New Guy here...checking in

Four of us were up at ~180 feet in a 200 foot tall redwood on Tuesday. My buddy Steve found a big branch with a fork in it that he could recline in with his hands behind his (helmeted) head. The rest of us were trying to advance another 10 feet or so on the opposite side of the trunk, which took some time and coordinating. At one point, Tim called down to Steve with a question. No reply. Tim peeked around the trunk and called out, "Hey Steve!"
Steve sat up with a jerk, "Huh? Wha?"
Tim said, "Oh dang, sorry man... I didn't mean to wake you."
We all started cracking up, because Steve had totally fallen asleep.
Pretty sure I swung around and took a picture... HAHAHA, I did! I'll attach it here.

So I think Moss is right! As long as you stay tied in to a good anchor, you could build a nest out of sticks, or fall asleep right there in the branches!

Bushwhacker wrote: ...sleep! There is a good list of starter hammocks here . Clark's hammock on the other hand - well that is a) not rated for canopy camping,...

I had NO idea that hammocks were "canopy rated"....is there a list of those that are?


...I also NEVER take off my harness. I sleep in it fully connected so a) I can descend quickly if I need to (useful if the conditions change to being unsafe, lightning for instance), and b) redundancy. ...I would still use a harness if I were in a treeboat.

I have looked into the harness and would probably want to use a full-body type if sleeping. I agree, I would never sleep untethered.

I'm using a screamer when I sleep so that if I do take a fall, I would have some shock absorption to avoid breaking either the branches or myself. If you do this though you will end up killing yourself.

I had to look up what a screamer was...

Thanks for all of the information. I haven't decided on a hammock at this point so I'm still open to suggestion there. For now, I'm still using a tent. So I get to look at TWO totally new things for me.

As an aside....even though I have just begun my journey into tree climbing, (have yet to leave the ground) as I was driving down the road today, I found myself looking at the bare trees in a TOTALLY different way. I was examining them...looking at how far up the branches started, how large the branches were, how they were aligned in relation to one another, how high up did they start to look like they might not support my weight. Then I caught myself and smiled.

I think I'm bitten

NS88

Oh geeze... climbing while driving! This is probably my most dangerous tree-related habit. I am, sadly, totally guilty of this one. I have to get this one under control.

That totally happens!

No, there isn't a "canopy rating", I just made the term up. The only ones that I know of that are advertised for elevated heights are new tribe and portaledge. As Moss and Tree-D confirmed, it really doesn't matter. The people at hammock forums are great with safety even though they're less than a foot off the ground. A lot of them have the weight ratings of their gear memorised. I honestly think that new tribe isn't worth the money. Invest in high quality ascenders and rope instead.

I would imagine that a full body harness could be quite restrictive and hard to sleep in, but I've never worn one. Most people seem to find rock climbing harnesses more comfortable to sleep in, and rock climbers find swami belt or swiss seat harnesses made out of webbing are even more comfortable . In the end, the best option is just to go to the store and try stuff on. Also, changing harnesses in the air is not recommended - the advantage to the webbing harnesses is that they're unobtrusive enough to layer, and it is possible to change into them in the air without sacrificing safety. The reason why people get arborist harnesses is for comfort during extended sitting periods; something you as a tree camper may never experience. They are much more expensive as well. If you really need the extra comfort, I would suggest making a fake ripstop (hammock material) harness to wear in conjunction with your regular harness, it should take the pressure off at no sacrifice to your safety.

That's pretty much the best thing about living in a city. Even before I caught the bug I was distracted by trees while driving.

As for hammock choice, I would recommend choosing strictly for comfort, the tree boat feels kind of like a cot. Also, I strongly encourage you to check out the thread I posted - there are quite a few hidden costs in hammocks such as bottom insulation. You won't get any sleep without it unless it's above 60°.

Good luck!