JRB's Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock

**FanaticFringer** · 12-14-2007, 19:43

Well it's time to give my 2 cents on this hammock. Seeing as though I had never laid in a bridge hammock before, I expected it to be more roomy than it was. I was laying in the hammock on my back with my arms at my sides and really felt squeezed. I later learned that this was not the way to lay on your back in this hammock. The more I tested it out, the more I grew to really like it. Much more than any of my other hammocks (Hennessy ULB, Treklight double, Speer, homemade hammock).
I'm a side sleeper and found that I can sleep on my back in this thing also. Arms folded across top of chest or abdomen, 1 leg raised slightly and laying against the side of the hammock is a very comfy position on my back. Side sleeping is way better than my other hammocks. No more side torque and uncomfortable fetal curl for me. Stomach sleeping is not much of an option for me. Pretty uncomfortable IMO. For the record, I'm 5'7 160lbs.
I have modified the suspension system. Cut off the polyester webbing that came with it. Nice webbing by the way. I tied a length of Spyderline to the end ring and attached it to a cinch buckle. I use my OWF 1" woodland green camo webbing. 12' per side. It is longer than the 10' of webbing per side that comes with the hammock. Add my Mammut Moses biners and I'm set. I added a 9.5' ridgeline as this was the distance that the Jacks recommended that the 2 outer rings be apart when setting up. Works great. I also added my BlackBishop made snakeskins. Not to be confused with the famous Blackbishop sack. He put a toggle on each skin and that helps keep it nicely in place. Away from the rings, buckles, etc. I am in the process of making a top cover for it. Still figuring out a pad strategy. They said the pad pocket could hold up to 1" thick pad(s). I found that it was bigger than that. In really cold weather I may end up using my Speer SPE on top of the hammock. My Nest and No Sniveller fit really well on this hammock. Better than on my other hammocks.
Now the bad news. Well not really. I realize that everyone is built different and what may be comfortable to one person may be uncomfortable to another. I do wonder how some folks on the upper end of the weight limit of this hammock (225lbs) are gonna feel about any possible squeeze issues. The spreader bars are about 31" wide and could be shorter than some folks might like. I plan on making one myself in the near future. I will experiment with a wider pair of spreader bars. At least 36" wide.
Very happy with this hammock.

**Frolicking Dino** · 12-14-2007, 20:07

Originally Posted by FanaticFringer

I realize that everyone is built different and what may be comfortable to one person may be uncomfortable to another. I do wonder how some folks on the upper end of the weight limit of this hammock (225lbs) are gonna feel about any possible squeeze issues. The spreader bars are about 31" wide and could be shorter than some folks might like. I plan on making one myself in the near future. I will experiment with a wider pair of spreader bars. At least 36" wide.
Very happy with this hammock.

I'm 5'10 and at the upper end of the weight limit and so far, I'm good with this hammock. Of course, I'm a woman so I don't have the shoulders you fellows have, but the hammock hasn't squeezed me. Side sleeping is way more comfortable in this hammock than in any I've tried.

I'm hoping to get to do a real hang soon. I've had something like the flu which has pretty much kept me indoors. I did try to sleep in it one night but was driven indoors by a serious coughing episode

It was comfy while it lasted

**TiredFeet** · 12-14-2007, 20:09

Originally Posted by FanaticFringer

.... He put a toggle on each skin and that helps keep it nicely in place. ...

Could you elaborate on this? I don't quite follow where the toggle is and what it does?

**FanaticFringer** · 12-14-2007, 20:19

Originally Posted by TiredFeet

Could you elaborate on this? I don't quite follow where the toggle is and what it does?

Maybe I should have said cordlock www.owfinc.com/Hardware/phardware.asp#Cordlocks
He just ran a length of cord through a hemmed channel on each skin and put a cordlock on to cinch it up.

**TiredFeet** · 12-14-2007, 20:30

Originally Posted by FanaticFringer

Maybe I should have said cordlock www.owfinc.com/Hardware/phardware.asp#Cordlocks
He just ran a length of cord through a hemmed channel on each skin and put a cordlock on to cinch it up.

Thanks - that I can understand.

**BillyBob58** · 12-14-2007, 21:54

Sad to say, I finally ended up returning mine. I was having squeeze issues and though they were not severe, I just didn't feel I could take a chance. I was afraid I would later decide I wasn't happy, after the return period.

I basically had two significantly different experiences with this hammock, depending on whether I used a pad or not. When I first laid down in it, with no pad, on my back, the first thing I thought was "Holy cow, that's a lot of shoulder squeeze- it feels like my Speer when I have way to little sag". But then it dawned on me, like FF said, that there was no reason why my arms had to be by my side. With my hands/arms laid over my abdomen, my shoulders would just touch the sides, with my elbows kind of laying on top of the edge of the hammock. This was, other than being tight around the shoulders/elbows, very comfortable and perfectly flat.

When I put my full length inflatable Thermarest Camprest pad in ( 2" thick, 25" wide ), I had a good bit more room. The pad held the bottom apart. Without the pad, once I got in, the hammock would form a "V" with the wide part up at the bars. But with the pad, it was more of a "U". When I laid on my back, I had a little room to spare at my shoulders, and my elbows would almost fit by my sides. But I wasn't sure how my sides were going to be insulated with this pad, it felt like they wouldn't. Unless I used an SPE inside, but then that would do away with what little room I had between my shoulders and the hammock sides. Plus, I was concerned with raising my center of gravity any more with a pad in the hammock.

So I figured I was going to have to buy a quilt. But when I went back to no pad in the pocket, once again it just seemed like a little too much shoulder squeeze for me. Plus, when I laid on my side it was by far the most comfortable of any hammock I have tried, BUT because of the "V" shape, I couldn't draw my knees up at all. There wasn't enough width for my long legs to be drawn up. No more shoulder squeeze, now the lack of room was lower. I wasn't sure I would even need to draw my knees up ( I'm not sure, but I think I was able to draw them up with the pad in the pad pocket), but it was all getting to be a little much to have to figure out, as the trial period was rapidly running out.

So, back it went with the no hassles at all from the JacKs. I might regret that later, but that's what I did. I am 6'1" and 204 lbs. I wear a 44 or 45 jacket. It seems to me that Jack (Myers?) told me he was about the same weight and a little shorter and he fit fine. I am not in the best shape of my life, so my 204lbs might be a little thicker than his, fat taking up more volume per pound than muscle.

This hammock had the flattest lie by far of any hammock I have tried, which is to say: completely flat. It made a fantastic chair. I was looking forward to using the spreader bars to hang packs and such from. I loved the net which just hung loosely a good distance above my face with no ridge-line required.. In fact, I loved about everything about this hammock except the width. About 2"-3" wider and I would have been set. So I am hoping maybe later there will be a big boys model.

However, if it is wider with wider bars, that will be even more of an issue with the tarp, which tends to rub on the tarp already. It was best to leave the bars out until ready to get in, or else you would need a REALLY high, wide tarp pitch. So better have a good size tarp. But the bars are not really a problem once you are in and the hammock sags.

For those of you lucky ones not quite as wide as me, enjoy.

**angrysparrow** · 12-14-2007, 22:42

BB and FF: I wondered when you guys would finally chime in about the hammock. We all know that I sold mine already, and for much the same reasons as BB lists. The fact that you have to change your sleeping positions to accomodate the hammock (not the other way around) bothered me.

The hammock is nice, but unless you are exceptionally narrow of build, it isn't practical. While I see great merit in the design, the current JRB implementation doesn't suit me.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 12-15-2007, 00:43

Thanks for the note. You repeated something here you mentioned once before that I'm having a hard time imaging..

Originally Posted by BillyBob58

...With my hands/arms laid over my abdomen, my shoulders would just touch the sides, with my elbows kind of laying on top of the edge of the hammock . This was, other than being tight around the shoulders/elbows, very comfortable and perfectly flat.

This suggests the hammock is much shallower at elbow level than the pictures suggest. But then you say

...I loved the net which just hung loosely a good distance above my face

and of course the net hangs from the top of the hammock, way above your face.

Just where are those elbows of yours???

thanks

Grizz

**BillyBob58** · 12-15-2007, 17:27

Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

Thanks for the note. You repeated something here you mentioned once before that I'm having a hard time imaging..

This suggests the hammock is much shallower at elbow level than the pictures suggest. But then you say

and of course the net hangs from the top of the hammock, way above your face.

Just where are those elbows of yours???

thanks

Grizz

Good question, sorry for the confusion. FF and FD might chime in with more detail, as I am working from memory now, as I no longer have mine.

I think the hammock is, in effect once I laid in it, quite shallow in the center. It's just quite different in so many ways, good or bad, than any other hammock I have used.

Look in this picture how much higher each end is than the center:
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index_fi...0Bug%20Net.jpg

The net is attached to the ends, and it is the tension from the ends that elevates the net to the same height as the ends. In fact, that is one way you are supposed to judge correct tension: tighten the straps until the net is tight on top, then loosen just slightly.

Now, look at this picture of Jack (?) lying in the hammock.
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index_fi...r%20Pocket.jpg

Notice how much higher the hammock is behind his head than near his elbows. It is that high part that determines the net height, although the sides of the net hang down and omnitape to the hammock sides. But that side attachment is 2 feet lower than the top which is over your face. Did I manage to clear that up? It's sort of hard to put in words, but the pics should do it.

Now, in this pic Jack looks like he has plenty of shoulder and elbow room, and he looks like he is down in there pretty good. I'm wondering also if he has a pad in there, widening the bottom? Still, his elbows are pretty close to the top edge, I'm wondering if more so on the left, which is out of the picture?

Now whether because I'm wider, thicker, heavier(aka fatter) or whatever reason, if you were looking at a picture of me in there, my shoulders would be just touching the side of the hammock, and my elbows (with my hands/arms drapped over my belly as in these pics) would be laying just barely out side of, and on top of, that lower close to center (length wise) edge/side of the hammock. If I put my elbows by my side or inside that edge, they would be tightly squeezed.

I guess I should have had my wife take a picture. Let me say again that I had significantly more room with the pad in the pocket. But tmy elbows would still just touch the edge and were still higher ( barely ) than the edge. Looking at the pics you would think I'd have to be HUGE for that to be the case. I ain't no where near skinny, but I don't think I'm huge. I don't think I'm as big as most 225 pounders ( upper hammock limit?) I know. Again, 6'1", 204 lbs. 49" around the shoulders, 53" around elbows. Size 45 jacket. Large jackets are usually just a little tight on me, extra large is usually just a little big on me, with plenty of room for layering. At the moment I'm wearing an extra large mens shirt, and it's not at all tight, plenty roomy, almost baggy. I think any guy who wears a large or medium would be fine in this hammock.

If I had the room that jack appears to have, I would have kept the hammock. Although I'm still wondering, even if I was 190 instead of 204, if I could have drawn my knees up ( semi-fetal position) when on my side, since my hip to knee length would not change.

AngrySparrow, what size are you, if you don't mind me asking?