YARBBH (Yet Another Recessed Bar Bridge Hammock)

**rausrh** · 04-05-2019, 10:36

Recently finished my bridge hammock based on the Ariel. Dimensions include:
Head and foot: 50" fabric with 40" spreader
38" Suspension dogbone.
8" Curve cut depth
34" Middle fabric width
Arc length: 68 1/2"
66" Between spreaders
Fabric about 18" past spreaders on either end.
Hammock body is 1.7 oz MTN XL Hybrid Ripstop Nylon (Burnt Orange/Blue).
Spreader bars are .742 diameter and 40" long in two parts.
Distance between suspension triangles is about 129".
Assembled.jpg

I like to use SketchUp for drawing things out before I commit and I spent a lot of time with it, especially the parts past the spreaders.

I tend to sprawl a bit when I sleep so I wanted to expand the Arial. I wanted something between the Arials's 46/36 and Just Bill's Luxury Bridge which I think 54/44. I think it was FJRpilot who made one with 50/40 and that seemed like a happy medium. To be fair, I haven't slept in any other bridge hammock before, but these measurements made for a very comfortable bridge.

I also find I want to extend my arm above my head so I wanted more length past the spreaders. My first guess was to just extend the Arial design out another 10" or so, but I found when I modeled it that Grizz's straight line approximation didn't seem to hold true past 8" or so. The body width actually starts to increase and by the time you out to 18" it is actually wider than it is at the spreader bars. Another thing I found out was that the body width of the fabric changes based on what hang angle you use. At 25deg my body width was 51 3/8" at 18" from the spreaders, at 25 deg the body width was 55 1/16".
End Design.png 25 vs 30 deg hang.jpg
I probably spent more time puttering around in Sketchup trying to figure this out than I did making the hammock. I thought about averaging them out and doing some complicated curves, but in the end decided to just extend the 50" width at the spreaders out. I can tell there is a slight dip right after the spreader bars and a slight rise towards the end, but that fits my extended arm very well.
Straight.png
I cut everything out using a soldering iron and the tip that seemed most knife-life. I didn't have a large piece of hardboard or anything so I just did it on the concrete basement floor. It was my first time cutting with this tool and I really like it. There were a few times I started moving too fast and had to go back over a part, but other than that there were no issues.
Fabric_Layed_out.jpg Soldering_Iron.jpg Body_Cut_Out.jpg
I've added 5 tabs on each side to help connect underquilts. I have two Costco versions, one with the faux baffles and one which I added similar cat cuts to match the hammock body. I got some plastic Double Ended Mitten Hooks from Dutch, but the tabs on the hammock want to slide right out of the little gap. I've added a dab of hot glue on each hook to prevent that for now.
Sewing_the_Channel.jpg Spreader_attachment.jpg
The only thing I couldn't figure out in Grizz's design was the bias tape. In the end, I picked up some double-folded 1/4". I think I should have used 1/2" because that was really tricky to sew onto the channel.

By the time I had decided that I wasn't looking forward to figuring out end caps, I really just wanted to get started. I had seen others had added shock cord on the top of the endcaps. I then saw Just Bill's brilliant way of making them adjustable and decided that was for me.
Endcap.jpg
I made my 'personal containment devices' a little bigger than what the Ariel's seemed to be based on what I like to keep in them.
Pocket.jpg

I made a very simple Fronkey style bugnet for it, just two rectangles of NoSeeUm sewn on three sides and shock cord along the bottom. I think it will work, but there is extra fabric along the sides. There are no underquilts in the photos so there isn't that much of a gap really. From the way the excess hangs I'm thinking of cutting the same curve in it as the hammock body has. I use a ridge line to hold up the bugnet.
Bugnet.jpg
I have taken a few naps and I really enjoy it. I still have to make a tarp since the one I made for my gathered end is a little small for this guy.

Just want to thank everyone who has gone down this road before and shared what they learned.

**jeff-oh** · 04-05-2019, 10:50

Originally Posted by rausrh

66" Between spreaders

How tall of a person is this designed for?

**rausrh** · 04-05-2019, 11:13

I'm 5'9", 185lbs

**rais'n hammock** · 04-05-2019, 11:24

Nice work. I know I really enjoy my Ariel. I am sure you will enjoy yours too. It is satisfying to make something and customize it to your needs.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 04-07-2019, 07:43

Nice work, especially doing the modeling up-front yourself. My models showed the same thing yours did about the straight line out past 8 or 9 inches. I've built bridges where the spreaders were even more recessed, but decided in the end that having that spreader bar immediately above my face was a Fundamentally Bad Idea, and the current placement, at least at the head, is as far in as I will personally go.

The channel is IMHO the biggest PITA about the Ariel design, followed by the side channel splicing (which is fun, but requires patience.) In my non-existent spare time I think about how I might do something different if ever I have the time experiment some more. I'd also like to try some of the stiffer fabrics that were not so readily available a few years ago,

keep it up!

**FJRpilot** · 04-07-2019, 09:09

Great job! Really well executed...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**Just Bill** · 04-08-2019, 08:48

Looks familiar

And (more or less) that's how I do my bugnets for these. Though you'll want to 'push' the gathered netting to each end a bit after you tension the bug net up. This makes it easier to get in and out- it also gives you a little more volume in the ends to puff around the poles. Just make sure to leave enough slack to allow you and the bridge to settle without compressing your UQ. But if you got this far- you'll figure that out on your own, lol.

Put an adjustable RL on it and you'll find the pitch more consistent and no risk of damaging the net.

Well done- Enjoy!

**Grunt** · 04-08-2019, 09:54

Looking good! What is the estimated weight limit on it?

**rausrh** · 04-08-2019, 11:42

Thanks for the tip on adjusting the bug netting. I do have an adjustable ridgeline, but I'm still playing with the length and what feels 'right'.

I have no idea really on the weight limit. The fabric is rated to 400lbs but bridges put different/higher stresses than a gathered end. If I had to pull a number out the air I'd say 250lbs. My 185lbs doesn't seem to be putting any part of the hammock in any visible distress. No creaks/groans/rips/tears have been heard and the stitching holes along the channel don't seem to be deforming.

I also want to see if it will hang from my fence toprail tensahedron stand. Hopefully increasing the width from the Arial won't cause issues.

**Just Bill** · 04-08-2019, 13:50

A good rule of thumb:
Figure 2/3rd of the gathered end rating as a maximum for a bridge. There is more stress on the fabric in a bridge.

So 400lbs by .67 is 268lbs.

That said- I build my Luxury with the Hybrid 1.7 and rate it at 250lbs. Around 225/230 though is about the point you'd want to make the call about jumping up to say Hex 70 or Hexon 2.4 to get you up to around 275lbs.
If you like a soft bed... the single Hybrid 1.7 is about right to 230lbs as a comfort rating. Generally- if you're not trying to keep the weight down that's when I kick folks up to my Big Guy (double 1.7) that is rated at 350+. Around 350lbs you tend not to fit, but I have a few side sleepers at 390+ who've had no issues so my 350+ is also more of a comfort rating than pure structural.

Comfort (in my opinion) is much more useful than load rating.

Not saying this build has any issues- but those numbers all come with the caveat that you built the thing right as well.