Trekking Pole tent and Lightning

[Christopher R]

In light of a hiker recently getting struck by lightning near MTR on the JMT recently, I have been think about lighting safety.  If you are in camp, in your tent, and a thunderstorm rolls through, do you get out of your tent?  Am i weird to be concerned that my poles, carbide tip up, are like mini lightning rods?

I guess if I am camping granite in an exposed area, versus in the trees and not under the tallest tree, things would be different.  What do you do?  Frankly I have never left my tent at night during lightning.  I don’t like he idea of running outside at 2 am in the freezing rain, but am i dumb not to do so?

[David Thomas]

“To figure out where lightning is likely to hit, you roll the imaginary 60-meter sphere across the landscape (for safety reasons, do not use a real sphere). This sphere climbs up over trees and buildings without passing through anything (or rolling it up). Places that the surface makes contact—treetops, fenceposts, and golfers in fields—are potential lightning targets.”

From: Today’s topic: Lightning (xkcd.com)

So if you’re in the middle of a flat field (or the top of a mountain), your body is getting zapped with or without the trekking pole.  If you’re among the trees or near a hill, something else (not you, not the trekking pole) would get zapped.

It hurts your chances, but not by much and in fairly particular settings.

[Bonzo]

Maybe run a single stand of polywire from the pole tip down to a stake in the ground?  You’d probably still be hurting, but the modicum of protection might let you sleep better. 🤔

[HkNewman]

While the pole may not be the safest, not being the tallest object out there or close to the tallest is a priority.  Also know the lightning position regardless.  The group lightning.org interviewed a backcountry lightning researcher, who wrote a book for NOLs on the subject and provided some guidance:

https://lightning.org/is-your-shelter-from-the-storm-a-lightning-safe-place-reminders-about-the-dangers-of-tents-and-thunderstorms/

The latest I dug up from NOLs is the chance of getting hit by lightning is proportionally less being in the middle of hundreds of trees vs having a tent out in the open, under the tallest tree, or next to a lone tree.

https://www.nols.edu/media/filer_public/fa/96/fa96d71d-df6b-487f-9e48-6b5a84de50b9/outdoor_lightning_risk_management-gookin.pdf

[John S.]

From the pdf article, “Tents may sometimes increase the likelihood of lightning hitting that spot if they are higher than nearby objects. Tent poles conduct ground current and may generate upward leaders. Use your understanding of terrain and lightning to select tent sites that may reduce your chances of being struck or affected by ground current. If you are in a tent in “safer terrain” and you hear thunder, you at least need to be in the lightning position to possibly reduce ground current effects. But if your tent is in an exposed location, such as on a ridge, in a broad open area, or near a tall tree, you need to get out of the tent and get to safer terrain before the storm starts, and stay out until it has passed. It would be wise to anticipate additional hazards of getting out of tents in the dark of night during a storm. Determine a meeting spot, have rain gear and flashlights accessible, and have a plan for managing the group during this time. ”

Tents held up by trekking poles- If your shelter is made for tip up, you could make an “adapter” to be used with handle up.

The JMT incident- https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article253212033.html

“Torchia took cover by leaning against a tree,” Botti said, “a tree which was then struck by a lightning bolt. Torchia fell to the ground. His fellow hikers came to check on him and he told them he didn’t feel well and then became unconscious. A doctor and a nurse who were on the trail tended to Torchia by administering CPR for three hours. Despite their great efforts, he ultimately passed away.”

[Stumphges]

Would this do any good?

[jscott]

 

“If you are in a tent in “safer terrain” and you hear thunder, you at least need to be in the lightning position to possibly reduce ground current effects.”

Stories like this bring to life the dangers of lightning. However…

as far as I know, even on the JMT, your chances of being killed in your car on the way to the trailhead far exceed the chances of being hit by lightning.

I have to admit: I’ve been in situations where it’s recommended I crouch on my pad or even get out of my tent and crouch in the rain for hours on end until lightning passes. I never have. In those situations, there have always been peaks much higher than myself nearby. Still, on  a few occasions I was in somewhat exposed country–with peaks well above me at hand.

I don’t recommend this! I’m admitting to what I did. And actually, I think my sensibility has been pretty good. I was never near a tall tree. My poles weren’t higher than nearby objects. I was never on a ridge.

But the storms were bad and a few lasted all night. Flash, boom.

How many who are in “safer terrain and hear thunder” crouch on their pads for hours in their tents? If I did that, on some trips I’d never make any progress, or get any sleep!

[Dan]

I’m sure there is a risk, but given all the verified stories about people being hit by lightning, we don’t hear many examples where it happens to someone in a tent. With all the beetle-killed pines and spruces in Colorado these days, I’m worrying more about trees falling on me. In many places, one has to choose between camping near dead trees or totally exposed. And obviously there are some examples of this happening.

[Author]

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