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  1. #251
    Slugger's Avatar
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    No post for awhile Bill.....just making sure you're keeping busy & cranking out those hammocks!

    And yes - your BGBH is still my #1 go-to-hammock for any hang.
    Retired US Navy, 10-year Stage IIIb colon cancer survivor. I believe my last words will be "Hold my beer..."



  2. #252
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slugger View Post
    No post for awhile Bill.....just making sure you're keeping busy & cranking out those hammocks!

    And yes - your BGBH is still my #1 go-to-hammock for any hang.
    Heya Slugger!
    No higher honor a backpacker can bestow that to choose to put a piece of gear in their pack... so thankee kindly!

    Yes the bridges are still getting made and thanks to you and other happy hangers when someone needs one of my bridges they tend to find me somehow.

    I've been laying a bit low... I had a few health issues. In an unsurprising development it turns out you can't work 60 hours a week and then sew another 40 hours on the side while drinking craft beer without something going wrong. A few years of that now and it's time to clean up that mess. Normally I get laid off (or can take a break) every few years in my construction gigs and have some time to get in some hiking and longer trips, but my current gig has been steady the last four years so I just kept sliding downhill physically. Ironically the bridges getting better and better let me slide further and further .

    On the plus side... after nearly 10 years of trying they let me do a home sleep study so I was finally able to get a CPAP approved. I'll have to dig up your thread on the portable one once I get things settled in with my current model.
    It's been a big help for sure and I noticed the difference the first night.

    Started Physical Therapy for my back and hip as well. Same old injuries from carpentry, but 20 extra pounds and too much time in sedentary activities have pushed things so I'm working on balancing things out better with my schedule and getting back in shape so that stuff is under control again.

    I got my day job cut down to 50 hours, and I'm trying to force myself to under 20 hours on the sewing.
    The CPAP (APAP actually) means I get to actually sleep, so it seems like I have even more time each day. It's only been about 6 weeks but I am starting to settle in to a steadier 7 hours a night of quality sleep and I'm not sure how long the transition is normally, but I seem to be on track with adjusting to the device well enough.

    So overall- nothing but good news over here personally to be honest.
    As mentioned; the folks who really need one of my premium bridges tend to find me so by laying low I can keep up with that demand as needed.

    In the coming month or so I hope to expand testing on some of my lighter models... I've got full size bridges under 12 ounces now that I've been testing.
    The first year or so of this style of bridges went well and I'm tuning up round 3 or 4 of those for an expanded and hopefully final round of testing.

    Once I get my Physical therapy done and some sort of routine going I will probably look into sewing contractors again. At the end of the day that's really what doing much with this as a business will require but I haven't had any real luck on that front so the main reason I don't promote much and keep my mouth shut is that I can't really keep up as the only seamster. I hate it when a small cottage vendor talks a bunch on social media and cranks out a fancy website but fails to deliver product. No point in selling stuff you don't have to ship. One facebook post or mention by a current customer tends to result in a dozen inquiries and I always feel bad if I cannot help someone who really needs it.

    As mentioned... A big thanks to those who do own my bridges and reach out to those folks who really need my stuff. For now, other folks make decent enough bridges for those who are just curious about bridges; so I try to direct folks to Brandon, Jacks, or even the REI bridge who just want to try one out or may even be a good fit for their products. Besides saving them money and getting them a bridge, it keeps my limited time freed up to fill that niche I fill when it's needed. I'd love to do this full time one day, but until that day comes I've been super happy being able to help where I can. I don't make any money doing this really and with everything else going it can be hard to find motivation to sew... but really helping someone makes it worth it everytime.

    So no plans to quit sewing or close up shop... but I will likely stay quiet for the foreseeable future. Thanks for thinking of me and posting the encouragement Jeff!

    PS- another reminder to those who email me... check your junk mail!
    Nothing worse than someone finally tracking me down only to be thwarted by your spam blocker when I do reply.
    I'm not sure why this has become a bigger issue, but I am noticing this problem has really increased and at least half of those who reach out find my return email blocked. I personally reply to everyone who reaches out so if you did contact me in some way... I promise you there is an email somewhere in someplace in reply.

  3. #253
    Senior Member Cruiser51's Avatar
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    Not really the place for this post, but you don't need a separate unit to go into the woods iMO, I take my home unit in and have been doing so for 5 years. I have a 4 poundish battery that lasts ~14 days and it has worked fine everytime.

    Brian

  4. #254
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cruiser51 View Post
    Not really the place for this post, but you don't need a separate unit to go into the woods iMO, I take my home unit in and have been doing so for 5 years. I have a 4 poundish battery that lasts ~14 days and it has worked fine everytime.Brian
    I second that motion! A majority of my camping is car camping now, so I tote my regular home unit with me & set it up on a small folding table right next to the hammock under the tarp. Because of car camping, I have a 109 AH deep cycle marine battery I use and that runs the CPAP for at least 5 days. I have a Home Depot RIGID rolling toolbox that holds everything I need for camping & the battery sits right on top & rolls into the woods with me. I considered a "travel" CPAP, but insurance won't pay for it and I don't have an extra $900 laying around to buy one outright.

    Enough of that! Bill - I hope your health issues improve and you keep on rockin!
    Retired US Navy, 10-year Stage IIIb colon cancer survivor. I believe my last words will be "Hold my beer..."



  5. #255

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    Thanks for all you do Bill. I hope you get some time on the trail this year to relax. I'd buy any bridge that you put out, but not at the expense of your sanity!

  6. #256
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    HMM... my supplier recommended that Resmed AirMini and said they could get it around $600.
    That said they suggested I simply wait a few months to see how I did with the dreamstation APAP. I guess they make a mini also. Assuming I lose some weight requirements may change, blah, blah, blah.
    They also told me that insurance may cover the second unit down the line (next calendar year), but as a worst case I can use my HSA account funds and at least use pre-tax money on it. Problems for later this year...

    Either way- pretty sure it was Slugger's picture I recall (though there were a several) of an extension cord running out to the bridge, lol. 90% of the time that's the easy solution regardless so I fully agree it doesn't need to get in the way or require anything fancy. Worst case all those SUL backpacking tricks have freed up more than enough weight to cover a battery.

    Looks like the biggest potential hang up would be the humidifier but I was told that 'need' can go away after you adapt to it as well. That's been about the only downside for me as I would normally be out doing some cold weather testing but I didn't want to freeze up the unit. Figured instead of being my normal a-hole self I'd use the unit inside for this winter instead of trying to do it all at once so other than sneaking out for a night here or there I'll just take it easy this winter.

    Secretly though if I'm being honest; I did all this so that I could better understand why folks with CPAP's seem to love my bridges.

  7. #257
    Slugger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Bill View Post
    Secretly though if I'm being honest; I did all this so that I could better understand why folks with CPAP's seem to love my bridges.


    But in all honesty, the BGBH is the only one I've really felt comfortable in while using a CPAP! I usually do a hike-in hang every July where there's no way to bring a non-mini type CPAP machine...so instead I bought a Zyppah to use in the back woods and had decent results with it while sleeping. Not as good as a CPAP, but I get to live though the night instead of stopping breathing. Something important in my book!

    My first hang this year will be in March and I plan on experimenting with stuff to make it a little more comfy, a little bit more warm on the inside of the hammock. While I'm using a 20 degree under quilt and that keeps me warm, I like to be more comfortable on the inside as well. Bill - I think you mentioned using an Exped Duo inside of your hammock. Is the Duo too wide? Would a regular width pad work better..or are they just a little too narrow and the Duo would provide more comfort? Anyone else out there doing something similar?
    Retired US Navy, 10-year Stage IIIb colon cancer survivor. I believe my last words will be "Hold my beer..."



  8. #258
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    Hey Bill - I’m at the spring Yates Place hang right now showing off your BGBH to a couple people. Do you make or is it possible to make a BGBH with a 450 lb. capacity?
    Retired US Navy, 10-year Stage IIIb colon cancer survivor. I believe my last words will be "Hold my beer..."



  9. #259
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slugger View Post
    Hey Bill - I’m at the spring Yates Place hang right now showing off your BGBH to a couple people. Do you make or is it possible to make a BGBH with a 450 lb. capacity?
    Slugger- sorry I couldn't get back to you in time to share this at the hang.

    Simple answer is no. The reason that I list the Big Guy at 350+ is not structural but comfort. Around 350lbs I began to notice in both testing and early sales that around that weight the issue is simply a lack of room. The simplest way to explain it to Big Guys is that even though this is the largest bridge at the store at XXL size, a few folks still need a 'big and tall' 3XL.

    There are a handful of folks at 390+ who make it work. And I mean a handful. I think the longest long term user is about 415lbs. That said, it's a bit like bigger fellas who make the RR work by side sleeping or just dealing with the size restrictions. More of a 'better than other options, but not perfect' sorta thing. So in general I try to discourage folks from trying the Big Guy who are much bigger than 350lbs. My return rate is super low generally, but around 350 it's about a 50/50 or worse and I hate to get people's hopes up who are on the edge of the Big Guy being that perfect hammock they were hoping for.

    The good news is the issue is not structural. https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...Hanger-Preview

    This hammock is not busted out, but it is on the back burner.

    As many know I do this part time and my production is limited. I've been a bit more focused on the SUL end of bridges again in my little bit of prototype time.
    To be blunt- there are a handful of folks a year who bring this up and it's just been a numbers issue for me. If there are a half dozen folks I can help out by building a batch of Big Guy bridges... I'm going to do that before I set time aside to keep chasing that Mountain Hanger Prototype. I do want to build it, but in the day to day of real life it keeps ending up on the 'someday' shelf rather than the sewing table.

    So end of the day... A solution is possible but unfortunately I am not yet in a position to really offer it. At the time I made that preview post I had high hopes I found a sewing contractor to turn over production of the Big Guy and Luxury to. Unfortunately over a year into that relationship and ready to 'flip the switch' and send all the bridges to that contractor so I could spend my time on design and prototypes. The Mountain Hanger model was probably the main casualty as the design was pretty promising and heading for round three of design when last I left off... so if I do get the chance I'm fairly optimistic it would come together with a few more tweaks. Round three has a pattern made, amsteel spliced and fabric selected... but the spring rush is kicking in and I'm getting round three of field testers going on my SUL bridges. So I can't imagine I'll touch it again until summer or fall.

  10. #260
    Slugger's Avatar
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    Fair enough Bill - thanks for the answer!
    Retired US Navy, 10-year Stage IIIb colon cancer survivor. I believe my last words will be "Hold my beer..."



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