Why Ask For Forgiveness, When You Can Get Permission?
I have the opportunity to “educate” a national park Superintendent on how hammock camping should be handled within normal “tent camping” spaces or sites. Rather than have to argue with park officials after they have developed a “We don’t want any hammock hangers here” attitude, I am grateful for the opportunity to be proactive and give the Superintendent a list of reason why hammocks should be allowed in the regular (not primitive) tent camping areas, and what are responsible rules that hammock hangers should have to follow.
Before I go to a lot of trouble to develop a “Information Fact Sheet With Frequently Asked Questions,” I need to ask: is there such a fact sheet, or “Hammock Hanging Best Practices” pamphlet already available; and if so, where can I get it.
In terms of content for an “Information Fact Sheet With Frequently Asked Questions,” I think we need to make recommendations for hammock camping rules/regulations that are both reasonable and scientifically defensible. The items that I thought ought to be included follow:
Hammock camping be restricted to regular tent camping areas (i.e. no RV or pull through spots) where appropriately sized and located live** trees can be found.
Requirement that live trees to be used for hammock camping cannot be modified or altered (no cutting off inconveniently located branches, limbs, etc.).
Minimum Live Tree Diameter (is a “by species” or “climate specific” requirement necessary)?
Maximum number of hammocks attached to the same live tree? (The more specificity we provide, the less time park rangers have to spend negotiating with some knucklehead who wants to festoon a tree with as many hammock straps/tree huggers as they can.)
Minimum Hammock strap/tree hugger width?
Prohibition of attaching a camping hammock to a tree without the use of some sort of weight distributing strap (for example, I have seen folks wrap their whoopee slings/cordage around a tree without using any sort of weight distributing strap)?
Prohibition of intentional damage to tree and/or tree bark.
{** I specify “live trees” because, almost without exception, dead trees are not suitable or appropriate for supporting camping hammocks}
(Is there anyone here who has or could measure the amount of force applied to tree bark when hammock straps/tree huggers of various widths and lengths are used and a hanger weight of 200 pounds is applied? ASIDE: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average weight for an adult male in the United States is: 189.8 pounds. I then allocated an additional approximate 10 pounds to cover the weight of the hammock, fly, bedding, etc.)
(Is there anyone here who knows of any scientific data available to document the amount of damage ---or lack thereof--- done to various tree barks when they have been subjected to torsion pressure or abrasion, such as would be experienced by the tree if a hammock strap/tree hugger attached to a normal weight occupied camping hammock were applied to it?)
For trees used routinely as hammock hanger posts, are their any recommendations regarding the use of shielding material on the tree bark? In some high usage areas where hammocks are routinely used within a designated camping area, I have seen trees which have had: half dowels, spacers, or metal shielding applied directly to the tree bark. (Is there anyone here who knows if these precautions are necessary and/or beneficial to the tree?)
How to affix top of fly to tree. (Given that so many campgrounds prohibit the tying of lines to trees ---say for clothes lines or to use to hang lanterns to trees, I suspect that we ought to specify that all top fly lines be attached to the hammock straps/tree huggers).
How to affix rest of fly. Use stakes driven in ground or attach to rocks. (Given that so many campgrounds prohibit the tying of lines to trees, there is no sense suggesting that any lines get hooked to any trees.)
Lastly, I think that we ought to highlight the facts that:
Hammock campers are a rapidly growing segment of the outdoor adventurers’ population.
Hammock camping is attractive to both young and old campers; many of whom have not or will not use other sorts of camping equipment.
Hammock campers require the least sort of environmental “improvements” in order to actually camp, thereby maximizing scarce park resources.
(Is there anyone here who could identify federal, state, or local campgrounds where hammock camping is allowed in regular campground…and where, despite intense/repeated usage, hammocks have caused no and/or limited damage to the trees used as hammock support posts?)
If there is anything I have left out, or you feel should be included, please make your thoughts or comments known.
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