If a tree falls in the forest...

[kwpapke]

On Thursday night I camped at Copper Falls State park in northern Wisconsin before departing on a BPing trip up the North Country trail. Set up my HH and was sitting around chatting with my compatriots when a 5" diameter tree decides to fall directly on my hammock:

No, my hammock was NOT tied to this tree, you can see the tree stump way on the left side of the picture. It spontaneously simply decided to fall over. I always check for widowmakers on the trees I tie up to, but I normally don't pay too much attention to dead trees around me unless they are leaning or look in really bad shape. This one did not.

Damage: broken ridgeline, coupla good sized holes poked in bugnet from a stubby branch. Main hammock and tarp survived the tree unscathed. Testament to the quality of Hennessy gear. I suspect the ridgeline absorbed a lot of the energy which saved the hammock itself.

I was glad I was not in the hammock when the tree fell. It would have hit squarely on my chest, and the branch that punctured my bugnet would have hit me right around my heart.

In all my days on the trail, I have never had a tree just spontaneously fall over. What are the chances that it would fall right on my shelter?

Moral of the story: check the sturdiness of any tree that could possibly fall on your shelter before finalizing where to set up.

I guess the good news on this one is that I'll have a good story to tell for years to come.

Can anyone point me to good threads on replacing my HH ridgeline and repairing the bugnet? I know these have both been discussed at length, but it would help me out if you could direct me to the ones you found the most helpful.

I did spend the night in my HH, with the busted ridgeline, after we removed the tree of course. Its unbelievable what a difference it makes. Took me a while to get the tension right on the hammock, but the lay was not nearly as flat, and the bugnet and overcover were down around my face making for a very claustrophobic night.

Later that night one of my tarp tieouts (stock HH tarp, original tieouts) broke in the wind. I think my continual use of Figure-9's eventually frayed the line. At that point I decided I was jinxed, and fortunately I had brought my tent along (SD Hyperlight) and used that for the rest of the trip. This was too bad, as a reporter for the Milwaukee paper was with us and he had never seen a camping hammock in action before Woulda been good PR for the hammock world to get a mention of that in his article.

--Kurt

[ricegravy]

Good Report! Glad to hear that you are okay.

[Cannibal]

Man, glad there were no injuries. This is my only real fear in the woods.

I just got done reporting a tree at a backcountry site from this weekend. I was laying there and I kept hearing a light popping sound. I traced the sound to a tree nearby and upon close inspection, saw the bark starting to tear on one side about chest level. The tree is going to fall square on the fire ring. It's about a 50 footer and as big around as a 5 gallon paint bucket. If someone is cowboy camping by the fire and this thing falls; they're dead, no two ways about it.

[Coffee]

That's crazy. Never had anything close happen. I heard branches falling from trees, but nothing close to this. I always try to check around. I will admit hanging from a dead tree that moved a little more than I like a couple times.

Search for the DIY hh thread.

[Coffee]

Man, glad there were no injuries. This is my only real fear in the woods.

I just got done reporting a tree at a backcountry site from this weekend. I was laying there and I kept hearing a light popping sound. I traced the sound to a tree nearby and upon close inspection, saw the bark starting to tear on one side about chest level. The tree is going to fall square on the fire ring. It's about a 50 footer and as big around as a 5 gallon paint bucket. If someone is cowboy camping by the fire and this thing falls; they're dead, no two ways about it.

That's why I try to help those along when I see them. Saw lots of random sticks hanging over the trail.

[MrGreen]

Goes to show you that even the cheesehead trees have it out for us Minnesotans.

[canoebie]

There are documented cases of people being hit by falling trees in canoes. One in particular was on the Brule river which forms part of the border between Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. Two ladies paddling along on a nice quiet day, tree falls out of the blue, kills the lady in the back of the canoe. Turned out it was a beaver chew.

I see dead trees in the rivers all the time, and know that at some point, some how they got there. I just don't want to be an up close and personal witness. Glad you are ok, and this is another reminder to always look up when making camp. Dead is dangerous.

[guySmiley]

Goes to show you that even the cheesehead trees have it out for us Minnesotans.

I was thinking along the same lines. Those Cheeseheads... You just can't trust 'em.

[east_stingray]

FWIW, a tree falling would have been just as bad no matter how you were camping (tent, bivy, cowboy, etc.). No bad karma on the hammock, per se.

[guySmiley]

FWIW, a tree falling would have been just as bad no matter how you were camping (tent, bivy, cowboy, etc.). No bad karma on the hammock, per se.

I gotta challenge that (just a little bit).

A hammock rig is inherently in more danger to this kind of thing, since being among trees is pretty much integral to the whole setup.

Tents are usually set up in clearings or even completely out of danger in fields.

We shouldn't be in denial of it. Of course, you're more in danger of hypothermia from a flooded tent.

I'll take the danger of the trees, personally.