Why do some people prefer hammocks with the spreader bar? I've never used one, except the old school macrame things and I don't remember it being very comfortable.
This is an honest question as I am just curious. I would especially like to hear from those that have used both and prefer the spreader bar kind.
Bridge hammocks may use spreader bars but not in the same way as the one you are thinking of. Bridge hammocks offer a flatter lay and are thus preferable for many who side sleep.
Bridge hammock spreader bars spread the material creating the trough if you will that you lay in. With the other hammocks the spreader bar runs through an end channel pulling all the material.
Don't let life get in the way of living.
I owned several different GE hammocks before I got my Ridgerunner with the spreader bars. I know lots of folks love their GE hammocks but I could never get really comfortable. The main issue for me was that no matter how I tweaked the suspension I always had some degree of ridge running lengthwise down the center of the leg end of the hammock that was uncomfortable. I think this is what most refer to as 'calf ridge'.
Another issue was that stomach sleeping was almost impossible. Side sleeping was OK but the highly sought after 'flat lay', to the extent that it can be accomplished in a GE, was not flat enough to sleep comfortable on my stomach.
The bridge hammock, with spreaders, eliminates those issues. You lay very nearly flat and can roll from side to side and onto your stomach easily. One downside is that, since you pretty much lay straight down the center of the hammock, the sides tend to limit how much you can bend your knees if you like to sleep in a more fetal position.
Some think that a drawback to the bridge hammock is the length of the overall setup. With my RR my hammock fabric is less than 7' long and total suspension (modified) is just less than 11'. So less tarp is needed to cover the actual hammock.
"...With saddle and pack, by paddle and track, let's go to the land of beyond."
I have both type of hammocks and use both depending on the situation. My personal preference is the bridge hammock though (I also have a Ridgerunner), as I tend to sleep on my side at times and the bridge allows this comfortably to be done. I do use my gathered end hammock on quick overnight trips and occasionally have run into the problem with the "calf ridge", but I believe this is due to the way it is hung at that particular time - at least that is my experience. All comments above by Passinthru are spot on. The one thing I will add though - at least with the Ridgerunner - if you pitch your tarp at a steep angle you will need to have something to pull the sides of the tarps out so the spreader bars are not poking into the fabric. There are ways around it with any tarp, but having tabs sewn in make it much easier if they are needed.
Tom
I think the OP is not talking about bridge hammocks but about this type:
Rumba-Spreader-Bar-Hammock.jpg
If you are thinking about hiking with a bridge hammock, be sure to check out this video. This guy has some tips that make it a good and viable lightweight option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJSq9eceMAs
Last edited by BanjoPicker; 01-25-2016 at 09:23.
That's basically the image I have. I'm probably missing something, but in my mind, bridge and spreader bar seem to be basically the same thing in function. There's a stiff thing that spreads the hammock like in your pic.Originally Posted by hutzelbein
I should look in to it I guess, so I have a better understanding of the difference.
Several differences are the material, weight, and width. I have both GE and Bridge (a RidgeRunner). I really like the Ridge Runner - the sides don't come up as far so I can see more. And though I enjoy the feel of both, they are different. But unless I'm sure about the tree situation, I take the GE because it can use trees closer together - given a cluster of trees, I find more situations that would work for a GE than a Bridge. WarBonnet said that the usual separation between the apex points of the RidgeRunner is 13 feet (about 20-25 degrees). Give an little more distance for a short single line of suspension passed that, the trees would be a minimum of 14 ft apart (more like 15 to 17 feet apart). That's a pretty long span. An 11 ft GE only needs about 9 to 10 feet to hang at 30 degrees.
A bridge hammock is completely different from a spreader bar hammock. A spreader bar hammock is simply a gathered end hammock with spreader bars added to the ends. The bars are there to keep the hammock open. If used right with a low center of gravity (not like the typical garden hammocks, but more like a huge Brazilian hammock with added bars) and a huge hammock body (to allow for an extreme diagonal lay), I think they can improve comfort. People here have been experimenting with mini spreader bars with good success.
Bridge hammocks are designed like a hanging bridge with a body that is shaped like an hourglass. I'm not a physicist, so I can't explain how it works exactly. But if you have ever lain in a bridge hammock, you know that it's a completely different animal.
My wife uses a bridge hammock, different than an end spreader bar as said already. She loves her Chrysalis hammock because the bridge hammock keeps her from getting the bad effects of Restless Leg Syndrome she gets in my gathered end hammock.
I have rested in the Chrysalis and can say it is a very comfortable hammock. Still, I like how my gathered end cradles me from side to side like a great big comfy hug and the UQ wraps around me a little better than a Bridge.
Enjoy and have fun with your family,before they have fun without you
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