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  1. #1
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    Site selection resources

    There are a lot of comments about how good site selection is important and that you should always check for widowmakers etc. In a hammock you’re generally not on the ground so a lot of the rain/water issues of setting up a tent aren’t present but there’s still plenty to a “good site”.

    Particularly - Does anyone have some resources (articles, YouTube video etc) on HOW to actually do that? How to identify a dead tree or branch by sight, what trees are likely to blow down etc?

    Not sure what sub-forum is best for this.

  2. #2
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    I always give the trees I’ll hang from a push. I’d never rely on just sight. I’m not expecting to push it over, but I’ll have some sense of it’s give-ability. Besides pesky ground cover the biggest “Grrrrrrr” I deal with is finding two great trees, only to have a third tree between them - off the centerline but close enough to mess with the tarp.

    Though you will be off the ground, you don’t want to step in a lake when you get up. So have keep and eye out for drainage if you anticipate any rainfall.

    One humorous epiphany was, though a hammock can be strung between two trees on a slope, it’s still a slope. So everything put on the ground will have a tendency to roll away. Seems obvious, I know. But all those book images showing the versatility of a hammock in various terrain, usually don’t include the supporting gear. It’s a little like what you see in the movies of people on sailboats. In the movies, the boat is usually level. In real life, the boat is most often at an angle with some side-to-side component.

    So the best resource, if available, is your own experience. You just have to go out and do it and do it and do it. Make mistake after mistake after mistake (hopefully not the same one each time). Learning will appear. Reading is good; but it can’t substitute for experience.

    MutterMumble - I see you are in Seattle. So the trees you will meet in the Cascades maybe be different from what people deal with in the middle states and east coast. Keep that in mind. For example, you may need to use binoculars to see the first branch on a heathy Doug Fir
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Halfed's Avatar
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    There is a video from Shug where he talks about trees. It is very interesting, as all of his videos.

    _______________________________________________
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  4. #4
    Senior Member BuckeyeFan's Avatar
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    If memory serves, in The Ultimate Hang, Derek has a section in site selection.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
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    I’ve watched all of his videos, this included, but I’m looking for more specific… these trees, with these leaves, are more prone to fall downs. This shade of grey is dead. This shade just has no vegetation. This means the tree has a parasite and is actually rotten inside half way up but you wouldn’t know. This one can be dead 30 years and still safe to hang off etc etc.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by cougarmeat View Post
    MutterMumble - I see you are in Seattle. So the trees you will meet in the Cascades maybe be different from what people deal with in the middle states and east coast. Keep that in mind. For example, you may need to use binoculars to see the first branch on a heathy Doug Fir
    The “by sight” part is particularly because of this. I can’t check for a widow maker up high by giving it a push!

    The location is also a large part of the problem for me. I’m a recent transplant from the uk so the tree stock is quite different!

    Also learning by your own mistakes is usually fine but learning from others is often preferable. Especially when we’re talking about injury/death from widowmakers…

  7. #7
    Senior Member BuckeyeFan's Avatar
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    Perhaps google an arborist site and see if they have images/descriptions of what you're looking for.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

  8. #8
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    Specific to the PNW / Cascades region:

    Recent wildfires have created a mosaic of burn zones. Burn zones are dangerous. Avoid hanging in burn zones if possible. Literally every dead snag is a potential disaster, no matter how big it looks. I've been to places where i've foolishly hung off trees right next to other 2-3 foot diameter dead trees that i literally pushed over the next day. The roots are gone and they don't take much to fall over... on you. If you hang off such trees, these trees will fall directly on top of you.

    Young fir trees are bendy and sappy and don't make good hangs unless they are more substantial (~8" thick). The issue here is that you can get set up, sit in the hammock, and sag to the floor. This is more of an issue at high elevation approaching timberline and when you start to get desperate when looking for a place to set up.

    If evergreen trees have no visible green growth or are growing mushrooms (tree ears) out of the bark, don't hang on those. Often times lichen, moss , and fungus growth on the tree is a sign the tree is unhealthy or dead.

    Look for leaning dead snags around camp that could fall in your direction.

    Recently logged areas are also dangerous because the soil is loose. Loose soil can cause landslides and treefall in heavy rains.

    Most trees that fall down fall because of snow, heavy rain, or wind. If the weather is that severe, stay home.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Halfed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MutterMumble View Post
    I’ve watched all of his videos, this included, but I’m looking for more specific… these trees, with these leaves, are more prone to fall downs. This shade of grey is dead. This shade just has no vegetation. This means the tree has a parasite and is actually rotten inside half way up but you wouldn’t know. This one can be dead 30 years and still safe to hang off etc etc.
    I'm sorry. I will keep an eye on your thread because your concerns are mine too and I want to know the most as I can about hanging my hammock under trees and choosing a safe good spot. Thanks for posting it!
    _______________________________________________
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by leiavoia View Post
    Specific to the PNW / Cascades region:

    Recent wildfires have created a mosaic of burn zones. Burn zones are dangerous. Avoid hanging in burn zones if possible. Literally every dead snag is a potential disaster, no matter how big it looks. I've been to places where i've foolishly hung off trees right next to other 2-3 foot diameter dead trees that i literally pushed over the next day. The roots are gone and they don't take much to fall over... on you. If you hang off such trees, these trees will fall directly on top of you.

    Young fir trees are bendy and sappy and don't make good hangs unless they are more substantial (~8" thick). The issue here is that you can get set up, sit in the hammock, and sag to the floor. This is more of an issue at high elevation approaching timberline and when you start to get desperate when looking for a place to set up.

    If evergreen trees have no visible green growth or are growing mushrooms (tree ears) out of the bark, don't hang on those. Often times lichen, moss , and fungus growth on the tree is a sign the tree is unhealthy or dead.

    Look for leaning dead snags around camp that could fall in your direction.

    Recently logged areas are also dangerous because the soil is loose. Loose soil can cause landslides and treefall in heavy rains.

    Most trees that fall down fall because of snow, heavy rain, or wind. If the weather is that severe, stay home.

    Some of those areas are so bad due to what you describe. Even if a weak tree is some distance away they are so big you could be in danger and never even know it.

    Last time camping in the cascades I heard and felt a huge tree come down in the middle of the night due to just light rain. It felt like an earthquake so I had to be close. Even so, I could not find the tree the next morning.

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