Close call for me on the weekend

**ggreaves** · 08-17-2016, 16:33

I was camping with friends on a backcountry site who were using tents. I set up back in the woods a few hundred feet from where everyone else was.

Saturday brought much needed rain to our area as we've been facing a drought for the summer so far. I went to bed around 1:30am and shortly after I did, the wind broke off a tree branch very close to me and that adrenaline surge kept me awake for another 1/2 hour or so. At 3am I was jolted into consciousness by a big crack and the unmistakable sound of a tree falling. From my perspective it sounded like it was coming right for me. I heard it hitting other trees' branches on the way down. I turned sideways and covered my head then heard the crash as it hit the forest floor (and not me). I woke up so fast I thought it was a dream so I unzipped the hammock to explore. Sure enough there was a medium sized ironwood tree laying about 5 feet from the head end of my hammock. I walked around to inspect it. It had been alive and full of green foliage. It snapped right at ground level.

I walked out of the woods back to where the tents were and sat in a lawn chair for the rest of the night till the others got up.

I'm pretty diligent about where I hang and never hang near widow-makers. I would never have picked this tree to be a problem. I'm thinking about getting some really thick Amsteel rope to stretch above me in an x pattern attached to nearby trees so if something is coming for me I have a fighting chance?

Ideas? Is there something you can realistically do to help prevent this? Or just accept this as one of the risks of being in the woods. I don't mind saying, I'm a bit spooked.

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-17-2016, 16:38

Originally Posted by ggreaves

I'm thinking about getting some really thick Amsteel rope to stretch above me in an x pattern attached to nearby trees so if something is coming for me I have a fighting chance?

Ideas? Is there something you can realistically do to help prevent this? Or just accept this as one of the risks of being in the woods. I don't mind saying, I'm a bit spooked.

Yeah, I've heard of people thinking that a really thick ridgeline might protect them from widow makers, but I have severe doubts about that and your X idea as well. Widowmakers will always be a risk, and those don't sound like particularly effective mitigative measures.

**massis** · 08-17-2016, 16:53

Sounds like you got really lucky!

As for the X in amsteel: an 8 m tall tree, 40cm in diameter will be around 1m3. That would mean roughly 800kgs coming down on you. Combine that with gravity and acceleration while falling down and you're looking at an impact of over 10KN . Normal amsteel is rated at what, 700 kgs static load for 7/64? It'll snap like it wasn't even there...

**Marcus Ridgeway** · 08-17-2016, 17:00

Man, that would spook me too! A neighbor was having some trees cut in his yard years ago and I was at home while the crew was cutting. The trees were about 14-16 inch diameter oaks. They dropped one that was close to my house (not close enough to hit) and it sounded like it hit the house. Literally, I had to go outside and make sure it didn't hit. I can't imagine having one fall five feet from me.

**NarlocB** · 08-17-2016, 18:16

Glad you are safe. I would have to change my sheets after that.

**Campdavid** · 08-17-2016, 18:28

Ever see the aftermath of a tree falling on a house or car? Yeah, hate to break the news but no way would Amsteel stop anything of significance. Heck, heavy steel cables wouldn't do much good.

Your best protection? Look at it this way.....statistically speaking the likelihood of something like that happening again, very slim. Go out, enjoy....like my doc always tells me, it's the worrying that'll kill ya.

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**TrailSlug** · 08-17-2016, 18:29

I guess this is the risk we all take when we venture into the woods. Glad you made it through ok.

**ADVStrom14** · 08-17-2016, 19:00

Originally Posted by Campdavid

Ever see the aftermath of a tree falling on a house or car? Yeah, hate to break the news but no way would Amsteel stop anything of significance. Heck, heavy steel cables wouldn't do much good.

statistically speaking the likelihood of something like that happening again, very slim. Go out, enjoy....like my doc always tells me, it's the worrying that'll kill ya.

My thoughts exactly. My hubby's family are worriers and I have seen first hand the things they let worry keep them from experiencing. I say that you are amazingly blessed to have not been harmed but it is likely not to happen again.

Originally Posted by TrailSlug

I guess this is the risk we all take when we venture into the woods.

**Billy Goat** · 08-17-2016, 21:23

Things always can and will happen. Personally, if I am killed in my hammock, I can only think of one or two more situations in which I would prefer to die. Take precautions to avoid catastrophe, for sure. But time spent worrying about the consequences of enjoying oneself is time spent NOT enjoying oneself.

Cheers,
the Goat

**Bubba** · 08-17-2016, 22:25

Wow, close call. If it's going to happen, you can't really do much about it if you're already there. Imo, do you best to avoid the possibilities but keep keeping on. There are probably numerous close calls that happen that you are not even aware of.