I'll admit up front — I build one of the hammocks in this comparison. That means I'm not neutral, but it also means I've spent years thinking about the trade-offs between gathered-end and bridge hammock designs, and I know exactly where the V.3 wins and where an experienced Ridgerunner user will still reach for their Warbonnet. This post exists because most "vs" articles on the internet are affiliate-farmed spec sheets. If you're deciding between these two setups, you deserve a real answer.
Short version: the Ridgerunner is a legitimately great flat-lay bridge hammock made by people who know what they're doing. The V.3 is a complete all-in-one shelter system. Whether one beats the other for you depends almost entirely on how much of the setup you want to source (and haul) separately, and how much you value ground-tent capability.
The two designs, quickly
Warbonnet Ridgerunner is a bridge hammock. Two spreader bars (one at your head, one at your feet) hold the fabric out flat, so the sleeping surface stays roughly flat instead of curving around you like a traditional gathered-end hammock. It's made in the USA by a small shop, and the base hammock is sold separately from the bug net, tarp, and suspension.
Hawk Nest V.3 is a gathered-end all-season hammock tent. The ends cinch together like a traditional hammock, but everything you actually need in the field is built in: integrated waterproof rain fly, integrated bug net, collapsible aluminum poles that hold the ridgeline structure, a sleeping pad pocket on the underside, tie-down anchor cords, and daisy chain straps. It also sets up on the ground as a freestanding bivvy tent when there are no trees.
Two very different philosophies. The Ridgerunner is a component. The V.3 is a system.
Weight comparison (the real numbers)
This is where most reviews cheat. They'll quote the bare hammock body of the Ridgerunner (around 1.9 lbs for the double-layer 1.7 oz version) and compare it to a complete V.3 (about 4 lbs with our waterproof-upgraded fabrics), then conclude the Ridgerunner is "half the weight." That's not what you're carrying.
To sleep dry, bug-free, and warm under a Ridgerunner you actually need:
- Base hammock (double-layer, 1.7 oz): ~1.9 lbs
- Netted top cover (Warbonnet's is ~10 oz): ~0.6 lbs
- Suspension (whoopie slings + tree straps): ~4-6 oz
- Tarp (a Superfly or equivalent 11-oz asym tarp with lines): ~11-14 oz
- Ridge organizer / stakes / small hardware: ~2-4 oz
Realistic complete-system weight: roughly 3.4-4.0 lbs, depending on tarp and suspension choice.
Hawk Nest V.3 complete system weight: ~4 lbs standard, ~4.5 lbs with the waterproof-upgraded fabrics that come with pre-order.
They land in the same weight class. The V.3 gives up a small amount of weight for the aluminum pole structure and the pre-integrated everything. The Ridgerunner gets you a slightly lighter package if you already own a good ultralight tarp and don't count that weight.
If you're already carrying a tarp for other reasons (winter camping, base-camp setups), the Ridgerunner is genuinely lighter. If you're starting from zero, the difference basically disappears once you actually finish the kit.
Sleep quality: bridge flat vs diagonal lay
This is the Ridgerunner's biggest strength and I won't dress it up. Bridge hammocks sleep flatter than gathered-end hammocks, full stop. If you're a strict back sleeper who hates the mild banana-shape of a traditional hammock, the Ridgerunner does something a gathered-end just can't fully match.
That said, the "flatness" gap is smaller than the internet claims:
- The V.3 is a gathered-end hammock with a slight arch, but the diagonal lay technique (lying across the hammock at roughly 30 degrees) flattens the sleeping surface considerably. Most first-time V.3 sleepers say the diagonal lay is a significantly bigger change than they expected.
- The V.3's built-in sleeping pad pocket adds meaningful rigidity underneath you when you slide a pad in. A 25-inch-wide pad in the pocket brings the surface closer to flat and eliminates the "shoulder squeeze" that scares some people off gathered-ends.
- The Ridgerunner IS flatter for stomach sleepers. If you strictly sleep on your stomach and hate any arch at all, be honest with yourself — bridge is the design that will actually work.
For side and back sleepers, the diagonal lay in a V.3 with a pad in the pocket is genuinely comfortable, and the gap between "bridge flat" and "V.3 diagonal + pad" narrows to something most people don't notice after a night or two.
Ground setup: the deal-breaker for some trips
Here's the piece most Ridgerunner buyers only realize matters when it's too late.
The Ridgerunner is a hammock. It needs two anchor points (trees, rock features, sturdy poles) at the right spacing. If you show up at a beach campsite, an alpine bivy above treeline, a state park spot with no suitable trees, or a canoe portage sandbar, you're either sleeping on the ground on top of your hammock fabric (uncomfortable) or you're in trouble.
The V.3 sets up on the ground as a freestanding bivvy tent. Same shelter, no trees required. The aluminum poles that shape the ridgeline in tree mode double as a support structure when you stake it out on flat ground. You get the bug net and rain fly with you, and you sleep on the built-in stretch pocket that holds a sleeping pad.
This is not a small feature. For people who:
- Kayak or canoe trip anywhere with beach or sandbar campsites
- Hike above treeline in the mountain west
- Camp at popular state parks where the good sites near lakes have zero trees
- Do overland or motorcycle trips where you don't get to pick the terrain
...the V.3's ground mode is the reason to pick it over any pure-hammock system.
If you exclusively camp in forested backcountry with reliable tree spacing, this doesn't matter to you and the point is moot.
Insulation and cold-weather use
For cold weather, both designs need insulation under you. A sleeping bag alone is useless in a hammock because your body weight compresses the down and you lose the loft. This is universal.
Warbonnet cold-weather setup: Underquilt (Warbonnet's own Yeti or Wooki, roughly $200-300, 15-25 oz depending on temp rating), plus a top quilt or bag. Underquilts are the gold standard for hammock warmth but they add weight, cost, and a slightly finicky setup with shock cords.
V.3 cold-weather setup: The built-in sleeping pad pocket takes a standard 25-inch-wide inflatable pad. Insertion of a good R-4 to R-5 pad plus a normal sleeping bag or quilt inside is a solid 3-season and shoulder-season setup. For genuine 4-season use, we make the ThermoNest Premium Cold-Weather Underquilt — 800g of 90% premium duck down, 700 fill power, comfort rated to -6°C / 20°F, extreme rated to -25°C / -13°F. It's 3 lbs total and cinches to the main hammock carabiners with T-toggles at each pole attachment point.
Both systems can go into legitimate cold weather. The V.3 gets you further on the pad-only setup than most people expect. The Ridgerunner, with a good underquilt, is genuinely dialed for winter and I won't argue that.
Rain protection
The Ridgerunner needs an asymmetric or catenary-cut tarp, sold separately. Warbonnet's Superfly is a solid piece of gear and one of the best hexagonal tarps in the game, but it's another $180-220 and you're pitching it every time. Guy-line management is a learned skill.
The V.3's rain fly is 210T ripstop polyester with a PU 2000mm waterproof coating, integrated with the hammock body via clips at each end and cinch-adjustable straps around the tree anchors. No separate guy-lines to stake, no fabric-to-fabric fiddling in the dark. If you need maximum overhead coverage (winter, sideways rain in exposed terrain), we also make the ShelterPro Full-Coverage Rain Fly as a beefier upgrade.
For someone who's already comfortable pitching a tarp, the Ridgerunner + Superfly gives you slightly more geometry flexibility (porch mode, storm mode). For someone who wants to be inside and asleep in five minutes without thinking about it, the V.3's integrated fly is faster every time.
Weight capacity and dimensions
- Ridgerunner: rated to 250 lbs, 7-foot length between spreader bars. Bridge design means the sleeping surface width is fixed by the bar length — around 26 inches usable.
- V.3: rated to 500 lbs, 8'9" total length, 4'6" wide when laid flat. Diagonal lay accommodates sleepers up to 6'6" / 198 cm.
For anyone over 220 lbs or over 6'2", the V.3's spec sheet gives you meaningfully more margin. Bridge hammocks feel wonderful when you're inside the design envelope and less wonderful when you're outside it.
Price (be honest about the total)
- Ridgerunner base hammock: ~$189 USD
- + Netted top cover: ~$80 USD
- + Suspension: ~$40 USD
- + Superfly tarp: ~$210 USD
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Total realistic Ridgerunner kit: ~$520 USD
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Hawk Nest V.3: $249.95 CAD (~$180 USD), pre-order for US customers at $179 USD with the waterproof upgrades included
- Total V.3 complete system: $179-$250 USD depending on region and configuration
The V.3 is roughly half the cost of a complete Ridgerunner kit once you actually add up what you need to have. This is not a marketing angle — it's what happens when you sell a system versus selling a component.
Where the Ridgerunner wins
I'll be straight with you: there are situations where I'd tell someone to buy a Warbonnet.
- You strictly sleep on your stomach and you know from experience that any hammock arch bothers you. Bridge is the answer.
- You already own a great ultralight tarp and don't want another shelter fabric in your closet. The Ridgerunner slots into an existing tarp system elegantly.
- You want an American-made piece of cottage gear and value supporting a small US shop. That's a legitimate preference and Warbonnet earns it.
- You exclusively camp in forested terrain with reliable tree spacing and never want the ground option. The Ridgerunner is designed for that use case and delivers.
Where the V.3 wins
- You want one shelter that handles trees AND no-trees. This is the biggest one and it's not close.
- You want to be inside and asleep quickly without pitching a separate tarp, stringing up guy-lines, or clipping a bug net into the ridgeline. Integration matters when it's raining at 11pm.
- You want a complete system for under $250 instead of a $500 modular build.
- You're over 220 lbs or 6'2". The V.3's capacity and dimensions give you more margin.
- You're new to hammock camping and don't already own a hammock tarp. Starting from zero, the V.3 gets you camping in one purchase.
Which should you actually buy?
If you have a specific need for flat-lay stomach sleeping, or you're an experienced hammocker who already owns a Superfly-class tarp and wants to integrate a bridge into that system, the Ridgerunner is a fantastic product and I won't try to talk you out of it.
For most people asking this question — first hammock, want the shelter to handle whatever the trip throws at them, don't want to buy four things to get one shelter — the V.3 is the more honest recommendation. That's not a sales pitch, it's a match of features to how normal people actually camp.
You can check current pre-order pricing and configurations on the V.3 pre-order page. If you want to see how we stack up against other popular options first, our comparisons against the Hennessy Hammock and ENO are written in the same honest format. And if weight is your primary lever, our breakdown of what actually hits the "under 5 lbs" mark walks through the numbers on a complete system basis instead of bare-hammock cheating.
Ask me anything in the comments — I'll answer.