When does windy become dangerous?

**makkan** · 09-27-2014, 10:22

I've got a serious itch to get out and try out my gear in the colder temps we have right now. However right now it's quite windy where I live and I was planning on hanging in the trees in my backyard not venture too far if I have to abort due to CBS.

The thing is the trees in my backyard/behind my backyard are quite tall and there's no real forest going on just what was left as "forestry feel" after building the neighbourhood.

I've got no widow makers but lightning did hit one of the tall pines this summer.

So my question is, is it dangerous to camp in windy conditions? Or do you go out for an overnights in anything but a class 5 hurricane?

**DanglingModifier** · 09-27-2014, 10:35

It can definitely be dangerous to camp in windy conditions, but people do it all the time. In my experience the danger is usually more related to where you are than to how windy it is.

If you have lived there for a while and seen a lot of wind over the years, how often do you need to pick up large potentially death-dealing branches in your backyard? Chances are you've seen wind like this many times before without the trees having a problem. If there is a precedent of your trees being fine in weather like this I'd feel comfortable staying outside. The wind may really help you in testing some of the limits of your gear.

**gnar** · 09-27-2014, 10:40

I hang at a budies all the time, he lives on a high hill in the country and its always windy (very windy).... slept there last weekend and it stormed, wind gusts over 30 and it got a little freaky but fun at the same time swinging back and forth in the hammock.

**OutandBack** · 09-27-2014, 10:43

In Colorado it is pretty easy to spot dead tree's and avoid hanging our hammocks near them.
One always looks up for dead branches on live trees that could come down should the wind pickup.

The scary part out here is perfectly healthy trees 20-40 years old falling....just cause the wind blew!?!.

**gnar** · 09-27-2014, 11:39

Originally Posted by OutandBack

In Colorado it is pretty easy to spot dead tree's and avoid hanging our hammocks near them.
One always looks up for dead branches on live trees that could come down should the wind pickup.

The scary part out here is perfectly healthy trees 20-40 years old falling....just cause the wind blew!?!.

wow................... that might have hurt

**makkan** · 09-27-2014, 11:40

I've only lived here since February and our houses are brand new. What I'm trying to say is that these trees probably had other trees around them one year ago so there's really no way of knowing how they will respond to a massive wind gust.

I think I'll stay inside tonight.

**DuctTape** · 09-27-2014, 15:23

Been caught in some serious storms before. I recall one significant storm, a nor'easter which caught me off guard, as in I didn't know it was coming. The winds switched in the middle of the night signalling the storm, so I battened down my tarp and listened to storm come up over the hill and blast me. The gusts would come at semi-regular intervals and it sounded like a freight train over the hill, and then in a few moments it would hit. This continued on for the entire night. At one point I heard a large tree come down in the direction of my buddy (who was in a tent). I listened carefully to see if i could hear him calling for help. I figured if he yelled for help, I would get out. If not, then either he was ok or dead. Apparently he had the same thoughts as me. The next morning we found the downed tree halfway between us.

**Bayrat** · 09-28-2014, 22:18

If it looks like you are in for a blow, is there a generally accepted protocol beyond the obvious of checking lines? For instance, would it help to lower everything to nearer the ground and bring the tarp close in and sort of tent-like?

**OutandBack** · 09-28-2014, 22:24

Originally Posted by Bayrat

If it looks like you are in for a blow, is there a generally accepted protocol beyond the obvious of checking lines? For instance, would it help to lower everything to nearer the ground and bring the tarp close in and sort of tent-like?

I prefer to move deeper into cover where one tree protects the other and should one uproot the other trees might stop it from falling to the ground.

**IRONFISH45** · 09-28-2014, 23:03

Well, first I must admit to being an adrenaline junkie. Not as much now that I have matured.

My idea of too dangerous to Hang is when the trees start coming down, or when my line breaks. I have not had my lines break, yet. However, I have had trees come down when I was tent camping years ago. Scary stuff, great big old growth timber coming down. I had the tent down, kids and dog in the car in record time and we were out of the camp site and on our way home. Ended up stuck on the highway when a tree came down and blocked the road, wow, what a night.

I love hanging in a storm, the feeling of swinging in the trees, the hammock moving in all six directions, warm, dry and snuggled in. Ah, Hanging at its best. I have used my HH in heavy weather, I am wondering how my bridge will work when the weather is wild. Ha, I may have to hang on to the sides!