I'm a little frustrated -just a random vent

**smileofadog** · 10-09-2018, 09:54

I suppose disappointed is more like it. My son has a scout campout this weekend. We were planning to bring our hammock setups and get there early enough to find a good spot for the group but one where we could also hang. Given our recent and predicted weather, I think this would be a good weekend for it -not to mention, he loves it (and it works better with my broken toe than ground sleeping). Anyway, the local scout camp ground has a complete prohibition on hammock camping. I contacted someone at the local Council Office to get more information about it, I explained what I have learned about sleeping above ground and the safety measures we take. I also provided links to the national organization's hammock safety guidelines and pointed out that many regions/packs/troops have their own protocols for hammock camping. He told me that there might be an opportunity to have the issue revisited in the future (I let him know I was willing to help with that), and that the Council itself doesn't strictly prohibit it (so we could do it in a different location in a pack setting). Those are both good things, but I am still disappointed for this weekend (and anti-hammock bias -is that a thing?). I think I will bring my tarp and set it up anyway, just for kicks. Tarps aren't prohibited and it will give us a chance to take it out a bit - we need the practice. Sorry for the vent, I just figured this group would better understand where I am coming from than anyone else I can think of to "share" this with.

**TrailSlug** · 10-09-2018, 10:18

Too many people hang and use hammocks in the wrong way so the easiest way to regulate this is to simply ban them. You can thank the common variety hammock sold at all the store to the uneducated masses for this. It's only going to get worse if what I see on our local trails continues. Good luck with changing their minds.

**wisenber** · 10-12-2018, 06:56

Originally Posted by TrailSlug

Too many people hang and use hammocks in the wrong way so the easiest way to regulate this is to simply ban them. You can thank the common variety hammock sold at all the store to the uneducated masses for this. It's only going to get worse if what I see on our local trails continues. Good luck with changing their minds.

The same can be said of common variety tents set up by uneducated masses.

**Karla "with a k"** · 10-09-2018, 10:31

Originally Posted by smileofadog

Sorry for the vent, I just figured this group would better understand where I am coming from than anyone else I can think of to "share" this with.

That sucks.

And yes, we understand.

**scrope** · 10-09-2018, 10:40

One of the issues I have with this type of prohibition is that they rarely state *why* it's being prohibited. If they did, say, because ropes put too much stress on the tree it's much easier to show them our modern suspensions and say that doesn't apply to us. Blanket prohibitions like this are almost always wrong.

**Streetsurfer** · 10-09-2018, 11:46

Could it be an insurance restriction instead, due to deaths from tree fall? Another scout died in June of this summer.

**awanatech** · 10-10-2018, 23:43

Originally Posted by Streetsurfer

Could it be an insurance restriction instead, due to deaths from tree fall? Another scout died in June of this summer.

If you are thinking of the Scout from Texas that died at Summer Camp in Georgia, that Scout was in his tent when the tree fell on him. It didn't even have anything to do with hammocks though. I've been a Scout leader for 12 years and haven't heard of any Camps or Councils having an insurance restriction on hammocks. Whenever I have heard a reason given, it is usually due to the damage incurred as a result of the ropes being tied to the trees.

**Shug** · 10-09-2018, 11:50

My thoughts are they are just un-aware of how excited scouts are about hammocks and would rather just say NO than get informed and open their minds.
They should know that getting out in Nature exposed a person to a lot of risks. They need to embrace the learning opportunities as many scout councils are these days.
We want youth out of the house and in the woods learning self-reliance. Maybe consider a portable hammock stand like the Tensa4.
Stay on them! Squeaky wheel...you know.
Good luck.
Shug

**Marnoc** · 10-09-2018, 12:22

Our camp sells them at the trading post.

**Billy Goat** · 10-09-2018, 12:24

I was at fall camporee over the weekend. Our council/district/troop/pack, etc doesn't have any rules against them. The camp we were at doesn't specifically habe a problem with them. The biggest issue we have is that a lot of the places to camp are open fields without trees. There are rarely opportunities to hang in the trees. I built a couple turtledog stands and bring them along just in case when scout camping. That way, if I don't have a set of trees handy, I hang no matter what. Whomever it concerns about the safety of being strung up between trees can go suck eggs, at that point. It's nearly like a wall tent with something of a cot in it. You can build a couple in an afternoon for under $100 and habe them before the campout this weekend.

Not particularly on point, but worthwhile to mention IMO. While hanging in my turtledog stand this weekend, we got a fair bit of rain. Our troop is so small that everyone has their own gear and we don't have any troop tents. Some folks have quality tents, some folks have fair weather Wal-Mart tent shaped objects. Everyone was concerned for me staying dry. My gear and I stayed drier than anyone else out there!

Cheers,
The Goat