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Just looking for a listing of pro's and con's of bridge vs. non-bridge hammocks. I have a WBBB (really like it), but have been keeping an eye on this new Ridge Runner. Without trying it, there appears to be a few things I like, a few I don't, and some things that I question, like the diagonal vs. straight laying. Ex; Can you lay flatter in a bridge or diagonally, in a non-bridge?
Hands down, a bridge gives you a flatter lay. On the down side, you have to deal with spreader bars, extra rigging, a bigger tarp etc. They are both pretty cool, and I own one of each!
bridge Pros
1: Leg comfort ( lack of calf pressure points and knee hyper-extension) can not be beat by any non-bridge I have tried, and actually the bridge is superior to almost all non-bridge in this category. Plus more consistant: IOW, some times some non-bridge come very close to my JRB BMBH in this area, but on another night not so much.
2: repeat above for side sleeping with out any side discomfort from being curved in the wrong direction, with legs straight or slight fetal. The bridge is almost always the winner in this area, though sometimes some non-bridge come quite close on some nights.
3: ease of UQ ( and even TQ ) use ( all of this just based on my opinion per my personal experience). With the exception of using a Pea Pod, it just seems like less opportunity for set up error and snafus when putting MY UQs ( JRB MWs ) onto a JRB BMBH ( old original model). It just always works about as expected, I'm not sure how any one could set it up not to work perfectly if a reasonable attempt was made to follow JRB direction. First set up should take all of 5 mins and should work perfectly 1st time and all other times. There won't be any potential gaps or leaks around the foot or head end edges, and no creases in the hammock which can act as cold air funnels and highways. TQs seem to me easier to keep in place.
4: If you like to use pads in a hammock, a bridge hammock with pad pocket is hands down the most comfortable way to do this.
Bridge cons:
1: generally looses to many non-bridges in the roomy shoulder area ( and for many in shoulder comfort) unless the spreader bars are several inches wider than on the JRBs. Not a significant problem for some of us, but more so for others
2: Spreader bars have a potential for interfering with tarp coverage and even for tarp damage and for equal coverage would require a larger heavier tarp than for a non-bridge.
3: wider bars used to provide more shoulder room ( and maybe knee room for side/fetal position) would most likely increase the tarp/bar problems even more
4: Bars are going to add maybe 6 oz or more to the weight of the hammock, and are one more thing to keep up with and find a place for in your pack. You can rig some hiking poles to function as spreader bars, but I often use my poles to rig a tarp porch or to serve as a pull out "tree/post" for my tarp, which increases room for my bars. But if I use the hiking poles as spreader bars, I loose that function. I guess I could use fallen branches with my tarp porch? Still, a hassle.
5: unless using those pretty wide bars to get that much improved shoulder room, full fetal position is probably going to be easier in a non-bridge hammock.
All I can think of at the moment! Pick your poison!
On the pro side for bridge hammocks is zero calf pressure. They give a much flatter lay, IMHO, than a gathered end hammock.
If you are a DIY type person, an underquilt for a bridge hammock is a simple rectangle. No complicated 3D geometry needed. I've bought 1 bridge hammock and made 2, and I feel bridge hammocks make for a better lounging chair. I also find they are easier to exit than a gathered end hammock.
On the con side, there is the issue of spreader bars to consider when packing and pitching your tarp. However I feel the benefits far outweigh this item. If you are a fit lightweight person your trekking poles can be used a spreader bars there by reducing the overall weight of your hammock.
Cheers
Brian
I have been sleeping in a BMHB Ul now quite a few months every nite and its the best comfort and sleep I have in any hammock,,just this week, pulled out my DYI Momentum 90 ripstop which is way softer feeling, but after 2 nites, jumped right back to the Bridge and slept like a baby last nite..all but no comparson for me, the Bridge rocks. One thing about a bridge,,if you get one, give it a chance by learning the lay of it and getting it adjusted the way you want. Takes a dash of time, but to me,,well worth it. I took a new BMHB UL and totally revamped it including striping the bug net off it and getting it down to 14 oz or so without the spreader bars so lots of options using the bridge the way you want it. :)
+1 very well saidQuote:
Originally Posted by BillyBob58
I have a Lawson Blue Ridge. With that you sleep at the level of the spreaderbars rather than below. It feels more like a king size cot than a hammock. It is tippy unless you tie off a corner. It its tied off it is as stable as a table.
I've only had a DIY gathered end hammock and now a new RR. If there is a better hammock than the RR I'd sure like to try that too. The RR has a very flat lay, excellent visibility out the sides, and no shoulder squeeze whatsoever. Beat that. Pretty tough to do. Could be lighter a la the Grizz bridge, or the 14 oz. stripped down BMBH UL . Although a stripped down single layer RR would be similar.
I have not fell in love with any of the bridges i have laid in......I do want to give them another chance. Hopefully an all nighter!!!
This is a good question to ponder and the points made above are all valid. I had a chance to hang in a WBRR at MAHHA (thanks Jesse) and found it to be quite comfortable for my size - in fact perfect. But I only spent a few minutes in the bridge and do not know what a full night would feel like.
I too do not like the calf pressure that is prevalent in most gathered hammocks and found the RR to be very roomy and comfy. My concerns are as follows:
1. Do I need to invest in a new tarp and under quilt to fit the bridge?
2. Is the weight difference worth it?
2Q is putting a Center Pole mod and doors on my MacCat Deluxe. That might (should) do it. I'm not sure about the insulation although I'm going to guess that my Phoenix or Incubator should be fine. The weight thing is subjective to the individual.
Brandon at Warbonnet is running a sale on the netless RR SL this weekend. I'm thinking about it Greg (you thought I might).
Jerry
you can use a pad, you don't have to get the uq, other uq's fit as well
if you use hiking poles for spreaders the hammock isn't really any heavier(dlRR vs dlBB)
11x10 rectangle (like the cloudburst or jrb) or the superfly or similar tarps will all work. you'll probably be fine with the door mod on your mc deluxe as well
I have a MacCat Deluxe with the center pole mod from 2QZQ and have no trouble using it with my Ridgerunner. Coverage is fine and it's pretty easy to keep the spreader bars away from the tarp.
As for UQs, I got a 3/4 Lynx and it was worth every penny. Putting it on is dead simple and the coverage and warmth are everything I would ever want.
my 10 foot 10 inch by 8.5 tarp with a spindrift is good coverage ,and i feel its worth the weight i dont know maybe some more experienced people on here would know ,but it seems that to sleep warm and comfy with deeper sleep would increase recovery over night on longer hikes,and would burn less calories than tossing and turning and being cold.Quote:
Originally Posted by Free-Range
This is a very true statement of fact and one of the reasons I'm considering the move to a bridge. Sleeping should be comfortable and not a fight. Thanks for the confirmation.Quote:
Originally Posted by hairbear
I love my WBBB (I mean love, love, love!!), but got a chance to lay in a WBRR at the Fall MAHHA hang, and it was really comfortable.
I just bought a RidgeRunner for my better half and have been laying in it in the backyard....and I must admit I am a bit jealous. It is a little heavier, but I think it would be TOTALLY worth the weight. Hmmmmmmm.......
It does not have to be all that much heavier. The added weight is mostly in the spreader bars and you can get carbon fiber tubes pretty cheap. I am playing with them now and the seem to hold pretty well. I am using 1/4 inch extruded carbon fiber tubes.
Do you have a link to the Carbon Fiber poles that you're using?Quote:
Originally Posted by stalker42
What about that modification professor hammock talks about on one if his videos, where he does something to his trekking poles to turn them in to spreader bars.
If I had a bridge, and I am thinking about getting one (waiting to try one first), I would definitely do that trekking pole mod.
I will try to dig up the company website I got them from. They had tons of shapes and sizes. I bought 2 about 38 and 36 inchs and trimmed them down to the size i needed. I think they were around 7 or 8 bucks a piece. I will see what i can do about posting the link.
What did you do for the ends?Quote:
Originally Posted by stalker42
This sounds en"lightening." I would like to get this link as well. Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by markrvp
For the ends I put a bit of tape to keep it from splintering. On the hammock I connected the webbing to rings and made a little sleave about 2 inchs deep to slide the poles into. I got the idea from another thread on the forums.
Found the site I used. sorry i dont know how to make it a link to click. I used pultruded carbon tubes. I used the .4720 OD tubes. For no reason other then it seemed to be big enough to take the compression force but not TOO big around. Maybe someone more technical can figure out what size is opitimum.
http://www.goodwinds.com/
Carbon fiber sounds like a lot of expense. I like aluminum bars that allow the hanger to pull themselves up. Inexpensive and strong.
You wouldn't want to pull yourself up with the bars that come on the Ridgerunner. I'm pretty sure one pull and they would bend in half...Quote:
Originally Posted by oreana
"Bending" would probably be the best-case outcome! :scared:Quote:
Originally Posted by Yukon
You don't want to put those forces on that bar when they are already under compressive force. Can if you want, but.....:D
Bridge vs. non
I have put a lot of nights on my RR so far. Probably only missed about 10-15 nights since its release. I really like many things about it and it is the first bridge design that I have found sustained comfort while sleeping or lounging. There is no doubt at all, that it has earned a high spot in my collection. One of these days, I'll actually find time to put up my review of it. The positives vastly outnumber the negatives IMO.
Still, even with that said, I think I'm just a gathered kind of guy. For lack of a better description, I feel exposed in the RR. The gathereds wrap me up in hammock security; a bit like a binky, I suppose. It's all imaginary because it isn't like that little bit of extra nylon is going to protect me from the Boogie Man, but that's just the way it is in my brain. I do have a much greater level of 'inner comfort' in a gathered. I cannot take away from the comfort of the RR and in many ways it greatly exceeds any of the gathered-end hammocks I have slept in. Although, there are still a couple of things (primarily back-sleeping) that I do find slightly more comfortable in a gathered-end. To answer one of the OP's questions; without a doubt, the bridge design provides a more flat surface than a gathered. My problem is I seem to like a little bit of the banana when on my back. Not much of a bend is needed, but I seem to do better on my back with a little bend. Happily, the RR provides enough flexibility with positions that it isn't hard to find another option, and is even refreshing to those of us that just flop in on our backs and start snoring.
I think I'll probably carry it with me on summer trips, when I'm hanging in spots selected as much for the scenery as for the practicality; the latter sometimes is abandoned all-together depending on the view. The view from these RRs is stupendous! I still don't care for all the extra 'stuff' that comes with a bridge, like all the cordage required for the suspension triangle and particularly the spreader bars. Now, I could do something healthy for myself and lose a little weight so that the possibility of using my trekking poles comes into play, but that sounds like far too much work. :D
Like I said, I've been sleeping in my RR a lot for the past couple of months, so it most certainly does not suck. However, if we go back to that old HF meme of "if you could pick only one", I'm pretty sure my pick would be a gathered-end. It would be a slug-fest and I'd fight right up to the line to keep two instead of one, making for razor slim margin of victory, but that's probably the way I'd go.
yeah, there's a difference in how the spreader bars work on a typical backyard style hammock with spreader bars vs on a bridge hammock, you can't grab the bars on a bridge hammock as they aren't supported in the center like a backyard style would be