Hammock safety tips for campers who love to hang around

The death of a 15-year-old girl during a camping trip in the United States has led to campers question the safety of one important item regularly brought on camping trips around the world.

High school student, Joelle Dalgleish, was seriously injured and killed after the tree holding her hammock snapped during the night and fell on her, leading to spinal injuries and a fractured skull.

“I was one of the girls sitting around the campfire and I saw the tree fall,” Erin O’Reilly told WSB-TV. “I was the only one who saw it. The other girls were facing the other direction.”

While hammocks are a relaxing way to while away an afternoon, especially while camping, there are some important safety tips to be aware of, too.

According to Serac Hammocks, not all trees are created equal when it comes to hanging your hammock.

“While you want to make sure the two trees are a good distance apart, some trees are better than others,” Serac warns on their website. 

Read more: Bringing this item into your tent could literally kill you

“The biggest danger to avoid is hanging your hammock on dead trees.”

While trees might seem quite stable at first, it’s not easy to tell if your weight will cause it to snap.

“If you’re lucky, you’ll end up on the ground with a scare, but serious or even fatal injury can occur if the falling log happens to land right on top of you.”

Here are some safety tips if you are looking at hanging your hammock on a camping trip:

• Look up and make sure there aren’t any dead trees or large dead branches that could potentially fall on you
• Choose a tree that won’t bend too much when you get into your hammock. Not only could this lead to a snap, but you’re also damaging the natural environment
• Don’t place your hammock too close to the water. You could end up falling into the water and get hurt along the way

Do you have any safety tips for campers who love their hammocks? Share your advice in the comments section below.