Plus's and Minus's of a Bridge Hammock

[gmcttr]

...It is tipsy but easily remedied by using tie-outs....
Attachment 82147

I think you'll find that type of BH is tippier and heavier than the Jacks r Better BMBH line and the WBRR.

I've slept in lots of bridge hammocks... mostly DIY ones. But I've spent the better part of the last year in a WBRR. They are all only a little tippy when you sit up. When laying down, they are fine. They are more comfortable for a lot of people, but not for everyone. For me, the bridge hammock has won me over, and I will never go back to a gathered end.

^^This describes my experience well for the WBRR and the similar DIY BHs I use. It takes a few minutes of playing around in one the first time to realize that a quick movement may make the BH "tip", but that is is only a slight movement and than it stabilizes and is rock solid. I sleep full time indoors in a DIY BH and have never had it try to dump me. You can actually lay way over on the edge to reach the ground...

IMG_4185 (Medium).JPG

What is the ideal distance between trees when setting up the WBRR Bridge Hammock?

With the webbing suspension, I like the 15'-17' range but can easily go wider.

[Paprika bohlmann]

To be sure, there is difference between a hammock with a spreader bar and a bridge hammock. hammocks with spreader bars still have the tension going through the hammock body, while a bridge hammock has the tension going through the rope, or webbing, running along the hour glass shaped hammock body. In a bridge hammock you lay below the lines that are taking the tension making the tippy factor small. In a hammock with a spreader bar you are laying above the material with the tension on it and that makes feel tippy. Two posts seemed to confuse the two, which was exactly what I did when I first started researching bridge hammocks. I would watch and or read posts by Teedee and Grizzly Adams. Great info on bridge hammocks coming from those two guys.

Speaking for myself, a bridge hammock with wide spreader bars is very comfortable. A bridge hammock can more easily incorporate sleeping pads. I like a good bridge hammock and I like a good gathered end. One nice thing about bridge hammocks is that its easier to lay on your stomach than in a gathered end. A bridge hammock is also nice because it is easier to look at the world around you.

One con for bridge hammocks is that when your want to use it as a chair it isn't as comfortable as a GE. It can be comfortable, but doesn't quite match cradling of a GE.

[The Old Boot]

I've never tried any hammock except my own DIY bridge (modeled after the Grizz bridge) so I can't tell you about other hammocks and whether they're tippy or not.

BUT, mine is rock solid, no tie outs needed whatsoever. I mean rock solid, I sleep on either side, my back, semi side and I'm a restless sleeper, not once have I ever felt I was going to be tossed out. Grizz did some studying and figuring on the stability of a bridge so I just followed his instructions to make sure that the triangles were properly sized and the foot and head spreader bars were different by the correct difference.

I've heard others tell of tippy bridge hammocks but they always seem to be referring to a couple of the commercially made ones.

As to the preferred distance between trees, I like about 14' or 15' but that's because I'm short and 14' means that I can get my 12' tarp high enough without struggling with the tree straps. I can hang the hammock on closer trees but then run into problems with the tarp.

[TxTiger]

This is really some great information. I'm sure many other soon-to-be-hangers are really appreciating this info too. Thanks for all the input.

On my first post I thought I had narrowed my decision to three brands, then the knowledge kept coming and I'm really trying to take my time and do this right. One thing I have picked up throughout many threads, is that equipment compatibility is really important given that many own several hammocks, and the UQ and other accessories that one has should work with a broad range of equipment. The accessories are often higher than the hammock, so you don't want to have to duplicate items. Another thing I've picked up, is that hangers rarely have just one and appear to try many different brands over a relatively short period of time. So I will take a little more time to research, but I'm not going to make it too difficult since I'm sure I'll be like most here and try more than one style and brand.

[Shug]

I don't find them too tippy either. I try some tip tests in my videos below........
I find that that tarp pitching is a bit more of an issue....depending on the tarp due to the speeder bars.
One nice thing is that your feet can just flop apart and are not to close together like in a gathered end hammock.
Shug

[SkraM]

Love my WBRR. I've had no tipping issues. Easy to set-up. Sleep well on my back or side.

[Tonopah]

I have a Ridgerunner and have used it with a Lynx underquilt and found no "tippy" issues at all. I then tried it with a 2.5 in inflated pad and thought that there would be tippy issues for sure but -- to my surpise, it was just fine. All you have to do is remember to reach for the back webbing of the bed of the hammock to stabilize it as you sit into the hammock (exactly as Brandon demonstrates in his video.

[TxTiger]

Thanks for all the replies. What about side sleeping? read where it's ok if you keep you legs straight, but fetal is not good. Is that because of the hammock being narrow, or because the bridge design? I sleep a lot of fetal, but it may be because other position are not so good in a regular bed. For those who have the RR, what are your thoughts on fetal/side sleeping? Thanks guys, and gals.

[CeeVee]

Yes I'd agree, at least for me my Ridge Runner is narrow.

[Mumbles]

Sleeping is great on my back, sides, or halfway rolled toward my belly. I'm finding my WBRR to be the most comfortable of the dozen or so hammocks I've seen or tried so far. The comfort level really is amazing, and I'm not expecting that there could be many ways to make it any more comfortable. I can roll around in mine and it has yet to expel me from the inside. I bet you could swap out the head dogbones to add a set of buckles on a continuous loop on each side, wrap straps from each around your head tree from both sides, thereby making the tippy almost static...with the penalty of weight gain of another set of straps and buckles. I surely don't think I need to do that, but I'm pretty sure it would work if someone thought they needed more stability.