While that may settle your nerves a bit, it’s not going to prevent lightning from reaching its destination. If you check your hammock straps, chances are they are non-conductive. How safe are you in a hammock during thunderstorms? And remember, although metal doesn’t attract lightning, it does create a path for it to travel. To further reduce the chances of getting struck by lightning in a hammock, make sure to analyze the area around you.Ĭheck the immediate environment, tree height, and equipment you’re using for your suspension system. In this instance, you might be safer suspended in your hammock rather than on the ground in a tent. a tree) and the current travels down into the earth’s surface and reverberates outward, directly affecting whatever surrounds it. Ground strikes occur when lightning strikes an object (i.e. While side flash lightning is possible, it’s less probable than ground strikes, which are the most fatal lightning incidents reported. A tree that’s higher than other trees around it or that’s standing alone out in an open field is more at risk of getting struck by lightning than trees that are relatively the same length, bundled together in a forest. Lightning strikes are attracted to trees because they act as guiding paths from storm clouds down to the earth. If the tree that you’re attached to happens to get struck, it’s not certain whether the side flash would travel through your hammock straps or rope. You can still be safe in a hammock during thunderstorms, granted that you don’t have any conducive equipment that could potentially attract lightning to your hammock. So does that mean you are unsafe if your hammock is swaying between two trees? Oftentimes, this is a person seeking shelter under or nearby a tree. Side flash occurs when the lightning jumps from the directly hit object to the victim near it. The concern with hammock camping, however, is what they call side flash or side splash. It’s statistically unlikely that you would get directly struck by lightning while in a hammock. Read more below to find out what actionable steps you should take if ever you get caught in a thunderstorm while out hammock camping! Can you get struck by lightning in a hammock? In this article, we’ll discuss the do’s and don’ts of hammock camping during thunderstorms, particularly if you will be safe in them or if you should seek shelter elsewhere. You think to yourself, “Uh oh, should I be hammock camping during a thunderstorm?” You look up and a cold raindrop splashes your cheek. Imagine it – you just arrived at your next camping destination in the woods when suddenly you hear clouds in the distance clap with a boom.

Raindrop tree tent