Gargoyle got it right---don't hang higher than you're willing to fall.
Another candidate for a Darwin Award.
Gargoyle got it right---don't hang higher than you're willing to fall.
Another candidate for a Darwin Award.
Hey bud, not qualified to address the saftey issues involved here, but 70' is a long way down. Pluss it sounds like you're going solo...Wow, be careful out there and good luck...
I'm sure Refreshing will chime in once he's back, but if you look at his previous posts, he seams pretty safety conscious. I want to say that he even sleeps in his harness. He has some nice pictures of some of his hangs.
To the OP: I too think that suspending the Tarp-Sock over the ridgeline would be beneficial as you could still clip off to your line but also have the tarp have a little more ventilation.
I look forward to your pics.
-Jeremy "Brother Bones"
Originally Posted by FLRider
you know, climbers free climb. and daddy's build tree houses for their kids. why? becuz we can. do you harness your kid into his tree house? if you have a bomb proof rig and know your gear, safety is a non-issue. beleive me, no one knows their gear like a climber.
I hammock in trees! Sometimes 3ft up sometimes 60ft up. Can you tell what I climb?
As a hammocker and professional tree climber with over 30 years experience I have a few of suggestions for you.
Trees are alive, they breath, are 3 dimensional and move. Hanging a few feet off the ground the tree trunks don't sway much but you can feel them move. At 70ft they sway a lot, even your body weight will pull them together and make getting the correct hang VERY difficult.
DON'T hang between two trees that high. If and when the wind moves the trees they DON'T sway together and you could be shot out of your hammock like a sling shot! DON'T hang between two trees that high! Did I say DON'T hang between two trees that high! Hang within one tree. You should be able to find two limbs or leads that you could use instead.
Instead of using a hammock look into a Tree Boat from New Tribe. It is a cross between a hammock and a porta ledge. It is designed to be set up in a tree. When low I use a hammock but when I hang high I use a DIY Tree Boat. Some times in the bug season I use my tree boats low.
When I climb trees (almost every day) I use triple autolocking biners and double back ups, just to be safe. When I hang that high I also use the same biners and set up a double self belay, just to be safe.
That high up in a tree you will find that some times you get up drafts. Near the ground you know the wind doesn't blow just from one direction, up in the trees you also get it from below. You will also be above a lot of what blocks the wind. It gets windy up there!
Mornings are great at that height. The same lack of obstuction makes for a 360 deg view.
Be careful climbing trees in early morning, the dew makes the wood a little slippery.
From Refreshing's previous posts, I don't think he ever hangs between two trees. Though I'm unlikely to try this at my age (kids in college who need my income), I believe it could be done safely. Of course, all bets are off in high winds and/or storm conditions when even hanging three ft. off the ground doesn't look all that advisable.
Don't Use Paracord!!
As a professional arborist too, I would like to second what Bluenose said.
And if you're gonna be 70' up, PLEASE PLEASE for the love of all things holy, don't use paracord to clip your hammock in!!Even if it's doubled, the tensile strength goes way down when you knot it, sometimes as much as 70%. Go to your local outdoor store and get some 6mm cordage or something that's at least got a tensile rating, it'll only set you back a couple $. Also, overhand knots tend to roll when pulled like that.
With that out of the way, the tarp looks good!
PF
It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Formerly known as Acercanto, my trail name is MacGuyver to some, and Pucker Factor to others.
It's not procrastinating, its proactively delaying the implementation of the energy-intensive phase of the project until the enthusiasm factor is at its maximum effectiveness. - Randy Glasbergen
As a former prof. arborist and a rec. tree climber, I have to re-iterate especially what PuckerFactor said about paracord and also what Bluenose said about a Treeboat.
Why?
Here's the science and suggested standards on rope and gear:
First, when life is involved(on rope strength), "A safe working load is commonly defined as 1/10th of the current breaking strength of the rope. For rescue applications per NFPA, it's 1/15th of the breaking strength." (From the book "On Rope" p.29)
So, the suggested minimum or safe working load of the rope should be, for example, on a 9mm rope with a typical breaking strength of 4500lbf (or 20kn), 450lbf (1/10th x 4500lbf)
Or looking at it another way, if the rope is tensioned to 450lbf, which could easlily be done given your weight and other variable factors causing tension in your situation, you would need a rope with a min. breaking strength of 4500lbf (450lbf x 10) = 9mm rope.
For this very example, many many climbers will not go below a 9mm rope because of this minimum safety factor.
Your paracord, even doubled, will not provide this type of strength. (660lb total x 2 = 1320lb total, not per foot).
Other things to think about in your setup:
What is the strength of your hammock material under not only your body load, but with additional load from tree branch flex, wind and just the hung tension?
Until you do the math on these hammock factors, I would suggest using the Treeboat designed for this purpose to handle the loads.
Also, an overhand knot can roll, but more importantly, all knots should be backed up with a stopper knot.
Most recreational tree boaters definitely sleep with their harness on and attached to a safety rope with self belaying capability.
Hope this helps to improve your experience!
Merry Christmas!
I am psyched to see some arborists chiming in!
All of my climbing lines are 11mm PMI climbing rope. My hammock ridgeline which is NEVER used for climbing is also 11mm PMI rope. My hammock is connected to the ridgeline using paracord and I thank you guys for bringing this up because you are 100% correct. When I initially built my hammock this was all I had to test fit it and I guess I just never thought about changing it. It has now been changed. Again, thanks guys.
I highly disagree with you guys about the tree boats though. This is why:
Treeboat Cost: $299.00
DIY Hammock: $18.00
Treeboat Weight: 4.6 lbs
DIY Hammock: 1.2 lbs
Since replacing the paracord all tie in points are climbing spec ropes/webbing. Yes, the material isn't as thick as a treeboat's but there are many hammocks made with much thinner material so I have no worries. I guess being a rock climber has made me TOO comfortable with falling on a rope. Sometimes I forget that I am hooked to static rope vs my dynamic climbing ropes. Either way, I am willing to risk falling 2 feet on my climbing rope to save $300 and 3 pounds in pack weight.
My only other question for you guys is where you see this overhand knot? When I'm climbing the only knots I use are girth hitch, double figure eight, prusik, taught line hitch, and the water knot.
Refreshing
Here is the link and pictures from my trip!
Climbing and Hammocking in the Winter Treetops
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks