Lightning has struck and killed 5 trees in my yard over the past 4 years. One of which I witnessed while sitting on the back porch. Lightning is a nasty beast but Ill take my chances in the wild. More likely to die on the way to the trail than on the trail
Excellent post, Owl. I made sure my family learned the lightning position after reading that.
I'm split about the safety of a hammock in a storm, and I'm not worried about falling on my butt. I read that "physics is afraid of lightning," and it sure behaves that way. If anything can be a wire, and a 1' difference in the spacing of your feet makes the difference between life and death, the hammock becomes a wire connecting the lightning to the ground, between the two trees. If a tree you're on gets a direct strike, or a strong side flash, you might be in trouble.
The mountains are calling
and I must go...
-John Muir
last time out camping with Whiskeyjack and his family, all of us in our hammocks, were awaken from thunder. the light show after was amazing . unfortunately I was too comfortable in my hammock to stay awake and worry if I should be strung between trees. definitely more fun in a hammock than a tent though. never vibrated in a tent from thunder.
Hickery and I rode some stellar lightning up on a ridge in the Linville Gorge. We were prepared to bail....but never did.
Shug
Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven
That was an awesome night, probably one of the worst storms I've been out in, and I've been out in a lot. Of course, it meant I had to leave my comfy hammock to check on the kids. Two slept through it, and the youngest only needed a quick reassurance that everything was OK.Originally Posted by DeRozea
Where would you bail too?
My local woods are mostly plantation pine, with hardwood bottoms. The old oaks are much taller than the young pines. I hang on the border between the two types where there is often a path/trail (bottoms are wet/damp, plantation is thick/brushy). Lightning seems to strike big, tall trees... I try to hang off the smaller, springier, shorter ones.
My 'other' hangout is the Adirondacks, mostly along the lake shores... As I camp on the shore (lower) and the big trees that attract the lightning are generally up on the ridges, closer to the clouds, I think I'm probably safe that way.
Shug, I gotta say, that's a great video of an honest over-nighter. Awesome hang spot, beautiful lightening, and nothing like the sound of rain on the tarp. Thanks for the ride!
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
I've had a few close strikes, the closest was about 25 feet from me. I was in a car, thank goodness, but it blew the tree apart when it hit. I'd be worried the exploding bark might break my tree straps and land me on the ground. I had a tree about a hundred yards behind the house get hit. It was about 14" in diameter, and it blew that tree in half, lengthwise from the ground, up about twelve feet. Again, I wouldn't want to be trapped in the hammock in that case. sitting on the hammock, under the tarp, sure, but ready to run like hell.
Of course, everyone thinks I'm crazy because when a storm comes up I rush outside with the camera to photograph lightning. when it starts getting close or I start getting wet I go in, but there's always that "bolt from the blue" that can get you.
In this one most of the strikes were off to the right, under the cloud, but when I saw a little action where this bolt came out, I moved the camera and got one good blast from the top. It is unpredictable... even though you might seem safe where you are, suddenly ZAP. The nice thing is, if you get hit, you get hit. You wake up in the hospital or valhalla... or maybe sore on the trail if you're really lucky.
Many years ago my buddy and I were motorcycle camping out west. We ended the day in Keyhole State Park in N. Dakota? We set up our tarp in the typical vee by tieing the ridge line between two trees. We retired for the night.
Sometime in the very early morn, we were awakened by a tremendous boom. A very energetic thunder and lightning storm had brewed up and we were under these nice high trees. I'll never forget turning over and seeing my partner staring at me with these huge wide white eyes. He asked me "What should we do" ? I looked calmly at him and stated rather fatalistically "Where would you have us go in the rain" ? I then rolled over and returned to my blissful sleep.
Sometimes there are no choices to be made.
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