"You'll need a permit for that" — Hammocking in Chicago

[Trailz]

Interesting article

http://dnain.fo/2oVVOoY

[TrailSlug]

This is what happens in densely populated areas.

[gbrugs]

Another reason to not go to Chicago. Sorry to the chicago ppl.


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[OneClick]

Lots of people get excited about hammocking catching on. Not me. I'm always honest and clear about being selfish like that. Sounds douchey, but consider the alternatives.

And no, the "We just need to educate people" doesn't work. If it did, on one would have cavities, no one would die from carbon monoxide, and we would still have lawn darts.

Yours Truly,
Mr. Buzzkill

[TrailSlug]

and we would still have lawn darts.

I spit my coke out on this one. Everyone should have the opportunity to play with the original Lawn Darts. I'll never forget playing with these on a childhood camping trip. We would always resort to throwing them in the air and the tent would have leaked that night had it rained

[TallPaul]

The lawn dart comment made me laugh. Though we used to play "catch" with 4-5' bike flags as a kid. It was like catching a javelin. Once you catch one in the head though you move on to different games.

[OneClick]

Joking aside, I usually side with the parks/cities/whoever in these cases. It's just a precaution because they know how stupid people can be...it only takes one. I put my self in that mindset looking in my own back yard - four trees, $1300, years later and I'm still looking at them saying "GROW!! GROOOOOOOOOOW!" Once they're gone, you can replace them...after waiting 20+ years.

[xrayit]

Another reason to not go to Chicago. Sorry to the chicago ppl.

I avoid Chicago at all costs, State of Illinois and surrounding suburban park districts are not hammock friendly.


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[photomankc]

The trees are stressed. The grass is stressed. The dirt is stressed. The bacteria in the dirt are stressed.


It's just a default answer to everything. I mean who can say a tree, or lichen, or the grass, or the dirt isn't 'stressed'? That said, I do understand it a bit. Especially with trees, as they are resources that take a generation or more to replace.

One of my personal favorites was a visit to Zion where the NPS ranger informed me that my tent setup on the ground was improper. I was required to setup the tent on a pad of what felt like crushed gravel. Well the brown crunchy grass in the campground was apparently also stressed so they made tent pads of road gravel. Awesome! You can guess what my tent floor felt like and looked like later even with a ground sheet. They did let me hammock though when they saw I had wide straps. Still doubt I'll go to a large NPS campsite again. Not a really nice experience crammed together 10 feet away from the next group of saps muttering 'owch' in their tent.

It's funny how they always find someone to talk about how the hammock can be harmful if you use saw-wire, bandsaw blades, lag bolts, harpoon guns, or chains to setup for the afternoon. Thanks for that information there captain. I can't count the number of chain suspensions you see out there. Yes i know. Somewhere a man will emerge from his mammoth camper and proceed to install I-bolts in the trees to hang his hammock, but then he'll do that to setup his solar coffee maker, or bug light, or anything else you can imagine. The idiots do as they will with or without your blessing.

[Campdavid]

I have lived in the Chicago area my whole life and it is a horrible place to live. Absolutely everything is regulated in the state of Illinois and you can bet there is a government office to manage it.

You cannot even float a kayak or canoe in this state without state, county and local registration "stickers" on it....each one coming at a price of course.

At a 4th of July outing last summer the police actually rode up on quads and made my kids extinguish their sparklers. We are all too stupid to care for ourselves, thank goodness for the Illinois government.

Oh and in response to the post about NOT wanting hammocks to become so popular and mainstream....I wholeheartedly agree. Every knit cap wearing, fuzzy faced hipster seems to be recklessly hanging hammocks from trees, posts, signs, whatever. Amazon must sell 300 brands of knock off junk hammocks so college students can stack them between the trees at absurd heights.

Unfortunately, with so many people getting into the hobby there will be damage, accidents and such. Won't be long that we will see hammocks banned in more public areas.