Environmental Conditions

An often-underestimated danger is heat - this coincides with water consumption. When building at lofty heights it can be quickly forgotten. In hot weather, work performance drops rapidly and the risk of accidents increases. In the forest the sunlight is less than in the open field - nevertheless, sun protection (proper clothing, sunscreen) is very important, as in all outdoor activities.

During longer periods of high temperatures and drought the forest dries out and the risk of forest fire increases significantly. If the risk of forest fire is heightened, contact with the local authorities is necessary in advance to discuss possible measures such as a fire ban.

If you plan to leave your tree house standing during the winter, please note that snowfall can lead to heavy snow loads. This can quickly amount to several hundred kilos per m2. Frost damage can also occur to the material used in winter.

There is no bad weather - only bad clothing. A maxim for all those who have been outside in the pouring rain for days. In fact, good clothing protects against moisture (which quickly leads to cold) for a relatively long time. Waterproof clothing, which protects reliably against moisture even during long periods of rain, is therefore also part of personal protective equipment.

The building material remains wet, however, and therefore it also becomes slippery and can be dangerous. 

The most dangerous weather situations are thunderstorms. Gusty winds with up to storm force (<75km/h) combined with torrential rain or hail combined with lightning and thunder can destroy a whole camp within a very short time. Therefore it is very important to prepare for these events preventively:

• During thunderstorms, trees can easily fall over. Especially in a tree house the structural engineering of a tree changes - because it can no longer swing freely in the wind. In this situation, trees can bend or large branches in the treetops can break off!  Pioneer-technically constructed buildings are generally not suitable as emergency accommodation!
• Heavy rainfall can easily cause flooding or flash floods, so always build your buildings at a certain distance from the water. Large masses of water can also undermine trees or soften the soil so that the stability of the ground is no longer guaranteed.
• Plan your buildings in such a way that even a short-term evacuation is possible. For larger tree houses, for example, this means several access points.
• In the event of a storm, the forest must be left early - attention in open fields is the danger of lightning. Therefore, check early on which location is suitable as emergency accommodation in the event of a storm.
• Inform all participants in advance about how to behave in case of a storm. Define the individual roles in advance (Who takes the participants to the emergency shelter? Who checks that everyone is safe?)
• Be careful with wire ropes, masts, single trees or water. These are natural lightning conductors. This is where the greatest risk of being struck by lightning exists.
• 30-30 rule: If the distance between lightning and thunder is less than 30 seconds, you are in the danger zone. Only 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder should you leave your protective position.

Building is an activity for the day - lack of light and fatigue increases the risk of accidents. We therefore only build in daylight. When planning your activities, it is important that you know how long you will have light available to work:

*These values refer to Central European Summer Time (CEST) Twilight begins on average about 30 minutes before sunset and continues until 30 minutes after sunset.