Widow Makers

[Rick]

We've had a lot of new folks join the forum and many had indicated they don't have much outdoor experience. So I thought I'd post some information directed to them.

The outdoors has it's own lexicon. Words and phrases that most of us take for granted but might be unfamiliar to you. An important one is "widow makers". Typically, a widow maker is any overhead limb that has the capacity to bonk you on the noggin' and make your lovely wife a widow. Knowing where to pitch camp to avoid such an unpleasant experience is pretty important if you want to stay safe.

So the first thing to do is to look overhead and see if you can spot any dead wood that might come crashing down overnight. Don't think it has to be during a high wind either. I've seen large limbs fall just because. Just because they were too heavy, just because they were damaged, just because I needed a lesson in why I look up. There wasn't any reason, they just fell. See if you can spot the deadwood in this photo.

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Okay, that was pretty easy. But it won't be all that easy in the woods. There are no words and arrows to keep you safe. You might have to look closely. See that big stub hanging out there in the photo below?

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Those limbs can cause serious injuries and death if they crash down on your tent. You don't want to be camping within the radius of any tree that might come down. The tree below had been a large forked tree until one of the forks broke off and the tree split. The other limb will come down. It's just a question of when. But I know you'll be camped far enough away to avoid injury.......right?

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Once you've looked overhead then give the trees around you a look even if the tops look sound. Here's a nice old tree that has either been hit by lightening or damaged in a strong wind. Whatever caused the damage the weep and cracks are sure signs of a weak tree that weighs literally tons.

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Finally, once you've looked the tree over from top down then study the base of the tree. Here's some easy to see dangers but the next one might not be so obvious.

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Window Makers: A lot of folks have been killed and injured by falling limbs. They wouldn't have their own name if they weren't a serious danger. And don't think it won't happen to you or that it won't happen tonight. Instead, think it COULD happen to you and it COULD happen tonight. That way, you'll stay safe and no one will be courting your widow.

[BornthatWay]

Excellent post Rick. Many trees are dangerous to sleep in the range of. You did a relly nice job showing people what to look for. I hope everyone takes a look to refresh their memory.

[Old GI]

Thanks Rick. They are especially troublesome after a hurricane.

[Sourdough]

Good post..............I will add that if felling a tree, often the widow maker will fall in the opsite direction that the main tree falls (which is your intended escape direction)......

[hunter63]

Good post, have plenty around as all the elms died, a few years ago.....Thanks.

[BornthatWay]

Amen SD. My dad taught me all about cutting trees and he could lay a tree whever he wanted to but those with a dead side do make things way more difficult and not only will they cause the tree to fall differently than expected but the dead part sometimes will break off as you are sawing the tree so you really need a spotter when working with trees that had dead wood in them. Thanks for that reminder.

[crashdive123]

Nice post. I know that I am sometimes guilty of remembering that there are new members every day, some of which have the desire, but not the knowledge and experience. Had to send a little rep your way.

[2dumb2kwit]

Good post, Rick.
Treat yourself to a Twinkie.

[randyt]

I've known a couple loggers that got killed with widow makers.

[RangerXanatos]

This past weekend out camping, we were looking to camp in towards the middle of an island to block out some wind and be a little bit warmer during the night. There were a few nice spots on the ground, but up above, there was nothing but widow makers. Just about everywhere we saw that had a nice flat spot, there were dozens of widow makers. Because of that, I made everyone set up their tents along the shore. Turned out to not get so cold afterall.

[Renatus]

deleted....

[Rick]

RX - those were camper dead falls. Natures way of bating you. "Oh, look. A nice spot!" Splatt!

My wife and I were out a couple of years ago and she picked out a nice spot. I said nope. Look up. There were some pretty scroungy looking limbs. I pointed to another spot that had no trees and started setting up. Kawham! A limb about 8 inches across and 30 feet long hit the ground where we would have been standing. No wind, no nothing. It just decided to fall. She looks up every time we go out now.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I will pay closer attention because of your thread Rick, Thanks!

[Renatus]

deleted.....

[natertot]

Good post and reminder Rick. Especially since camping season has officially started. I think you have your thinking hong on straight!

[Sparky93]

Good post Rick, tried to send ya some rep but I got to spread the love...

[kyratshooter]

Widow makers were a common cause of death in the pioneer days. Many folk were killed by simply walking through the forest.

I had a friend who retired several years back. He and his wife went on a world camping cruise to celebrate the event. He was killed in Australia when a tree fell on their tent during a thunderstorm.

It does happen, and more often than we suspect.

[Rick]

This was also a surprising way a good number of soldiers met their demise in WWII. When the forests of Europe received artillery fire the shells would burst in the tops of the trees raining shrapnel and wood down on top of soldiers. At night, the guys would be injured or killed as tree limbs fell out of trees.

[grokh5499]

Wow, most of the where to pick a tent articles/books/ and advise I've read, and heard over the years only mention avoiding the annoying drip drip after a rainstorm... Thanks Rick.

[jfeatherjohn]

Well done! Pictures were...for real.
As to camping on the shore...well, I worry about tides and all.
Down here, the pine beetle is still king (crash), and a dry wash...well, splash.