Padding the spreader corners on bridge hammocks?

**upfromtheashes** · 12-12-2015, 16:29

I just spent my first night in my new Warbonnet RR, and even though I bought the bigger (11x10) Cloudburst tarp, I wasn't real thrilled about how wide I had to spread it in order to get (what felt to me like) adequate clearance between the tarp and the spreader corners.

One thing that occurred to me while I was hanging there was to concoct some kind of padded "corner covers" that I could lash onto those corners. That way I could pitch the tarp closer/steeper and not be as worried about damage.

Anyone ever try that before? If so, any advice you'd share?

**biggy** · 12-12-2015, 16:38

AHE makes something specifically for that. Bicycle inner tube with a hole on on side for the spreader bar to fit through works well . It's what I used.

**ChacMool** · 12-12-2015, 20:05

Another alternative would be to use a pole mod on your tarp, puffing it out wider than it would ordinarily be. Various vendors, including Dutch and Wilderness Logics, sell this -- or you can make one yourself from instructions in a thread in the Warbonnet forum.

**goetzc** · 12-13-2015, 00:07

I've used socks held in place with a rubber band before. Worked great and I knew right where my socks were in the morning.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 12-13-2015, 00:25

I like the socks idea!

I've put caps of vinyl tubing over the nubs of the spreader bar to blunt the comparative pointy end

**DodgeSwinger73** · 12-13-2015, 23:27

I just filed mine down so they did not protrude through the buckles enough to harm the tarp.

WV · 12-14-2015, 07:54

Glad to hear so many good ideas. I've been thinking about this myself. Tried old tennis balls with a slit in them poked over the spreader tip for a back yard hang, but some came off during the night. On the trail I use trekking poles as spreaders, and the rubber tips seem to work, but I'd like to come up with something a bit softer and with a larger surface area. Some day I'll make a special tarp for use with a bridge hammock so the ends of the spreaders attach directly to the tarp - probably a variant of Gargoyle's Ogee tarp with the width of the side triangles equal to the distance between the spreader bars (still a moving target at this point). Grizz, have you experimented with anything like this, or meditated thereon?

**Boston** · 12-14-2015, 08:18

Originally Posted by upfromtheashes

Anyone ever try that before? If so, any advice you'd share?

Out of curiosity, are you using the side panel pull outs? It's not clear from your post.

The cloudburst side panel pull outs are designed to align with the location of the RR spreader bars. So using them should give you lots of clearance.

**DodgeSwinger73** · 12-14-2015, 09:45

In addition to using the pullouts on tarps like the cloudburst, entering and exiting your hammock properly is important. It shound never contact the side of your hammock when using the pullouts.

This video will help.