This was my first Summer of backpacking with a hammock. I hiked seven weeks on the AT and one on the Colorado trail and love the comfort of my hammock.
I was quite concerned with how to safely choose the trees from which to hang. I have had close calls with lightning in years gone by so reduced risk for lightning is always a consideration for me. Whenever possible I chose trees that were significantly lower than the tree canopy. I also avoided large trees since my thinking was that if they were diseased and fell, a small tree would be much safer. I did use some trees that flexed under my weight but none were damaged. Early in my trip I was a little concerned that a tree would come down but with experience that concern mostly evaporated.
What considerations do you give to tree selection assuming that safety from lightning and safety from a falling tree are considerations. Do you give any consideration to these concerns or am I being overly cautious.
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