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Reviews > Shelters > Hammocks > Jacks R Better Bear Mtn Bridge Hammock > Test Report by Thomas VickersJacks 'R' Better Bear Mountain
Bridge Hammock
|
Thomas
Vickers |
Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the
mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over the last 4 or 5
years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping
bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I
feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while
carrying the lightest load possible.
Manufacturer
Information: Manufacturer: Jacks 'R' Better Website: http://www.jacksrbetter.com Year Manufactured: 2008 MSRP: $ 199.95 US Materials: 70D rip stop nylon material and high strength polypropylene webbing Capacity: 6 foot 3 inches tall and up to 225 pounds of capacity. (191 cm tall and up to 102 kg) |
Information From
Tester: (all measurements approximate) Weight: Hammock (includes suspension webbing): 1lb 10.25 oz (744 g) Bug net: 5.75 oz (164 g) Gear pocket: 0.30 oz (8 g) Tri-Glide: 0.40 oz (11 g) 1/2 spreader bar: 1.80 oz (51 g) Whole spreader bar: 3.65 oz (104 g) Measurements: Hammock: 88 x 29 in (224 x 74 cm) Suspension webbing (one side): 118 x 1 in (300 x 2.5 cm) |
Initial Report
January 6, 2009
Initial tester expectations:
A huge selling point for me is the Jacks 'R' Better website. It is full of
helpful pictures that illustrate not only what their products look like, but also provide
plenty of inspiration for how to set up and use their gear. The page for the Bear
Mountain Bridge Hammock is no exception. There are at least 10 photos on the product
page that show a variety of features and uses for this hammock. I really did come away
with what I thought was a great idea of what this hammock was going to be like and if I
had any questions about it once it arrived, I also knew that the webpage was going to be a
great reference.
Manufacturer's description:
The Jacks R Better Bear Mountain
Bridge Hammock is a true lay flat, sleep straight hammock. It achieves these notable
results by departing from the common gather end design to utilize a suspension
bridge technique. The design of the hammock incorporates spreader bars on each end.
These are a two piece design constructed of thin wall, one inch outer diameter,
aluminum tubing with notched, rubber coated ends to fit into the secondary rings at the
hammock corners. The hammock comes complete with a removable bug net made of no-see-um
netting that secures to the perimeter of the hammock body with omni-tape and requires no
additional lift tabs or ridge lines. The four ounce, separable bug net may be left
at home when insects are not a threat.
Tester's Description:
The Jacks 'R' Better Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock is a non-gathered end hiking
hammock. The main body of the hammock is constructed of black 70D rip stop nylon and is
shaped like a "U" in cross section. Both ends of this "U" shaped
piece of fabric are enclosed by flat pieces of material.
The sides of the hammock are held apart at each end by spreader
bars. These are two piece aluminum poles which attach to the metal rings on each
corner of the hammock. These rings serve as attachment points for the suspension webbing
and also for the spreader bars.
The hammock body is ringed around the upper outside edge by a strip of hook and loop
fastener. This strip of fastener is used to attach the gear pocket and the bug
netting when they are needed. There is also an optional pad pocket located
underneath the hammock. It allows for a sleeping pad to be inserted into the hammock
body. This pocket runs the entire length of the hammock and is open on only one end.
The hammock itself is attached to a multi part suspension system. The first part of
this suspension are the metal loops that are attached to each of the upper corners of the
hammock body. The spreader bars are made of aluminum with rubber coated ends that
are notched to fit into the metal rings
These rings serve as the attachment points for the spreader bars and the 0.75 in (2 cm) wide and 20 in (51 cm) long sections of polypropylene webbing. On each end of the hammock, these lengths of polypropylene webbing attach to another metal ring.
This design supposedly creates a rain break that does not allow water to run down the webbing and get the hammock wet. There is an additional 118 in (300 cm) length of polypropylene webbing that attaches to this metal loop and serves as the primary suspension strap for the hammock.
Jacks 'R' Better included a pair of aluminum tri-glides that can be attached to this strap
and serve as a fast and easy way to set up the hammock.
The hammock has no ridge line, so the bug net lies flat across the top
of the hammock when in place. The ring of hook and loop fastener on the hammock
corresponds to the edges of the bug net so that it can be connected completely as needed.
The gear pocket also attaches to this strip of hook and loop fastener and can hang inside
or outside of the hammock.
Setting it up:
I wanted to get the hammock set up so that I could take pictures and I am glad that I did
this before hitting the trail with the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. The first thing
I missed in the included instructions was to hang the hammock at about waist level.
I hung it too high and had to restring it once I realized that there was no way I was
going to get into the hammock. The polypropylene
webbing does not stretch or give as much as I expected and when
I hung the hammock at shoulder level (expecting some stretch and sag from the suspension
and hammock) I could not get in.
My next surprise came when I wanted to loosen the suspension strap/tri-glide to lower the
hammock. The strap had tightened up in the tri-glide to a point that I had to go get
a screw driver to pry it out. I learned very quickly that I should leave some slack in the
suspension strap because it does not stretch and if I do not, then it has to be pried out
of the tri-glide.
Once I got the hammock hung correctly, I had to get the spreader bars in place. There were
no included instructions for this and I was running back and forth between the computer
and back yard trying to figure out how to do it without hurting the hammock. The Jacks 'R'
Better website pictures saved the day for me, but I also learned that a third reason for
having slack in the suspension strap is to make inserting the spreader bars easier. Not
easy, but easier.
I got the first one in place, but the second one was always a bear. I worried that I was
going to rip or tear the hammock in some way even after several tries, but I did finally
get the spreader bars in place.
I could not have done this initial set up without the website help and I am still not
pleased with the amount of effort needed to insert the spreader bars. There is a
little part of me that is worried that I am still doing it wrong, but I will probably send
the manufacturer an email to ask questions about this issue before I hit the trail with
the hammock.
As a little addendum to the report, when I finally got to measuring and dealing with the
stuff sack for the hammock, I found a card attached to the stuff sack that clearly walked
me through each of my steps above. Each thing I had to learn on my own was neatly spelled
out in the correct order. I am not sure how I overlooked these instructions in the first
place, but I wanted to be clear that at this point the error was all mine. Jacks 'R'
Better provided an excellent set of hanging instructions, I just missed them for awhile.
Hanging out:
Once inside the hammock I was surprised about the comfort and fit. I found it
challenging to get into a top loading hammock since I am used to other designs, but I
liked the way that I sunk down into the hammock itself. I then saw how the bug net
worked. It had been my fear that it would press against my face since it lays flat across
the hammock, but I sank far enough down into the hammock that there is plenty of room
between myself and the bug net when in use.
Final thoughts:
I really like the feel of this hammock when I am in it. It is comfortable and just a bit
different from all the other hammocks I have tried or used. There has been a great
amount of time spent by the manufacturer in the design of the hammock and it is apparent
in the fine details. The way the optional bug net and gear pocket attach is a very
good example. While not conventional in their approach, these two items provide a great
deal of flexibility in using this hammock.
The other detail that jumped out at me were the suspension system. It was designed to keep
me dry in the hammock and to be easy to set up. The addition of the tri-glides made me
think that Jacks 'R' Better is dedicated to improving their product over time. The
suspension system was good as is, but I can see the benefit and improvement of adding the
tri-glides.
The sleeping pad pocket is just icing on the cake. It is one more detail that makes
this hammock a very flexible sleeping system. It does not cater to one type of
hammock camper, but to anyone that wants to hang in the woods. If there is a special need
for a hammock camper, Jacks 'R' Better seems to have thought of it and offered some type
of option on this hammock.
Despite me missing the included instructions, the company website did save the day for me
when it came to the first time setting the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock up. Next time I
will learn to dig through the packaging a bit better.
Things I like:
1. Flexible design
2. Suspension system
3. Comfortable
Things I don't like:
1. Spreader bars are difficult to install
Field Report
February 2, 2009
Locations:
Sam Houston National Forest
Other locations in Southeast Texas
Conditions:
Total nights use: 10
Night temperatures: 28 to 70 F (-2 to 21 C)
Precipitation: Freezing rain, light rain, and mostly no rain.
Wind: 0 to 15 mph (0 to 24 kph) steady wind (gusts up to 20 mph/ 32 kph)
Setting it up:
After my initial attempts at getting this hammock set up and my battles with the spreader
bars, I decided that there had to be a faster and easier to way to do this. I finally
settled on the process of spacing the hammock between two trees and loosely hanging it
around knee level. Then I would insert the spreader bars and take the slack out of the
suspension straps till the hammock was hanging tightly at about waist level. Not
only did I no longer feel like I was fighting the spreader bars, but I also did not feel
like I was going to damage the hammock by inserting the spreader bars.
I also got used to setting the tri-glides with a bit more slack than I initially used so
that the suspension webbing did not tighten up to a point that I could not loosen it or
the tri-glide in the mornings. One thing I have really grown to like about this
hammock is that the suspension straps are all that are required to hand it and sleep in
it. No guy lines or any other supplemental tie out points are required.
The one issue I have with the hammock is that in windy situations it can be a bear to set
up. The hammock body likes to flip over and over in the wind with the great side effect of
twisting the suspension lines. This is not a design flaw in the hammock, but just a
side effect of working with a giant piece of cloth when the wind is blowing.
Accessories:
I have not needed the mosquito netting at all during this part of the test. I did install
it once to see how easy it was to do. My impression from this experiment is that it
is going to really have to be worth my while to install the netting since it was not quick
or easy in my view. It took time and quite a bit of effort to get it attached around the
entire perimeter of the hammock in a useful way. Other than that, I do appreciate
the fact that the mosquito netting is not an integral part of the hammock's construction.
I am very happy about being able to save weight and leave it at home when I will not be
needing it. In the next portion of the test I plan on using the mosquito net more
often to see if familiarity with it makes the process of installing easier and less time
consuming.
Spreader bars:
I am really torn in my opinion of the spreader bars. They are very useful in holding
the hammock open and despite the manufacturer's warnings against it, I have found them a
great place to hang my headlamp and my watch/thermometer. The location of the
spreader bar right above my head makes it really easy to check the time or temperature
without having to dig my watch out of a gear pocket. The same goes for my headlamp. I can
loop its band around the spreader bar and hang my reading light right above my head and
out of my way.
On the downside they are a rather clunky and heavy addition to my pack. I carry them in a
side gear pocket and lash them down with my pack's compression straps. This is no
different from tent poles when I used a tent, but not being used to spreader bars or poles
on my other hammocks, I am just not comfortable with them yet.
Keeping warm:
So far I have used an under quilt every night in this hammock. On one evening the
temperature rose to 70 F (21 C) and I went without the under quilt for a few hours till
the temperatures dipped. With that being noted, I have not taken the opportunity to
use a sleeping pad in the integral pad pocket instead of the under quilt. This is a goal
for the next phase of this test so I can at least see how well I fair with a different
type of bottom insulation.
With the under quilt in place, keeping my backside warm in this hammock has been easy. My
only real concern about keeping warm has been from the top of the hammock. The hammock is
open (even with a tarp over it) and keeping my face warm was often a serious task. I
have an idea about using hook and loop fastener to attach a reflective safety blanket to
the top of the hammock (like the mosquito netting) to help keep warmth in the hammock.
This is not really a problem since I know how to keep my top warm and the big issue of
keeping my back/bottom warm has been solved by using an under quilt.
The design of this hammock is what got me to thinking about putting a covering over the
top of the hammock to hold in heat. I lie in the bottom of the 'U' shaped hammock
body with plenty of room between my body and the top edge of the hammock. I am not
sure if I will put the vent at the foot or head end of the hammock, but I will probably
need some type of opening to keep my breath from condensing and getting my sleeping bag
and myself wet.
Final thoughts:
I have been very comfortable in this hammock in some very windy and cold conditions (by my
standards). I have yet to encounter anything that I see as a design or construction flaw
in this hammock. I have finally figured out how to set it up without too much effort and
it takes down very easily as well. There are no problems getting the hammock body and the
suspension system into the stuff sack and it makes a pretty small package in my pack.
In fact, I really like the idea of having the entire suspension system attached to the
hammock at all times. This keeps me from losing parts along the way and also means that
when I pull it out to set it up, I know everything I need is going to be there, not
several miles down the trail.
The one thing that I am still learning to do is get in and out of the Bear Mountain Bridge
Hammock. It is a top loading hammock and it swings a bit much for my taste if I try
to get in slow and steady. I have resigned my self to a quick 'plopping' in place over one
side in order minimize the swing and sway of the hammock. I have never been dumped out
while trying to enter or exit the hammock, but I have a feeling that I will deal with that
moment sooner or later. I also have noticed that the hammock sways crazily from side
to side when I try to sit up in it. This may be me and my unfamiliarity with the hammock,
but I have come very close to flipping myself out just by sitting up in it.
Overall, I am very impressed with this hammock. There was a lot of thought and care put
into its design. It is usable in a wide variety of situations and is very adaptable
as a shelter.
Things I like:
1. Easy to set up
2. Roomy
3. Spreader bars are great for hanging LIGHT gear
Things I do not like:
1. Swaying due to top loading
2. Swaying when I sit up in it
3. Spreader bars
Long Term Report - April 9, 2009
Locations:
Sam Houston National Forest
Other locations in Southeast Texas
Conditions:
Total nights use: 7
Night temperatures: 32 to 70 F (0 to 21 C)
Precipitation: Heavy Rain
Wind: 0 - 25 mph (0 to 40 kph) steady wind (gusts up to 35 mph/56 kph)
Hammocks: Jacks 'R' Better Bear Mountain Hammock
Getting things hung:
Due to the amount of rain that I have seen during this part of my test, I spent a great
deal of time getting better at hanging this hammock. For the first time during this
test, the weather forced me to hang my tarp first and work under and around it to hang the
hammock. The great news is that the tri-glides make hanging this hammock, even in
poor conditions, a snap.
One thing that I discovered is that I do not have to completely thread the end of the
hanging strap through the tri-glide.
This was first due to my haste, but when I was taking the hammock down in the morning and
realized that the end of the strap had only been threaded through one half of the
tri-glide and held I decided to try it again. This has allowed me to put up my tarp first,
hang the hammock, and then adjust the location of the hammock under the tarp without
completely threading or unthreading the hanging strap through the tri-glide. I am not sure
how safe this truly is, but I spent at least four nights with both tri-glides and hanging
straps threaded this way and never once wound up on the ground due to it giving out or
slipping. It is a definite plus because I can adjust the hammock quicker this way and it
makes for a faster put up and take down sequence for me.
Keeping dry:
One of my main concerns about any hammock and rain is whether or not the water will run
down the suspension system and get the hammock body wet. According to the Jacks 'R'
Better website, the use of the metal rings in the suspension system is designed to prevent
water from running down the main webbing straps and getting the hammock wet. From
the amount of rain that this hammock has seen during the last seven nights of use, I can
definitely state that the hammock body never got wet from water running down the
suspension straps.
The straps themselves got quite soaked, but they seemed to dry very quickly once removed
from the rain. While they never dried while stuffed in the stuff sack in my pack,
once they were home, out of the rain, and lain out, they were dry within a couple of
hours. Due to the constant rain on my trips during this phase of the report, I never
got the chance to try out my idea of hanging the suspension straps out of my pack and on
the outside of the pack body to dry while I hiked.
Another issue that I always worry about is whether or not the suspension system on my
hammocks will stretch when wet. The next round of good news here is that the suspension
straps on the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock did not appear to stretch any extra when wet
and bearing my weight. I always woke up hanging the same distance off the ground as when I
crawled in.
Other features:
I am disappointed, but also relieved that I have not needed to use the bug netting that
comes with this hammock. I have tried to install it a couple of times, but other than
that, I have just never needed it during the winter months. One thing I really like about
the bug netting is that I can carry it (and always did) just in case it was needed. It was
an option that I must have during the summer months and I like the fact that if I did not
need it, I could always save the weight in my pack by leaving it at home.
The bottom pad pocket is another feature that I like the idea of, but never really got to
experiment with. I have several sleeping pads, but the under quilt I used with this
hammock over the winter kept me too comfortable to even make me consider pulling out a
pad. What I do know is that this pocket makes a great storage site for extra
clothes, stuff sacks, and any other soft items that I did not want to hang in my pack at
night. It also meant that I could keep all my stuff sacks for my hammock, tarp, and quilt
in this pocket and in the morning I could take everything down without having to mess with
my pack. It is convenient, useful, and unless I looked very hard for it, difficult
to tell that it was even there.
I still have great reservations about the spreader bars. They hold the hammock open and
are a great place hang my headlamp and watch (despite manufacturer warnings not to).
Many times I wanted to adjust my position in this hammock and my first reflex was
to reach up and grab the spreader bars. This is another no-no and I had to work
really hard not to do it. It just seems like such a natural thing, but the manufacturer
says that it should not be done and I never wanted to find out the consequences.
Getting in and out:
One of my few complaints about this hammock is due to it being a top loading hammock. For
me, it was often difficult to put my sleeping bag in and then get in without flipping
myself or the sleeping bag out. While not a huge problem and one that more coordinated
people will have no issue with, it was a constant worry for me.
I also had to learn quickly that sitting up in this hammock was also very likely to get me
flipped out. On many occasions I felt like I had to sit up and the hard side to side
swaying of the hammock convinced me to lie back down. For me, this hammock is made for the
prone position and anything else is liable to get me flipped out and onto the ground.
Sleeping:
I am a side sleeper and I am happy to report that no matter how I wiggled or curled up,
this hammock was comfortable and roomy to sleep in. I really liked the way I sank down
into the hammock and was able to change positions to stay comfortable. I never felt
that I was too close to the upper edges when I was inside and it gave me a feeling of
being more sheltered than I probably was.
Another thing that I like about this hammock is that because of the spreader bars, the
body of the hammock is held open and there is never a feeling of being cocooned or
smothered while inside. This makes the hammock feel rather roomy while I am inside of it
and makes it a much better place to lounge when I am not quite ready to get up in the
morning or when I am reading before I doze off.
Final thoughts:
I have spent quite a few cold and now rainy nights in this hammock. It has gotten easier
to hang and has always been easy to take down and stuff into my pack. It actually takes up
much less room than I would have expected, even with the bug netting.
It is comfortable, which is why I like hammocks, and roomy which is an extra added bonus.
I can put spare gear in the hammock near my feet (my pack spent some nights there) and not
feel crowded or cramped. This really makes it feel and work much more like a hanging tent
than a hammock for me. It is nice to get the comfort of a hammock with some of the extra
space of a one person tent.
One thing that I am not keen on is the spreader bars. They have performed wonderfully
during the course of this test and have never caused any problems. They are really no
different than packing tent poles and they do not seem to put any more stress on the
fabric of the hammock than tent poles do on a tent body. Still, deep down inside,
something about bars/poles on my hammock makes me uncomfortable. It is a personal thing
that is not supported by any problems or issues that I encountered during this test.
I love the tri-glides and the suspension straps for hanging this hammock. It keeps me from
having to tie and untie knots and it makes hanging the hammock much easier. Anything
that keeps me from dealing with knots is definitely a good thing. At this point I have
found that the ends of the suspension straps are fraying a bit. Probably from being pulled
in and out of the tri-glides, but it is not a real problem. A little flame applied to them
should melt any loose threads and keep the straps healthy for a long time to come.
One last bonus is definitely the pad pocket/sleeve under the hammock. I have not used it
with a pad, but it is an excellent storage place for extra gear.
I want to finish this report off by saying that this hammock far exceeded my expectations.
I am a hammock camper by choice, but this particular hammock is all that anyone wanting to
try hammocks or keep using hammocks could want. It combines comfort, durability, and ease
of use into a package that is easy on the pack and my back.
Things I like:
1. Flexible design
2. Ease of hanging
3. Comfortable
Things I don't like:
1. Spreader bars