*UPGRADE!!* grade ade ade ade....

[franksb255]

I was trying my hammock yesterday, seeing if I was hanging it wrong which was giving me an uncomfortable hang, when it completely ripped apart. This must have been a sign that I needed to go ahead and move away from the "normal hammock" and upgrade to the bridge.

Just finished up the mosquito netting tonight. Hangs beautifully, much more flatter and wider open than my other. I need to work on the suspension though, I'm using 7 strand para cord right now and I believe it stretches to much. Also, I'm just using just random pieces of wood that was in the shop for spreader bars, need to find something lightweight.

Hopefully the pics attach.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I was trying my hammock yesterday, seeing if I was hanging it wrong which was giving me an uncomfortable hang, when it completely ripped apart. This must have been a sign that I needed to go ahead and move away from the "normal hammock" and upgrade to the bridge.

Just finished up the mosquito netting tonight. Hangs beautifully, much more flatter and wider open than my other. I need to work on the suspension though, I'm using 7 strand para cord right now and I believe it stretches to much. Also, I'm just using just random pieces of wood that was in the shop for spreader bars, need to find something lightweight.

Hopefully the pics attach.

hey franksb255---great satisfaction in putting up the product of your handiwork and having it hold together. Until it doesn't

My first hammock developed a frightful tear. I keep it for memories sake...

So on your new hammock. Right you are, that paracord is stretching. Other kinds of cord (e.g. Amsteel) don't, and that's your path of least resistance to improve that aspect.

The lay of your bugnet makes it look rather like there is no cut curve in the fabric on the side, e.g. that your hammock body is rectangular rather than hour-glass. If that's the case, you ought to know that the "magic" part of a bridge's flatness is that the middle is narrower than the ends. That translates into the middle resisting more the weight over it---not coincidently your heaviest part of the body---holding it up more than it would otherwise.

Now when you do cut a curve in the side, the bugnet attachment issue becomes rather more complicated geometrically....trust me on that one....

thanks for posting. We got to pop up and shout BRIDGE every now and then just to remind the rest that it remains a viable design.

[franksb255]

Hey Grizz, Thanks for the info. I didn't really know why people were cutting the sides of the body until now, I thought they might have been just removing extra material or something. It still hangs pretty good, I have a HECK of a lot of threading to undo if I wanted to change it, but I was planning on sleeping in it tonight once I fix the suspension to really try it out and see how it feels long term you know.

Yes, Amsteel seems to be the main cord everybody is using now. It's only available online though right? I might see what's at my local backpacking store, or I'll make it out of the strap webbing like I used for the body.

Franks

[gunner76]

Amsteel is available at Marine West boating stores if you have one in your area.

[franksb255]

Just an update, I slept in my new bridge hammock last night, and I'll give it a C+. Woke up at 3am and was uncomfortable, so I went back in to the house to bed.

Today I unstitched the webbing and cut the hourglass look into it like the design was suppose to be and sewed it back up again. It feels a bit more flatter, and I think it's going to work great.

Waiting for cooler weather to backyard sleep again, was a little sweaty to begin with last night.