Yar... it comes up here and there for those asking about my 'Happy Medium' vs a BMBH.
While many appreciate and enjoy the 'wide open' aspect of a bridge... for those who miss that feeling of being enveloped in their hammock the BMBH is the better option.
As a fella who enjoys cowboy camping I feel a bit claustrophobic in some hammocks... but some feel too exposed in something else and really enjoy that aspect of the BMBH.
I can't recall exactly who coined the term but it's one I've heard over the years and pretty accurate.
It's a bonus for anyone concerned about feeling 'tippy' as you're well below the suspensions center of gravity as well.
There was a thread a bit back about 'no love for the BMBH' I didn't chime in on- but the coffin is one of those 'love it or hate it' features that I think peels folks away.
I think it's also simply a matter of timing... a bit before my time as far as being focused on hammocks but it appears to me that the BMBH was out and fairly established before the hammock 'boom'.
As interest in hammocks and forum traffic increased the RR was introduced and prospective buyers likely saw more buzz going on with the RR and were drawn there to start.
So as a result I think that you had a wave of folks get involved and gave the RR a shot and stayed with it... so as the topic came up the referrals were more likely to mention the RR.
I tend to direct most folks curious about bridges to one of those before my stuff simply on the basis of cost and completeness of system available.
From my perspective...
Both are solid bridges for those that fit in them with a fairly clean list of pros/cons to discuss.
The biggest difference is sleep position with the BMBH offering a pretty straightforward flat and stable bedspace, though it's the most prone to shoulder squeeze it can be easier for side sleepers to avoid. As a result though you don't have to deal with any cold shoulders or concern with wriggling out or spilling your top quilt off the edge.
The RR does a very low fabric to bar ratio at the head end to offer a bit of a wedge shaped bedspace for your torso. (The effect is like one of those wedge pillows for sleep apnea). This results in less shoulder squeeze for a given design but a slightly more limited range of sleep positions.
Both are slightly polarizing in that you like them or you don't... but I don't see that as a bad thing... just 'is what it is'.
Both bridges benefit from pads being used in terms of comfort... but that can be a good thing really.
They both offer alot of bang for your buck and a solid system of established components to flush them out into a field ready kit.
Although they can be a bit more money on the face... I still think bridges are an excellent starting point for those interested in hammocks.
Most folks are coming from the ground and used to simply; laying down and going to sleep.
UQ's are 'better'... but sometimes using the pad you already own comfortably is a pretty nice feature to have when switching over. And being covered when you want to go to ground is always a new user concern.
Without the need to find an angle or sweet spot... you are less prone to getting all tangled up and frustrated in a standard mummy bag or fighting to stay on your sleeping pad.
You're also less prone to tinkering and fiddling as overall bridges are more forgiving in terms of pitching them in the field. You can 'blow' a setup a pretty decent amount and still get a decent nights sleep.
So overall they tend to be a better 'plug and play' option with the gear you already own IMO with a much lower learning curve to get hanging for your average camper as you need little if any specialty gear or tricks.
At the end of the day you pretty much do what you're used to doing... laydown on your pad and go to sleep.
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