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  1. #1
    Senior Member Gresh's Avatar
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    Difficulty level: Bridge hammock for a fatty

    I've been giving bridge hammocks a serious thinkin' 'cause really...that's about all I can do - think about 'em.

    There are no bridge hammocks currently on the market that will support a man of my size (a very masculine 375lbs - it's all bear meat and gorilla) but I wouldn't mind giving one a ride to see if they're as amazing as I've heard they are.

    Any thoughts on how to make one that Gresh-rated?
    I used to be a somebody, now I just camp.

  2. #2
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    something you'd make yourself?
    Grizz
    (alias ProfessorHammock on youtube)

  3. #3
    Administrator Yukon's Avatar
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    Seems to me that with the right material and right poles and suspension it would work. Grizz would definitely be the man to talk to about this, I think he did all the load calcs for it.

    EDIT: Grizz already chimed in!

  4. #4
    Senior Member shrineclown's Avatar
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    I was told that you cannot get material wide enough is the problem for those of us that are bigger than your average bear. Not that it can't take the weight, it is just not comfortable with the available materials. I would sure like to know what the professors opinion on that is too.
    If it moves, you can eat it. No promises you will think it tastes good.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Ratdog's Avatar
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    I tried one, so did my brother in law.
    6' 4" both 300 lbs.

    The spreader bars were at their limit, heavier bars are available.
    The bridge I tried was cut to small for me. (Very wide shoulders)

    The fabric held. All the stress was on the reinforced seem that runs the length of the hammock on both sides.

    Thing is, it felt like a coffin.

    A wider design, some beefier bars, I'd try another one but I suspect my fav setup will be gathered w/ a footbox.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Gresh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    something you'd make yourself?
    Personally? No. My DIY skills are shoddy. I once sewed something and it looked like a gorilla on speed had done it.

    ...but along that same line, yes...something homemade.
    I used to be a somebody, now I just camp.

  7. #7
    Senior Member old4hats's Avatar
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    Ah, a new project to follow, never a boring minute here on HF. This promises to be a right informative thread, so keep plugging Gresh, we want to see this pan out.

  8. #8
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ratdog View Post
    I tried one, so did my brother in law.
    6' 4" both 300 lbs.

    The spreader bars were at their limit, heavier bars are available.
    The bridge I tried was cut to small for me. (Very wide shoulders)

    The fabric held. All the stress was on the reinforced seem that runs the length of the hammock on both sides.

    Thing is, it felt like a coffin.

    A wider design, some beefier bars, I'd try another one but I suspect my fav setup will be gathered w/ a footbox.
    Ratdog, was this a commercial hammock, and if so, which one?
    Grizz
    (alias ProfessorHammock on youtube)

  9. #9
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gresh View Post
    I've been giving bridge hammocks a serious thinkin' 'cause really...that's about all I can do - think about 'em.

    There are no bridge hammocks currently on the market that will support a man of my size (a very masculine 375lbs - it's all bear meat and gorilla) but I wouldn't mind giving one a ride to see if they're as amazing as I've heard they are.

    Any thoughts on how to make one that Gresh-rated?
    My guess is that even in a gathered end hammock you've got the phenomena of the sides of the hammock cradling your shoulders, yes?

    The reason I asked Ratdog whether he knew what kind of bridge hammock he was in is to gauge the 'coffin' experience. The JRB BMBH is narrower and deeper than any other bridge hammock out there, and I can easily see how an XX sized hanger could feel boxed in.

    What I'd try with you---and I have no experience with building GBs for anyone over 300 lbs---are spreader bars that are 39 or 40 inches, made of 3 sections of 0.75" diameter Easton poles. They come in 17" sections.

    I'd aim for 36" finished width at the middle---for me I aim for 34" and that gives me a lot of room on the sides, as you can see in any one of a number of my videos. Can't make it too much wider because that impacts the fabric width at the shoulders, and that matters a lot here.

    The shallower the suspension cut, the more the force (because of angles) at the pole tips, so whereas I can get away with 6" depth for me, I'd increase that some, say to 8", for you. Those figures give the finished fabric width at the ends of the hammock : 36+2*8 = 52".

    While 1/2" tubular polyester webbing from Sailrite is probably strong enough, I'd want more width to give more room to sew down the rolled fabric more times. I go with 3 lines of stitching. For you I'd aim for 4 lines of stitching. 3/4" tubular polyester webbing would be my recommendation.

    I pin the webbing to the edge of the fabric and roll twice. To get a finished width of N inches, that means cutting the fabric at N+4*w + e where w is the width of the webbing and e is a little extra to account for the edge of the webbing, maybe 0.25". So that means the cut fabric width is 55.25".

    Length. So on the ones I've been making lately I cut the body so that my head and feet are under the spreader bars, which has the effect of bringing the spread of the bar on the fabric closer to my shoulders. But getting the body cut and head-end beyond the spreader bars hanging from the suspension triangle is a bit tricky, so I wouldn't recommend that to anyone who isn't comfortable already with making bridge hammocks. For you, or your sainted Auntie Susan who you will con into doing this with flowers, chocolates, and interminable Sunday afternoon tea times, I'd recommend that the finished length of the hammock be your height plus 9 inches. Figure adding about 1.5 inches to that for the cut size, depending on how tight your rolled hems are. You can leave this 1.5" off if you intend to finish that edge with bias tape.

    Amsteel 1/8" diameter will serve just fine for the suspension triangle, and whatever you do to the tree.

    So, you know how long and how wide the unfinished body ought to be. Measure up the rectangle. Make triple sure it is a rectangle with the desired width and length. Make triple sure it is a rectangle with the desired width and length. Make triple sure it is a rectangle with the desired width and length. Parallelograms or more general four-side figures add challenges you don't need. Then cut the rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half along the long edge, pinning edges together, and mark out the suspension curve where the edges come together. Cut the curve out, both sides at the same time, this way you get symmetry. Now you want to cut a little bit off the corners so that when you roll the fabric, you one fold on top of the other, rather than a barberpole wrapping. Just plunk a piece of webbing at the corner and roll, and you'll see what the issue is, and how to solve it.

    I finish the short edges of the hammock before rolling, otherwise you have unfinished edges rolled onto the webbing.

    Compression on the poles depends in part on the length of the sides of the suspension triangle. My normal recommendation is that a side be at least 80% the width of the spreader bar. I'd increase that for the XX sized hanger, maybe 90%. Has ramifications on the minimum distance between trees, but you don't want the pole collapsing on you.

    That's what comes to mind. Do try to show interest when Auntie Susan goes on and on about her cousin's husband's sister's gout.
    Grizz
    (alias ProfessorHammock on youtube)

  10. #10
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    One problem with a bridge hammock for larger people,
    would be having to keep the tarp off of the poles.

    You will definitely have the poles rubbing holes in your tarp,
    unless you plan for this ahead of time.

    Good Luck in your venture

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