Question on lightning

The lightning safety position I was taught is squatting on two feet together, hugging knees, with head down, bottom not touching the ground, and nothing dangling off you touching the ground, nor plants touching you anywhere. Reason being that legs apart creates more voltage gradient and opportunity for current to flow through your body. Lying prone would only be worse, with potential for current to enter head or feet and exit the other end of you, passing through your heart on the way, a bad scenario. And under tress or in rock overhangs is no better.

I would rather take the soaking than be in a tent with metal poles. That would be like asking for it. Its not like a car where you have an effective Faraday cage.

Direct hit, you and your tent are done. That said, direct hits are rare.

In your tent, sit on insulating materials with your feet close together and hands off the ground, ideally wrapped around your knees. Squatting is old school and ineffective because you can't squat for very long. Stay in your tent. You have protection from the other hazards that accompany lightening: hail, heavy rain, cold temps.  Current gapping off metal tent poles is possible. If you are really concerned about the tent poles, get rid of them and use the tent body/fly as a bivy sac.

If there are multiple people in the tent, spreading out should be considered. That may mean someone having to leave the shelter of the tent, in which case they dress for harsh weather conditions and bring insulating materials to sit on. Spread out at least 50 feet apart. You do that to increase the odds that if one person is hit by ground currents, there is someone nearby who can provide first aid.

Chris Brown wrote: Has anyone on here ever had their tent struck by lightning? If so, what happens? Does it ravage the tent? Were you okay inside and the tent poles channelled the electricity into the ground? Or are you pretty much toast if your tent gets struck with you in it? I've experienced this situation in a game on Apknite but in real life, it's not the same.
I’m curious. Last weekend I got caught in a wicked thunderstorm that seemed to strike very close to my tent. I was on top of a barren plateau so the tent was one of the taller objects around. I minimized my space and stayed on my sleeping pad for insulation, but was still terrified until the storm passed. What is the proper protocol in this situation?

I remember this happening to a group several years ago camped at Guitar Lake on their way to Mt. Whitney. Here is an article about the incident.  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-19326042

In addition, NOLS put together an interesting article about lightning safety in the backcountry. It goes through different ways lightning can be dangerous (it's not just from being struck by the main bolt). It also goes through ways to improve your odds of survival with a lightning storm close by. https://www.cmc.org/Portals/0/GoverningDocs/NOLS%20Lightning%20Safety%20Guidelines.pdf

Back in the 80' I was peak-bagging in the Never Summers.   On the way down we stopped and chatted for a few minutes with a couple who had pitched their tent at a small tarn on a bench just above treeline.    Not long afterwards, as we were getting near the car, a thunderstorm moved in.  

Saw in the newspaper the next day that that couple was in their tent when it was struck.  One died, one seriously injured.  

The height of your tent is insignificant.  And the bolt doesn't even need to strike you directly to kill you.  Sitting on your pad and minimizing your contact with the ground, and ground-currents, is the best you could have done given the situation.   But if it is a "hot bolt" and strikes near to you, that won't matter.

I suggest you read the great book about lightning strikes that struck hikers and climbers on Half Dome.  I forget the name of the book, but it details the life-altering effects of having a lightning charge pass through you body, even if not a direct hit.

I was in my tent when struck by a ground current (much more common than direct strikes).  All 4 of my poles were fused together in the morning.  It's a long story but basically we had 3 tents right next to each other.  The poles on another tent got snapped.  My exgirlfriend and I were in the lightening position on top of insulation and barely felt it (despite our poles getting fused).  The other 4 people (in other tents) were not in the lightening position.  2 woke up unable to move nor breath for 5 seconds.  The 2 others got burned, with one losing vision out of one eye permanently as well as a heart palpitation that was fixed.

Oh yeah, I was the only person not tripping when it happened.

I would have to imagine that AT SOME POINT in history a shark has been struck by lightning. Sharks have been around for 400 million years... At the same time, most sharks stay fairly deep below the surface of the water. Also if the weather is rough enough for lightning i wouldnt think there would be too many critters near the top. I am torn. 

I knew a kid whose tent got struck and he got fucked up pretty bad...severe burns.  He was told that since he was sleeping on an air mattress the injuries weren’t as bad as it could’ve been

Mark Fletcher wrote: I suggest you read the great book about lightning strikes that struck hikers and climbers on Half Dome.  I forget the name of the book, but it details the life-altering effects of having a lightning charge pass through you body, even if not a direct hit.

The book is called Shattered Air by Bob Madgic, couldn't put the book down once I started reading it. 

fetal position but balanced on your toes is what I have been told???? heard that you supposed to do the same thing in your car? 

Too much complexity on this topic for being concise.  In general, you’re safe in your car.  No need for positions.  Try not to touch sides, etc as much as possible.    

Lots of foolish “official” info out there. Like some say staying on your sleeping pad doesn’t matter.  Well, sure, Nothing matters on a direct strike to your melon, but that almost never happens.  However, It’s side splashes and ground currents that get the vast majority of victims.  Goal is to make your own conductive path to ground as minimal as possible (sit on doubled over pad) and avoid voltage gradients across your torso (never lie down, and minimize the distance between ground contact points).  Cows are frequently killed cuz their heart is between their widely spaced feet....ground currents go up one leg or two, pass right across their hearts, and down the other pair of legs.  

The old “lightning position” described above is limited cuz it’s damn uncomfortable to maintain for any length of time.  Easier to Sit on ass, knees up and heels tucked close.  

As someone pointed out (Marc or Keith) shallow caves or overhangs can be just as bad as you are making yourself part of a spark plug.  

Being wet is probably better than being dry as then more current tends to travel on the outside of you rather than inside of you.  

There really are very few hard and fast rules. It’s a total gamble with probabilities.