My 2 Cents on the Lawson Blue Ridge Hammock

[rjc149]

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.