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  1. #1
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    Is a double bridge hammock possible?

    This may be a really unfeasible idea, but I want to bounce it off you DIYers - would it be possible to make a double version of a bridge hammock? Since the hammock does not sag in the same direction other hammocks do, it would seem that by adding a strap down the center from head to foot that attached to the spreader bar one could create two somewhat separate sleeping platforms using the same spreader bars - and share under-insulation, bug netting, a quilt and a tarp for weight savings - and share heat for comfort.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    Concept drawing:
    Attached Images Attached Images

  3. #3
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    I'm sure you could make it work, but here are a few challenges off the top of my head.

    - If you don't weigh the same, but there's only one support attachment, one hammock will hang down lower. In the concept drawing, that means you'll be laying over to one side of the hammock, and probably with several inches of space between your bodies.
    - Under-insulation will have to cover the surface area of the hammock between the two halves. You couldn't just hang one underquilt b/c the space between your bodies would cause and air gap. Creating an underquilt to accommodate this should be pretty simple, though.
    - Same for top insulation.
    - Bug netting and tarp would be simple to share, though.

    Of course, you could make up for the weight difference by off-setting the support so it's not centered, and you might be able to get it to lay flat. Best thing for this would be making it adjustable, I guess...then you're not making a new hammock each time someone gains a little weight.

    I'm excited about this project - might be the best thing for my wife!
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

    - My site: http://www.tothewoods.net/
    - Designer, Jeff's Gear Hammock / Pack Cover by JRB

    IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER

  4. #4
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    Good point about weight differences... perhaps two sets of spreader bars would be a wiser choice - that way each hammock would be supported independently. This could be done fairly easily if one hammock was several inches longer (say 3" at each end) or if the hammocks were the same length but offset a few inches. I would think most people would opt for one being longer as this is a couple set-up and in hetro-couples fellows are generally a bit taller than their ladies - others who would be interested would likely have a child in the second hammock.

  5. #5
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frolicking Dino View Post
    This may be a really unfeasible idea, but I want to bounce it off you DIYers - would it be possible to make a double version of a bridge hammock? Since the hammock does not sag in the same direction other hammocks do, it would seem that by adding a strap down the center from head to foot that attached to the spreader bar one could create two somewhat separate sleeping platforms using the same spreader bars - and share under-insulation, bug netting, a quilt and a tarp for weight savings - and share heat for comfort.
    Hi FD--
    I jokingly thought of a double-decker bridge hammock once, thinking about the layered bridges one sometimes sees in big cities

    The motivation for this idea is sharing, so let's think about how that would go. As for an under-quilt, the way to share is to take a quilt and turn it 90 degrees so you have two side-by-side half UQ. The long versions of JRB quilts run 86", which leaves 43" per hammock from side to side. That's enough I think, but will take (a) less-than-full-width hammock bodies (which is fine...I bet 48" wide hammock would work for folks w/o broad shoulders), and (b) some tom-foolerly in suspending the quilt in the middle part, because you need to have it flush up against both hammocks. If that tom-foolerly was to drap the quilt over the center strap, then the quilt coverage would not be centered under the hammock bodies. You'd have 24 inches of the quilt on the "in side" and 19 inches on the "out side". Might be enough. Might be better to make a longer quilt.

    On the tarp I did a thumbnail analysis comparing the amount of fabric needed for 2 tarps that just clear the spreader bars of a single bridge,
    compared with a large one that clears the longer spreader bar of the double. There's a savings of nearly 50% to be gained there.

    I'm almost certain that you don't want to share a spreader bar. The strength of a pole needed to keep it from buckling grows faster---much faster---than the length of the pole. i.e., a pole twice as long needs to made of material that is much more than twice as strong to keep from collapsing. Maybe a better way to think about the project is on coupling a pair of bridge hammocks side-by-side in such a way that they can share a long UQ (employed by both as 1/2 UQ), share some kind of bugnet tent, and share a tarp.

    Grizz

  6. #6
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    Hi FD--
    I jokingly thought of a double-decker bridge hammock once, thinking about the layered bridges one sometimes sees in big cities
    You can call it the "BunkBridge".
    Trust nobody!

  7. #7
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    You can call it the "BunkBridge".
    I like that. We use four of those poles that WBG dreamed up for his 2 pole suspension, stake them out the way he does, work a way to attach the corners of the hammocks to the poles, and presto! BunkBridge @tm.

    Run a rope ladder to the top one, and watch the kids fight over who gets to sleep in the top berth.

    Grizz

  8. #8
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    LOL! That would be pretty cool. I suspect kids would drive their parents plum crazy begging for a BunkBridgetm. Maybe you can retire early and move mama back to her hometown so that the Grizz may be forgiven for such a travesty.
    Trust nobody!

  9. #9
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    if you go side by side w/seperate spreaders, i see a problem with the weighted hammocks falling together, the sides of the two users pressing together when in use, a single spreader would keep the hammocks and users apart, but like grizz said, there are problems there as well.

    with any side by side scenario, getting in and out would be harder too. if one person gets in first, the weight will swing to the center, sending the empty hammock higher up into the air, possibly high enough to make entry difficult for the other person. you could both get in and out at the same time, this might be more of a pain if one has to get up in the middle of the night.

    it might be possible however that it may not be too bad, and the second person could still be able to climb up over the side if it doesn't raise too high when unbalanced, and simultaneous entry/exit may not be mandatory, but i think the unweighted side would definately raise making it higher to get into.

    only way to find out is to try.

    you might be able to use seperate spreaders, but attach them at their ends so they push against eachother holding the hammocks and bodies apart without actually having to use a super long spreader

  10. #10
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    yeah, I think you can get some of the "sharing" benefits with two distinct bridges side-by-side. Maybe clip the side-by-side rings together, use cord or a strap down the middle to pull the the shared quilt on the inside sides.

    Grizz

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