I'm a little frustrated -just a random vent

[Biker Bob]

No recent scouting experience and only experience in last twenty plus years was with Girl Scouts. Recently I camped at a national forest campground and found nails driven in the tree where I wanted to attach my straps. I called this to the attention of the host the next morning. i explained hammock campers do not want nails as they damage straps as well as trees. She said she did not want nails where she hung her hammock either and pointed out tent stakes driven into a tree nearby. She was aware these nails did not come from a hammock camper. I have seen a circle of nails about an inch apart on a tree at the right height for a hang and believe they may have been from an RV er hanging a clothes line.
Every time this happens we as hangers can be blamed. The 48 state report quotes Mississippi as saying they are with most states in banning hammocks in campgrounds. This is not true, but is probably a person simply CYA.
At a large national motorcycle rally with only one tree in a field a tent was hit when a limb fell a considerable distance so anyone outdoors is in a more dangerous situation then sitting in front of the TV at home.

[Yojimbo]

Couple of comments.

First the OP mentions this is a Pack camping trip. This means this is a Cub Scout outing so that means family camping, not patrol camping. That is for Boy Scouts.

Scout camps do have the ability to make addition restrictions beyond what National allows. They just cant allow things prohibited by National.

Yes BSA allows hammocking. Over the last few years they have even come out with guidelines directly related to hammock camping. This has been a welcomed advancement. I understand Derek Hansen of Ultimate Hammock fame has done a lot of work in this matter as he too is a scouter.

For the last seven years or more years I have hammock camped with both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Only once have I gone to ground. Camping at the beach and no trees. My sons have also enjoyed hammock camping as well. But will tent camp depending on the situation. The troop has even had campouts dedicated to hammock camping.


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[Just Tom]

I'll second that, the Rangers managing any particular camp will have control over his facility. That is where you would need to approach the topic, but with great care and respect of the huge job they have and do. I've met some that would have that discussion and some that will not listen to your ideas.

[awanatech]

Could it be an insurance restriction instead, due to deaths from tree fall? Another scout died in June of this summer.

If you are thinking of the Scout from Texas that died at Summer Camp in Georgia, that Scout was in his tent when the tree fell on him. It didn't even have anything to do with hammocks though. I've been a Scout leader for 12 years and haven't heard of any Camps or Councils having an insurance restriction on hammocks. Whenever I have heard a reason given, it is usually due to the damage incurred as a result of the ropes being tied to the trees.

[Five Tango]

I walked into the Visitors Center at Vogel State Park here in Georgia about 3 weeks ago and nearly fainted.They had a popular brand of hammock for sale on the shelf nearest the cash register!So I did not ask if hammocks were allowed in the park.......

[OneClick]

I heard a new thing this past week. We called a camp to see if their area was heavily wooded for hammocks. She said "no we don't like hammocks". Not that they were prohibited, but that they didn't "like" them. So maybe there's no rule; it was just too new of a thing and it broke her mind, while choking on her Sanka and Pall Malls.

[Five Tango]

I heard a new thing this past week. We called a camp to see if their area was heavily wooded for hammocks. She said "no we don't like hammocks". Not that they were prohibited, but that they didn't "like" them. So maybe there's no rule; it was just too new of a thing and it broke her mind, while choking on her Sanka and Pall Malls.

Maybe she tried one and got a bad case of calf ridge?Or the ashes burned a hole in her hammock?

[TominMN]

If there is nothing in the Guide to Safe Scouting that prohibits hammocks, they can not do that. Our council here in Michigan sells hammocks in the National Scout Shop that they run.

I would ask to see the national policy that they are referring to that prohibits hammocks.

I am not trying to thro fuel on the fire but there is a reason for national policies.

Pretty sure the OP said the policy was specific to a particular camp. There is at least one camp in our council that, due to fear of tree damage, prohibits anything being tied to a tree. I think the decision was made at the Camp Director (or Camp Ranger) level and he/she certainly has that level of authority.

Pretty sure there is no national BSA policy that REQUIRES a camp to allow hammocks!

(P.S. Longtime Scouter!)

[TominMN]

One more thought:

There is indeed something to be said for having youth share a tent on a group campout, as someone mentioned previously. (There's also an argument for the adult leaders to camp in the same manner as the youth in such situations!) On the other hand, there are times when a mix of hammocks and tents (or exclusively hammocks) makes perfect sense.

Where a concern exist re tree damage and it a campout where hammocks are appropriate, I have seen plenty of turtle stands on Scout property. Now, with the concept of homemade (troop project?) tensahedron stands, even more options exist. One thing about stands: they allow camping in proximity in a grassy setting.

[dakotaross]

My experience as a cub scout dad is that there is a lot that is not detailed as far as camping goes, so their system relies on everybody doing the same thing, and then you get dads like me and the OP who see this as a wonderful opportunity to share how they love the outdoors with their kids and other kids. Its just a bad setup that doesn't really work well. Plus, as Shug said, you get the folks that would rather think more about saying No than accommodating someone who does something differently.

Boy scouts is better and is a wonderful opportunity to teach boys how to sew and make stuff, like hammocks, stands, even quilts, as well as to better understand the elements of shelter and how tents and hammocks differ, but are yet similar in basics. But you really, really have to advocate for it in the troop and then you have to insist that certain activities focus on hammock safety as well as understanding insulation, etc. I think it seems like a lot of "extra" to do for troop leaders and their adult mentors who don't get it, so that nothing ever really happens if you don't become a leading mentor and groom a hammock friendly troop leader. That and the fact that my boy was blase about it was enough for me to lose interest.