Debrief sessions are boring and I have a lot of time to think about my ridge line.
The ridge line I have been using is 118", just 2" shy of the 10' ridge of my JRB tarp.
I would like more room at the ends of the Bridge ridge line and the ends of the tarp.
Then I got to thinking about my suspension triangles. Due to the arc, the weight distribution on the Bridge is not 50% to each end as for a gathered end hammock. My guesstimate is more like 60/40 or 70/30 with the head end heavier than the foot end.
I decided to experiment with my suspension triangles. To that end I made a modified Whoopie sling. No fixed eye, and an adjustable loop on each end. In the middle I tied a Lanyard knot. The cords for the adjustable loops exit as close to the lanyard knot as possible.
I can then capture Ti toggles in the fixed eyes at the end of the arc cord, loop the adjustable loops over the toggles and secure the lanyard knot in the suspension fixed eyes as shown in my first post.
The two ended whoopie lets me adjust the sides of the suspension triangle as desired.
What I have done up to this time is to make the sides of the head and foot end suspension triangles equal. Since I make my foot end spreader only 50% of the fabric width and since the weight distribution is not 50/50, the compression forces on the foot spreader have been very light with the foot side lengths equal to the head side lengths.
I decided to make the 2 suspensions triangles similar triangles, i.e., with equal angles, instead of equal side lengths.
I measured and computed the head end angles and then computed the needed side length of the foot end triangle.
Set that length into the whoopie loops. I then had to drastically shorten the ridge line length.
In summary, I ended up reducing my ridge line from 118" to 107".
That gives me a lot more room between the ridge line ends and the tarp ends.
The new ridge line length and suspension triangles pull the Bridge out just as flat as the 118" ridge line.
I like the Bridge pulled out to the point that is just between being a banana and an inverted banana. That is, if I shortened the ridge line slightly, I would get more of a banana shape. If I lengthened the ridge line slightly I would get an inverted banana. I don't like the banana shape because of what it does to my knees and because the dropped butt tends to compress the insulation of any under quilt and I don't like having my back bent backwards by the inverted banana. In that middle ground between the 2 options, I get a nice flat bed.
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