Anchoring to a Telephone Pole

[LandoCommando]

Anyone around here know anything about telephone poles?
I don't have many trees around the house but what I do have is 1 tree 15ft away from a telephone pole in my front yard.
Hypothetically, think it's safe to hang from a tree and a telephone pole?

[stalker42]

Considering that you can hit a telephone pole with a car and barely scratch it I would think you would be plenty safe.

[WickedKlown2]

Make sure you wrap something around the telephone pole so you don't get creosote in your webbing.

[Ramblinrev]

Utility companies own the telephone poles and can be rather fussy about what is done to and with them. They may not appreciate a permanent installation but I would think they would not have a big problem with the occasional backyard test. That said, the importance of LNT still applies. Around here it is an offense to attach anything to the pole with nails, staples or thumbtacks. They have had problems with such attachments injuring their climbers and that's not a happy thing.

[XTrekker]

I mounted 2 permanent signs to my pole at the end of my driveway and have never had any complaints from the power company to date. I'm sure you could install an EyeBolt with no worries.

[goobie]

Telephone poles work great for hanging. I routinely use one in my backyard. Strength isn't an issue but, as already stated, the utility company might not approve- especially in the front yard.

[JohnSawyer]

Given that they're Cedar, and treated with Creosote and possibly some really nasty stuff, I'd never drill into one to install an eyebolt.

Straps are fine... personally, I don't think you're going to hurt a pole by using rope... they're not growing anymore... I like Mule tape for those applications. but then I use mule tape for everything...

You really have to be careful with really old poles. Some of the really old ones have holes with wooden plugs. They would drill the holes, drop a vial of poisons in the hole, and break the vial with a wooden plug. The chemicals would then leech into the wood. The local phone company trains their employees to never ever cut or drill into these poles...

That said, these poles take some amazing amount of stress... I'd hang on a pole all day long without fear of it falling.

Yes, my Brother works for AT&T...


John

[Junebugdawn]

Sometimes, I hang between a utility pole and one of the carport supports. Because only a little of the hammock extends beyond the end of the carport, I don't put up a tarp when I am hanging there. I just use my straps just as I would if they were trees.

[LandoCommando]

Right, I said "anchor" and I can see how that would sound like putting eye bolts in or something but in reality I'd just be using webbing and whoopies.

Thanks for the input.

[oldgringo]

There is a grounding wire that runs the length of the pole...you are, in effect, hanging from a lightning rod.