Introduction and a Couple of Questions

[NoBucks]

Greetings to everyone and thanks for a great forum!

My name is Joel and I'm a Lutheran pastor in Marquette, Michigan, and also a kayak designer/manufacturer/owner of Black Dog Kayaks. I've always been a DIY kind of guy and it's been fun taking some of my DIY ideas to the market. The NoBucks name goes back to my Jeepster days and Project No Bucks, building my '68 Jeepster on a budget. I still have the Jeepster, just no time to work on it lately.

I was introduced to hammock camping last year when we sponsored Kayak 4 A Kure, a couple of guys who kayaked the length of the Mississippi River in our tandem 21 foot skin-on-frame kayak. Speer Hammocks also sponsored them and they slept in hammocks most of the way down the River, and I caught the hammock bug from them.

Being a DIY kind of guy, I want to make my own bridge hammock for an upcoming kayak expedition either to Pictured Rocks, near Munising, Michigan, or, to the Apostle Islands in Northern Wisconsin (maybe both, if we can talk our wives into it). I'm not bad at sewing and my wife is our seamstress at Black Dog Kayaks and also works for a local canvas shop, so we can handle any sewing that's required to make a hammock.

Now, to my questions:

Question #1: I'm 6'10" tall and am wondering how much fabric I need to buy for the body of my hammock following GrizzlyAdams' excellent guide to making a bridge hammock? At 82.5 inches tall, I'm 2.5 inches taller than the total length of the hammock in the guide. I see that Grizz is 6'1" tall, so would it work if I just add 9 or 10 inches to the total length?

Question #2: At 240 lbs, will 1.9 oz fabric be strong enough for me? I found some 1.9 oz desert night camo ripstop at Wal-Mart for $3/yd. If not, I can order stronger fabric from one of our fabric suppliers, but the cost more than doubles.

Question #3: I've heard that hammock camping is prohibited in some campgrounds. Does anyone have any knowledge on whether it is allowed at Pictured Rocks or in the Apostle Islands? I haven't found anything in their camping regulations that prohibits it, but I plan to call them and ask anyway. I'd hate to get there and find out that it's prohibited.

Also, I just wanted to add that I was happy to see that Strapworks supports this forum. We use Strapworks for all of our webbing and related hardware and I can't say enough about their fast service.

[FanaticFringer]

Welcome to the forum NoBucks.
Great decision to make yourself a bridge hammock. I'm slowly getting mine built. Almost done. Your ideas sound like they would work. I'm sure the bridge guru Grizz will chime in soon. What size tarp are you thinking of using? A Blackcat tarp with bigger dimensions than listed would be sweet. www.jhatkhat.com/Khat/camping/bcdir/

Here is a good thread talking about prohibited camping issues.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...cks+prohibited

[slowhike]

6' 10"... wow, i bet people tend to listen to you when you stand behind the pulpit welcome to HF Joel.
since i've not gone the bridge hammock route, i'll have to let grizz & the others help you w/ that.
and on the areas allowing hammocks, some of the others in that vicinity can probably help there too & i'm sure they will. ...tim

[GrizzlyAdams]

Greetings to everyone and thanks for a great forum!

My name is Joel and I'm a Lutheran pastor in Marquette, Michigan, and also a kayak designer/manufacturer/owner of Black Dog Kayaks. I've always been a DIY kind of guy and it's been fun taking some of my DIY ideas to the market. The NoBucks name goes back to my Jeepster days and Project No Bucks, building my '68 Jeepster on a budget. I still have the Jeepster, just no time to work on it lately.

I was introduced to hammock camping last year when we sponsored Kayak 4 A Kure, a couple of guys who kayaked the length of the Mississippi River in our tandem 21 foot skin-on-frame kayak. Speer Hammocks also sponsored them and they slept in hammocks most of the way down the River, and I caught the hammock bug from them.

Being a DIY kind of guy, I want to make my own bridge hammock for an upcoming kayak expedition either to Pictured Rocks, near Munising, Michigan, or, to the Apostle Islands in Northern Wisconsin (maybe both, if we can talk our wives into it). I'm not bad at sewing and my wife is our seamstress at Black Dog Kayaks and also works for a local canvas shop, so we can handle any sewing that's required to make a hammock.

Now, to my questions:

Question #1: I'm 6'10" tall and am wondering how much fabric I need to buy for the body of my hammock following GrizzlyAdams' excellent guide to making a bridge hammock? At 82.5 inches tall, I'm 2.5 inches taller than the total length of the hammock in the guide. I see that Grizz is 6'1" tall, so would it work if I just add 9 or 10 inches to the total length?

Question #2: At 240 lbs, will 1.9 oz fabric be strong enough for me? I found some 1.9 oz desert night camo ripstop at Wal-Mart for $3/yd. If not, I can order stronger fabric from one of our fabric suppliers, but the cost more than doubles.

Question #3: I've heard that hammock camping is prohibited in some campgrounds. Does anyone have any knowledge on whether it is allowed at Pictured Rocks or in the Apostle Islands? I haven't found anything in their camping regulations that prohibits it, but I plan to call them and ask anyway. I'd hate to get there and find out that it's prohibited.

Also, I just wanted to add that I was happy to see that Strapworks supports this forum. We use Strapworks for all of our webbing and related hardware and I can't say enough about their fast service.

Hey Joe,
I spent a great week in Marquette in the summer three years ago with a group of young Boy Scouts. We camped in a very nice city park and did day expeditions out and about, including a day-long kiyaking trip where we drove out about 20 miles to an outfitter's and then paddled out along a small river to Lake Michigan, had lunch and a nap (no hammocks then!) on a sandy beach, and returned. I grew up in Northern Minnesota and Marquette looks just like towns up there---ready for winter.

Welcome to HF.

I've found that if the bridge is very much longer than I am, then in the course of the night I end up at one end or the other, and balance of flatness is affected. What works for me now is to make the hammock 7-8 inches longer than I am. I'd expect the same tactice would work for you.

I've used 1.9 oz ripstop from Speers, and I think he rates it to 250 lbs.

I made a suspension that Just Fits under a 10' tarp ridgeline. The main advantage to having the entire suspension triangle under the tarp is that you then have one rope emerging from under the tarp and it makes closing off the ends a bit easier, e.g. for a storm. Since it is easier to carry a bigger tarp on a kayak than on your back, I'd recommend thinking about an essentially rectangular tarp where you can pull in an end. I'd wager that with a JRB or Speer 11'x10' tarp your could get your hammock under with a partially closed end giving almost 3 sides of protection. OES sells larger rectanglular tarps, as does owareusa.com

I wish I could answer your questions about hanging in the Painted Rocks area. One of these summers my sons and I plan on hiking the trail that skirts Lake Michigan and passes through there. We'd want to be hanging. Well, I should say, we will hanging, stealthily if necessary, but wouldn't have to worry about headlines in the local paper

Local Lutheran pastor arrested for indecent enclosure in Painted Rocks State Park near school group picnic

you know the press.

regards

Grizz

[kmat]

Welcome Nobucks. I think you will find all your answers here as I have. This is a great group of DIY members always there to answer any questions and help if needed. Nice web site, also.
kmat

[SwampFoot]

SIX TEN!!? Now theres a man everyone looks up to!! Welcome Joel!! I am new here too!! Ill tell you this..these guys will make you feel more than welcome...GREAT BUNCH OF FOLKS!!!! I GIVE THEM THE BIG HOO RAH!!!

On the fabric question..maybe if you double layer the fabric it will do two jobs
strengthen it and add a little insulation to it as well...now!! I must say..I have no hammock building experience whats so ever...but I have built a plenty of survival items out of fabric and I always get better results out of two layers...most hammocks seem to be only one layer.

[FanaticFringer]

SIX TEN!!? Now theres a man everyone looks up to!! Welcome Joel!! I am new here too!! Ill tell you this..these guys will make you feel more than welcome...GREAT BUNCH OF FOLKS!!!! I GIVE THEM THE BIG HOO RAH!!!

On the fabric question..maybe if you double layer the fabric it will do two jobs
strengthen it and add a little insulation to it as well...now!! I must say..I have no hammock building experience whats so ever...but I have built a plenty of survival items out of fabric and I always get better results out of two layers...most hammocks seem to be only one layer.

I agree. Give it two layers and you'll also be able to slide your pad(s) in for more comfort.

[rigidpsycho]

Welcome to the forums NoBucks. Haven't tried a bridge yet, but there are alot who have and I'm sure they will pass along a lot of useful info. This forum has alot of good info.

[Kanguru]

Welcome! And I thought I had difficulties at 6' 5". You'll get plenty of answers here.

[Coffee]

I have a ton of nights in my 1.9 ripstop hammock without any signs of wear and I started at 230 and am around 215 now. Just make sure you roll hem all the sides. Also use strong supports.