizz's guide. Very user friendly.

[turkeyboy]

Turkeyboy... this is not a DMB... it is a straight bridge.

I think the thing that caught my attention was that you are using a ridgeline of some type to hold up the end-caps, similar to my yellow DMB. The thing that I discovered with that hammock was that if I wanted to pull the suspension tighter to get a flatter lay, this lowered the ridgeline. I can see that your ridgeline is high, which is the effect i want. I'm wondering how flat the lay is as you have it set up. If it needs to be tighter, it looks like the ridgeline would drop, making the end-caps lower, and presumably the bugnet lower too, assuming it rests on the ridgeline.

Anyway, i like what you have done with this hammock. It is giving me more ideas for my next version.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Turkeyboy and RamblinRev, you're exploring a design trail where for an ordinary bridge you leave enough fabric at the ends so that you don't need to cut and sew endcaps.

I know from my DMB that having a baggy head and foot in bridge mode leaves a place where I can toss bulky things and keep them inside the hammock with me. And, given that I have the gathered end functionality, might as well make use of it. But to build a bridge-only hammock with "gathered endcap....?" Aside from the quickly amortized-away advantage in time of making the hammock, are there other advantages?

I ask because of course there is a not-insignificant addition in weight and carry bulk over using a tailored end-cap. I know that RamblinRev doesn't put weight at the top of his priority list, and maybe Turkeyboy if most of your outdoor stuff is walk-in-from-car stuff with Boy Scouts, then you don't either.

Or maybe its just that having done the DMB thing, now I'm back to thinking about how to get coverage for a bridge from a tarp, rather than change the shape of the hammock. (1) because I really do prefer sleeping in a bridge over a gathered end hammock, and (2) an extra four linear feet of fabric (double body!) is a lot to carry around to be prepared for the unusual case of wanting to bring in a tarp close. And even if single body, a lot to carry around to avoid making a tailored end-cap.

jest musing outloud here...

Grizz

[Ramblinrev]

Advantages? hmmm.. not a clue. I liked the idea of not having to cut and sew the endcaps. That always irked me about the bridge design. So of course I decide to stick a window in one endcap. Talk about a pain in the nether regions. But with the solid endcaps I wanted to provide some additional air circulation.

Let's face it... there is a weight penalty to any dual layer hammock body. I had planned this as a cold temp hammock so the wind resistance was a key issue. That's one reason the window can be closed off with that beastly heavy (comparatively) zipper. Plus I have a stock of zippers but not a stock of velcro.

Do not make the mistake of believing I designed this with any specific intent. This is on the "play as you go" plan. I thought of making the bodies two different lengths. Since the dual body was only for the pad pocket it would have made sense to do that. But then I had to make a decision. (Something I don not excel at.) Would the short body be the inner layer or the outer layer? Which begged a second question. Since the end was going to be flappy and used for storage of items, how would I keep the things contained if the end was left with only one layer. Therefore two layers it was. I sewed the two layers together at the bottom of the pocket so I didn't have to dive for stuff when it shifted into the underbelly. (Note the 'when' not an 'if')

Then I left the foot end inner body the full length so that the window could be closed. Frankly... if you want to avoid the hassles of a tailored endcap.. under NO circumstances should you consider putting a window in the endcap. What a pain!!!!

So... to be a brat... It's my hammock.... I'll do what I want." hehehe

To summarise it... I was looking at two things... Double layer body for the pad pocket and as wind proof as I can get it. I am considering putting a wind screen flap over the top of the bug net. But I may not get around to that finances being what they are.

That is the saga of the twisted mind game that went into this design so far. It's not over yet. I still have the chance to sew the entire hammock into one little wad of fabric when I try to install the bugnet. That should be interesting.

[turkeyboy]

I see two advantages: 1) no cutting. I made the entire yellow dmb without a single cut, except to get the rectangle the right length. 2) dual mode. I'm with grizz on the advantages of dual mode, even though I also sleep much better in bridge mode. Lounging, severe weather coverage, and the flexibility of more than one type of hammock were key for me.

The disadvantage is weight. But, I managed to get the yellow dmb in at 2lbs 4oz including spreader bars and suspension materials. That included a very heavy zipper for the bugnet (all i had at the time). It was a single layer, though. I decided i would mostly be using an underquilt with it, so no need for two layers.

I do care a bit about weight -- just did 37 miles in 3 days with some older scouts. The yellow dmb worked pretty well. About 50% of my camping is backpacking on the fairly intense side, 50% is car camping. With car camping I don't care at all about weight.

I did make a two layer version as my first pass where i literatlly sewed an old bridge hammock underneath an old speer type hammock. It actually worked pretty good, except it was heavy. This gave me two layers that were different lengths and widths. It also looked funny when in speer mode because the bottom bridge material doesn't gather up with the top layer, so it just droops there looking funny. I'll post pictures one of these days if I remember.

I think my next version will be single layer, shorter fabric (10' total fabric length), shorter suspension (6'), deeper suspension arc (8"), lighter zipper, polyester ripstop beauty. I think i can get the hammock, with all suspension and spreader bars under 2lbs, and then i'll use my JRB 10'X11' tarp for coverage. I'm also going to make strategic tie-out loops along the suspension curve that I'll use to better attach my JRB underquilts and/or a pad in cold weather (I'll use shock cord). The good thing is that I think all those mods will be completed without a single cut to the fabric, except to get it the right length. I hate cutting fabric.

[Ramblinrev]

I think in theory is DMB is an inspired set up. The fact is, without the BEEP it is pretty well useless for rme. I have one and frankly I think one is enuf. But I do like the Bridge. The DMB is made of lighter material and with the BEEP will only take a torso pad now. So I intentionally set out to make a heavier hammock because I am not a gram weenie. I wanted the pad. So I gained 8 oz or so on the DMB in fabric. Big whoop for me.

There are some features about the DMB that I do like. The ends being useful for sticking things, until you need to convert, then all the stuff you stuck there suddenly has to go somewhere else... in bad weather to boot. It made sense... to me... The window... that was pure folly. But fun..

[Ramblinrev]

Except the for the tinkering that goes on... This beastie is complete. It camoe out looking very different that I thought it would. The bug net is almost flat across at least when it is not loaded. I'll have to get a pic of it with me or someone else in it. I'll post some pics of the finished hammock soon.

My next hammock project has been selected but is going to have to wait until the finances are on more solid ground. I am officially completely without income at this point. I am leaving the ministry I have been with for ten years. Tomorrow is officially my last day. Oh well... I wasn't getting any money with them either... so... hehehehe

But the next hammock will be for simple fun.

[dblhmmck]

...leave enough fabric at the ends so that you don't need to cut and sew endcaps.

I know from my DMB that having a baggy head and foot in bridge mode leaves a place where I can toss bulky things and keep them inside the hammock with me. And, given that I have the gathered end functionality, might as well make use of it. But to build a bridge-only hammock with "gathered endcap....?" Aside from the quickly amortized-away advantage in time of making the hammock, are there other advantages?

Hey Grizz,

I have made four bridge style hammocks using gathered endcap methods. The way I do it is to make a fold creating each corner, and an additional folded pleat in the center of each end. The corner folds dictate the depth, the end fold gives convex rounding to each end cap.
the advantages that I see:

1. The resulting billow at the head end allows me to stretch my arms over my head while lying on my back, the elbows find plenty of "give" making this a comfortable position. Others have made the hammock extra long to achieve this.

The resulting billow at the foot end allows foot movement and stretching. The feet do not come in to contact with a tight fabric panel (which might produce cold spots if they did). Or in other words, I don't have to make the hammock quite as long to give a good fit.

2. A more subtle advantage is that the billow can (does) extend a couple inches beyond the spreader bars. In contrast, using sewn end cap methods, I get the opposite result. My hammock with sewn ends were at least two inches short of the spreader bars- on each end when hanging with an occupant. The advantage of making the spreader bars a little closer together is that it gives more effective spread for the spreader bars given length.

3. As a result of #2, a slightly smaller tarp can be used. For instance, a tarp with 110" coverage along the ridgeline is working well for me.

BTW, I don't consider the billow ends good for storage in my arrangement. But part of that may be due to another difference in my design. My overall width is just 33" at the head and 26" at the foot. Occupant dimensions are 5'10" and 145 lbs.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Hey dblhmmck-good to hear from you again.

1. The resulting billow at the head end allows me to stretch my arms over my head while lying on my back, the elbows find plenty of "give" making this a comfortable position. Others have made the hammock extra long to achieve this.

I've noticed this also, but hadn't connected the dots to attribute to the baggy head from a loosened gathered end. It's a important comfort point and one of the things I like quite a bit about laying in my DWB.

Grizz