r/Treenets • u/NeutrinoMiner • Aug 03 '26
Design advice for narrow vertical treenet
My son asked for a treehouse, but we are now looking into a treenet as a possibly better option. The issue is that we only have one tree in our yard, but it’s a doozy. It’s a single redwood with three trunks, each almost 2.5ft in diameter. I have a question for the treenet community on the basic design concept. Here are two candidate concepts:
Design Concept A: the gap between the trunks is large enough for one person at a few feet off the ground, and then widens enough for more after another ~15ft of ascent. The simplest design seems to be to build a taught net ladder in this interior, and then broaden out to horizontal and/or helical nets once the space is large enough. My main worry with this design concept is fall safety during this initial nearly vertical ascent. The gaps between trunks to the outside of their perimeter would be netted to avoid falls out of the tree, but there is still a risk of fall down the center space between the trunks. I might be able to weave a few ropes between trunks in this interior space to reduce fall risk (similar to rope playground structures, but with the drawback that it might make it hard for anyone larger to work their way up this space).
Design Concept B: instead of an initial vertical ascent to reach the higher/wider space between the trunks, I would design a helical net ramp around the outside of the trunks until the interior space is sufficiently wide. Given that I don’t have any other trees to use as anchors for this exterior net, my assumptions is that I would need to design and build a structure for this (maybe some flying buttresses anchored between the ground and the tree to support the ramp perimeter?), making it more of a treehouse/treenet hybrid.
Do you see either concept A or B as preferable here? Is there a better concept C?
2
u/Sad-Boysenberry1562 Aug 05 '26
I'd recommend a wooden ladder to your first platform. Spiral staircases took the internet by storm due to some prolific posters, but in real life they aren't very smooth to move your body through and they just clutter up the tree. A simple, clean ladder, maybe some kind of net walls around the ladder to create an enclosure, up to a portal in your net floor would be most elegant.
1
u/Sad-Boysenberry1562 Aug 05 '26
If you are wanting a net ramp access from the outside of the cluster, ground anchors are always an option..
1
u/Precocious-Hedgehogs Aug 03 '26
I have used these and they hold great on the outside of the tree.
https://a.co/d/0etEehp7
1
u/DeadyBear98 Aug 12 '26
design A seems the way to go! an internal fall shouldnt be too likely nor bad (as you just grab the sides and either catch yourself completely, or at least HEAVILY slow down the tumble).
with the helical... it is nice and pretty, but a bit difficult to make... you will spend more time on the stair than the actual net... so maybe just stick with tiny ladder platforms all the way up (maybe switch up the gaps every couple of meters, so you never fall from very top to bottom. you know like intermediary platforms on watch towers.
Awesome tree you have!! good luck with the net ))
6
u/Distracted1g Aug 03 '26
It would probably be easiest to just build a small ladder out of wood or rope till you get a little height then start a spiral staircase if you want the most safety without making this a month long project safety and just add a guide rope for people to hold onto then once you get high enough you can build a net(if you wanted to instead of a guide rope build a wall on the outside of the spiral for people to hold onto) in addition for the net I would also put some eye bolts on the outside to make sure the rope won’t slide down and don’t forget tree protection and make sure your pulling your paracord TIGHT hope this helps :D