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  1. #1
    New Member rjc149's Avatar
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    My 2 Cents on the Lawson Blue Ridge Hammock

    I wanted to add my 2 cents on the Lawson Blue Ridge Hammock in case someone was researching Lawson hammocks.

    It was my first hammock, and what first got me hooked on hanging. I have spend fairly comfortable nights in the hammock, after a fashion, but after spending a night in a WBBB I must say I vastly prefer gathered-end designs.

    The LBRH is not a lightweight option. Mine weighs in at 4.5 lbs, I believe those spreader bars are the culprit. The spreader bars also elongate the package quite a bit, taking up a good amount of real estate in the pack. What I did was tightly bind the stuffsack with paracord to reduce its bulk, and stuck it in vertically into the pack, against my back, then packed everything else around it. Keeping it upright and centered while packing, so it wouldn't cant to one side or another and throw the weight balance off, was sometimes a challenge but never a real issue. I always managed to get it all packed and ready to go.

    The number one complaint people have with the LBRH is instability. It is flippy as hell. This can be remedied by either tying down each corner, or, what I preferred, tying both corners of each end around the tree with paracord (making sure to double around the tree, to increase friction and stability, so it wasn't just sliding back and forth -- see crude MS Paint drawing). I will say that this was not as simple as it seemed, and I found myself frequently adjusting the tension on these tie-outs to make sure the straps, not the paracord tie-outs, were bearing the weight (the paracord could handle it, I was primarily concerned if the hammock itself could handle all that tension in a concentrated area).





    One night I made the mistake of tying the 'stability cords' to the spreader bars rather than the hammock itself. I got in, and after wiggling around a bit to get comfortable, the spreader bars buckled and broke under my weight. They are most certainly not load-bearing. Consequently, this made the hammock more stable, like a bridge hammock, and I was able to get a good night's rest. Still, I ordered new bars and replaced them (a tedious process, considering all those knots must be untied, and re-tied, while making sure each had proper tension for a comfortable hang).

    People say the LBRH is a flat lay. I do not find this to be the case, or rather, I get a much flatter lay lying diagonally in a gathered-end hammock. You can't hang the LBRH too taught (I swear the thing wants to rip if you do) and even if you hang it pretty tight, there is going to be some sag in the middle. Laying diagonally doesn't help because of the design. Any where your feet are, in the center or to the side, they are going to be raised. Sleeping in a semi-fetal position was the best way to avoid stiff knees in the morning.

    The tarp, or rain-fly rather, is excellent for colder weather because it traps heat well. This is also why it's a bit stuffy in warmer weather. I brought an over-head tarp for warm weather, and retained the rain-fly for chillier nights. The rain-fly, in my experience, was very effective against rain and wind since it sort of envelopes you.

    All in all, I don't use the LBRH after getting a WBBB. The WBBB is lighter, packs down smaller, is much easier to set up, more stable, and in my opinion, more comfortable. I keep the LBRH around to have an extra hammock for car-camping trips when people with no camping gear want to come along, but I'm contemplating selling it. Anyways, that's my 2-cents on the LBRH. It's an excellent hammock, especially for the price, but it requires some know-how to get it comfy, and some dedication to keep using it when there are better hammock designs out there.
    Last edited by rjc149; 02-19-2014 at 01:05.

  2. #2
    Senior Member campcrafter's Avatar
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    thanks for the review and your experience with the lbrh - answered lot of my questions

    blue skies!
    cc
    Campcrafter

    I'd rather be in the mountains thinking about God, than in church thinking about the mountains.
    - John Muir

  3. #3
    Senior Member BackPackHiker's Avatar
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    Hello,

    I agree and disagree with you opinion about the stability of this hammock. The four corner tie outs on the hammock are not meant to be tied to the tree but to the ground. If you do not use these tie outs properly the result will be a really unstable hammock. But if you do tie them securely to the ground you will find that the hammock is incredibly stable. I find it to be similar to a cot.

    Here is my video review so you can check out how I did it.


  4. #4
    Member
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    How is it for stomach sleeping?

  5. #5
    Member TxTiger's Avatar
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    Mar 2014
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    Very informative and really good info. Nice write up and pretty much consistent with a lot of other long term reviews. I was just on Amazon's hammock pages and saw this hammock again, as I had considered it when I was first shopping. I checked out reviews from as many sources as possible on each hammock I considered and many of the individual reviews for the LBRH weren't that great. Thanks for taking the time to inform others.

  6. #6
    New Member
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    Jul 2014
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    LAWSON BLUE RIDGE (and its STABLE!)
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    it can be a totally flat lay, you just need to retie the ties on the spreader to suit you.... i sting mine very very tight, tie-out to the ground and im on a 90inch floating cot!

  7. #7
    Senior Member BananaHammock's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
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    I have the WBBB and recently considered the Lawson after seeing one for sale at a low price. I did about 10 min. of research that basically said the same thing you did. After thinking about my wife flipping over and breaking through the bug net and onto the ground....I laughed....and then decided not to buy.

  8. #8
    New Member
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    Thanks for your detailed review. This has been one of my choices when I decided to buy another hammock. With your experience on it, it's safe to say that it's worth its price.

  9. #9
    New Member rjc149's Avatar
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    Sorry I'm replying a year later -- I don't get notifications in my email.

    I'm not comfortable sleeping on my stomach in the Blue Ridge -- you're still in a banana shape, so it strains the back. I think a bridge hammock would be better for stomach sleeping.
    Last edited by rjc149; 04-23-2015 at 22:56.

  10. #10
    New Member rjc149's Avatar
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    Thanks for posting the video BackPackHiker, interesting method. I never tried that -- I guess my main concern would be how securely the tie-outs are staked into the ground.

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