Venomous snakes are found throughout the United States, and the CDC estimates that between 7,000 and 8,000 individuals are bitten by venomous snakes each year. Most snakes will only bite humans if they feel threatened, but hikers, backpackers, and those who spend considerable time outdoors may unknowingly enter a snake’s path. If this interaction results in a bite, it’s important to know what to do immediately. Otherwise, the venom of several common American snakes (such as rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads) can cause serious injury, limb loss, or even death.
Unfortunately, many misconceptions about snake bites still exist. Possibly the most pervasive is that the venom should be sucked out of the wound immediately by mouth, to prevent it from entering the bloodstream. Other myths state that applying a tourniquet will slow the spread of venom, or even that cutting away the affected tissue will save the victim. None of these claims are true—in fact, they’ll generally make things worse.
The infographic below summarizes the basics of snake bite first aid:
Seems simple enough, right? That’s because it is. If you can conceivably get the victim of a snakebite to a hospital, immobilizing the affected limb and doing so should be the first priority. Again, go immediately to a hospital. This is the only effective option for venomous snake bites.
Now, you may be thinking: what if there isn’t a hospital nearby? When professional medical care is absolutely not a possibility, the situation gets grim. There really isn’t much you can do to fix a snakebite without antivenom, but you can at least slow the spread of the toxin.
Here’s what you can do if hospital care is not available:
Immobilize the wound, and wash with soap and water as seen above.
Keep the victim calm and stationary—minimize heart rate and stop all physical activity.
If possible, call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. It is open 24/7 and an adviser can provide help over the phone.
Do not apply ice or a tourniquet. Do not give the victim alcohol, caffeine, or painkillers.
Do NOT elevate the wound—in fact, do the opposite. Have the victim sit or lie down with the bite site BELOW the level of the heart.
Apply a clean bandage to the wound, and hope for the best. Some snake bites are “dry bites” with no venom injection, so they may be survivable without professional treatment.
If neurotoxic venom has been injected, and you are certain no medical care or antivenom is available, there is very little that can be done. Get comfortable and try to signal for rescue.
When faced with the slim chance of navigating safely through a dangerous asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back, Han Solo famously says “never tell me the odds”. In a Hollywood film, this fearless gung-ho mentality seems pretty cool—but in real life, it’s wise to be cautious and know what sort of situation you’re getting into. After all, when you’re not the protagonist in a movie, the odds of something bad happening to you tend to increase dramatically.
“Never tell me the odds!”
As boring as they may seem on the surface, statistics can help us to understand day-to-day risks, and to use this analysis to improve our odds of survival. And honestly, some statistics and probabilities can be pretty interesting in the right context. For example, the following infographic compares several unlikely causes of death, so you can properly understand the actual risk involved.
When floating in the ocean, many of us fear shark attacks. Bungee-jumping and skydiving seem like extremely dangerous activities. Death from food poisoning sounds like a reasonably-common problem. However, all of these risks are minimal compared to much more ordinary dangers. Check it out:
Obviously, take all of these unlikely causes of death with a grain of salt. If you never go skydiving, your risk of death from skydiving is zero. If you swim 50 laps every day, your risk of drowning in the pool skyrockets. If you drink in excess constantly, your risk of alcohol poisoning will inevitably rise. So, don’t just assume that you can speed around on a motorcycle 24/7 because it’s much “safer” statistically than walking. Many other factors come into play here.
Nevertheless, it’s useful to remember that some activities we assume are extremely dangerous are actually quite safe. On the other hand, activities that seem mundane—like scarfing down a burrito for lunch—could easily lead to your untimely demise.
Shoelaces are an often-overlooked component of any outdoor gear loadout. Virtually all shoes and boots already come with laces, and for many of us, they get the job done. As long as they stay tied and don’t fray or snap, we tend to forget they’re even there.
Some experienced survivalists replace their boot laces with 550 paracord, as it provides an accessible source of emergency cordage. Others will take it a step further, and use flammable Fire Cord as laces—this special paracord contains a waxed internal wick that can easily be ignited with a ferrocerium rod or flint and steel. However, Wasatch Outdoors has combined all of these concepts into a single purpose-built pair of survival laces.
Inside one lace: fishing line running the entire length
Inside the other lace: red waxed tinder strand running the entire length, plus a 1-inch ferro rod
The survival laces can be ordered in sizes from 48 inches to 84 inches, and in your choice of black or olive drab coloration. Wasatch Outdoors also offers a survival lace for hoodie sweatshirts, so you can replace the rarely-used hood pull cord with something much more useful. The MSRP of the boot laces is currently $18, and the hoodie lace is available for $12.
Our only concern about the design of these laces is the glaring omission of a striker for the ferro rod. Sure, most users will already have a knife on hand to generate sparks, but if you ended up stranded with only the clothes on your back, you’d have a hard time finding a suitable striker in the wild. A sharp rock fragment or piece of glass or ceramic would get the job done, but you’d still have to search for it. A hard edge on one of the metal aglets would work well, but the current design appears to lack this element.
Aside from this one potential issue, we could see these survival laces serving as a useful backup tool in your loadout. They take traditional paracord or Fire Cord laces to the next level. To learn more about these laces, visit WasatchOutdoors.com.
Ever look down from the balcony or roof of a tall building and feel uncomfortable? Your palms might sweat, and your stomach might churn, but from a logical standpoint you remain perfectly safe. In order to get back to terra firma, you need only walk down some stairs or push an elevator button. Nevertheless, acrophobia (the fear of heights) remains one of the most common personal anxieties of Americans.
However, what if taking the stairs or elevator was not an option? What if a structure fire, earthquake, or other dangerous event made it impossible to escape a building by normal means?
This sort of scenario may be unlikely, but it would be ideal to know how to descend to safety from that aforementioned balcony or roof. Unless you have some form of emergency rappelling device already prepared, you’ll need to improvise with simpler materials. As with any other emergency survival technique, you’ll want to be prepared and know what to do ahead of time.
Note: The techniques listed here are intended for emergency scenarios only, and should not be taken lightly. Climbing and rappelling are inherently dangerous, and if you think you may need to do either, you should consult with experienced climbers beforehand. Proper training and professional-grade gear is always your best option. We are not responsible if you fall and hurt yourself.
The Best-Case Scenario
Looks easy, right? It is …as long as you’re on a rock wall and supported by a guy off-camera holding the...
In an ideal world, you’ll be 100-percent prepared when disaster strikes. If you need to escape a tall building via the window, you’d whip out your complete climbing rig (you know, the one you stashed for this exact scenario), strap on protective gear, and effortlessly descend the exterior of the building like a scene from Mission Impossible. Onlookers on the street below will applaud, and a beautiful woman in a red dress will be so impressed she’ll hand you her phone number. Cue upbeat music, roll credits.
Outside of Hollywood fantasy land, you’re likely not going to be an experienced mountaineer, and you won’t have a complete climbing rig in your closet. If you’re trapped on the third floor of an office complex, and some form of disaster has made the lower floors inaccessible, you’ll need to find another way out.
If you’re willing to spend several hundred dollars, you can look into a pre-made personal escape system, such as the Petzl EXO seen in the video above. These systems are specifically-designed as a compact and quick way to escape from a burning building. However, they still require mandatory training from an authorized source, and are generally designed specifically for firefighters. We’re discussing emergency rappelling techniques, so we’ll move on to some improvised methods instead.
Swiss Seat Harness
A good climbing rig starts with a good harness. The harness makes sure your body stays attached to the rope, rather than plummeting to the ground.
The Swiss Seat is a DIY rappelling harness that can be assembled from about 12 feet of rope. Source: ITS Tactical
Speaking of rope, it is the only resource you absolutely cannot do without in an emergency rappelling scenario (aside from a strong anchor point, obviously). As you’ll see later, you can even get away without a harness or carabiner in a pinch, but having a surplus of strong climbing rope on hand is mandatory. If you think there’s any chance you might have to use these emergency techniques in your apartment or office, stow a substantial length of climbing rope in these locations.
Additionally, it’s not unreasonable to stash a few carabiners with this rope. Get the real weight-rated kind, not the flimsy keychain kind. Unlike a climbing harness, both rope and carabiners can be used for other day-to-day purposes, so they won’t just sit collecting dust in case of a specific scenario. In fact, we generally recommend including at least one large carabiner in a go-bag or bug-out bag—it has many uses, from self-defense to simply retaining your keys.
With only your rope and a few climbing carabiners, it is possible to rappel (aka abseil) and descend from a high place. One common method begins with tying a Swiss Seat rappelling harness. It’s simple enough—all you’ll need is a section of approximately 12 feet of climbing rope, and one large locking carabiner.
This video from ITS Tactical shows how to tie a Swiss Seat harness:
Improvised Braking
Now you have the harness, but you’ll still need a way to descend in a controlled manner. Wrapping your rope haphazardly around a carabiner or your waist will result in one of two things:
Too much friction – You won’t budge, and will be stuck dangling in the air helplessly.
Not enough friction – The rope will slip through your grasp, give you a rope burn, and you’ll fall.
If you can stash a real rappelling brake (aka belay), that’s ideal. It will improve safety, and be much easier to use than any improvised system. However, here’s what to do if you don’t have a proper brake:
This “biner brake” just requires four more climbing-rated non-locking carabiners. This system allows you to slow your descent to a safe rate, even if you don’t have a purpose-built brake on hand. Add two of these carabiners to your Swiss Seat rig or harness, slot two more around the first two, and work your rope through all four. If you’re interested in learning more on how the carabiner rappelling brake works, check out this article on Climbing.com.
So, with the Swiss Seat, carabiner brake, and plenty of practice in a safe environment, you could rappel to safety. You’d need only the following items:
Climbing rope (for both the harness and actual descent)
One locking carabiner
Four identical non-locking carabiners
Last Resort: Dülfersitz Method
Remember how we said it’s possible to rappel with only a rope? Here’s what to do if you don’t even have carabiners.
A vintage photo shows a climber using the Dülfersitz method.
The Dülfersitz technique, named after German mountain climber Hans Dülfer, can serve as a last resort. It’s pretty much guaranteed to cause some pain, but it can get you to safety in a pinch. It uses doubled-up rope wrapped in a “Z” along your groin, around your thigh, and over your shoulder.
Wrap the midpoint of the rope around a sturdy anchor, then feed the rope through your hands as you rappel to the ground. Your dominant hand grip and non-dominant arm positioning can regulate your speed. Once you’re on the ground, you can pull on one end of the rope to recover it.
Note that you’ll definitely want to wear gloves if possible, as the heat and friction can quickly blister your skin otherwise. Long sleeves and padding stuffed around your groin and collarbone can also help reduce the discomfort. Also note that this method can be quite dangerous—if your hand releases for any reason, you’ll inevitably fall.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re using a complete rappelling rig, improvised Swiss Seat with carabiner brake, or the Dülfersitz technique with no gear whatsoever, you’ll have some options for escaping an elevated location. Learning these emergency rappelling techniques may not eliminate the fear of heights, but it can greatly increase your chances of survival in a structure fire or other dangerous scenario.
What are you afraid of? In a very general sense, many of us might say “death” or “pain”. However, the true nature of fear comes down to something more esoteric. We’re often afraid of things that pose little risk of harm, or things that pose no physical threat whatsoever. You might be terrified of public speaking, but it’s not going to kill you—unless you somehow manage to literally die of embarrassment.
Many people are afraid of spiders, despite the fact that most arachnids are timid and harmless.
Regardless of actual danger, fear is a powerful motivator, so understanding it provides valuable insight into the human psyche. This is helpful from a survivalist standpoint, both for conquering your own fears and for dealing with (or even exploiting) the fears of others.
Last year, Chapman University took a random sample of 1,541 adults throughout the United States, and asked them to rank their level of fear about various topics. These topics from the Survey of American Fears fell into 10 categories, which Chapman researchers called the Domains of Fear. Here’s how they separated them:
Then, the researchers established which of these categories was most terrifying on average. The results indicated the following Average Fear Scores for each domain, on a scale of 1 (not afraid) to 4 (very afraid):
Man-Made Disasters – 2.15
Technology – 2.07
Government – 2.06
Environment – 1.97
Personal Future – 1.95
Natural Disasters – 1.95
Crime – 1.72
Personal Anxieties – 1.63
Daily Life – 1.51
Judgment of Others – 1.31
Beyond these categorized results, the survey showed specific fears that were most common, regardless of domain. According to this survey, here are America’s top fears:
These are only the top 10, but a complete list is available on the Chapman University survey page. Interestingly, the individuals surveyed were more afraid of reptiles and public speaking than of actually dying. Also, those surveyed were on a whole far more afraid of financial crimes like identity theft than of physical crimes (murder, rape, theft, break-ins, etc.).
For comparison purposes, here are the ten least common fears, followed by percentage of individuals who were “afraid” or “very afraid” of them.
Fire-starting is just like any other survival skill—if you don’t have multiple methods to fall back on, you probably won’t be able to make it happen reliably. Your lighter could break or run out of fuel, your matches could get soaking wet, and you could lose your ferrocerium rod. Given the essential nature of fire in survival situations, it’s wise to have at least two or three fire-starting methods prepared ahead of time.
A modern 6061-T6 aluminum fire piston manufactured by Sims Tactical Solutions. Photo: Dangerang / Wikipedia
One simple fire-starter that is often overlooked is the fire piston. This device uses a piston in a cylinder to compress air rapidly, creating heat as a byproduct. The tip of the piston is packed with a small amount of tinder material, such as char cloth, which ignites easily under pressure. The process works much like one of the cylinders in an engine, using the piston to quickly squeeze air into a tight space, creating the optimal conditions for combustion.
The materials used in a DIY fire piston. Check the video below to see how it goes together.
You can purchase pre-made fire pistons from various retailers, or you can make your own with simple tools for only a few bucks. Here’s a list of what you’ll need, as well as how each item is used:
Wooden rod or dowel – This will form your piston. The video uses a 12mm-diameter rod.
Wooden knob and wood glue – Provides a handle for your piston.
Copper tube – This will form your cylinder, and should be slightly larger than the piston. The video uses a 15mm tube.
Copper tube end cap, soldering flux and tin, and blowtorch – To seal one end of your cylinder tube.
Small hacksaw – For cutting the tube and rod, as well as adding O-ring notches to the rod.
2 rubber O-rings and petroleum jelly – These form the air-tight seal in your cylinder.
Tinder material – Stuffed into the end of your piston. Char cloth (aka carbonized cotton) works especially well.
Once you have the necessary materials, here’s how it all goes together:
Should you carry a fire piston as your only source of ignition? Of course not. However, it does serve as an inexpensive tool to add to your survival tool kit or bug-out bag, and it can provide a much-needed fallback plan in case other fire-starting methods fail.
After a long and hard day, few things boost morale more than a cool glass of bourbon and a smooth cigar. These two items seem to be made to go together, like a grown-up version of cookies and milk. And even if you don’t smoke or drink, it’s easy to look like a cultured gentleman with a rocks glass full of amber liquor in one hand and a stogie in the other. Also, from a practical standpoint, these two substances will be worth their weight in gold when SHTF.
Sir Winston Churchill was famous for his taste in cigars and hard liquor.
Given the undeniable connection between bourbon and cigars, it’s unsurprising to see the two blended into a single item. The new Gurkha “Bourbon Collection” combines a premium cigar with small-batch bourbon from the Hartfield & Co. distillery in Kentucky.
The caramel, vanilla, and oak flavors of the bourbon are said to be imbued into each cigar—sounds pretty delicious to us. According to Hartfield & Co. founder Andrew Buchanan, “[these flavors] combine with smoke and leather from the barley, pepper from the rye and sweetness from the corn that results in a new style of bourbon from the home of bourbon: Bourbon County, KY.”
Of course, the tobacco in these cigars also brings plenty of flavor to the table. Kaizad Hansotia, Founder and CEO of Gurkha Cigars, writes, “This union provides an incredible sensory experience that releases the rich taste of the leaf and the smoothness of handcrafted bourbon like no other.”
The new Bourbon Collection cigars will be offered in two sizes: the Churchill and the Toro. The Churchill is priced at $12, crafted with a Maduro wrapper, and measures 7 x 47 (seven inches long, 47/64ths of an inch in diameter). The Toro is priced at $10, crafted with a natural wrapper, and measures 6.5 x 52.
For more information on the Bourbon Collection cigars, check out GurkhaCigars.com.
If you haven’t read it yet, you might be scoffing at the scenario we posed in this issue’s What If? feature. “Deadly volcanoes?” you ask. “How can anyone die by lava when it moves so slowly?” Well, outrunning flowing magma from active volcanoes might be the least of your worries.
In 1985, Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz erupted, melting summit glaciers and causing mudflows to blanket nearby towns. More than 25,000 people died. Closer to home, Mount St. Helens blew her lid in 1980, killing more than 50 people — most died due to asphyxiation from ash and toxic gas. Volcanoes have been fatal in other ways, from ejecting lethal debris to causing devastating tsunamis and even famine.
So, pay attention to any news reports about active volcanoes. Even if you don’t live next to them, you could be vacationing nearby when one of these blows. Or, at the very least, you could spew fun facts the next time your wife decides to watch Joe Versus the Volcano for the umpteenth time. Below is a just a handful of the many active volcanoes on this molten rock we call Earth.
Mount St. Helens, Washington
1980 Death Toll: 57
Last Volcanic Activity: 2004 to 2008
Mount Unzen, Japan
Made of overlapping stratovolcanoes
Caused a tsunami in 1792 that killed 15,000
Mauna Loa, Big Island, Hawaii
Average Eruption: Every 6 years
World’s largest active volcano
Popocatépetl, Mexico
Most active volcano in Mexico
Spewed gas and ash over 16 miles in 1994
Krakatau, Indonesia
1883 Death Toll: 36,000 people and the island itself
Since 1927, a new island volcano (Anak Krakatau) has been building at the same location
Make & Model – Goal Zero Rechargeable Torch 250 Max. Output – 250 lumens Max. Runtime – 48 hours Weight – 14.4 ounces MSRP – $80 URL – http://www.goalzero.com
There’s an old saying about gear redundancy: “Two is one, and one is none.” Obviously, this philosophy is intended to remind us about redundancy. Did we mention redundancy? Seriously though, it’s not always practical to follow this one-liner, since nobody wants to lug around two of everything all the time. However, on a much smaller scale, the “two is one” mindset does make sense. If a single tool can have multiple redundant functionalities, it can dramatically increase its reliability in a survival situation.
Take vehicles, for example. Rather than relying on a single fuel for your bug-out truck, you’d be better off with a rig that could run on diesel, used vegetable oil, and natural gas. If you can’t find one power source, you’ve got two more options. The same goes for electronics — if the electrical grid is down, you can’t necessarily plug into a wall socket and expect any juice. You’ll need to find alternative means of recharging.
Goal Zero has developed a solution to this dilemma. The company’s Torch 250 is a device with an internal battery, and three built-in methods to recharge it: manual cranking, solar panel, and traditional USB cable. Said battery power can be used to run various attached LED lights, or to charge other devices via a USB port. This sounded like an interesting premise, so we picked one up to review.
Torch 250 is a device with an internal battery, and three methods to recharge it: manual cranking, solar power, and...
The 411
The Torch 250 is larger than most flashlights, at 10×3.5×1.75 inches, or about the size of an adult’s forearm. However, it’s also relatively light, at under 1 pound (14.4 ounces). The device is constructed of hard plastic with a black rubberized finish and bright green accents. Inside the Torch is a Li-NMC 3.7V 4,400-mAh battery, which is rated to operate between temperatures of 32 and 104 degrees F (0 to 40 degrees C).
The front face of the Torch is occupied by a 2×5.5-inch solar panel, which Goal Zero says will recharge the battery fully after 24 hours of direct sun exposure. Additional Goal Zero solar panels, such as the Nomad 7 ($79.99 MSRP), can be connected for quicker charge time. At the top of the Torch is a trio of LEDs in a chrome-reflector housing. In the center is a 180-lumen Cree LED spotlight, while the outer two LEDs provide dimmer red light for signaling or map reading at night. On the back side of the device, you’ll find an array of 22 LEDs under frosted clear plastic. These are configured in a wide flood light pattern, and provide an additional 70 lumens of white light.
On one side of the Torch, there’s a bright green hand crank, which is held in place by a small magnet. Pivoting this handle out and turning it charges the device’s battery. According to Goal Zero, 1 minute of fast cranking will provide 10 minutes of light run time. On the opposite side, there’s a built-in USB cable, which can be plugged into any USB port or wall charger to fully recharge the device in seven hours.
The bottom of the Torch houses its controls: three green buttons for the flood light, spotlight, and red LEDs. Each button can be pressed once for full power, and a second time for low power (or in the case of the red LEDs, a flashing mode). The spotlight will run for seven hours on high, or 15 on low, while the flood light runs for 22 hours on high, or 48 on low. Beneath the buttons is a set of four blue LEDs, which indicate battery level when the device is in use, or flash to indicate battery level when charging. The USB port below allows charging of other electronics at 5V and up to 1.5 amps. Goal Zero claims it will recharge most cell phones approximately two full times. Finally, there’s a fold-out metal hanger, which allows the Torch to be suspended to light up a room or basecamp.
The Verdict
For a device called Torch, we were hoping it would be a better flashlight. In reality, the spotlight function actually seems like an afterthought, especially since using it means holding the brick-shaped Torch 250 awkwardly in your hand. The spotlight beam pattern is not particularly even, and its light appears more yellow than the flood light. The red light function suffers from similar issues, though its dual LEDs provide a more even beam pattern. That said, the flood light is better than the other two functions, lacking the spotlight’s yellow tinge and providing a near-180-degree wide spread of bright light.
However, we tested Goal Zero’s claim that it would run for 48 hours on the low setting — our light shut off after 25 hours, even with a full charge.
All manner of electronic devices can be charged from the built-in USB port, including GPS units, head-lamps, cameras,...
As a portable battery, the Torch 250 fares better. It’s worth noting you’ll need your own USB cable to connect your electronic devices, but that’s not uncommon for portable batteries these days. The Torch charges devices at 1.5 amps, which is about the same as most smartphone wall chargers. We tested charging speed with a common smartphone, and found that after 10 minutes, the Torch increased its battery charge by 6 percent — the exact same amount as when it was plugged into the wall for 10 minutes. The internal battery’s 4,400-mAh capacity isn’t as much as we’d like, since it runs out of juice quickly when charging devices, and many other portable USB batteries offer double or triple that amount of mAh. However, it trades high battery capacity for light weight, an understandable compromise.
When it comes to recharging, the Torch 250 lives up to its claims for the most part. You can charge the internal battery traditionally via the built-in USB cable, but strangely, Goal Zero doesn’t include a USB wall charger attachment with the Torch. A standard cell phone charger will work fine for this purpose, but we wish Goal Zero had given us a spare. Then there’s the hand crank, which is tedious to use, but it’s good to have as a backup. Finally, there’s the solar panel, which was surprisingly sensitive to ambient light. Just walk outside, and the four blue battery LEDs turn on to indicate the panel is working. We’d say solar is the ideal way to charge this device if the power’s out, although the panel seems rather fragile and prone to scratches, given its location and lack of protective cover.
On one side of the Torch, there’s a bright green hand crank, which is held in place by a small magnet. Pivoting...
There’s one additional feature we’d like to see implemented into the Torch. Goal Zero does sell a USB attachment separately to charge AA batteries (the Guide 10 Plus Recharger for $49.99 with four batteries), but we’d love to see that functionality integrated into this device, or at least offered as a discounted add-on. That way, you’d be able to easily recharge small flashlights and other electronics that don’t have a USB port.
The Torch 250’s lighting-related hiccups make sense when you consider that Goal Zero is known more for their portable batteries and solar panels than their lights. Overall, this device is a mediocre flashlight, a pretty good flood light, an average portable battery, and a great rechargeable backup power source for electronics. With an improved spotlight, larger battery capacity, and less bulky design, the Torch 250 could be truly outstanding. As it stands now, it still has several useful features in an all-in-one package — and it’s not bad value for $80.
More From Issue 11
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What is a widowmaker? In the general sense, it’s anything that has the potential to kill men, thereby making widows of their wives. In a more specific sense, widowmakers are dead branches caught precariously high in trees, ready to fall on unsuspecting individuals below. This term has been used widely in the forest service and logging communities, and is even officially recognized by OSHA.
A deadly tree might sound like something that would only be found in a freak accident, but these natural dangers do more harm than you might think. In fact, just this week, a man in Edinburgh, Scotland, was killed by a widowmaker. He had been camping in the woods by a river, and was pronounced dead at the scene once emergency services arrived.
Winter is especially dangerous, as the weight of snow can cause large branches to snap unexpectedly.
So, if you’re camping or spending time in forested areas, you should know how to watch for potential widowmakers. This is especially important for hammock camping, since these shelters are almost always placed underneath trees.
Here are some general tips on how to avoid widowmakers:
If possible, do not camp directly underneath tall trees. This is the only sure-fire way to avoid widowmaker branches.
Be extra cautious around trees that look dead or damaged. They pose the greatest risk.
If you’re in a heavily-forested area, keep an eye out for dead or broken branches in the canopy above you.
High winds and snowfall can increase the risks by weakening or dislodging branches. Take care in these conditions.
When you do notice a potential widowmaker branch, avoid it. Should you spot a widowmaker on your property, you may want to dislodge it carefully from a distance, or hire a tree-trimmer. These professionals can cut away dead wood and remove loose branches.
