Widow makers and overbuilt ridgelines.

[Mumbles]

Life has risk. Some people take and accept greater risk than others, intentionally or not. I'm pretty sure that you can find two suitable trees, the quest just may require a bit more time or a few more strides. I'd vote for safety first and always, but I'm just chicken!

[nothermark]

The other use I have had for a long throw line is to flip it over any dead looking branches and try to break them off. Mostly used it to gather standing dead wood but it also works on a lot of trees to get rid of potential problems. While I'm thinking about it running a couple of turns around the hang trees would add to the size of any protection.

[oldgringo]

I'm a believer.

Aluminum hats are a joke. Ridge lines that offer at least some level of protection are no joke.

[Catavarie]

My feeling is that my tarp offers more protection than the ridge-line on my hammock does. Of course I always hang my tarp at least to one side, for those just in case rain showers.

[Klaussinator]

Can't speak for your size, but I'm too big to hide beneath my ridgeline. Sure, if the branch falls just right, the ridgeline might stop it. But 9 times outta 10, part or all of it is coming down in a way that goes right past that little string.

Chain mail? Tarps? Hey, why not combine `em?!? Now you're talking real protection from overhead assailants!

And FYI, I can provide an authoritative answer on the foil hat issue: When working as a cop years ago, I had the obligation of arresting a crazy old woman in a trailer park who had just smashed out all her neighbor's windows and then thrown feces in through the now-open windows. During the (well-gloved) pat down prior to putting her in my car, I noticed that her lunch-lady hair net had a shine to it and a crunchy feeling. Turns out that she had wrapped the top of her head in many layers of aluminum foil and then held it in place with her hair net. Of course I had to ask, and she told me quite matter-of-factly that it is "to keep the aliens from scrambling my brains." She had apparently thought about it quite extensively because she continued to explain that when she was inside her trailer, the metal roof would do the job, but when she came outside to "punish" her neighbors, she needed this foil hat to stay protected.

So there. It's aliens, not the government. Case closed. I heard it in Danville, so it's gotta be true

-Klauss

[dirtwheels]

I do believe that a stout ridgeline may indeed offer some protection and really what's wrong with a little protection, not all are gram weenies.

May I suggest this for the ridgeline for your new chainmail tarps. Notice the new tarp hooks for the ultimate in adjustability.



For the heavy duty crowd there is this option:



You may want to pulk that one in though. Maybe a link at a time.

[Coded-Dude]

just take a pole saw(or chainsaw) and some climbing gear and cut every branch above your selected spot down....problem solved, problem staying solved. Alternatively you could just tied every branch above your selected spot to the tree so if it breaks it will simply dangle from the tree. Just remember to use sturdy rope and if in doubt use the chain posted above.

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

Tin foil hats! pfft my hats are made from lead flashing by David Icke

I'm not sure if chainmail would be stronger that vectran? Okay that ^ one is. I think the one I have is rated at 5 ton though

I must say that checking out suspicious limbs with a throw line could work, or at least find standing deadwood for a fire.

[MattBigmonster]

There is another aspect. If the ridgeline is weak enough than the whole side of the tarp would be loose and it would absorb a lot of the energy just like that big air pillow fireman and stunt man use.
If the ridgeline is steong enough to hold, than the tarp will behave like a ridgid object and would be simply pierced/ripped.

If you want a serious answer just go science/mythbusters and make a small model with a tablecloth and start throwing wood at it. It would make pretty awesome yt video.

[MAD777]

There is another aspect. If the ridgeline is weak enough than the whole side of the tarp would be loose and it would absorb a lot of the energy just like that big air pillow fireman and stunt man use.

Ooh, ooh! New material for tarps! Just set a Trampoline up over your hammock! I think you're on to something there, Matt. Of course, I wouldn't want to camp with you because all the widow makers meant for you would bounce over to me