Don't know if this has been covered before so excuse me if it has.

Was thinking the other day, (on my own, without ANY adult supervision) about the many places that do not allow hammocks. Isle Royale for instance, because they are worried about the "Possible" damage a hanger could inflict upon a tree.

Hammocking seems to be getting quite popular.
I figured it is in everyone's best interest to ensure when hanging, that you do what you can to make certain no damage, brush clearing, or visible signs of a hammock were present. (use your tree huggers)

When approaching a camp site in the BWCA, you can always find the tent pads by their heavy use, worn ground ect. If hammocking becomes as popular as tents, it only makes sense that the impact would be the same.

I freaking love my hammock and will never go back to the ground, and to make sure that happens, I believe we all must make a conscious effort to leave the area we hang in as natural as possible.

All we need is some over-educated idiot whos never set foot in the woods making policy against us because they think trees have feelings lol.

Yes it would be a bummer if we had to back to sleeping on the ground. Everyone needs to use tree straps to attach hammocks to trees.

quote Savage Voyageur: "Yes it would be a bummer if we had to back to sleeping on the ground. Everyone needs to use tree straps to attach hammocks to trees. "

+1 Yep

The future of hammocking is up in the air.

As it were.

Tree straps rule.

I have found blatant evidence in sites where additional ground cover and brush is being cleared away between perfect hanging trees.

I believe the purpose of the pads for tents is that it will minimize impact by using the designated pads. I also believe that you can not alter campsites or cut down live bushes/trees.

So what we have, is additional clearing and trampling of spaces between trees. I believe this is what the concern may be over in places where they do not allow hammocks. It may not be the trees themselves, but the additional clearing and altering of campsites that may be the main concern.

Let's face it. By hanging a hammock, you are not piercing bark, not girdling the cambium layer and by splitting your weight up between two points, not putting any harmful stress on the trees attached to the hammock.

As others have said, use tree straps. The flat webbing has less impact to tree bark than does rope. I like ENO slap straps because of the multiple loop attachment points. I'm sure there are other brands as well.

I doubt hangers will ever have to worry about being banned from the BWCA. All of the areas I'm aware of that have banned hammocks are State controlled because it's easier for the tree huggers to influence State and local politicians.

If we are practicing LNT and applying those principles as practically as we can, we should have very little impact on any particular site. But overuse, and abuse, are valid issues that park managers must and do deal with regularly. I guess it is probably inevitable that we will see damaged trees as a result of hammock use. I plan on doing what I can to avoid that problem.

The last I heard, Florida is an example of a place where hammocks are making progress.

Florida used to ban hammocks in all state parks. As I understand it, one hanger took it upon himself to politely contact the people-in-charge on the state level and explain the advantages of proper hammock use.

Hanging is now allowed in Florida state parks on an "experimental" basis. If it goes well, and hangers act responsibly, hanging should be permanently permitted in Florida in the near future.