Town's End- Big Guy and Luxury Bridge update

**Peppy** · 04-10-2018, 16:45

Originally Posted by Slugger

Peppy! My incubator is a 20 degree with overfill, but I'll probably be looking at buying a 0 degree with overfill for hanging next winter. It does get below 20 even here in SC and I want to be able to hang year-round whenever the whim hits me. And now that I'm comfortable with the Incubator set up I presently have I'll have no reservations putting out the cash for the zero degree version. Unless of course Bill starts making UQ's specifically for the BGBH once his shop is set up and he has time to do it.......!

I fussed with quilts for a bit, and have tried everything out there (almost). An HG Incubator, JRB MW3, MW4, GL3, Husdon River, UGQ Zeppelin, LL Habanero, WIlderness Logics, AHE, I've seriously tried most cottage gear on it and can make anything fit! I do find that I prefer a warmer than normal set on the bridges, probably because you're not wrapped up like a GE. Right now I use a custom LL Habanero 0 w/1 oz overfill, a Saver series Habanero 0 w/2 oz overfill, a LL synthetic 25 degree 3/4 and a 3/4 Zeppelin 20. I'm pretty well covered! Wishing everyone the best of luck! Bills gear is top notch!

**Just Bill** · 04-10-2018, 17:25

Originally Posted by goobie

I'm fine with whatever color you allow me to reimburse you for

Expect a long overdue, and backwards, report after this weekend. It's getting closer to bug season, so a net will be mandatory soon. I have a couple diy bottom entries of my own I can try (please excuse me while I toss one in the pack.......ok, I'm back now!)

Bummer, and yet a good thing, about the day job. Got to pay for all the experimenting somehow. Yeah, it sucks having to pay someone for projects you can do yourself and likely more to your satisfaction than others will do. Of course it's a business expense, one of those grey areas isn't it??

Salary...

Good thought on the bug net for a temporary solution; I can't think of a good reason (other than UQ issues) on why that wouldn't work.

Originally Posted by BananaHammock

Well we all are rooting for you. Keep chugging along!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by punkisdead

If you need more testers for your "luxury bridge" just let me know.

You're on the list, lol.

**Just Bill** · 04-10-2018, 17:37

Originally Posted by Postal

So I have received and begun testing the one I had purchased from you and I might be in love. Just saying. No real learning curve for me and it is very comfortable. Scares my wife to no end to watch me climb around in it. Now to begin the underquilt fitting thing and tarp testing with it. Will have to order a bug net as well. Just thought I would make this my cold weather kit. Have a feeling it will be oh so much more.

Another well hung customer !

Glad to hear it, normally I follow up with an email after a week or so but hadn't had a chance to do so for you so very glad to hear it's going well.

Originally Posted by Slugger

Yep! It doesn't take much to love this set up. Although I do know someone who just doesn't like this bridge...by & far most love it! Here is a picture of my HG Incubator 20, standard length on my Town's End BGBH:

Attachment 163175

Yar, I think that fella was planning on speaking to you about some tips on hanging it at this last hang you were at. Can't quite put a finger on what is going on there... but can't win them all. Mighta started on a bad foot with him overall as he blew one up!

Or it's just not for him. I'm pretty hypercritical of my own gear... it's just gear after all. Bound to be a few folks that it just doesn't quite hit the sweet spot for. That gent makes three... Mountain Hanger didn't fit, one of the original testers just couldn't get over the bar near his face; certainly a fair point. I'd like to be able to figure out what this issue is but I'm thinking it will remain a mystery.

With 95% of the folks being happy, and a few truly touching stories you won't hear any complaints from me.

**Just Bill** · 04-10-2018, 18:04

Originally Posted by Slugger

...no pressure Bill. I know you're very busy!!!!! We are a patient bunch of groupies.

Lol, Thanks! I think Peppy is a great example of why I haven't made the UQ a bigger priority. Overall, we all ended up overthinking things early on and the more and more we simplified things... the easier it got. These bridges are already expensive so it does make me really happy that everyone chipped in to help make off the shelf options work.

Peppy and I (and a few others) have all come to agree that bumping things up a good 10* or so is worth it. A bridge is closer to ground sleeping in terms of insulation, and this bridge is wider/flatter than others so 10 or even 20* warmer than what you might use in a gathered end seems the simplest solution to worry free sleep. You're simply not getting the double wrap at the sides you would and I suspect that you're also dealing with some heat loss in the UQ at the edges because you aren't getting 100% coverage with the TQ either to seal everything up... so you're bleeding a little heat you wouldn't normally lose in these.

After the initial fuss... what I've always liked about bridges is what Peppy is finding as well; consistent pitch. Even if you 'blow it' a bit the bridges tend to self regulate. So get it close to level, and tighten it up to your preferred ridgeline distance and you're good. Underquilts seem to be the same way...

With so many good options right now, if I do go for a quilt it will probably be an UL baffleless design for the medium bridges. I try not to make 'me too' products if at all possible. The incubator fits great IMO, and others are doing innovative and/or affordable proven options. So if I pick up any quilts I'd like to try to deliver something unique. Quilts can be quite a bit to take on logistically as well so might as well 'spread the love' and work with all the great options out there for now.

Besides... it hasn't been a long time testing yet but I think Peppy and one or two others might agree that the next thing to take on would be tarps for the bridges.

Happy Medium testing in the 1.2 is going well. Looking forward to the 1.7 version next.

On a sad but hopeful note; Best wishes and speedy recovery to Squidmark who is dealing with an illness and missing his hammocks! Looking forward to his feedback and insights once he's back up and at em!

**gunner76** · 04-10-2018, 18:13

Past few hangs I have been to with Slugger, all he uses is his new bridge hammock. Talks about how much he likes it and is always happy to show it off to others.

**Just Bill** · 04-10-2018, 18:20

Originally Posted by goobie

I'm fine with whatever color you allow me to reimburse you for

Expect a long overdue, and backwards, report after this weekend. It's getting closer to bug season, so a net will be mandatory soon. I have a couple diy bottom entries of my own I can try (please excuse me while I toss one in the pack.......ok, I'm back now!)

Bummer, and yet a good thing, about the day job. Got to pay for all the experimenting somehow. Yeah, it sucks having to pay someone for projects you can do yourself and likely more to your satisfaction than others will do. Of course it's a business expense, one of those grey areas isn't it??

Roll of Coyote showed up today, so Coyote it is. I'm still a bit concerned that the 1.2 will blow out around 200lbs... but if it holds it will be sweet I think. Hopefully you and I will one this summer and maybe we can share with the class come fall!

Getting excited about jumping back into this design for sure... of the Gathered endish ones I play with that one gave me the most trouble. I flat out blew up a dozen of them and ended up with a 60* hammock for a bit along the way before realizing that had no hope of being production practical. I struggle with using gathered ends, and really struggled with sorting that one out. It started with inspiration from TZBrown's excellent parallelogram design and much like my bridge... a ton of prototypes were waiting for just the right fabric to make it work. Seems about right that a Hybrid fabric was needed for a hybrid design.

Being generally inspired by Grizz on all things hammocks; I've been leaning towards a greek name. 'Not a parallelogram' is accurate, but none too catchy, lol.

Parallel Agon or simply Agon fits better I think.

Agon
Agon is an ancient Greek word in reference to several things. In general, the term refers to a struggle or contest. In its broader sense of a struggle or contest, agon referred to a contest in athletics, chariot or horse racing, music or literature at a public festival in ancient Greece.

Though one struggle at a time... better get back to remodeling instead of dreaming

**Slugger** · 04-16-2018, 16:12

Besides... it hasn't been a long time testing yet but I think Peppy and one or two others might agree that the next thing to take on would be tarps for the bridges.

Until that happens, I am quite happy with my UGQ Winterdream with the dual internal pole mode. With the poles inside there is loads of room for the BGBH. Mine is the 12 foot version. I'll be ordering a 13 foot version next with the XL fabric to bring those sides closer to the ground for winter hanging.

Past few hangs I have been to with Slugger, all he uses is his new bridge hammock. Talks about how much he likes it and is always happy to show it off to others.

**Postal** · 04-17-2018, 19:45

Originally Posted by Slugger

Yep! It doesn't take much to love this set up. Although I do know someone who just doesn't like this bridge...by & far most love it! Here is a picture of my HG Incubator 20, standard length on my Town's End BGBH:

Attachment 163175

30411517_10214355240573810_2009014392003231744_o.jpgThink I have the quilt all set. Now for bugnet. This is just as much fun as when I got my first one.

Originally Posted by Just Bill

Another well hung customer !

Glad to hear it, normally I follow up with an email after a week or so but hadn't had a chance to do so for you so very glad to hear it's going well.

Loving it thus far. Summer camp here I come.

**Postal** · 05-20-2018, 10:54

Update on the new hang. Got the bugnet installed, underquilt dialed in, and tarp setup. Thing sleeps like a dream but was worried it was just too long for my WB Superfly. It poured on us for both days of this weekend hang and I stayed dry the whole time. Learned a good bit too since all my testing thus far was in my building. Got to make sure this thing is level. Going to get me a line level to hang on my ridge line lol. Got tons of questions about the setup. Once this thing goes to market I may have a few sold....