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  1. #1
    New Member
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    How necessary are tree huggers?

    How important are straps when it comes to protecting the tree? Is it a matter of how many people hang from a given tree?

    Thanks,
    Rob

  2. #2
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    They are to protect the tree from cutting into the bark with the suspension line. The straps spread the weight over a wider surface. An example of this would be like cutting a block of cheese with a wire, easy to do. Now try to cut the cheese with a pencil, a lot harder to do. Hope this helps.
    Dale

  3. #3
    Senior Member Redoleary's Avatar
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    IMHO they are basically essential equipment. It certainly "looks" better if you get questions from Rangers etc. and it is sort of the least you can do for the tree. Different trees have different bark etc, what may be a glancing blow to one tree could cause serious damage to another. So I don't think its a function of how many people use the same tree, tho' that would obviously cause more damage, but next to not hanging at all straps would have the least impact.
    Good luck,
    RED

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  4. #4
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    Not only is it better for the tree but it's better for us as hangers. In many areas there are beginning to be restrictions set in place against the use of hammocks do to damage and even the thought of the possibility of damage. There are several states that prohibit the use of hammocks in state parks. This is mostly due to land managers that procive that there may be damage being done to the trees by the hammocks. Using webbing tree straps helps to lessen any potential damage and as Red said helps to give us a way of outwardly showing we are working to do what we can to eliminate or at very least minimize any potential damage to the tree. This helps to give us a better reputation than folks that may just use some rope that could be damaging to the trees. Again like Red said some trees have softer bark and inner layers that can show damage very easily and other it may not hurt them at all or may not be outwardly obvious as damage for a couple seasons.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member sr1355's Avatar
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    I agree with the previous posts, the high loads from suspension tranferred into dia of whoopies vs spread out over 1" webbing, roughly 8 times the surface area for loading of the bark. I've seen tarp ridgelines cut into bark, way less load there than the hammock suspension... Besides, gives you something to point out your doing to protect the tree when people ask about hammock camping...
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  6. #6
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    To me use of straps is an absolute. Rope girds trees, resulting in extensive damage.
    “Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  7. #7
    Senior Member raiffnuke's Avatar
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    Essential in my opinion.

  8. #8
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    politically essential IMO

  9. #9
    Senior Member taylo's Avatar
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    They are only neccessary on Live trees. Dead trees could care less. I could be wrong.

  10. #10
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    I thought about getting rid of tree straps in my ultralight hammock. I could have saved an entire 29 grams by going with all dynaglide suspension. While 29 grams is important to me, most hangers think that is pretty trivial weight.


    HOI is right it is a political necessity for me to carry that extra 1.02 ounces, but I also like the fact that I stopped marking up trees which made my campsites a little more obvious back in the days before tree straps - probably about 11 years ago they became the thing to have if I recall that right.
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