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  1. #1
    Senior Member Frost's Avatar
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    Bridge Hammock Spreader Length

    I've built a couple of bridge hammocks so far, mostly based off the dimensions for Dutch's Bridgeskin III because I like the shallow lay it offers. Gives me a nice view, and, (in my own mind) makes me a little less likely to become a bear burrito . My first attempt was actually flatter than my second, but I think that's because I dorked up the curve before I sewed the straps on the second time around.

    Dutch uses two bars of the same length on his design, as do most other designs I see, but I am noticing a few folks using a shorter bar at the foot end than at the head end of their bridge designs. I'm curious if there are any distinct advantages to this? In my head, it seems like this might allow a little extra slack on the foot end that will let your feet sit down a little lower, giving you a flatter lay, but I can't decide if that would actually be the case.

    Other than the depth of the curve at the center of the hammock as opposed to the ends, what else determines how flat a bridge lays?

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  2. #2
    Senior Member egrant5329's Avatar
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    Your feet don't need the width and the bars add a lot of weight to the hammock, so I think the idea is to minimize the weight by trimming back where you don't need it.

    When I started down the bridge path, I copied Grizzes hammocks and started with a 36" header and a 28" footer (264gm) and the bridge with bug-net and triangles weighed in at 14.8oz (419gm). Then I made a hammock with carbon fiber bars following BER's Cloud design with a 39" header and a 30" footer (126gm).

    One of the problems I have run into is that as I have made the hammocks more shallow (i.e. more flat) the mid point of the bridge became too small and my hips were somewhat squeezed. It also prevented me from bringing my knees up when on my side. My next bridge will probably be a 39" header and 36" footer design since I have the 39" CF pole and a 36" Easton aluminum pole. The carbon fiber bars are just too expensive to make another bar.

    I am also considering going to 1.6oz ripstop, using nanoseum for the bugnet and just making just the center zip open inorder to lighten it up as much as possible. I am concerned the 1.1oz ripstop would be enough for my 175lbs weight or I would use it.
    Ed
    Ed

  3. #3
    Senior Member Stovemandan's Avatar
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    Other than the depth of the curve at the center of the hammock as opposed to the ends, what else determines how flat a bridge lays?
    I had some thoughts to use polyester rather than nylon due to what I read about how they differ in "stretch" I've also consider using a "no" stretch top section. 2 different fabrics. The no stretch for my upper body. No stretch for the "lay flat" aspect.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member egrant5329's Avatar
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    The flatness of the lay is related to the arc length of the material under the spreader bar relative to the spreader bar width. BER had a nice table in one of his posts that compared several different hammocks including the Chrysalis. If you search for BER and cloud or cirrus I think you can find the table.

    You can make your header arc length and the footer arc length different relative to the respective spreader bars because your feet don't need the flat lay like your back. It also lowers you center of gravity a bit which is a plus.
    Ed

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