Town's End Luxury Bridge Hammock

[Johnny Gunz]

I just received one of Bill's Luxury Bridge Hammocks. It is a single layer in 1.7 Hybrid Robic (IIRC). My first one is a Hex70 single layer which was part of Bill's testing group. The hammock worked well and gives a very flat lay, which I've found I need for side sleeping. The Hex70 is a 2.2 material and is a bit stiff for my weight (190ish) and required a pad. But, it was very comfy with a Big Agnes LW pad. This 1.7 seems like it will be comfortable without a pad. This will save a lot of weight and help in warm weather. I found that my UGQ Zeppelin UQ works with these, so a pad is just for extra comfort.

As a subdued color guy from way back, I wasn't sure I'd like the color. It is officially known as Olive Yellow, which sounds like a great color for a squash. Upon arrival, I LOVE the color scheme of this hammock. The black edges and brown bags are a great contrast to the green. If RSBTR were smart, they would totally rename this color "Margaritaville":cool:

It'll be a while before I get out in the field, but lounging in this thing is really comfy and I have high hopes for some great nights.

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Sorry, I can't seem to rotate that pic.

[Redfish]

Looking good.

[Beemermcr]

Happy for you! I sure love mine, as my nightly sleeper!!

[Just Bill]

Hey John-
Thought I'd answer you here so others could read the answers too.

First off- Guessing Mr. Buffett would sue the Bermuda shorts right off Kyle, lol. But Margaritaville is a pretty good description for that color. I describe it as a spring green, like the first bright shoots of plants. I really like it too, especially with the coyote brown or Dark olive. I too am slowly warming up to the bright colors.

I do plan to drop the Hex 70 as your experience with it is similar to myself and others... it's just a bit stiff as a single layer unless you're closer to 250 or so... and at that point you might as well just go with the Big Boy rated to 350+.
The Hybrid 1.7 single layer in the Luxury bridge seems ideal for folks around 200 or less as it deflects just enough to not create any pressure points. I really like it at 225 and folks as light as 150 seem to enjoy it as well.

I don't have it handy... but the 7/64" amsteel suspension (vs the 1/8" I've been using) saves a good ounce off the bridge body itself. I'll grab some hard numbers when I hit the shop later.

The storage bag of the bridge- is designed to work with the ARL as you have it in the pic. But the grey shock cord and mitten hook I supplied is meant to be used as prussic loops to attach to the RL. So take those and give them a few wraps (three usually works). That allows you to move the prussic along the RL and lock it in place, which will tension the bag so it doesn't get droopy when you put stuff into it. You just leave the prussic on the ARL when you break it down; but it's handy because you can put the poles in the sack when you go to break it down, then stuff the bridge body in.

Some folks like to use the bag to carry the poles outside their pack and just stuff the bridge body into their pack too. In that case the tabs on the bag help to secure the poles to your pack so they can't be dropped. A double ended mitten hook is handy for that.

Lighter poles: I do have some .625 sets around, as well as a hybrid set with a .75" head pole and a .625 foot pole.
The hybrid set saves a half ounce, the .625 set a full ounce. Either set works for someone under 200 pounds thus far.
However I have a test set from Rota Locura in Carbon Fiber that weighs under 7 ounces and that is really weight saving. I need to do more testing of that one but I'm hoping to work with Josh at some point to get these made in bulk to get this luxury bridge into the 20oz range... so I'd wait for that set to get put together as that will make these minor Aluminum pole weight upgrades little more than a budget consideration. Down the line, I'm hoping to offer the carbon fiber as a standard upgrade at purchase to further reduce the cost. These are also a nesting set with a three piece head pole so they pack down great.

On the UQ... it seems that not so Big guys are having the same experience as you are with the UQ's generally. I picked up a revolt from EE and a Burrow Econ and both work well enough for me as well on these. I think in the Big Guy users: the really broad shoulders they tend to have make UQ fitting a bit more challenging at the head end. For folks up to my size (5'10" 230ish) who wear a men's Large/XL in clothing- hanging the UQ at the ends off the dog bones seems to work fine as we can still find a way 'into' it easily enough, especially when side sleeping.
So glad to here we can add the Zeppelin to the list of 'working' quilts for the Luxury Bridge!

The really big guys need a bit more fiddling as back sleepers because they tend to fill up the bridge edge to edge and that can create some drafts in a standard UQ.

[Just Bill]

.75 oz poles- 11.625 oz.
.625 oz poles- 10.75 oz
Carbon fiber prototypes- 7 oz.

Luxury Bridge body: 13.875 oz.
Lux bridge with carbon poles = 20.875 oz.

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Here's how the ridgeline connection looks with prussic loops
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[Just Bill]

The carbon set is a three piece head pole, and the foot bars slip into the head bars so it ends up as a very compact 20.5" long set for packing.

[Just Bill]

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Here's what the look like side by side with the carbon nested and ready to pack

[Johnny Gunz]

Great info Bill. The Prussic knot makes perfect sense. I wondered what the oversized shock cord loop was for. I'm a great test subject for you to fine tune your directions for the lowest common denominator:D. The CF poles sound very good indeed. I was actually napping this afternoon in my new Biggy Deluxe and I'm still surprised at how much comfort the 1.7 adds.

One note of interest is that I believe it works better for me to have the head end a tad, maybe a couple inches, HIGHER than the foot end. I'm finding that I prefer to lay with my feet under the bar at that end, just leaving my forehead under the head end bar. At 6'2", this is comfy. The slightly higher head end keeps me in this position nicely.

And yea, I guess as the memories of Red Dawn fade, I'm digging brighter colors. This one rocks for sure:thumbup1:

[Just Bill]

Yar the Hybrid 1.7 is by far the best bridge hammock fabric. Gathered ends can be subjective but that fabric behaves so much better in a bridge (both comfort and structurally) that it's an easy call to make in my opinion.

As far as hanging it- BINGO!
Think of the tree to tree distance as your tension. If you want it more firm: tighten it up (extend the ARL) if you want it a bit softer- shorten the ARL for more sag.
Once you nailed your tension- then you adjust level. The bulk of your weight is in your torso... so depending on sleep position you want the head end a bit higher typically.
Back sleepers and big guys especially tend to have most of the weight towards the head end- so raising it up there leaves the bridge level when laying in it.
Side sleepers and belly sleepers- dead level tends to work pretty good.
But any sliding one way or the other will give you an idea what is ideal.

Takes many hangers who try these a long time to unlearn GE habits. :lol:

[MinnetonkaBoater]

Hey Guys,
There is very little information on this Luxury Bridge. Can any of you tell me where I can read more? I think I fit the category, 6' 240#. I currently use a WBRR double layer that I like very much. I am a side sleeper, and slide a pad in between layers to flatten the lay. I've used both a Nemo Cosmo and a Sea to Summit pad, and both work well. I did finally sew some hair ribbon on the ends to limit the amount the pad can migrate out. I tend to move a bit sleeping, especially as an old guy that pees a lot. The little info I have seen has piqued my interest.

[Peppy]

Hey Guys,
There is very little information on this Luxury Bridge. Can any of you tell me where I can read more? I think I fit the category, 6' 240#. I currently use a WBRR double layer that I like very much. I am a side sleeper, and slide a pad in between layers to flatten the lay. I've used both a Nemo Cosmo and a Sea to Summit pad, and both work well. I did finally sew some hair ribbon on the ends to limit the amount the pad can migrate out. I tend to move a bit sleeping, especially as an old guy that pees a lot. The little info I have seen has piqued my interest.

Shoot Just Bill an email... he’s loaded with information!

[sqidmark]

Copy the following line exactly as presented and paste into the search field. You'll find more than you could ever want to know. :)

"towns end" OR "luxury bridge" OR "lux bridge" OR "medium bridge" OR "big guy bridge"

[Just Bill]

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php/140290-Town-s-End-Big-Guy-and-Luxury-Bridge-update/page6

The similar threads feature works pretty well too.

The thread above probably has the most information.
Apologies for the difficulty getting info but I'm still 'laying low' generally speaking. Even being hard to find... enough folks find me to keep me mildly overwhelmed.
Working on it...

To chime in for you specifically MinnetonkaBoater:
If it ain't broke, why do you want to fix it?

Warbonnet is definitely far ahead of me in terms of trail ready systems and Brandon has a good bridge. The folks reaching out to me, or more specifically switching from a RR, are typically looking to jump ship because of shoulder squeeze or sleep position issues. My Luxury bridge does not come with a pad sleeve option or integrated bug net... those can be big advantages for RR users they aren't willing to sacrifice. There are still kinks to work out with my bridges as I don't offer custom tarps or UQ's to fit these... the Ridgerunner has a deep line of off the shelf products that are time tested solutions. If you can't get creative and adapt your current gear to fit this bridge... you could be looking at a very expensive switch over. It's not my money... but you know how it goes with hammocks... you're never just swapping in one thing.

I did pick up a RR during the clearance sale (and the REI bridge) but haven't unboxed either one to be honest.
I'm hoping in the coming months to do some better side by side comparisons to help out with the selection process.
I think it will help me better as well; as I've expressed here and to folks in private... when I got into hammocks I was already a pretty active MYOG person so I just made all my own stuff. It's only been the last year or so that I started buying 'hammock' gear like UQ's and tarps from other vendors so I could help customers better with these bridges. To that end... I picked up those two bridges so I could better explain things 'head to head' for myself.

[abwillingham]

I jus got my luxury hammock and I have to say it's pretty awesome so far. I have lots of different hammocks: Hennessey, Warbonnet (Black bird and Ridge Runner), Clark NX200, several ENOs. I think this Bill Luxery will be the most comfortable by far. It's the only oneIi can side and stomach sleep comfortably. I'm 6'1" 230lbs. The ridge runner is just too narrow for me. . My arms hang off the edge when at my side. And the UQ designed for the ridge runner is too narrow for the luxery hammock. The hennessey deluxe explorer was my go-to. The best night of sleep of my adult life was in my hennessey during a cold night next to the Telico river in TN several years ago. I think I had the hang just perfect and I have never been able to replicate that comfort since. I think this luxury hammock will be much easier to get that perfect hang because it's so much more simple.

The Zepplin UQ works fantastic because it more than covers everything and it's tight around all the edges. Bill suggested a little bungee chord attached to the middle edge and running over the ridge line to tighten it further, which it did, but I don't think it's necessary for a 230lbs guy.
In fact it works far better on the luxury hammock then it does on my gathered end hammocks, which it was designed for.

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[Johnny Gunz]

It is an awesome hammock! I see you have one in "electric margarita" color as well:cool: I was amazed just how well standard quilts work with Bill's bridge. I love the fact there is no fiddle factor. I hang the head very slightly higher, so if I slide at all at night, it's towards my feet. That keeps the bar away from my face and I don't have to worry about making it level.

[MikekiM]

The more I read about bridge hammocks the more I want to try one. I have a DIY 11' GE in 1.6 Hyper D and all-in-all, I really like it, but if the hang isn't perfect, I still get some shoulder squeeze. I am a back/side sleeper.

[Just Bill]

The more I read about bridge hammocks the more I want to try one. I have a DIY 11' GE in 1.6 Hyper D and all-in-all, I really like it, but if the hang isn't perfect, I still get some shoulder squeeze. I am a back/side sleeper.

Talk to Squidmark.

Bridges are heavier, more complicated, more expensive and will not perform a miracle if you're already comfortable in a gathered end.
Generally they take up a little more room... and if you are switching over, you might have to reinvest in specialty equipment to fit it out.
For backpackers... you have to deal with poles. For those who like razor sharp and tight tarp pitches... you have to deal with poles.

Plus or minus... people seem to find that bridges 'rock' for much longer. It's possible to stake them down, but I'm not a fan of that idea generally.

On the plus side...
You sleep in line, so no magic angle or sweet spot to find. Calf ridge is usually not an issue.

An underquilt is always ideal for comfort... but if you choose or want to have a sleeping pad along... bridges are the best hammock IMO for this choice. I have a very nice double layer gathered end design that I have yet to share... it gets very close to the bridge's comfort with a pad but not quite as good.

And for those of us coming from the ground... we probably own a pad already. So the 'switch' from ground to air when using a bridge vs a GE can be a better experience.
And if you have a problem as a new hanger... you can still go sleep on the ground with the pad and tarp you have along.

In winter... if the wind is really howling and your pad isn't cutting it... you can 'drop' a bridge with a pad to warm up.

If you fit in the ridgerunner... that's a good bridge.
Shug does a good job in his video demonstrating the 'issue' that people describe with the RR. The ol' Shug shrug, lol. Not having met him in person or being super familiar with exactly where the line is... Shug looks to be about at the edge of that sweet spot where he's starting to encounter some shoulder squeeze when back sleeping. Switching to a side or partial side sleep as well as putting in an air pad can increase the range at which the RR can be used before one gets too big for it. I think for most under the 225 ish weight limit will find this workable if they encounter the ol Shug Shrug with the RR.

I now own, but still have yet to unbox my RR. So can't comment on setup.


But the ultimate plus for me is what you're describing. Consistency of hang.
I've had some nice nights in a GE. Here and there I thought "THIS IS IT!" Then the next night wasn't it and sometimes it was decent but not much better than the ground.

I was originally into super ultra light bridges and very compact bridges. That design pursuit led to an overall design that created a fairly fixed platform that my bridges could hang from. (See video below)
As a result they are fairly self correcting and self leveling. You can 'blow it' by several inches and it will still sleep well.
Get it within an inch and it will sleep the same as it slept at home or a year ago.
Since I makes some stuff for speed hikes... there isn't time for playing with it. It had to be quick and easy. Most of the time I just slap it up and snooze.

I've even blown it by a foot or so just to see. With the bigger ones you can slide around a bit and balance it out.
But if you do slide too much... just walk over to the tree on the side you are sliding too... tug the strap and slide it up an inch or two and go back to sleep.

The other bridge plus is fairly specific...
If you're one who sleeps semi- side (on your side but rolls from partial stomach to partial back) then a bridge is really good for that.

Bridges are really neat... very much like a floating cot. But if a gathered end works for you... nothing simpler and cleaner. Still a brilliant design in it's elegant simplicity.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZizLtu23FZ4

[Just Bill]

I jus got my luxury hammock and I have to say it's pretty awesome so far. I have lots of different hammocks: Hennessey, Warbonnet (Black bird and Ridge Runner), Clark NX200, several ENOs. I think this Bill Luxery will be the most comfortable by far. It's the only oneIi can side and stomach sleep comfortably. I'm 6'1" 230lbs. The ridge runner is just too narrow for me. . My arms hang off the edge when at my side. And the UQ designed for the ridge runner is too narrow for the luxery hammock. The hennessey deluxe explorer was my go-to. The best night of sleep of my adult life was in my hennessey during a cold night next to the Telico river in TN several years ago. I think I had the hang just perfect and I have never been able to replicate that comfort since. I think this luxury hammock will be much easier to get that perfect hang because it's so much more simple.

The Zepplin UQ works fantastic because it more than covers everything and it's tight around all the edges. Bill suggested a little bungee chord attached to the middle edge and running over the ridge line to tighten it further, which it did, but I don't think it's necessary for a 230lbs guy.
In fact it works far better on the luxury hammock then it does on my gathered end hammocks, which it was designed for.

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Looking good!

Summer is our friend, lol. Warm weather forgives all. Cold punishes the slightest mistake.
When it gets colder out... you might need that little pick me up. Or you might get lucky.

Side sleeping will deform the UQ a bit more (or being a smaller person) in this bridge, that makes a little fold that can scoop a small draft of cold air. You won't notice it now, but you may later on.

I sleep mainly on my side, a bit curled up with my butt against the edge.
So I tend to simply roll the UQ up and onto my hip to seal that gap back up rather than use a bungee.
A few people tuck their top quilt into the 'gap' between the bridge and the UQ. (although tightening the UQ suspension helps that).

Mr. Johnny Gunz hisself was the one who originally 'mastered the zepplin' lol.
I think the incubator hangs a hair better for me... but the zepplin is a very nice UQ overall.

Other than the bit of side pucker... I think that with the bridge... since you are laying in line with the UQ suspension, rather than on an angle across it that it can be a better (easier) fit for most.

When we were all first dinking around... some idiot who thinks he's really clever was coming up with all kinds of clever solutions and tricks.
Turns out that the best trick is simply to hook up the quilt and not play with it so much.:lol:

[MikekiM]

Sqidmark and I have discussed it more than once... I tried one of your bridges at his house last year. Not sure which one. I was about to DIY a GE and he has a full inventory of various fabrics, lengths and widths. Admittedly, I was focused on sampling the GE's and didn't give the bridge the attention it deserved.

I am a side or back sleeper.. back mostly and I don't bother with side sleeping in the GE hammock. It would be nice. In general, I'd say I get a better sleep in my DIY GE than I do in my bed, so I am not looking to improve there, but shoulder squeeze, and quilt positioning are always an issue. No calf ridge either, thankfully. Can't say I would mind the extra rocking..

I am 5'11'' and vary between 180 and 190 depending on the season.

I already pole out my tarps so carrying another set of hammock poles isn't a horrible idea.

You mention specialty equipment.. I can see issues with tarp/pole interference, but can't think of any other gear that needs to be revised..

I suppose I am just curious..

[Peppy]

Many quilts can and do work on Bills bridges. The best fit I’ve found is a Jacks R Better Mount Washington series. I use the provided suspension, but use a mini carabiner to clip each corner on the Amsteel at each corner. It allows the quilt to move and flex with the user a bit.

[Just Bill]

Sqidmark and I have discussed it more than once... I tried one of your bridges at his house last year. Not sure which one. I was about to DIY a GE and he has a full inventory of various fabrics, lengths and widths. Admittedly, I was focused on sampling the GE's and didn't give the bridge the attention it deserved.

I am a side or back sleeper.. back mostly and I don't bother with side sleeping in the GE hammock. It would be nice. In general, I'd say I get a better sleep in my DIY GE than I do in my bed, so I am not looking to improve there, but shoulder squeeze, and quilt positioning are always an issue. No calf ridge either, thankfully. Can't say I would mind the extra rocking..

I am 5'11'' and vary between 180 and 190 depending on the season.

I already pole out my tarps so carrying another set of hammock poles isn't a horrible idea.

You mention specialty equipment.. I can see issues with tarp/pole interference, but can't think of any other gear that needs to be revised..

I suppose I am just curious..

I'm generally in the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it camp'.
Course I'm also a tinkerer who likes to break things just to see if they can be fixed, lol. One thing leads to the next for tinkerers... So I get the curiosity.



I agree with Peppy. Seems the more these get out and the more folks try... most quilts seem to find a way to work out.

The Big Guy and Luxury are very big hammocks... so a longer ridgeline tarp and likely a pole mod are common additions. But for some of the Big Guy customers they like having big ol winter tarps anyway so they can pitch them high and walk under them.

Guess it all depends how bad the transition is and how far you want to go. I tend to err on the side of caution and blunt honesty with people. Otherwise it can feel like a bait and switch.
A $300 hammock is pretty ridiculous. Even worse when you find out you need a custom bug net, your 11' tarp isn't big enough, pole mods would help too, and a pad or UQ might be needed.
Next thing you know you're a grand into it and wondering what happened.

I have two very wildly different customer bases. FKT (fastest known time/speed hiker/ ultralighters) and Big Guy /comfort seekers. Ultra minimalists and comfy car campers.

The micro bridge, my Membrane 10 hammocks... those get into hyper-specialized stupid light territory... but teach me a lot.

I do really like the Luxury size, but I designed that as a personal one for me and a kiddo to share. So that is overkill for a backpacker generally... but a great solution for some and a massive improvement when beefed up to the Big Guy version for those 250-350lbs with no other options. And even folks who do not like hammocks or even camping tend to really enjoy these models.

But I hope to meet in the middle... and that's probably more what you want.
My medium size bridges are what Squidmark and Peppy are enjoying the most.
They are also my favorites personally and integrate a mix of my various products. More user friendly/less delicate than the Micro bridge, but still respectably light and compact for the trail.
The 'Happy Medium' is out for testing, and once the shop fires up again I will be trying that model in Hybrid 1.7 fabric. The Hybrid 1.2 seems to be a 180lb or less model due to the stress of the bridge. The 1.7 should come in around 180-225 weight range I hope.

So maybe when the time comes I'll reach out and see about you testing one too.

The other BIG project on the slate:
While not quite right... the big guy is acceptable for my wife and I to lay in for a bit... but I wouldn't call it a true double. Maybe a pair of 100lb is teenagers more concerned about sleeping together than sleeping would enjoy it, lol. But at 40 my wife and I don't. Hopefully this summer I can try out the 'Mountain Hanger' design I've been kicking around. I got some Military grade 7/8" Easton poles and plan to scale up the Big Guy about 120% to see if I can come up with something for those last few Big Guys I can't quite satisfy. And perhaps score a truly nice double hammock along the way as a bonus.

[sqidmark]

The other BIG project on the slate:
While not quite right... the big guy is acceptable for my wife and I to lay in for a bit... but I wouldn't call it a true double. Maybe a pair of 100lb is teenagers more concerned about sleeping together than sleeping would enjoy it, lol. But at 40 my wife and I don't. Hopefully this summer I can try out the 'Mountain Hanger' design I've been kicking around. I got some Military grade 7/8" Easton poles and plan to scale up the Big Guy about 120% to see if I can come up with something for those last few Big Guys I can't quite satisfy. And perhaps score a truly nice double hammock along the way as a bonus.

Ooooooo. Piqued my interest!

[MikekiM]

Setting the hook deeper!!

I’m set on the tarp side I think. Both of mine are 12’ with a center pole mod. I could easily add a set of end poles.

I’m in the same camp as you with regard to tinkering. Even when something works well I can’t help but think it could be just a little better. It’s never ending, and surely addictive. So I don’t buy into if it broke don’t fix it. Make it better.

Quilts.. any reason Hammock Gear UQs wouldn’t work?

I don’t get a lot of trail time..most of my trips are short.. not a big fan of car camping where weight and bulk are no issue. But I am not SUL either. Happy medium I suppose.

I’m sure Sqidmark will share more with me. We keep visiting this conversation.


Sent from somewhere east of Montauk...

[Just Bill]

Ooooooo. Piqued my interest!

You are my lightest Tim, lol. Mountainhanger is my heaviest Tim and one of the original testers.
He filled that Big Guy edge to edge and it always bugged me that I couldn't get one to work for him. The limiting factor on going bigger is the poles. I'm hoping those heavy duty .875" will do it and if so then MountainHanger will get a bridge.

From there... with a 400lb or so load capacity it still might not be enough for a true double. Though a Mr. and Mrs. Squid would still fit.

Though the bigger crux is the one others have run into... two bed or not two bed. For a single occupant the bed design I've been using is fine. For a double... a center ridge of some sort would likely be needed.
Granted... I think my bridge design 'pops' in the center more than most... I doubt it will play out that easily. You may get too much of that saggy mattress issue where you end up in an uncomfortable pile in the center.

One of my not yet shared gathered ends is an inline design with a shaped bedspace. (inverted cat cuts). So.... I may need to employ something similar to separate the bedspace a bit parallel to the ridgeline of the hammock.

We'll see... it may just turn into a hyperspecialized one off for folks like Big Tim.
But if it works and is making sense I may try making one for Tim plus one.

[Just Bill]

Setting the hook deeper!!

I’m set on the tarp side I think. Both of mine are 12’ with a center pole mod. I could easily add a set of end poles.

I’m in the same camp as you with regard to tinkering. Even when something works well I can’t help but think it could be just a little better. It’s never ending, and surely addictive. So I don’t buy into if it broke don’t fix it. Make it better.

Quilts.. any reason Hammock Gear UQs wouldn’t work?

I don’t get a lot of trail time..most of my trips are short.. not a big fan of car camping where weight and bulk are no issue. But I am not SUL either. Happy medium I suppose.

I’m sure Sqidmark will share more with me. We keep visiting this conversation.


Sent from somewhere east of Montauk...

As it sits... the Incubator is the best fitting 'off the shelf' UQ. I suspect it's the leg shelf design. I'm not super familiar with how it's cut... but it seems to mimic some of the benefits a cat cut would provide.
So yes... Hammock Gear is just fine IMO. You just have to hang it pretty tight.

I have personally bought; Incubator, Zeppelin, EE Revolt. I technically grabbed one of George's ridgerunner quilts during his garage sale but have yet to unbox it or the RR as I buried them in the garage during my move/rehab.

The incubator fits best for me, but many are very happy with the zeppelin.
The Revolt... I'm not sure karo step is a great choice for a hammock... so that colors my opinion of it. But it is workable.
UGQ's build details more closely align with what I prefer, but the leg shelf is a useful enough feature I have to give HG the edge.

The Luxury is a pretty good fit for mid distance backpacking. If fitted with Carbon Fiber poles... it's 4 ounces heavier than the Medium and packs down to 26". I take it for quick overnights these days and it's the one I tend to reach for. It's what the name implies... A Luxury concession to comfort and extra room.

Unfortunately... the Hybrid 1.2 is not doing that great in the Happy Medium. I was hoping to see closer to 200lbs out of it... but that will likely get a 175lb rating. It is too much stress and too easily deformed.
So... I think I would advise Squidmark not to share that one with you. But the 12-13 ounce weight was too good to ignore so I will likely continue with that fabric as there are plenty of backpackers who could use it.

The Hybrid 1.7 Happy Medium has yet to officially be built. I didn't get a batch in before I shut down. But that would be your choice if you want to keep it lighter.

The advantage of the medium is that it should come out around 16 ounces, and will come with Carbon Poles standard.
It is a generous size for an average user, but it is roughly a 9'6" Ridgeline as opposed to the 11'6" RL of the Luxury.
Bug net would come in a few ounces lighter... and likely a 3/4 length UQ would better fit it for further weight and volume savings.
(I personally like to leave the net home and use a headnet... being an UL jerk like that).

I'm also just about to go into testing on the Trekking poles I've been working with Ruta Locura on... those fit the medium bridge (or the foot end of the Luxury).
That would add more versatility for trekking pole users. If I can get the tarp design going that Peppy has been testing then you would have a pretty versatile backpacking kit.
Since bridges work so well with backpacking pads too... you could have a very versatile air and ground rig for appalachian trail style hiking where you may want to have a pad for shelters/hostels or for cowboy camping in open meadows, or up on a mountain with a view.

The Lux and Big Guy stuff sorta happened... but when I got into bridges it was the medium that I always wanted to bring to market.

[Bosman]

That looks incredible!

[Peppy]

Quick update on the tarps... I'm finding the tarps Bill has made are a lot like the underquilts, some initial fiddle factor that then turns into something simple. I've got maybe 50 nights total on the two I have (one for the Luxury Bridge and one for the Medium) and haven't been soaked yet. (Had a few issues early on that were on me, but no issues since). What I like is the simplicity. I leave them on the hammocks mostly and just pack and go. I usually stake the Lux tarp out and it feels huge! The medium has never been staked out and it is the easiest to use by far (mostly because of size). I know JustBill is covered up, and you've got to respect a man who takes care of his business and family first, but he has gone above and beyond for me, and I absolutely love his gear! I dabble with every gathered end made, but my bridges are not negotiable. Other manufacturers have good products, but this is by far the most comfortable gear I own!

FYI...
1.7 Robic SL Luxury Bridge with Fronkey net and tarp. Aluminum poles
1.6 Hyper D SL Medium with Fronkey net and tarp. Carbon Fiber poles
1.2 Robic SL Happy Medium. Carbon Fiber poles
My ONLY wish is for a Medium in 1.7 Robic... Fingers crossed!

[Bosman]

Peppy, do you know of any videos about this hammock other than bills? Do you have pics of said tarp? I’m compiling my gear list for a hammock and this changes things quit a bit if I went this way however I don’t even know if bill is building them now. I emailed him direct tonight but I don’t know if I should just go Dutch like I planned or not.