Any thoughts on Amsteel as a tree strap

[Squirrel]

I saw a video early where a guy used amsteel as you would a normal tree hugger with a whoopie sling and marlin spike. Anybody ever used this configuration instead of the normal tree huggers. What Your thoughts?

[pgibson]

I saw a video early where a guy used amsteel as you would a normal tree hugger with a whoopie sling and marlin spike. Anybody ever used this configuration instead of the normal tree huggers. What Your thoughts?

BIG THUMBS DOWN!

The point of tree straps is to protect the tree from compressive damage. Ropes of any type are in general a bad thing for the tree and even if you can't see the damage right off the bat it's the inner layers of tree....where the growth is taking place under the bark...that can be damaged.

This all ties in with maintaining our access rights to be able to hang hammocks. Some states/parks/campgrounds have rules against attaching anything in any way to trees. Land managers have a feeling that attaching to trees damage them. Several places have outright bans against hammocks specifically with the perception that we are killing off the inner growth layers of the tree.

Straps help to spread out the load over a bigger area so that the force is not concentrated on one spot. Ropes of any type just look bad and can leave visible marks on some types of soft wood trees.

[squidbilly]

Don't do it, it will cut into the bark. We use tree straps to prevent damage to the bark. We have to be careful, especially on public lands, to not give land managers any reason to restrict hammock hanging.

[Squirrel]

I didn't once think of that. Thank you very much for the info. Last thing I wanna do is damage the area or trees, I'm a big supporter of preserving for future generations and teach my Explorers the importance of taking care of our planet and Forrest's. Man I hate I didn't even think about that. Thank you for keeping on the straight.

[pgibson]

It's OK, lots of people wonder the same thing. Unfortunately there are folks out there that don't know better and put out videos showing a way of doing things without knowing that they could be doing damage...or at least giving land manager the thought that they could be.

Florida has been doing a pilot program to allow hammock use in state parks for a little while now....2 years ago you could not hang in a Florida state park. It's greatly thanks to a huge volume of support and work from members of this forum that got the pilot program in place to see if land managers for the parks system would open up that resource to hammocks. They put in a huge amount of work, a great deal in education about how to preserve the resource for all of us to use those lands.

[SilvrSurfr]

My guess is you were watching a Doomsday Prepper/survivalist video. It's the end of the world and you'll do anything to survive, including killing trees to hang your hammock. There's a lot of good survival videos on YouTube, but they generally don't have a clue about hammocks.

[Squirrel]

I will definitely be using this forum for advice before I do something to damage the hard work that has been done. Thank you again.

[Squirrel]

I actually saw it on one of the videos on here or may be it was a link to another video, but you are correct a lot of those doomsday guys will destroy anything to show their cause.

[SwinginIt]

If you wanted to do something like that then you need to put sticks between the amsteel and the tree so that the amsteel is biting into them instead of the bark of the tree.

[Squirrel]

I think when I do convert mine to whoopie slings I will just stick with the normal tree huggers.