I've been reassessing my shelter system with more frequent flooding. As with survival it is a continuing learning curve that can be area specific at times. I was looking for something to get me off the ground for flooding or warming up with a snake at night in my bivy. I like hammocks but long term sleeping in them cranks on the back. So, I know we have the hammock crowd here as well and wanted to get some input on the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock.

http://216.83.168.206/index_files/BMBH.htm

It is a hammock that when you get in it, you lie flat like a bed. Lying flat would definitely spark me into a hammock design. You can use it on the ground or hang it as a shelter. Most of the complaints I've been reading is they use Velcro on the mosquito netting, but I've seen zipper mods, etc..
So I was wondering if anybody has any ideas or experience with this design. It's hard to pitch a tent in 5 in standing water without taking awhile building a stilt shelter and traveling constantly.

JRB Bear Mountain Bridge hammock is a totally different hammock design that allows you to lay flat, to change position during the night and to sleep on either side or stomach.



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 hammock takes its name from the suspension bridge over the Hudson River that carries the Appalachian Trail. So flat you've got to use a pillow!

It would seem to me that you would have to get the tension right, or the arch on the "suspension bridge" wouldn't be right and it wouldn't be flat.

I would cynically add that in the photos on their own website, it doesn't look that flat when someone is in it. Flatter than a normal hammock perhaps, but not flat.

BMBH Hammock photo loaded

+1 to that. I also am not a huge fan of "bivy hammocks"- looks too much like a burrito. I am not burrito filling.

I like a open hammock that is open on the top, or a bivy that is on the ground. Both are a bit complicated to get out of, but this combines the worst of both worlds from the looks of it. It fits for some environments, but I'll pass. If a bull moose is rut, you want to be up a tree as fast you can.

GoatRider, this was discussed in the forum below and a guy had rigged up two guide wires that trims out the flatness.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=47

I'm more of a ground sleeper but the one thing I didn't like of the hammock was that (for me) prolong lying in them hurts my back in time, that's why this one had drew interest. It doesn't lay perfectly flat but close enough, gets you off the ground from prolong water from floods, hurricanes or what have you and the mosquito net is Velcro'd down and to get out fast, that I'm not sure. I didn't want to carry 2 types of shelters, and was trying to integrate the two. I like sleeping on the ground but there was a time it rained for 3 days straight while it was cold out side and my bag and even the tent after all that water started to come in and ended up soaked and cold. In that type of case if I was up off the ground or built a little platform it would have helped a lot. Even if a moose came by, I would definitely be in some trouble getting out. Mosquito net is a must here especially with the encephalitis cases here, so I value my net more than my tent or poncho when in a BOB. I an intrigued by this design and you guys knowledge is most definitely appreciated and I may or may not leave my configuration be based on you guys opinions on the vitality of the hammock system as a primary shelter.