Camping Under Trees: Hazard-Tree Awareness and Campsite Selection for Backpackers

scary. We were hiking on trail, on a beautiful sunny afternoon, mid way between top and bottom of a small mountain. Heard something fierce cracking.. I froze in my steps and thought that an 18 wheeler had veered off the road up top and was crashing down the side of the mountain from above. Turns out a tremendous size tree had fallen and in its path crashed down about 3 or 4 other big trees.. snapping each one like dominos falling. Who knows how many smaller trees were also taken out by this slide, but it was loud and scary. I much prefer sleeping in the open then under trees, especially in winter during a storm. Unless of course we have hammocks, then its very cautious and aware of surroundings.

“Summer Branch Drop”. Hot. Trees take up too much water. And a large heavy limbs fall. Postmortem? Perfectly healthy large branch. Perfectly deadly. Redwood and Spruce branches 2 ft plus in diameter. We    are watchful year round.

I would emphasize extra campsite inspection at night.  Many times I have woken up, to seeing a widow maker in my campsite after I have made camp after dark.  It is easier said than done, because you are usually stopping at night to make camp because you are tired.  Any additional suggestions for avoiding tree risk when making camp at night?

I do not have any real good suggestions for the occasional tree with bark beetle damage? Maybe just assume if you seem some trees with beetle damage your campsite could have trees with beetle damage.

Only once I have witnessed a tree falling in forest.   It was a cotton wood tree that fell when I was eating lunch.  The tree  was approximately 30 yards away.   It was extremely loud when it fell over.  I learned the real meaning of “jump out of your skin!” idiom.

Yay or nay?

^^  Throw a tarp over it and call it good! ;>)

As a hammock camper, I don’t have the option of making camp in a clearing.  Sometimes the hardest part about finding a campsite is avoiding widowmakers.  More than once, I have set everything up, gotten into the hammock, looked up, and seen something that causes me to move.  If a tree or limb is suspicious, even the slightest breeze will keep me awake.