What do or would you do to maximise your safety when camping in the woods in 40-50 mph wind? Assuming you have nowhere else. I used to think nothing of it, I was blissfully naive. But ever since the top of a douglas fir came down near my tent in a storm a couple of years ago (I think that was 50+ or 60+ mph) I've been wary of any strong wind.
Camping in the woods in high wind
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Don't camp near Beech.
They drop entire limbs and they shatter like a wooden grenade going off.
Don't make camp with a fire at the base of a fresh fallen/partially uprooted tree either, even if it does look like good shelter. It's not unknown for the tree to upright itself.
Other than that; I admit I like windy weather, but it can make being outdoors most unsettling, especially in the woods.
Generally though within the wood the wind is baffled enough that it's just falling debris and the noise that disturbs.
Bound to be others with a lot more experience of camping in it than I have though.
Stay safe
and enjoy.
M
They drop entire limbs and they shatter like a wooden grenade going off.
Don't make camp with a fire at the base of a fresh fallen/partially uprooted tree either, even if it does look like good shelter. It's not unknown for the tree to upright itself.
Other than that; I admit I like windy weather, but it can make being outdoors most unsettling, especially in the woods.
Generally though within the wood the wind is baffled enough that it's just falling debris and the noise that disturbs.
Bound to be others with a lot more experience of camping in it than I have though.
Stay safe
and enjoy.M
Cheers Toddy yeah I know about beech. The widowmaker! Didn't realise the limbs shatter though...Don't camp near Beech.
They drop entire limbs and they shatter like a wooden grenade going off.
Don't make camp with a fire at the base of a fresh fallen/partially uprooted tree either, even if it does look like good shelter. It's not unknown for the tree to upright itself.
Other than that; I admit I like windy weather, but it can make being outdoors most unsettling, especially in the woods.
Generally though within the wood the wind is baffled enough that it's just falling debris and the noise that disturbs.
Bound to be others with a lot more experience of camping in it than I have though.
Stay safe
M
That's crazy about trees uprighting themselves.
Ha
This Beech spectacularly failed on a trip to the woods a few years back on what started as a breezy day, but ended with a full on gale.
A friend and I were a hundred yards or so away from this tree when we heard and felt an almighty crack, bang, thud, followed by the sound of multiple pieces of timber of all sizes falling through the woodland in the immediate area, the sound and smell is something i shall never forget.
We left the woods shortly after as things were starting to get a bit "interesting" with the sound of other trees falling on the other side of the Coombe we were in, so we cut our losses and skedaddled out of there.
PS, that old tree served as a source of carving wood for a few years and as far as i'm aware, it still lays where it fell.
A friend and I were a hundred yards or so away from this tree when we heard and felt an almighty crack, bang, thud, followed by the sound of multiple pieces of timber of all sizes falling through the woodland in the immediate area, the sound and smell is something i shall never forget.
We left the woods shortly after as things were starting to get a bit "interesting" with the sound of other trees falling on the other side of the Coombe we were in, so we cut our losses and skedaddled out of there.
PS, that old tree served as a source of carving wood for a few years and as far as i'm aware, it still lays where it fell.
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It is hard to be safe to be honest - so you have to evaluate risk. A wind of 25mph can bring an old tree down because with 25mph comes gusts of up to three times that. Consequently, what may feel safe with branches swaying in the canopy can still be dangerous.
I am happy working in my wood at up to 25mph - higher than that and the gusting is unpredictable and in an ancient wood, anything can happen. That isn't to say I don't work in there above that but I wouldn't elect to camp in there if I had a choice. I actually like it when the trees are talking to me - but I wouldn't take anyone else in to camp in those conditions.
The destruction capability of a large tree is astonishing and the ability of a broken branch stump, powered by several tons of trunk behind it, to pierce through stuff is frightening - they will go through steel and concrete structures. My point being, it is impossible to camp in a wood in high wind and be 'safe' - you may be able to reduce risk, lessen the impact, protect from the more likely, but you can't be 'safe'.
The worst scenarios are when the wind is blowing from an unusual direction. Our normal wind direction is westerly and the trees have grown surviving high winds from that direction. When we get Easterly storms we lose more trees.
Clearly, one can reduce risk by choosing a camp site that has no large trees (anything over 150mm trunk diameter can be dangerous), or hanging branches especially from the windward side. The strength of the wind can be considerably reduced on the leeward side of the wood but, strangely, that's where we get most of our wind blow.
Don't assume that a large trunk, previously fallen, will give you protection - it might, but another large tree falling on it may well make it collapse and, as mentioned above, piercing branches are as much of a danger as anything.
On one occasion, when I had little choice, I slept with my back against a large tree - I could feel no movement at the base and branches tend to fall away from the trunk - typically breaking off somewhere along the branch (not so with beech!). So, I figured, if things got so bad that the tree was likely to come down I'd have warning and be woken by the movement. Luckily, I didn't need to test my theory as I'm not sure it was sound logic
I am happy working in my wood at up to 25mph - higher than that and the gusting is unpredictable and in an ancient wood, anything can happen. That isn't to say I don't work in there above that but I wouldn't elect to camp in there if I had a choice. I actually like it when the trees are talking to me
- but I wouldn't take anyone else in to camp in those conditions.The destruction capability of a large tree is astonishing and the ability of a broken branch stump, powered by several tons of trunk behind it, to pierce through stuff is frightening - they will go through steel and concrete structures. My point being, it is impossible to camp in a wood in high wind and be 'safe' - you may be able to reduce risk, lessen the impact, protect from the more likely, but you can't be 'safe'.
The worst scenarios are when the wind is blowing from an unusual direction. Our normal wind direction is westerly and the trees have grown surviving high winds from that direction. When we get Easterly storms we lose more trees.
Clearly, one can reduce risk by choosing a camp site that has no large trees (anything over 150mm trunk diameter can be dangerous), or hanging branches especially from the windward side. The strength of the wind can be considerably reduced on the leeward side of the wood but, strangely, that's where we get most of our wind blow.
Don't assume that a large trunk, previously fallen, will give you protection - it might, but another large tree falling on it may well make it collapse and, as mentioned above, piercing branches are as much of a danger as anything.
On one occasion, when I had little choice, I slept with my back against a large tree - I could feel no movement at the base and branches tend to fall away from the trunk - typically breaking off somewhere along the branch (not so with beech!). So, I figured, if things got so bad that the tree was likely to come down I'd have warning and be woken by the movement. Luckily, I didn't need to test my theory as I'm not sure it was sound logic
Not sure which thread I posted it in but I put up some pics of an ash which had snapped off about 2 thirds up. At that point it was 14 inches or so wide but hollow. It was perfectly vertical and looked otherwise healthy. Of the trees in the vicinity, some of which are at some wild angles, I wouldn't have guessed that would be the one to go.
There's another mature ash at the other end of the woodland which snapped 5 or so feet up but is still attached and continues to grow a few years on.
There's another mature ash at the other end of the woodland which snapped 5 or so feet up but is still attached and continues to grow a few years on.
This.
There is no easy answer here, the situation is potentially dangerous.
I never used to worry either but strong winds are getting more frequent.
Don’t camp near a debris field - even though firewood might be handy. Once a big tree goes down it lets in more wind and trees whose root systems developed while they were protected inside the forest find themselves getting more strain than they are equipped to handle. The hole in the forest gets bigger and bigger.
Don’t camp downwind of a wolf tree - an exceptionally tall tree. It has developed withstanding wind but it is aging and winds are getting stronger/more frequent. It takes the brunt. @Kepis picture seems to show what’s left of an older dominant tree among smaller ones.
I also second that statement about self righting root plates. I worked in Inverlever forest in Argyle after the hurricanes of 1968. Thousands of root plates were left standing on edge. One of the guys was walking back for his break when a plate fell back onto him. He wasn’t killed but it was life changing.
So where DO you pitch? Where you see least movement in the canopy is the best I can offer.
Oh - and in a strong wind, don’t suspend your tipi from a branch if you want a peaceful night!!!!
I wonder where THAT thought came from!
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Can you explain this? I'm not sure wha you mean
Yeah the gusts are the worry. Didn't realise they could be that much faster than wind speed though!
Yes but I'll be felling it next week so that may reveal further details.
It is worth noting this, to put things into perspective: https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/tran...omofinformationfoi/deathscausedbyfallingtrees
It is absolutely worth being cautious, especially in high winds and when you’re picking a spot to set up camp. That said, there are very few deaths caused by this. Each death is a tragedy, of course, but statistically it is incredibly unlikely if you just be a bit sensible.
When you think about how many trees there are around the UK, you’re taking far more of a risk by drinking, smoking or driving. We can never live in a risk-free world.
It is absolutely worth being cautious, especially in high winds and when you’re picking a spot to set up camp. That said, there are very few deaths caused by this. Each death is a tragedy, of course, but statistically it is incredibly unlikely if you just be a bit sensible.
When you think about how many trees there are around the UK, you’re taking far more of a risk by drinking, smoking or driving. We can never live in a risk-free world.
I wouldnt.
And Ive been camping in gales in open country.
Watching your tent poles bow inwards like noodles is sobering.
And Ive been camping in gales in open country.
Watching your tent poles bow inwards like noodles is sobering.
I think it also depends on how well you know your woods. Here, it's not just during storms we have problems but often it's during the days after a storm. It's also not just the wind but the amount of water in the soil, water logged soil seems to mean more trees down. Then there's things like disease, ash dieback etc. I know there's a few trees about the place I'm cautious of all the time. Even the amount of ivy in a tree top.
In very high winds it can be anyone's guess, we've had some seemingly perfect trees loose limbs, tops or the whole tree. I'd feel happiest out the way of a large tree, in an area of coppice or new planting.
In very high winds it can be anyone's guess, we've had some seemingly perfect trees loose limbs, tops or the whole tree. I'd feel happiest out the way of a large tree, in an area of coppice or new planting.
The leeward side, being the furthest away from the prevailing wind, should be protected by the woodland itself and the wind should have been reduced by passing through the trees. But, for some reason, most of the trees we get down in either the westerly or easterly gales are on the North East edge - theoretically the leeward side. It may be because that edge is half way up the hill and, as there's pasture beyond, the trees are leaning.
Yeah but how many people are camping in the woods during strong wind!
Thanks for clarifying. This weekend's southwesterly wind will be coming at me downhill - I'm in a wood on a slope. I think I'll just stay out the woods from tomorrow night til Sunday night.
You’re absolutely right, though a lot of people are in and around trees even when not camping in the UK. Plenty of people walking/driving/living next to trees, so still very common to be within potential danger range I’d have thought.
I think you'd be barking to camp in anything other than a new plantation in those sort of winds; there is always the choice to move on.
I've had a beech limb hit very near to me when I was once stupid enough to go for a run through a wood in a gale, it was exhilarating and I knew every tree and step of the way, but utterly stupid, I'd have been just as dead with that knowledge if it had brained me...
A couple of years ago I was closing a gate on one side of a field, having just moved some stock through, when an ash went down across the gate on the far side that I'd been coming through a few minutes earlier. And that was on a mere windy day, nothing spectacular.
Point is, it's daft spending the night under some trees - beech, and ash now - even in the calm, to do so under any large tree in high winds is entirely stupid. Just to bring that point home, a while back a fellow was smashed and killed by a tree on a road a few miles from here.
If you think it's worth the risk, take a squint at your loved ones and think about never seeing one of them alive again after tomorrow - chances are they feel the same about you. There are lots of risks outside anyway, why take an entirely avoidable one?
I've had a beech limb hit very near to me when I was once stupid enough to go for a run through a wood in a gale, it was exhilarating and I knew every tree and step of the way, but utterly stupid, I'd have been just as dead with that knowledge if it had brained me...
A couple of years ago I was closing a gate on one side of a field, having just moved some stock through, when an ash went down across the gate on the far side that I'd been coming through a few minutes earlier. And that was on a mere windy day, nothing spectacular.
Point is, it's daft spending the night under some trees - beech, and ash now - even in the calm, to do so under any large tree in high winds is entirely stupid. Just to bring that point home, a while back a fellow was smashed and killed by a tree on a road a few miles from here.
If you think it's worth the risk, take a squint at your loved ones and think about never seeing one of them alive again after tomorrow - chances are they feel the same about you. There are lots of risks outside anyway, why take an entirely avoidable one?
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