*** HAMMOCK SAFETY ***** Watch Video

[Gram Weenie]

I saw this on Youtube and thought I would share it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyYj6xE2yHs

[chknfngrs]

Many thanks

[somers515]

For those that don't want to watch the video the tips were always make sure what you are hanging from is strong enough to hold your weight. The expert suggested using alive strong trees and demonstrated how posts not properly anchored in the ground could cave in on you causing tragedy. He also recommended hanging your hammock 18 inches from the ground and clearing any large rocks underneath you. The news report appeared to be geared to those hanging in their backyards but I found it interesting - thank you Gram Weenie!

[SWODaddy]

Thanks for sharing. I bet a lot of people wouldn't think twice about hanging between two brick pillars but that appears to be a very bad idea.

[joec]

My hiking buddy and I both tied to the same tree on one hike, using different trees for the opposite end. The tree was about relatively small but living with green leaves and big enough to hold us under normal circumstances. Once we got into our hammocks, I felt a jolt, then another and the tree slowly dropped between us. As we were at 90 degrees from each other, the tree dropped at the 45 angle between us. What we could not see, was the rotted roots and this tree was hanging on by a thread.

[Rain Man]

Good video ... up to a point. The "expert" who "wrote the book" on hammocks never once says (or they edited out?) that the ANGLE of the hang is just as important at those other factors he did mention. (Nor did he mention "dynamic" vs. "static" effective weight.)

For an example of what bad angle of dangle can do to sturdy brick pillars--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iifkGegnhzg&feature=youtu.be

From the looks of that first victim's brick deck pillars, her angle of hang may have been THE factor that put her in a wheel chair. Hanging hammocks can put tremendous sideways stress on whatever they are attached to.

So sad, no matter, of course.

[Secondmouse]

whoa!!!...

[zelph]

Gee, that's an eye opener.............thanks for sharing.

[OkeefenokeeJoe]

It's amazing to me that in today's world, intellect and just plain common sense has deteriorated to the point that we need silly videos to tell us what, in the past, common sense would naturally dictate.

Of course, if you think about it, this COULD be a joint plot between "Big Hammock" and "Big Government" to build products meant to cull the common-sensically (yes, I made that word up) impaired from society.

I think all of you who needed that video should wear life-helmets and giant safety glasses 24/7. I mean, you never know when you might roll out of bed and onto the floor, causing massive head and spinal injuries, or gouge out an eyeball. Perhaps we need a video dramatizing that scenario.

Really people?

Let's get down to the basic 1-2-3 of hammocking .... Securing a hammock is not brain surgery. Just remember to properly secure each end of the hammock to a live sturdy tree spaced about 11' (or so) apart; trees with ample diameter to hold your weight, and you will survive just fine.

Honestly, no need for a video here.

OkeefenokeeJoe

[scrabbler]

I'll just add here that you should also not blindly trust hammocks that someone else has installed. We were vacationing in a fancy Caribbean house, ocean front. One of the decks had the most amazing views with a hammock installed. Turns out the suspension was attached to a support beam with a very large eye screw. Fine enough, except over time moisture got in there and rotted the beam. Five minutes after laying in it, I crashed 3ft to the deck. I was ok, but wow, that was alarming.

[Time Zone]

It's amazing to me that in today's world, intellect and just plain common sense has deteriorated to the point that we need silly videos to tell us what, in the past, common sense would naturally dictate.

Of course, if you think about it, this COULD be a joint plot between "Big Hammock" and "Big Government" to build products meant to cull the common-sensically (yes, I made that word up) impaired from society.

I think all of you who needed that video should wear life-helmets and giant safety glasses 24/7. I mean, you never know when you might roll out of bed and onto the floor, causing massive head and spinal injuries, or gouge out an eyeball. Perhaps we need a video dramatizing that scenario.

Really people?

Let's get down to the basic 1-2-3 of hammocking .... Securing a hammock is not brain surgery. Just remember to properly secure each end of the hammock to a live sturdy tree spaced about 11' (or so) apart; trees with ample diameter to hold your weight, and you will survive just fine.

Honestly, no need for a video here.

OkeefenokeeJoe

How lucky for you to be imbued with such lifesaving common sense from birth. By and large the people depicted in these videos appear to have been children at the time of the accident; most teens, some younger. You never did something that turned out to be foolish when you were a teen, or younger? I thought the notion that "hammock camping has a steep learning curve" was not controversial. That some of that learning curve applies to even afternoon hammocking should be no surprise. It hardly seems shocking that a novice might naively hang at too shallow of an angle, figuring it would be more like their own bed (and not knowing about a 20 degree diagonal lay), thus stressing the supports.

No need for a video? No need for tips? You write,
"Just remember to properly secure each end of the hammock to a live sturdy tree spaced about 11' (or so) apart; trees with ample diameter to hold your weight, and you will survive just fine." Seems like you forgot to mention checking for widowmakers. You also don't mention hang angle (to be fair, neither did the video - but I think we both know how important that is). So someone relying on your simple advice, and nothing else, would still be at risk, and I would argue that not many would have the intuition to anticipate these risks.

I give you credit for "Big Hammock" - that made me laugh.

[Offshore]

It's amazing to me that in today's world, intellect and just plain common sense has deteriorated to the point that we need silly videos to tell us what, in the past, common sense would naturally dictate.

Of course, if you think about it, this COULD be a joint plot between "Big Hammock" and "Big Government" to build products meant to cull the common-sensically (yes, I made that word up) impaired from society.

I think all of you who needed that video should wear life-helmets and giant safety glasses 24/7. I mean, you never know when you might roll out of bed and onto the floor, causing massive head and spinal injuries, or gouge out an eyeball. Perhaps we need a video dramatizing that scenario.

Really people?

Let's get down to the basic 1-2-3 of hammocking .... Securing a hammock is not brain surgery. Just remember to properly secure each end of the hammock to a live sturdy tree spaced about 11' (or so) apart; trees with ample diameter to hold your weight, and you will survive just fine.

Honestly, no need for a video here.

OkeefenokeeJoe

It's amazing to me that in today's world, that intellect of silly, paranoid, self-righteous posters in tinfoil hats has deteriorated to the point that silly, paranoid, self-righteous posters in tinfoil hats think they need to tell us what, back in their day, common sense would naturally dictate was "big guverment" conspiracy. Get over it - if you think your skill level is above watching video, then simply skip it and move on. Don't castigate the poster or people who choose to watch it to maybe want to learn something new or get a reminder of best practices. BTW, your simplistic 1-2-3 guide is missing any mention of hang angle, After all, its all about the normal vs. shear stresses. (Maybe you should find and watch a video on it.)