Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    3

    Ridgerunner: -longer- dogbones, anyone?

    Getting to the point: If I'm going to lengthen my RR dogbones for increased stability, where should I start? 3"? 6"? 12"? Where will I start to actually notice a difference? I have some amsteel to work with but don't want to waste it making changes that won't show a difference.

    More detail/backstory: Hey all, long time lurker/ first time poster, I searched around a bit and didn't find a thread on this one, please direct me to it if one exists. Here's what I have going on: I'm a 6'2", 245#, reasonably wide-shouldered dude who prefers side/belly sleeping. I've been exploring the figurative and literal "tipping point" of decreasing my hang angle to create a flatter lay in my WB RR without ending up rolling out of it at 3AM. I totally understand the reasons why so many people are going in the other direction and shortening their dogbones, and that the thought of lengthening them would be anathema to most folks here. BUT, I'm wondering if anybody has lengthened them in an effort to decrease their bridge hammock's tippyness. Even up in the mountains of southern Idaho there isn't too much rain, so I'm less concerned than most about full closure of my tarp doors around the hammock's suspension. I also don't sweat tree distance too much, I stick to heavily wooded areas so if these two trees are too close I just move a few feet to a different pair. I also understand how decreasing hang angle increases forces on the system: I'll be using 1/8" amsteel instead of 7/64" and have stuck with the standard spreader poles in spite of how much I'd love the weight savings from a pair of Ruta Locura's CF poles.

    Thanks;

    Ike
    Last edited by Ike208; 09-26-2021 at 12:34.

  2. #2
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
    Suspension
    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,758
    Ike208, Welcome to the forum. In your research, you might have come across failures in shortening the dogbones - adding so much more stress on the spreader bars that they break. One of my friends reduced the tip issue by shortening the apex-to-apex (where the dogbones come together) distance from the recommended 13 ft to 12 ft and added a ridgeline (outside the bug net) to give that 12 ft. separation.

    Have you considered just adding some "stability guylines" to hold the RR steady? Their placement would be a bit of a challenge because you wouldn't want them at the separation pole connection point because any pull there would release the pole from its holder.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 09-27-2021 at 12:26.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  3. #3
    Senior Member hutzelbein's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Hammock
    WBBB SL 1.7
    Tarp
    WB Mamajamba
    Insulation
    WB 0° Wooki +3oz
    Suspension
    Beetle Buckles
    Posts
    4,011
    Images
    112
    My guess is, a little goes a long way. You could experiment by adding extensions to the existing dog bones before splicing the final length. If you have two pairs of whoopie slings, you could try these first as well.

  4. #4
    New Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    3
    It looks like the weather may hold (cold but not rainy/snowy) so I'm going to try for one last "pre snow" trip of the year. So:

    @cougarmeat: the "tagline" idea was one that I've been mulling over but haven't ever pulled the trigger. I'm going to pack some utility line and hardware to see if I can rig something effective that isn't also overly annoying.

    @hutzelbein: the whoopie sling idea is FANTASTIC. I've stripped the pairs off both our XLCs and will take them with me.

    Thanks!

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    London, KY
    Hammock
    WBRR, WBBB XLC
    Tarp
    WL OMW, DW Hex
    Insulation
    Lynx & Wooki UQ
    Suspension
    Dutch Cilp Straps
    Posts
    203
    Quote Originally Posted by Ike208 View Post
    Getting to the point: If I'm going to lengthen my RR dogbones for increased stability, where should I start? 3"? 6"? 12"? Where will I start to actually notice a difference? I have some amsteel to work with but don't want to waste it making changes that won't show a difference.

    Ike
    You can add a structural ridge line. I added one to mine to get a more consistent hang angle from one set up to the next. I found that the lower the hang angle the flatter the lay but, as you found, the "tippier" the RR felt. My ridge line is set so that I get about 79" between the tips of the spreader bars. As you decrease the distance (by shortening the ridge line) it should add stability but I found that the additional sag added too much curvature for my back. So, now I sleep in a sort of half back half side position or fully on my back. You might also want to try an air pad (if you have a dual layer RR). I got a flatter lay but the pad caused me to sweat to much.

  6. #6
    New Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    3
    IMG_20211002_121637477.jpgIMG_20211002_122417411.jpg

    SO, here's how the weekend went. I didn't have a chance to try Cougarmeat's tagline suggestion but will try that one as soon as possible. I did have a chance to try Hutzlebein's idea of using four whoopie slings as the dogbones and decided "go big or go home" and ended up with a set of 62" dogbones! The one pic attached shows the setup and the flat lay I ended up with. It was definitely plush, much less tippy than the previous night's sleep with standard dogbones.

    The downside, obviously, was going to be in end coverage on my 12' tarp with doors, as shown here. I knew this was going to be an issue, and it sure is. But, again, for the weather I generally deal with (knock wood) heavy or sideways rain usually isn't an issue. I've also been thinking about a Mountain/Thunderfly, the "beaks instead of doors" setup of those tarps would eliminate the rubbing between the doors and dogbones.

    SO, what's next, beyond the tagline idea... My thoughts are centered around building and installing dogbone "extenders" to my stock dogbones that I could remove when bad weather was expected. I also would only gain a couple of ounces by just leaving the system as it is in the pictures, and just walk around with four whoopie slings instead of dogbones! This does, however, seem to chip away at a bridge hammock's ease of setup, which is one of the great things about them. WVWanderer's idea of a structural ridgeline will also merit some fiddling and testing.

    I'll keep fiddling and will post here "for posterity" if anything interesting comes up. Thank you again to all who helped out!

  7. #7
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
    Suspension
    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,758
    Ike208 - do try the standard length dogbones with a 12 ft separation instead of the WB suggestion of 13 ft. The 12 ft separation will fit better with your 12ft tarp and having the apex ends closer will reduce the tippiness. It works for one friend. it does change the "tightness" of the lie, but that might feel just fine for you.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  8. #8
    New Member ParaJosh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Sun Prairie, Wi
    Posts
    48
    Cougar can you go into a little more detail about how he gets the 12' separation? Is it by having a SRL tied between the where the apex's are? I'd love to get that shorter than 13' because it can sometimes stick out past my 13' tarp doors if the tarp isnt super close to the hammock.
    Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul

  9. #9
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
    Suspension
    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,758
    ParaJosh,
    The short answer is, “Yes.”

    And now, the rest of the story … (cue the Twilight Zone music) Imagine if you will, two vertical trees separated about 15 ft apart. Draw a straight line from each inside edge tree trunk down to the ground at around a 30-25 degree angle. Now, imagine you are holding a 14 ft ruler. Measure the distance between those two angled lines right at the tree; their distance will be the distance between the trees. But as you move the ruler straight down, you’ll see the distance between those angled lines getting shorter and shorter. So that’s what you are doing with your RidgeRunner. As the suspension from the hammock apexes to the tree gets longer and longer, the distance between those Apex points gets shorter. The hammock also gets lower to the ground.

    In order to allow the apex ends to be closer and keep the hammock at a desirable height above ground, you’ll need to raise the straps on the tree. This is a lot of measuring. You have three variables - the distance between the trees, the length of your support straps (that connect to the apex of the dogbones), and the height of the hammock above ground. Some would include the angle of the suspension from the tree but that’s dictated by those other dimensions.

    Here’s what you do … get some cord a little longer than 12 ft (so you can tie a knot/loop at each end) and attach it to the apex point of the dogbones. It doesn’t have to be structural (strong) at this point; you are just using it as a distance indicator. Attach your RR to your support lines such that that 12 ft line is just starting to get snug and the hammock is your desire distance off the ground. Note that we are not changing anything about the dogbones themselves. Once set, get in and see if you like the stability of having those apex ends closer together. If so, you can use some Amsteel or dynama and make a stronger ridgeline (above the bug net).

    Remember, it’s all compromise - the shorter the distance, the less tippy feeling but also maybe not as firm - which is a feature, not a bug, for some people.

    My point was, you can make some changes that affect the tippiness without have to mess with the original dogbone length.

    That 13 ft recommendation is a challenge with most tarps being 11 ft. But … that’s only 1 foot on each end and the spread down from the apex isn’t so bad. And you want some ventilation anyway. In addition, the trees at each end also add some blockage. And … you don’t have to have the tarp exactly centered on the hammock. Usually the wind/weather is coming from one direction. If that’s parallel with your setup, you can move the tarp a bit so you can more completely close the doors and the end facing the wind. That will leave the other end a bit more open, but as long as the wind doesn’t change 180 degrees, maybe it’s okay. Again - all compromises. And you can put water breaks on your dogbones in case there is some water running there.

    Does that help?

    Note that there is nothing magic about 12 ft. My friend uses daisy chain suspension and when there was a complaint about tippiness, I just hooked onto different chain loops to bring the ends closer together. Then I raised the straps on the tree a bit to bring the RR back to the previous height above ground. I said, “Try this.” and she did and liked it. Done. No real “science” - just, “… does that feel better.” AFTERWARDS, I measured the distance between the apex points so I could make an Amsteel ridgeline for it.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 11-01-2021 at 14:23.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  10. #10
    New Member ParaJosh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Sun Prairie, Wi
    Posts
    48
    Thanks Cougar! I actually did understand all that. I'm not unhappy with my RR rather I am just at a point now after having it for two years that I am ready to start modifying/adjusting to fine tune comfortability/usability. For me it's when I'm using my UGQ 13 foot winter dream, and the tarp ridge line isn't super close to the hammock suspension, the dog bone apex sticks out past the doors of the tarp. I know it's not a big deal as I use drip lines on both dog bone lines but I just wish the whole thing was a little shorter just to not stick out. Anyways, thanks for the help! I will be experimenting with it shortly..
    Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul

  • + New Posts
  • Similar Threads

    1. Use of Dogbones
      By Recalc in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 17
      Last Post: 12-22-2018, 11:06
    2. Need Adv.ice on Dogbones???
      By gbolt in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 7
      Last Post: 11-02-2017, 09:28
    3. Dogbones Diameter
      By drsolarmolar in forum Warbonnet Hammocks
      Replies: 6
      Last Post: 07-19-2017, 08:04
    4. Dogbones and why I love them.
      By hppyfngy in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 17
      Last Post: 10-01-2014, 17:19
    5. Amsteel dogbones
      By gothmog in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 14
      Last Post: 02-20-2013, 11:04

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •