Semi-Gathered Bridge in 8 steps

[dblhmmck]

Would this design work well for a side sleeper? I am contemplating making a bridge hammock but am put off by the coffin-shape they seems to take.

Yes, Lelavola. I am a side sleeper, and that was a major motivator in developing this design. Some people can't seem to bring their knees up into a tucked position in bridge hammocks. However, I sleep in this position every night. Starting on my right side, then pulling my knees up to stretch out my low back for a while before I get out of the hammock in the morning. It is a matter of physical size and flexibility, as to whether a fetal position will be comfortable for you in this type of bridge hammock. But as far as simple side-sleeping; that is a definite "yes".

[wirelessness]

I like to sleep on my side with my downward facing arm extendended above my head as far as possible. My Ridgerunner hammock allows for this but not as far out as I would prefer. This design seems like it would allow for that as is or even more extension if I extend the headend portion of the gathered end by some inches. Any thoughts?
Also, it seems like you could dial in the angle and tension of the the gathered end to allow for your arm to have a nice comfortable upward slope of a few degrees as desired? In my I use a second pillow to support my underside arm as laying perfectly flat is less comfortable. This design seems like it would allow for something similar built in.

[dblhmmck]

I like to sleep on my side with my downward facing arm extendended above my head as far as possible. My Ridgerunner hammock allows for this but not as far out as I would prefer. This design seems like it would allow for that as is or even more extension if I extend the headend portion of the gathered end by some inches. Any thoughts?

.
Yes, I also extend my arms above my head while in the hammock, if it is not too cold.
In post #27 of this thread, I describe the storage at the head end. If the gather at the head end is any farther away, then accessing the storage would be less convenient. The proportions are perfectly dialed in for some body of my size. If you have really long arms, then maybe what you are suggesting could work for you.

Also, it seems like you could dial in the angle and tension of the the gathered end to allow for your arm to have a nice comfortable upward slope of a few degrees as desired? In my I use a second pillow to support my underside arm as laying perfectly flat is less comfortable. This design seems like it would allow for something similar built in.

I went through many prototypes to get the angle and tension just where I wanted it. I also use a small pillow; my puffy jacket and pants.

Concerning your point about adjusting the head slope, that can be done when the gather at the top of the polygon gets tied off. I would say the SGB would have less head slope than the RidgeRunner, but more than the BMBH. IMO you will have more room for your arms in the RR, especially if you are using the full width version of your head spreader bar.

[wirelessness]

Thanks for the response above!

One more question...I have some Amsteel but don't have any webbing on hand. Has anyone tried using Amsteel in a channel vs. sewn in webbing?

[dblhmmck]

Thanks for the response above!

One more question...I have some Amsteel but don't have any webbing on hand. Has anyone tried using Amsteel in a channel vs. sewn in webbing?

Yes, It works well, but with two things to consider. First, the fabric will need to be stitched to the Amsteel at the four corners to maintain the extension length of the hammock, and prevent the fabric from creeping towards the center of gravity.
The second consideration is that some people find the Amsteel uncomfortable while in a chair mode, with the legs over the side. Personally, this second consideration has not been a big deal for me for the models where I used Amsteel. Still, I prefer the more supple kevlar mule tape, and feel it was well worth making the purchase for the upgrade IMHO. And I have much more experience with the latter versions.

[wirelessness]

I bought everything to make this hammock including the Kevlar mule tape. Then I remembered Dutch said his Kevlar tree straps will degrade in UV and lose a high percentage of their strength. Multiple online articles are saying the same thing about Kevlar aramid fiber as well. Any thoughts on should I be concerned?

[dblhmmck]

I bought everything to make this hammock including the Kevlar mule tape. Then I remembered Dutch said his Kevlar tree straps will degrade in UV and lose a high percentage of their strength. Multiple online articles are saying the same thing about Kevlar aramid fiber as well. Any thoughts on should I be concerned?

UV degradation is a good point to keep in mind. For that matter all of our UL fabrics also degrade in prolonged UV exposure. It is a good case for not leaving the hammock set up in the yard all Summer.

From my limited experience, I feel like friction will be the potentially bigger factor that could degrade the kevlar much more so than UV. I have used kevlar attached to my tree hugger straps, and they show quite a bit of friction damage after just one season. To. alleviate this, where the kevlar is exposed on the hammock, I have wrapped the exposed loops that connect the arcs to the end triangles with electrical tape to protect them. However, in hot weather some of the glue from the electrical spread a bit of it's stickiness onto the hammock body. And the tape starts to lose it's grip after time. So, not the ideal solution.

I might try Plasti-dip, but I will probably just do nothing, and keep my eye on it.I rarely leave my hammock set up during the day. And with the kevlar strength rating of 2000 pounds or so, the UV degradation issue does not worry me personally.

But I am sharing from just my narrow slice of experience, so I suggest that everyone evaluate this issue for themselves. Best wishes with your hammock build!

[GadgetUK437]

where the kevlar is exposed on the hammock, I have wrapped the exposed loops that connect the arcs to the end triangles with electrical tape to protect them.

You can use heat-shrink tubing too, or gut some thicker paracord and use the sheath of that.



--
Gadget

[dblhmmck]

You can use heat-shrink tubing too, or gut some thicker paracord and use the sheath of that.



--
Gadget

I like that idea, Gadget. I have used heat-shrink tubing, and liked the effect on 7/64 Amsteel. I am not sure how it would work with the kevlar mule tape, since the tape is not round. It would be important to slide the tubing on before sewing the loops closed at the ends of the lateral arcs, obviously. So some pre-planning as opposed to problem solving afterwards, would be needed.

But kitsapcowboy may have an even better solution for friction protection, by encasing the kevlar within a sheath of the hammock fabric during construction. This solution would completely solve friction as well as UV degradation concerns with the kevlar mule tape.