Bridge vs. Traditional Gathered End

[golfhiker]

I own a perfectly good WBBB, no complaints. It's about 7 years old, and very so often I get the urge to check out the new stuff. Many years ago the choices were much more limited, and other the the JRB Bear Mountain Bridge, I can't recall many, if any bridge style hammocks offered by the usual hammock makers. Not so anymore. I'm 6'1, 165, so I don't stress out any material, and while I've adjusted to back sleeping in my BB, I miss being able to side sleep, and of course, it never hurts to be flatter.

All that said, what would be my best choices for comfort, weight, cost should I switch to a bridge. I already know I'll need to accept the use of spreader bars, with the weight & set up that involves.
Apologies if this topic is has been covered. If so, please direct me.

Thanks....

[old4hats]

I can say this about the WBRR, it is addictive. I have accumulated several nice GE hammocks, my one I return to is the WBRR. I sleep well in all of them, but for every night use I'm in the bridge.

[rweb82]

I had the opportunity to test out a Ridgerunner recently with an option to buy. It is a very nice hammock, and I know it suits many folks very well. However, it did not work with my sleep style. I like to sleep in a figure 4- with my knee cocked out to the side. The RR was too narrow for me to do that comfortably. I also wasn't a fan of how tight the sides are. Even for side sleeping, if you like to pull your knees up close to your chest, the middle is too narrow to do that.

If you're ok sleeping coffin-style, then it will probably be great for you. I know that some of my issues could have been mitigated by a 2" sleep pad. However, I didn't want to have to purchase a pad to make the RR work for me.

In the end, I appreciated getting to use it, and the quality and attention to detail was great. I did like the saddlebags, and ease of setup. But in the end, it just wasn't for me.

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[Peppy]

Really love my Towns-End Medium bridges! Wider than a Ridgerunner, and with the carbon fiber poles, I have 2 set ups that weigh less than a pound (no net). Jacks R Better has some neat prototypes they're testing, and the Ridgerunner is a great hammock as well!

[Shug]

I am curious as to why you seem to not be able to side-sleep in your BB?
Thankee.
Shug

[golfhiker]

Shug, I'm going with lack of talent. I mean, look at my profile picture. I can't even get that straight.

Seriously, I try, but I just can't make it happen.

[golfhiker]

Peppy, thanks. I'll check out Wilderness Logic. And good news, they are located just up the road from me in NC. Might have to make a visit.

[hutzelbein]

I had the opportunity to test out a Ridgerunner recently with an option to buy. It is a very nice hammock, and I know it suits many folks very well. However, it did not work with my sleep style. I like to sleep in a figure 4- with my knee cocked out to the side. The RR was too narrow for me to do that comfortably. I also wasn't a fan of how tight the sides are. Even for side sleeping, if you like to pull your knees up close to your chest, the middle is too narrow to do that.

My experience was similar. Plus I also got neck pain after three consecutive nights in the Ridgerunner.

For side sleeping you might also want to check out a 90° hammock. That has worked best for my style of side-sleeping. The drawback is that of all hammock-types it's the most cumbersome to enter and exit. And that you have to use a pad for insulation.

[w8btmtim]

Check out the new REI Quarter Dome

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[kitsapcowboy]

Regardless of it leading what is undoubtedly a fairly small field of available commercial options for truly trailworthy bridge-style camping hammocks, the innovation and the quality of of the Warbonnet Ridgerunner justify its status as a gold standard.

That said, while the Ridgerunner currently has more factory options than ever, it is something of a one-size-fits-all solution to a bridge hammock, albeit on based on best practices and an appreciable track record based on the experiences of many, many satisfied customers.

Still, being a community of diverse individuals, each with her/his own preferences and priorities, the Ridgerunner may leave some hammockers looking for something more, or at least something different.

Here's where the DIY bridge hammock comes in.

The virtue of "doing it yourself" on any piece of your hammock gear is specialized personalization. You can make your stuff exactly the way you want from the exact materials you want to the exact dimension you want with the exact features, colors, and patterns you want.

DIY bridge hammocks are no exception to these advantages. While significantly less formulaic than most gathered-end hammock designs, and demanding of certain quantitative, engineering, and sewing skills, making a bridge hammock yourself is a very achievable goal if commercial options aren't sufficient to your needs. The DIY bridge can be engineered for a very flat lay and optimized for tall, small, heavy, or lightweight hangers if you're willing to put pencil to paper or crack open a spreadsheet. There are a few tried-and-true basic patterns you can use as a starting point, and you can copy them faithfully, extrapolate in a new direction, or mix and match features to create a one-of-a-kind hang that's just right for you.

The main advantages of bridge hammocks in general, relative to gathered-end designs, are twofold:

1) Increased comfort with a very flat lay and the elimination of shoulder squeeze, calf ridge issues, and knee hyperextension

2) Better compatibility with non-supine sleeping positions (side or stomach)

DIY bridges offer additional freedoms relative to commercial options like the Ridgerunner

1) Personalized dimensions suited specifically to the occupant in her/his intended sleeping position(s)

2) The potential to reduce significantly the hammock carry weight by design and by changes to the body fabric and spreader bars

3) The potential to increase the hammock load capacity beyond the recommended specifications of commercial options

On the surface, any bridge hammock is just some fabric, two spreader bars, and some suspension components. That said, what seems fairly simple at first glance is actually quite nuanced, which is why it helps to start with an established basic design rather than starting from scratch.

The key design considerations for any DIY bridge hammock are:

1) Body design and materials -- These choices will determine the load capacity of the bridge hammock, the comfort characteristics, and the versatility of the hammock for different insulation options.

2) Spreader bar dimensions and position -- The most basic bridge hammock is a symmetrical end-bar design, with two equal-length spreader bars at the extreme ends of the hammock with all of the hammock body fabric slung in between, being relatively simple to design, build, and use. Longer head-end bars can be implemented to minimize shoulder squeeze, and shorter foot-end bars can be used to reduce weight. The spreader bars can be moved inboard toward the midpoint of the hammock to achieve similar effects. Both choices increase engineering and construction demands for the build.

3) Suspension design and materials -- Thin, strong synthetic webbing is the most traditional edge suspension for bridge hammocks, used with or without hardware at the corners of the hammock and sewn to the body fabric by any of several methods. Mule tape or Kevlar tape can be used as alternatives in similar fashion. The other popular bridge hammock suspension -- my personal favorite, popularized by GrizzlyAdams -- is an Amsteel cord suspension (made from lightweight UHMWPE) is the other choice we see in common use; it too can be used with or without hardware, but it requires a method for capturing the cord in a folded channel. The choices made for suspension affect the carry weight, load capacity, and longevity of the hammock.

4) Body dimensions , shape, and proportion -- Any bridge hammock has a length and a midpoint width (at its narrowest), and DIY bridges can be built longer or shorter to accommodate the size of the occupant, but these dimensions work in concert with the the ratio of the head-end and foot-end spreader bars and the respective ratios of those bars to the arc lengths of the fabric hanging underneath them to determine the flatness of the hammocks lay, its relative tendency to tip, and its roominess at the shoulders and in the footbox. Because these dimensional aspects can be complex to appreciate, shape and dimensions are another reason why it can be beneficial not to "reinvent the wheel", starting with an established commercial or DIY pattern and tweaking the size and shape in specific directions with predictable results.

5) End cap design -- The end caps are where art meets science on a bridge hammock. Realistically, there is no wrong way to terminate the head or foot end -- including deleting the caps entirely (if you don't mind bugs and breeze coming in and your belongings falling out) -- but at times it seems there are almost as many designs for bridge hammock end caps as there are bridge hammocks. Triangles are easy to measure, cut, and sew, achieving a pragmatic solution that some consider underengineered. Parabolic or catenary curves require some careful math math and even more careful sewing, but they produce end caps that are elegant and functional. Trapezoidal, polygonal, or piecewise-defined planar end caps split the difference between the extremes of triangles and curves. There are even shaped "3D" end caps, as well as gathered end caps for bridge hammocks that create extra interior space and something of a hybrid appearance halfway between conventional bridges and gathered-end hammocks.

6) Additional features -- Bug nets, storage solutions, and accessory ridge lines are popular add-ons for DIY bridge hammocks to improve their utility and versatilty in the field. Each of these has many possible designs from which to choose, and each design has its own advantages, disadvantages, and trade-offs.

If you've ever been bitten by the DIY bug, despite the requirements for research and planning a priori, a successful personalized DIY bridge hammock build can be a very rewarding return on the time, energy, and resources you invest.