Cuben Fiber in Color !

[gardenville]

Interesting. How do you think Cuben would hold up on a bridge hammock?

Hi Jeff,

Cuben has at least 40 different product numbers for their Cuben Fiber on a current price list I have. I am sure many of them are heavy duty enough to work for a bridge hammock.

You would just have to decide how much it would be worth to you. Some of the really strong Cuben products cost as much as $46.80 a yard. That is without color.

[gardenville]

Interesting. How do you think Cuben would hold up on a bridge hammock?

Jeff,

I just finished reading the 8 part "How To" make a Bridge Hammock. "Tee Dee" did a very nice job of showing how to make one of them.

I could never get through all the pages of instruction to build one , however. If I can't make it from one or two pictures I don't need it.

It might just be something to do with my attention span. I also think it would be much heavier than anything I would want to carry.

For me a Hammock is used mostly when it is lighter than sleeping on the ground. That means warm weather. I do have a system for winter that uses Down and very light materials that is very close to my "sleeping on the ground" system weight. I am slowly working to lighten my winter Hammock system. Living in southern Texas we don't have much of a winter so I don't get to test much cold weather gear.

[Just Jeff]

Bridge hammocks use about half the material of other hammocks, so even with the spreader bars the weight can be similar. At least that's the word from folks who have made them. Obviously the lighter material changes the ratio between fabric/spreader weight so cuben will change the equation some, but if it's comfortable enough an extra ounce or two is worth a good night's sleep, IMO.

They are a bit more complicated, though. And TeeDee is very detail-oriented with his instructions!

I haven't made the switch to bridges, but my wife says it's the only hammock she's comfortable in. That's why I was asking.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Jeff,

I just finished reading the 8 part "How To" make a Bridge Hammock. "Tee Dee" did a very nice job of showing how to make one of them.

I could never get through all the pages of instruction to build one , however. If I can't make it from one or two pictures I don't need it....

I also think it would be much heavier than anything I would want to carry.

It is not necessary to absorb all of TeeDee's instructions to make a bridge hammock. His writeup has all sorts of details which a minimalist like yourself need not concern yourself with.

Attached is your picture. Minimalist bridge hammock in every sense. Cut a trapezoid, 48" at one end, 36" at the other. That's 2.33 sq yards. Cut a parabola 5" deep along each edge. Fold over the edge one inch and tape, to create a channel about 0.5" wide. Thread high performance cord like Vectran 12 through the channel to create the suspension support.

Figuring 28" long sides on the suspension triangle at the head and 19" on the triangle at the foot, and (approximately) 72" in the channel gives about 238" of cord.

That much 0.33 oz/sq yd fabric is less than 0.75 oz. I don't know how much that much tape weighs (assuming that it holds!)

Assuming 0.2 oz/ yd of the Vectran (working from memory here...) that's 1.32 oz for the cord.

Here's a picture of one that has that general shape, but is a little wider at the head, uses webbing, and has endcaps. I've done cord channels before, they work fine. Endcaps are not necessary.




So the big question is whether you use a hiking pole or staff that can be pressed into service as the spreader bar at the head. The foot end is narrow enough that you can lash a trail stick about 18" long in place to spread there.

I'm tempted to do it myself!

Grizz

[gardenville]

I went back and read your How To and then made a pdf of it.

I might be able to deal with your instructions. You list 72 inches in your attachment, will that work if I am 72 inch tall?

The Bridge Hammock reminds me a bit like the Army Jungle Hammock vintage 1966 or so. I have two of them and was playing with one of them this afternoon. I like the way I lay in them. I used one of mine during a snow storm in Georgia one winter with my Warmlight Down Air Mattress in it. I used a much larger Tarp with it.

I am going to read over your instruction a few times and may try to make one out of some material I have that is collecting dust. If I am successful I may try and figure how to make one with Cuben Fiber

[GrizzlyAdams]

I went back and read your How To and then made a pdf of it.

I might be able to deal with your instructions. You list 72 inches in your attachment, will that work if I am 72 inch tall?

I normally cut mine 6" longer than my height. 72" was sorta pulled out of the air....you could make it 80".

I am going to read over your instruction a few times and may try to make one out of some material I have that is collecting dust. If I am successful I may try and figure how to make one with Cuben Fiber

I'm intrigued by the idea of a Cuben hammock...

Grizz

[gardenville]

I normally cut mine 6" longer than my height. 72" was sorta pulled out of the air....you could make it 80".


I'm intrigued by the idea of a Cuben hammock...

Grizz

I have just re-read you article for the second time.

I will try and make just the Basic Bridge Hammock and see how that works out and how I like it to sleep in. I will go with the 80" length.

If that works out OK I will think about making another one out of my Cuben Fiber. I have five different kinds of Cuben Fiber on hand. Three of them are "very strong" (2) and "super strong" (1). I would try one of the "very strong" first and see how that works out.

I expect to re-read your article several more times before I cut any material.

[NCPatrick]

Looks like they now have different colors, and camo as well! Save those pennies!

http://www.cubictechnology.com/New_Products.html

[headchange4u]

The green and black look nice also.

[NCPatrick]

I've emailed for pricing info on the green and camo materials (by the yard). Will report back what they say.