Is it dangerous to be in a hammock during a serious thunderstorm, in a place where trees are often hit with lightning? Would the solution be to hang the hammock between two smaller trees (and not in the lee of any leaning trees, obviously)? Where I camp I've lived through some nasty thunderstorms, and I'm just not sure about riding one out in a hammock. Although obviously, it's better than being on the ground if lightning is striking all around (this has happened). Thoughts?
There has been a lot of discussion about this before. If I remember right some quants even contributed their stats to add to the discussion. I can't remember where the discussions have been and the if I remember properly no definitive decision was arrived at.
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It's very hilly where I camp, and I never camp on a ridge when expecting thunderstorms. Always head down to a valley in that situation. I count on the old "cone of protection" keeping me safe...don't know if that's been proven but when you're out there and a storm is brewing, what are you going to do?
Actually, if there are really big, nasty storms coming, I'll probably just not go or delay a while if possible. I grew up in tornado alley and I take those things seriously. However, sometimes the storms surprise you.
I do avoid the tallest trees--not just avoiding hanging my hammock from them, but avoid hanging anywhere near them. I've been through some fierce lightning storms in my hammock. I just say a prayer and put myself in the Lord's hands and figure I'll be all right.
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Wouldn't a hammock, dry and up off the ground at least be a lot safer than ground dwellers from electricity traveling from nearby strikes?
My thoughts as well. I would think that the high winds and potential falling branches would pose a greater danger.Originally Posted by Hokie
I think so. Tenters can be struck through the roots of trees where as, hangers would be above them. If I remember my 7th grade American history correctly, Ben Franklin tied a key to the wet kite string with one wire going to ground and and tied a dry handkerchief to the string to act as an insulator and he was able to capture a charge in an early form of capacitor thus proving lightning was electricity and then he used his knowledge to invent the lightning rod. I think that Ben might have favored a large tarp in order to keep the suspension lines dry if he ever had, had the chance to go hammock camping. But lightning does terrible and mysterious things a number of Ben's contemporaries were killed trying to reconstruct his experiment
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I try not to ever hang from the tallest trees, or in areas that have evidence of previous lightning strikes. The trail in Mount Rogers up from Buzzard Rock is littered with them. I try to avoid hanging on that ridge line during the summer.
In all honesty we all have a time a place, and if mine is hanging in a hammock taking a nap, so be it.
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I've seen quite a few lightning struck trees, but thinking back, I don't remember ever having seen a smallish tree take a hit. This is curious, because around here, at least, all of the trees are about the same height...they grow pretty quickly to get to the top of the canopy, and from that point on, all of their effort goes to spreading out.
An argument for hanging from 6-8" trees, methinks...
Dave
"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton
does anyone here have a formula for calculating lighting strikes
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