So, why did you switch to a bridge?

[Bleemus]

Don't want to start a war here between diagonal sleepers and bridge sleepers but I just have to ask and hope to get some constructive feedback.

After 30 years of not sleeping in a hammock I bought a HH Exped Asym on super discount. Set it up and spent last night in it down to 19 degrees. I was warm enough because I was in my backyard and could add loads of under insulation and I have a -30F expedition bag that barely stuffs in the back of most small SUVs. Life would be different on the trail I know. I am not a gram weenie but hate to head out of the house with more than 30 lbs on my back. I am too old for that crap!

The hammock is too short for me so I am looking to change up and sell the HH. Looking at all the different options for my upgrade I see the WB, Speer and the JRB Bridge among others. From my standpoint it just seems like a bridge is a no-brainer choice. What am I missing? Those of you that have slept in WBs and Bridges must know something I don't know if you chose the WB. It looks to be a fine piece of equipment made by a reputable person but if the idea is a good nights sleep then the flat lie and less claustrophobia of a bridge just seems like the natural choice.

Help me make a decision and let me in on the secret please!! Is it just the weight of the "All Up" setup?

Please enlighten me!

Cheers,
Bleemus

[GrizzlyAdams]

yo Bleemus,
I've been known to use a bridge hammock, of the DIY variety.
But I use gathered end hammocks too, in that class my favorite is the Blackbird.

I love bridge hammocks. But they have their own limitations. Primary is that you have to carry more tarp to cover them. No two ways about it. The minimal tarp needed to protect a gathered end hammock from rain is smaller than the minimal tarp needed to protect a bridge hammock. I can get by with a MacCat Deluxe. That has an 11' ridgeline, and is 9' wide, with some significant cat cuts. The other reason is personal...I cannot curl in a semi-fetal position on my side in a bridge hammock.

What has sort of evolved is that in the seasons when I'm doing some fairly serious hiking along with my hanging, I'll use a bridge. I'm so zonked at the end of the day the fact I can't curl doesn't bother me. I'm out.

The long winter nights….I wanna curl sometimes. So the Blackbird comes along.

There really is only one solution.

• Get yourself a Blackbird, and
• Get yourself a BMBH, and
• Learn to make your own bridge hammocks so you can customize to your heart's content.

this said, I've no experience with other fine gathered hammocks represented on the forums, including the Switchback and Speers

• Get one each of those two

Then start in on the quilts….

[ref103]

i would like to try a DIY bridge. i'm short though, so my maccat would cover me.

hey grizz, are you going to donate to bleemus's 401k plan!? that's what he is going to have to take out of to cover all the green it's going to cost for all your "suggestions" and "solutions".

[TeeDee]

As Grizz put it so well. The Bridge has it's limitations.

But then all hammocks types do.

Just know the limitations and if you can live with them.

The limitations of the Bridge: Fetal position on your side is difficult and probably impossible for an extreme fetal. I sleep either on my back or side, legs pretty straight. So I have no problem.

The tarp can be limiting, so you have to learn to adapt to a larger tarp.

Spreader bars - I use one hiking pole and an oak dowel attached thereto. So spreader bars are no problem for me and the added weight for the oak dowel is unnoticeable since it is attached to my hiking pole. Separate spreader bars can be a potential hassle. Also, potential interaction between the spreader bars and the tarp must be worked around (hence the larger tarp).

There may be other less significant limitations, but I'm biased enough that I cannot think of them.

The Bridge does have advantages if you can manage the above limitations. For a DIYer, making under quilts, bug netting and over covers to fit a Bridge is orders of magnitude simpler than a gathered end hammock. If you are not a DIYer, then this doesn't apply.

A DIY Bridge can be a lot lighter than a similarly equipped gather end hammock. To start with, you use a lot less fabric in the Bridge.

[Stovemandan]

There really is only one solution.
Get yourself a Blackbird, and
Get yourself a BMBH, and
Learn to make your own bridge hammocks so you can customize to your heart's content.

I'll do all three I like your solution

[GrizzlyAdams]

I'll do all three I like your solution

kinda like those little alky stoves isn't it. Can't have too many

[trigger hurt]

I recently traded my WBBB for a BMBH, mainly for one reason. Sometimes I sleep on my right side, sometimes I sleep on my left side. I can do both in a BMBH, but I can only sleep comfortable on my left side in my old WBBB.

The other, not so important reason, is that I always had difficulty getting into my sleeping bag or top quilt then getting properly situated in my WBBB. That's really nothing to do with the BB itself since I could slip my feet in the footbox of the BB while sitting, then roll back. But, for me, I found it easier to do that in the BMBH and I could do it from either side of the hammock.

As mentioned above, the one issue I had with a bridge was the spreader bars rubbing up against the tarp, but changing the pitch a bit and hanging the tarp a bit higher fixed that.

[Walking Bear]

I'm a DIY bridge user. I started looking a hammocks on this forum and made a gathered end protype out of Walmat dallar bin fabric.
Then I started reading the bridge thread. That lead me to make a bridge protype.
I whet with the bridge for now. I like how easy it was to make an under quilt and put the bug netting on. I use the treaking poles for spreaders.

I will sleep on my back at home untill my wife makes me roll onto my side because of some strange noise I make at night. So the back and slight side sleeping works for me.

My DIY tarp has an eleven foot ridge line. It's about ten feet wide. I can close one end if I want.

[Heber]

I like my bridge better than gathered end hammocks because in a gathered end hammock my head is at a funny angle when I sleep that bothers me. In the bridge my neck is straight (as are my back and legs) and I wake up with less kinks.

[BillyBob58]

What the others have already said. I have a Speer, a HH Explorer and a Safari, a Treklight, a Claytor No Net(used to also have a Claytor Jungle), a WB Black Bird, and a JRB BMBH. Maybe another one or two that I have forgotten. Isn't that ridiculous?

Though some may check in here giving you a more definitive answer, my guess mostly in favor of the BB, I am not quite able to do so either way. I have been on the verge of declaring for the BMBH team for quite a while, but I can not quite get there. Nor can I declare for team whatever over the the BMBH, that is for sure! The reason I can't quite (almost though) declare for the BMBH is as the others have already said: it has it's own set of limitations. BMBH Cons:

1:As for the tarp, it's true you are going to be able to get by with less tarp with a gathered end(GE), especially if it is not a super long GE hammock. But I don't consider that a major problem any more, because I like a JRB 10x11 tarp anyway AND have some shorter spreader bars for the foot end OR, probably best: I have Grip Clips on the tarp right about where the spreader bars would rub. I pull the tarp out, with a guy line to hiking poles or tree branch, giving me all the room needed- with a good bit to spare. I have even managed to close one end and stay clear of the bars. And when I do this, interior room is much more luxurious, even with a GE. But, all of this requires some set up and fooling around and learning curve.

2:The problem you can't get around is full fetal is not doable. So if that is important, it's a no go. Slightly fetal, but certainly not full fetal.

3:I need more pillow than I do with any GE, and some of them I don't need any pillow.

4:I can't use my Pea Pod. I really like my Pea Pod. But not all is lost, I also really like my JRB MW4(see below).

5: It is not the lightest hammock, though it is double layer. Griz and others have found mods to lighten it up. But it is only slightly heavier, if at all, than my WBBB dbl layer 1.7.

But the BMBH is so sweet for me in several ways. I've had mine hanging for many days now on my back porch. Not camping, but just going out a couple of hours each day and reading. It is my favorite hammock for that. BMBH pros:

1:It is my favorite for laying on my back, despite the relative lack of shoulder room. How big are you? I am 6'1", 210 lbs, size 45. But if you are much bigger or more broad shouldered than that, the BMBH might not be for you while on your back. Doesn't matter for side sleeping.
2: I seem to be extra sensitive to pressure on my calf which is common with other hammocks. Sometimes this can be a real hassle. Among GE types, only my HH Safari is totally free of this problem, and even then I often have to shift around a bit to find the sweet spot. But the BMBH has zero calf pressure in most any position. It is the world champ in this area, in my experience.

3::It is the world champ (IMO) for full length pad use, or leg pad use.

4:It is the easiest, most sure and idiot proof to use with a quilt like a JRB MW4. Again, just IMO. If you put the MW4 on the BMBH as directed, or even almost as directed, it is going to be warm. No matter how I move, I don't land on an un-insulated area, and everything stays put perfectly all night. And it's not that a quilt does not work fine with a GE hammock, it's just that it works so perfectly every time with the BMBH. I would love to know how well the MW3 torso length and a leg pad would work! I bet it would work great.

5::It is extra easy to move around in and get in and out of compared to some GEs(not all). The upper curved sides are very stiff. I can just reach above my head and pull up to a semi-reclining position. Or put weight on them with the back of my arms to shift from back to side(hard to put in words but super easy).

6:Used with the MW4, it is extra easy to keep my Golight quilt tucked around my shoulders compared to some set ups.

Bottom line: BMBH has many positives and is probably the most comfortable hammock over all for me, though not the most comfortable or best in all ways. ( Some other folks will feel the opposite I'm sure! The WBBB is definitely the most loved hammock around here!) None the less, sometimes I choose the WBBB's many positives over the BMBH for actual hiking trips, sometimes I choose the BMBH for hiking. For that matter, I still like my net free HHs just fine, and sometimes I like to take my HH Super Shelter. I can be plenty comfortable ( compared to the ground) with those. And sometimes, especially if I want to use a Pea Pod, the Claytor No net seems pretty close to any of them in comfort. And is the best hammock to use with the Pea Pod IMO.

You will probably never know unless you get a BMBH and WBBB and directly compare. But if you do, try to give the BMBH some time. It is quite different and has a learning curve, especially if you are already used to GEs. Keep in mind I returned my first BMBH do to percieved lack of shoulder room. I'm glad I got another and tried again.

Want one more for some added confusion? My 17 oz Speer 8.5 is pretty comfortable overall. In several ways it is not my favorite, not big things, but I'm not crazy about how deep in it I sink, and getting in and out can sometimes be kind of hard. I can sleep good full fetal but not on my side with legs straight(just the opposite of BMBH).

But, except for the HH Safari, my Speer is the best GE I've tried for lack of calf pressure on the diagonal. Go figure!

Good luck on your decision! Just get both!