[SmartAZ]

http://www.freespiritspheres.com/pics/entrance_225.jpghttp://www.freespiritspheres.com/pics/at_the_table_225.jpg

Free Spirit Spheres

Habitat for the Un-Tamed Spirit

These durable spheres can be hung from the trees as shown, making a treehouse. They could also be hung from any other solid objects or placed in cradles on the ground. There are four attachment points on the top of each sphere and another four anchor points on the bottom. Each of the attachment points is strong enough to carry the weight of the entire sphere and contents.

The spheres are made of two laminations of wood strips over laminated wood frames. The outside surface is then finished and covered with a clear fiberglass. The result is a beautiful and very tough skin. The skin is waterproof and strong enough to take the impacts that come with life in a dynamic environment such as the forest.

Sphere Uses:

Healing & meditation, canopy research, photography, hunting, leisure.

LINK (http://www.freespiritspheres.com/index.htm)

[Chills]

Now that is a very interesting structure.... :yes:

Great stuff...

[Pepper]

Cool! I wouldn't mind owning one of those just to use for camping trips.

[Chills]

sheesh... there could be a nice market for sumpin like that...
It got me trying to figure out how to build something along similar lines.

Too dham cool. IMO

[diamonds]

I think it's neat. Iwould like to have one. :beer:

[Malihini]

I would love to have one of these (pending acrophobia counseling :) ) but how difficult would it be to climb up there? Not to mention back down. Or do nail a pulley system in and then hoist yourself up and down?

[Ought Six]

Does not anyone see anything even remotely obscene about a huge tree with two big wooden balls hanging from it? :lol:

As for ATSHTF housing, those things are tactical death traps. Any idiot with a match could kill you. Even in normal times, I would be afraid of goobers with rifles taking a potshot at the structure.

[Libertarian]

I don't see it as anymore dangerous than a tree stand. Most hunters aren't "goobers" no matter what TV shows tell us. But I do agree with you about the ATSHTF and the balls being a death trap. Having no back door is bad.

[Delta Lady]

I would love to have one of these (pending acrophobia counseling :) ) but how difficult would it be to climb up there? Not to mention back down. Or do nail a pulley system in and then hoist yourself up and down?

Don't you see the staircase (of sorts) kinda winding up to it?

[SmartAZ]

For the reasons pointed out above, I would suggest you look into ferrocement instead of wood. But if you're smart enough to use ferrocement, you probably would not be making a ball.

If you just like round shapes, go to the library and look up Domebook, Domebook II, and Shelter. Shelter is a review of the domes 10 years later, and Domebook III is one of its chapters.

[Ought Six]

L:"I don't see it as anymore dangerous than a tree stand."Goobers with rifles do not shoot at guys in tree stands. That is something they understand. They may, however, be inclined to take a shot at "that damn hippie tree-hugger house".
----------"Most hunters aren't "goobers" no matter what TV shows tell us."You are correcting me on something I never even implied, much less said. Most hunters are intellegent, responsible people. But can you tell me that you *never* met one of those "shoot at anything that moves" slobs that litters, shoots up 'No Tresspassing - No Hunting' signs, and is generally a stupid arsehole? I have met more than a few of them. Teenage boys with guns and too much time on their hands is another thing you will find roaming the woods sometimes. A few of them also do really dumb things, like shooting at "that damn hippie tree-hugger house". They may not even recognize it as an inhabited structure, especially after finishing off a bottle of Southern Comfort.

I just would feel really exposed being up in a tree in an unusual structure that is almost transparent to bullets. But that is just me.

Now as guest quarters on my own private property; that would be a different matter.

[SmartAZ]

I don't know any hunters. But I can testify that a lot of people will shoot at ANYTHING, reason or no reason.