dangers of camping in bad weather

**hikinghombre7** · 12-29-2010, 21:36

Sad news story I just read. Be careful out there...

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2010/...ar-santa-rosa/

**Knotty** · 12-29-2010, 22:27

So sad. Too many of those reports over the past year. Looking back on some of my own camping heroics I think it would have been wiser to follow the "discretion is the better part of valor" adage.

**Rat** · 12-29-2010, 22:42

Wow! The story makes it seem the tents are either permanent or semi-permanent. The survivalist in me wants to pick apart what went wrong to avoid it in the future. But if these tents were on location that's a tough one; maybe they could have checked for dead trees? Sounds like maybe due diligence wasn't observed by the caretakers, maybe.

A good question is: At what point does the check list get so long it ruins the fun. I mean, I could make a list for safety that would take all weekend to complete and would suck the fun right out of any outing.

Sometimes things are just beyond the pale; and to try and check for every conceivable occurrence would put us beyond the pale as well.

**canoebie** · 12-29-2010, 22:44

Originally Posted by Rat

Wow! The story makes it seem the tents are either permanent or semi-permanent. The survivalist in me wants to pick apart what went wrong to avoid it in the future. But if these tents were on location that's a tough one; maybe they could have checked for dead trees? Sounds like maybe due diligence wasn't observed by the caretakers, maybe.

A good question is: At what point does the check list get so long it ruins the fun. I mean, I could make a list for safety that would take all weekend to complete and would suck the fun right out of any outing.

Sometimes things are just beyond the pale; and to try and check for every conceivable occurrence would put us beyond the pale as well.

I refer to it as calculated risk. I do a lot of that.

**Cannibal** · 12-29-2010, 22:52

Originally Posted by Rat

A good question is: At what point does the check list get so long it ruins the fun. I mean, I could make a list for safety that would take all weekend to complete and would suck the fun right out of any outing.

I agree. Balance is what I seek.

Still, I've got a friend that is so OCD that I suspect his little inspections represent a big chunk of his fun. He is a very handy fella in camp.

**Bradley** · 12-29-2010, 22:54

Originally Posted by canoebie

I refer to it as calculated risk. I do a lot of that.

Me ? ? ?

I figure when your time is up . . . it is up.

Mind you that doesn't keep me from lookin' around

**wildcrafter** · 12-29-2010, 23:03

life is a big risk the only sure thing is no one makes it out alive.

**lori** · 12-29-2010, 23:19

There could be a couple things going on there... Santa Rosa is coastal, and Sudden Oak Death is a huge problem on the coast - it's a fungus that affects a variety of trees and within weeks the tree will simply topple over. And the whole coast has been slammed with rain for the last month or so with only brief periods of sunshine. So the heavier trees are probably loosening and falling...

One of the reasons that, when I'm heading over to Big Sur on Friday, I'm debating whether to take the hammock or not. The trip will be heading into an area that was burned up in 2008 - in addition to the fungus and previous heavy precip there will be a lot of dead burned trees in general. It may just be easier and safer to take a tent and find the most wide open spot possible.

I was driving up into the Santa Cruz mountains a week ago - the freeway was fogged in by moisture thrown up by tires and tree branches falling in addition to the sheets and waves of rain. Pretty wild. Most of the coastal campgrounds close in winter, wonder which one he was in?

**farizs** · 12-30-2010, 00:22

Originally Posted by Bradley

Me ? ? ?

I figure when your time is up . . . it is up.

Mind you that doesn't keep me from lookin' around

Yup... but again, we have to be careful when choosing our location to settle down for a night. If it's rainstorm here plus some freak strong wind, even a strong solid trees will fall. No fungus, only sheer power of the nature.

Something that we have to always respect.

Go outdoor and stay safe.

**hikelite** · 12-30-2010, 19:03

I heard about this too. CA has been having sever high winds. Lots of trees down all over the state. When the radio reporter said a person "camped" had a tree fall on them, my initial thought was a homeless person, but apparently not.

I'd like to think hammockers are a little safer. I know I inspect the trees around me because I'm hanging from them! Before I got off the ground, I never bothered to give the trees a first though, yet alone a second though. Come to think of it, I tended to sleep away from the trees, but that's because I prefer to cowboy camp and wanted a better view of the starts (the one drawback to hammocking).