Hanging in undergrowth?

[Refreshing]

I find it easier to locate a good spot to hang in dense forest compared to ground dwellers...

Agreed. Sleeping on the ground in a dense forest requires soo much more work and it is nearly impossible to make a campsite (with a tent) while upholding the "Leave No Trace" rules.

[Bushwhacker]

Agreed. Sleeping on the ground in a dense forest requires soo much more work and it is nearly impossible to make a campsite (with a tent) while upholding the "Leave No Trace" rules.

Yeah, tents are tougher. I'm always scared about cutting the branches though - I would end up sleeping over a spiky floor of sharp stakes, and if my webbing fails in the middle of the night, well, I don't want to get too graphic here... I would much rather dig it up or tie it back than prepare my death bed.

[SilvrSurfr]

If you're hanging somewhere the undergrowth has to be cut back, it's probably gonna grow back quickly. I rarely have to worry about such stuff, but on occasion I've had no choice.

[KiwiMark]

Machete? I've used one sparingly and have also made good use of the little saw on my SAK. Don't clear more than you need to...if it's brush it will grow back fast enough.

I know, I know...LNT but when Mother Nature just won't cooperate.....

Yeah, use a machete!

I disagree with the concept of LNT, totally unnecessary to go that far.
My view is "don't ruin the environment". I believe in not ruining nature for yourself or for others, don't leave trash (no one wants to see your trash when they go into the bush), don't go cutting down saplings or healthy trees. But using a machete on a bit of undergrowth, I can't see why that would be a problem.

[SilvrSurfr]

While I believe in LNT wherever practical, I carried a machete the first 50 years of my life. It's a useful tool for certain terrain, and if you come back a year later, you'll never know a machete was there (assuming you're chopping down brush and not trees).

We went on a canoe trip a few years ago in the Adirondacks and ended up camping in a cedar swamp with plenty of dead trees. Some of those dead trees had to be removed to accommodate our hammocks. However, we made sure to leave no trace, covering up the tree stumps with dirt and moss. When we left, it looked as wild as ever.

I don't carry my machete much in the Northeast, but if I know I'm going somewhere with dense foliage, then it's coming.

[La Picker]

Agreed...I have no problem clearing a bit of underbrush from time to time when necessary.