SRL THE SELF-RELIANCE LIBRARY
SHELTER
STEP 2 OF 7 · SRL-SHL-002
1-PAGE FIELD SHEET
How to Spot Widowmaker Trees Before Camping
Purpose — Run a full overhead hazard scan before you commit to any sleeping spot, built shelter or natural.
FIELD CHECKLIST
- Standing dead timber: bark loss, no fine crown twigs, within 1.5 tree-heights
- Hung limbs or broken tops caught in the canopy above the site
- Fresh debris on the ground beneath nearby trees
- Leaning trees with soil mounding or cracking at the base
- Full 360° look-up scan completed, not just directly overhead
RED FLAGS — STOP AND RECHECK
- Fresh splinters, bark, or broken branches on the ground under a specific tree
- A tree leaning noticeably further than its neighbors with visible root heave
DECISION RULE
One hazard found: full 360° scan. Two hazards found: move the site.
- Assuming an upright tree is a safe tree
- Judging safety by ground-level tidiness instead of the canopy
- Checking only directly overhead, not the surrounding radius
SAFETY NOTE
BEFORE YOU ACT ON THIS SHEETThis is a visual check, not a professional inspection. When in doubt, give more clearance than feels necessary.
EMERGENCY REMINDERIf you hear cracking or see movement overhead, move immediately — do not stop to gather gear first.