Quote Originally Posted by Meriadoc View Post
Nice resource Owl. Thanks for linking it.

<SNIP>

(1) Distance from the ground should minimize ground current problems.
Clouds are further from the ground than a hammock is, yet lightning seems to make it's way down pretty well...
Quote Originally Posted by Meriadoc View Post
Does anyone know how well amsteel conducts electricity? I am guessing not very well.
If it's raining, it will conduct electricity quite well. Wood doesn't conduct electricity worth a flip, but that doesn't keep trees from being one of lightning's favorite targets.

What I'm looking into right now (in addition to that whole keeping the rig's DGPS's working thing) is finding out what will happen to a polyester rope when massive current is run through it. I suspect it will either explode from flash boiling water or burst into an explosion like flame that lasts less than a half second.

Quote Originally Posted by Meriadoc View Post
Because what could be a problem is if there is a greater exposure to voltage differential because of the horizontal orientation of the body. Conducting through the length of the body would be bad.
Agreed. LightEning a hammock good, lightning through a hammock bad.


For some reason, I'm reminded of the old Mr Wizzard show where he cooked a hotdog by running 120VAC through it... Or my high school physics lab where I exploded a pickle running 480VAC through it trying to make a sodium light... (I was, eventually, successful at producing a glowing pickle...)