Hammock hike / deadman lesson

[Ad Astra]

Bright sun and a crisp breeze blew off the Thanksgiving five-day-overcast funk yesterday ... grabbed a pack, water bottle and a favorite hammock for a hike and hang.

Got to a nice bluff overlooking a bay, found two trees, and settled in. Ahhh .....

Looked up. Belatedly.

While I know never to wrap straps around a palm tree (lest ye take a coconut to the noggin), I do usually examine the pines or oaks I do strap to. And I did this time.

But when I settled in and looked up, the word "deadman" sprang to mind.

In this case, a huge dead tree, aka a deadman in hammock parlance, leaning and caught by my healthy tree. Did I mention the wind? Or the bluff's impressive cave-ins / rapid erosion?

Life consists (perhaps) not of avoiding risks but taking careful consideration of them.

With one eye looking up, I carefully took down the hammock and hiked on ...

Don't attach to a dead tree. And, make sure your healthy trees aren't in league with those looking for trouble!


AA

 

[MrSpeedy]

Got to watch out for those widow makers! (That goes for where you set up your tent, too)

 

[Ad Astra]

Got to watch out for those widow makers! (That goes for where you set up your tent, too)

It really does happen. You worry about bears (or sharks) and something mundane is ready to wreck a good time.

My cousin had a new car totalled by a falling tree - while driving! A lucky escape for him.

AA

 

[rbscebu]

In Australia you also have to be wary of drop bears. They are koalas that drop from trees and attack people.

 

[Ad Astra]

In Australia you also have to be wary of drop bears. They are koalas that drop from trees and attack people.

Some comedian pointed out that practically everything in Australia is trying to kill you - we have Man O'War jellyfish (bad), you have those Box Jellies (worse). We have a few venomous snakes, rarely seen - you have poisonous snakes that'll like chase you away from the mailbox. All a hammocker needs is a (new) tree-bound, bearish (bearly?), face-eating predator. A shame: the eucalyptus leaves probably smell really nice.

AA

 

[luvmysuper]

I live in a very wooded area. Acres and acres of trees all around the house.
People who don't have that exposure would be surprised at how often branches or trees fall on their own.
We get a large branch or tree fall 4 or 5 times a month.
Craaack, Swishhhh, Boom.
All it takes is being in the right place at the wrong time.

 

[MrSpeedy]

It really does happen. You worry about bears (or sharks) and something mundane is ready to wreck a good time.

My cousin had a new car totalled by a falling tree - while driving! A lucky escape for him.

AA

Isn't that the truth. I carry a Garmin InReach whenever I hike, backpack, or even kayak. Not because I'm worried about bears, snakes, or sharks but because it's far more likely I'll take a bad step and break an ankle or leg.