flat hammock idea

**Bic** · 12-23-2011, 23:30

okay... so I've been looking at bridge hammocks and gathered end hammocks and all. I have made a gathered end hammock already, and I am interested in trying to make a flatter lay.... so I was looking into a bridge hammock but those seem really difficult (maybe it's just me?). Anyways, I got to thinking, why couldn't you just put spreader bars in the channels of a "regular" hammock? Am I crazy... does this not work... will I fall to the ground? Attached is a pretty diagram I made... not sure it really explains much, but it looks good

So tell me I'm crazy and why this wont work?????

**Southernfan6885** · 12-23-2011, 23:32

Maybe I'm wrong, but as I've always understood it, spreader bars take away all your stability, and you will definitely end up dumped out on the ground at some point in the night.

**Bic** · 12-23-2011, 23:38

Originally Posted by Southernfan6885

Maybe I'm wrong, but as I've always understood it, spreader bars take away all your stability, and you will definitely end up dumped out on the ground at some point in the night.

I've seen a few brief thoughts on that fact... but isn't that fixed with one end being shorter than the other? thanks for the response

**Bic** · 12-23-2011, 23:42

kind of envisioning a hammock like this.....

only I would use nylon for the hammock and I would ditch all the other stuff (netting and shade)... but the lay would be similar I'd think.

**sargevining** · 12-24-2011, 00:21

I can tell you from personal experience that those military style hammocks are tippy and unstable unless you guy at least one side out.

**MadRacDad** · 12-24-2011, 01:43

I've never made a bridge---yet. However after studying the concept I believe you must have webbing or cordage along the sides. The edges of the material will not handle the load without failing. Also, check out the dual mode bridge sticky it gives a much better explaination than I ever could---2 cents.

**Ramblinrev** · 12-24-2011, 05:52

The suspension/construction of the bridge hammock is radically different than that of the gathered end. I have made the Dual Mode Hammock and can assure you it is 1) not as difficult asit might seem if you are a competent stitcher. 2) Not as versatile as it might appear (my opinion only ymmv) 3) the worst of both worlds (again ymmv) I actually got stuck in the gathered end mode and needed help getting out.

Speader bars in a gathered end hammock have some fans (I have no direct experience) but they seem to be used to help spread the fabric, nor radically change the lie.

**Bannerstone** · 12-24-2011, 06:39

It appears to get it's stability from the tie outs on the top cover. I would imagine that you could achieve a similar stability without the top cover simply by guy lining from the ends of the spreader bars to a point higher (or lower for that matter) on the tree than the main suspension.

David

**GrizzlyAdams** · 12-24-2011, 08:15

Many "yard hammock" designs have spreader bars at the head and foot.

The thing that gives a bridge hammock a flat lay is the hourglass-ish shape of the body. Your body mass is greatest in the middle and in an ordinary hammock---including the ones with spreader bars---your body sinks deeper in the middle. With the bridge the narrower middle keeps that from happening and transfers the force you're exerting on the hammock to the suspension webbing (or cord) on the edges.

A simple bridge hammock, just a body, no endcaps, no bugnet, is only marginally more difficult to make than a simple gathered end hammock.