My bridge hammock, version 0.1

[kayak4water]

I built a bridge hammock, after an unfair and impatient trial of my DIY gathered end hammocks. No real complaints with the GE hams that I couldn't fix with longer/wider builds, or more sag, a higher foot end, etc. I just enjoy building.

I saw bridge hams by HikingDad & Grizz and endeavored to modify from HD's scheme. I started with a 48" wide x 84" sheet of 1.6 ripstop with a 6" cat cut using XTrekker's Excel download, opened on the Openoffice calc program. I plotted elevations onto a fiberboard, thinking I might even make one or two more, and cut a pattern. I did that before I found parabola.com whose program supposedly would have let me just print the curve.
I did a little Google spreadsheet work trying to decrease the depth of the hammock and the excess of fabric that I'd need to cut after sewing the dart. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...lE&usp=sharing

I like the way it lies, though I'd like to know how a Ridgerunner compares. Without that experience, I don't know what I'd change. I first hung this new ham with a suspension angle of 45 degrees and felt shoulder squeeze not much different from my 11' gathered end ham. After adjusting the hang angle to 20-25 degrees, the shoulder squeeze dropped to much, much less than thegathered end. I noticed that our version could accept a longer bar, which in theory would further reduce shoulder squeeze, but small body movements (moving a foot 2 inches or just lying off-center) created motion much more than in a gathered end--I haven't dumped, but it unsettles me, having only hung in a gathered end ham. I laid face down for a minute--I don't know how people do it--it didn't feel much different from doing so on a long, slightly warped board.

Picture below: from the head end, showing how much the hammock wraps (or doesn't wrap) around my shoulders
IMG_8418.jpg

Below shows the same as the first shot, but from the feet and above
IMG_8413.jpg

Below: a close up from above at the head end
IMG_8415.jpg

Below: showing the head and trunk of subject in hammock
IMG_8417.jpg

Below: a body shot. Looks like a very flat lay.
IMG_8421.jpg

Below: From the head end, the feet neither look nor feel pushed together as in a gathered end.
IMG_8414.jpg
Much Thanks to Grizz, HikingDad, XTrekker and Warbonnet

Jeff

P.S. Appreciate the early comments below.
a. gmcttr, I did roll up against the taut webbing edges and felt quite stable.
b. Always the slow child, I have begun to see how the relationship between the spreader bar length and the width affects the depth of the ham and the stability.
c. The saggy end caps may bother some, but one can easily right that by sewing another dart or just a few inches of shock cord along the top edge, emulating the Knotty Modification for saggy side edges of gathered end hams.

[gmcttr]

Nice work. As you found, bridge hammocks require flatter hang angles.

With a little time and experience in your new hammock, you'll become accustomed to the different motion of a bridge and learn that you can lay way over onto the edge without dumping out (not that you would sleep that way of course).

IMG_4185 (Medium).JPG

[stalker42]

Very very nice.

[old4hats]

From what I can see it looks about perfect. When you do get to try a ridgerunner, I think you will pleased at how similar the lay is. You have every right to be proud of this project.