Might be fun to get one really cheap at a garage sale when someone breaks a spreader bar, and then try to modify it.Originally Posted by hewittdallas
Might be fun to get one really cheap at a garage sale when someone breaks a spreader bar, and then try to modify it.
So I work at REI. This hammock has been in the works for almost 3 years. The group that designed it are what REI brass calls "hammock nerds". Everything about it is inline with REI marketing and construction. There is an underquilt to come... no specs yet. I am sure it is functional. It'll have a ton of weird querks. The folks buying them will eventually find hammockforums.net and probably return them for a cottage vendor. I once did a hammock class at REI and contacted the very fine manufactures for a little cottage vendor swag to hand out during the class. I was scolded and told to talk more about ENO.
As a side note. There is no competition for ENO. During the big sales we will sell 200 a day in a medium store...
I bought one of these and received it in the mail on Monday and decided to spend the night in it last night, in my backyard. It is my first experience with a bridge hammock so cannot really compare it to any other bridge. I have been using a WBBB and a Traveler for the past few years.
First of all, and most important to me, it sleeps very nice. It was the most comfortable night I have had in a hammock. Easy to sleep on the back and side plus halfway rolled over. Much easier to roll over and situate than the gathered end hammocks I have been using.
The hammock seems to be very well made and includes everything you need other than insulation and a pillow. It looks to me like a lot of thought went into its design. It is very easy to hang and adjust both the hammock and the tarp with attached lines, clips and slides. Entry and exit are pretty simple. Zipping up the door requires two hands in one spot, but that may be because of the tension on the ridgeline holding it up. The hammock has a couple of small pockets on the inside and one on the outside for storage. They won't hold a lot, but it was a convenient place to put some small items. There are also a few small loops at the top, but the ridge line itself is not accessible; it is embedded into the mesh. I did notice a bit of shoulder squeeze, but only because I had read that it could be a problem and was looking for it (I am 6' 1" and 180 lb).
As others have mentioned, the tarp is a bit small, but does adequately cover the hammock. It rained all last night and I stayed dry, although there was some splashup on my UQ. I'll try again tonight with the fly staked out a bit wider. I did try my other tarps today, including my Hammock Gear Cuben Fiber Hex Tarp, but none of them were quite as long as the stock tarp, although they were wider. So I will stick to the stock tarp for now and explore some kind of shower cap to put over the UQ.
I initially tried to use an inflatable pad (BA Quad Code) in the hammock, but decided that was going to be a bit tricky so opted for a UQ instead. The video I had seen just hooked the suspension for the UQ to the hammock suspension (where it joins together). But my JrB Mt Washington would not reach that far. I ended up using 4 small carabiners and a short section of shock cord to attach the 4 corners of the UQ to the hammock suspension at the spreader bars. That worked well and covered all but a few inches of the hammock at one end.
All in all I liked the hammock and hope to take it out into the field next week. Unless some issue surfaces, I expect it to be my goto hammock now.
Anyone else has any experience with this one?
Just saw it was on sale - I think for $149 - I'm too fat, or I'd at least look at it.
Well after lurking around in here for a while and not fully recovered from sticker shock. I think the REI will be my first hammock.
The cottage vendor hammocks are expensive indeed. I hesitated too. I took the plunge with the expectation that the hammock has to bring me exceptional comfort and last me a long long time. At least 10 years. So far so good but only time will tell.
I wish the body of the hammock was wider in the trough section, because I suffered from terrible shoulder squeeze when sleeping in it. They released a new version, but an REI rep told me they did not change the hammock body, only the tarp. Bummer. If they redesigned the hammock body the quarterdome would be the perfect hammock. Out of the box there is no other system that comes close. But comfort is king, and it just didn't work for me and others I've spoken to. Hopefully they get it dialed in in the next few years.
On the otherhand, if you rock a smaller boady frame this may be the perfect hammock for you. At ~200 lbs, it was very uncomfortable.
Evan
Check out our Youtube page for some fun hammock videos https://www.youtube.com/c/LloydLiving
Just in case anybody is still looking for the REI Co-op Quarter Dome Air Hammock it is on clearance right now for $112.00 + taxes.
I had been looking for one for a while now, and it was pretty hard to pass on this one at that price as a first bridge hammock.
the reviews on it seem to be pretty good. Comes with everything you need to try bridge hammocking, can always upgrade
the tarp or suspension system with your true and tried parts.
total was $123 with taxes shipped to California.
note: you have to add it to the cart and it will be marked down by 25% till 3/19/2018
ps: they also make an underquilt for it just in case you need one
REI - Quarter dome underquilt
Last edited by LeDude; 03-09-2018 at 14:17.
Happy Hanging ....
LeDude ...
I wasn't looking for a bridge hammock but that seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. Just ordered one tonight.
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