# Old school cimber needs young gun advice.



## bergertree (Dec 1, 2009)

I've been in the tree business for 30 years. At least 25 full time tree climbing years. My climbing tools are as simple as it gets; simple 4 D saddle, climbing rope with tail tied to my snap. I guess you young guns can call that old school. I take alot of pride doing the job right. Good for the trees, good for the customer, good for my ground crew. As the years creep up on my body, I'm having trouble with my hips aching when I'm sittin my saddle. So I decided to upgrade the old 4 D saddle to a new Buckingham master deluxe. I chose this saddle because I was hoping that the leg straps would run on a different part of my hips. The saddle does this well, BUT I must not have it adjusted very well. When I'm hanging in the saddle, it tries to crush my nuts. This takes a lot of joy out of my work. So here it is, old school needs advice from all you young guns out there using those saddles with legs straps instead of a butt seat. What am I doing wrong, or do all you guys have cast iron balls.


----------



## oldirty (Dec 1, 2009)

loosen up the leg staps? but the best cure for crushed nuts is indeed the bosun seat on the saddle. 

help your climb out too by going onto a split tail system.


----------



## tree MDS (Dec 1, 2009)

"Takes the joy out of my work". lol. I'll bet.

Yeah, I'd loosen em up good, thats what I did when I switched up. Heck, if your like me, you never used to have em anyways, so not a real safety concern.


----------



## davej (Dec 1, 2009)

Sherrill has a tool that will eliminate your problem...

http://www.sherrilltree.com/Professional-Gear/Miscellaneous_2/Blue-Band-It-227


----------



## Treetom (Dec 1, 2009)

davej said:


> Sherrill has a tool that will eliminate your problem...
> 
> http://www.sherrilltree.com/Professional-Gear/Miscellaneous_2/Blue-Band-It-227



Now that is not helping the brother out.


----------



## treevet (Dec 1, 2009)

You may have been happier with the Pinnacle Classic w extra padding and suspenders like I got and I love it. 

Once you start getting the hip pain its tough. You cannot exercise to improve it, you cannot take a steroid shot (in the hip) and often the only answer is retiring to management or getting the hip replaced.


----------



## Jeff_Cochran (Dec 1, 2009)

you must lower the bridge and tighten the leg straps and but strap until you fell like you are going to fall over then tighten up the bridge and loosen leg straps and but straps until stable and upright when you sit in it. the bridge is not a second waist belt; it is adjustable. the waist belt is there to keep you in the harness not the bridge. also use the tie in points on the sides for full mobility. if you have a belly you will want to get the suspenders to keep the belt riding right. oh and your welcome


----------



## treevet (Dec 1, 2009)

suspenders are great just for comfort and esp if you have to use something larger than a ms200. I don't have a belly but have narrow hips and the saddle can slide down.


----------



## treemandan (Dec 1, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> you must lower the bridge and tighten the leg straps and but strap until you fell like you are going to fall over then tighten up the bridge and loosen leg straps and but straps until stable and upright when you sit in it. the bridge is not a second waist belt; it is adjustable. the waist belt is there to keep you in the harness not the bridge. also use the tie in points on the sides for full mobility. if you have a belly you will want to get the suspenders to keep the belt riding right. oh and your welcome



I am really confused now and thanks.


----------



## treemandan (Dec 1, 2009)

oldirty said:


> loosen up the leg staps? but the best cure for crushed nuts is indeed the bosun seat on the saddle.
> 
> help your climb out too by going onto a split tail system.



Probably the best bet.


----------



## Jeff_Cochran (Dec 1, 2009)

treemandan said:


> I am really confused now and thanks.



it's purrty simple if you can follow instructions. 1. throw rope over low crotch that you can sit on without touching trunk or ground. 2. tighten waist belt. 3. tighten leg straps. 4. tighten but straps. 5. tighten bridge. 6. sit in harness. 7. feel nuts crunch. 8. loosen bridge via straps on side of harness. tighten legs straps and but straps. 9. sit on rope. 10. repeat adjusting the bridge lower and lower until center of gravity is high and you are falling backwards when sitting on rope. 11. now reverse the procedure. tightening the bridge mm at a time until your cog is correct and you are sitting upright on the rope with no fatigue. DON'T OVER THINK THIS JUST FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS; I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR SOME OF YOU. IF FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS IS THAT HARD, THEN DON'T PLAY IN TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. :chainsawguy:


----------



## Jeff_Cochran (Dec 1, 2009)

treemandan said:


> probably the best bet.



the best cure for crushed nuts is a properly adjusted saddle. Bosun seats were designed for hip crushing problems. and if you've ever sat on one of your nuts while climbing in a bosun seat you'll agree.


----------



## treevet (Dec 1, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> . Bosun seats were designed for hip crushing problems



I disagree with that opinion....just checked your stats....you're 30 years old, the OP has been climbing for 30 years. This is the source of his hip problems.

It is not the hip crushing, it is the hip pivoting under stress IMO.

PS. Once you got the saddle broke in and adjusted right you may want to try the OD trick and duct tape the adjusters as they will work their way outta adj.


----------



## treemandan (Dec 1, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> it's purrty simple if you can follow instructions. 1. throw rope over low crotch that you can sit on without touching trunk or ground. 2. tighten waist belt. 3. tighten leg straps. 4. tighten but straps. 5. tighten bridge. 6. sit in harness. 7. feel nuts crunch. 8. loosen bridge via straps on side of harness. tighten legs straps and but straps. 9. sit on rope. 10. repeat adjusting the bridge lower and lower until center of gravity is high and you are falling backwards when sitting on rope. 11. now reverse the procedure. tightening the bridge mm at a time until your cog is correct and you are sitting upright on the rope with no fatigue. DON'T OVER THINK THIS JUST FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS; I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR SOME OF YOU. IF FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS IS THAT HARD, THEN DON'T PLAY IN TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. :chainsawguy:



I was just being silly. But , seriously, that is a lot to do. Tighten this , loosen that, bend over, sit on rope... did you say something about a butt strap?


----------



## davej (Dec 1, 2009)

bergertree said:


> I'm having trouble with my hips aching when I'm sittin my saddle. So I decided to upgrade the old 4 D saddle to a new Buckingham master deluxe.



There are also a few saddles which offer a rigid bosun seat, but I don't remember which ones.

Edit:
Oh yeah -- see the Pinnacle saddle in the other thread; "do you prefer leg loops or butt strap saddles?"


----------



## treemandan (Dec 1, 2009)

davej said:


> There are also a few saddles which offer a rigid bosun seat, but I don't remember which ones.



The Cougar is rather stiff. Works good and comfy.


----------



## davej (Dec 1, 2009)

treemandan said:


> The Cougar is rather stiff. Works good and comfy.



Oh yeah, look up the version of the Cougar saddle with the batten seat.


----------



## treemandan (Dec 2, 2009)

davej said:


> Oh yeah, look up the version of the Cougar saddle with the batten seat.



Goes for 300.00 with the seat now.


----------



## treevet (Dec 2, 2009)

I think the hardest thing for me over the years (on the hips) has been slashing off very heavy branches and holding them swinging back and forth (by the butt) until you can get them in position to toss. 

It is esp. hard on the hips in the bucket because you tend to one hand swing and toss even more weight and you are pivoting against the bucket. But it is also hard climbing. Next time you do it try to feel where the stress and strain is going. 

I wouldn't be anywhere without that tech. tho.


----------



## eljefe (Dec 2, 2009)

*Re: Saddle pinch*

Hi, Ouch! Dang. I've never used a B'ham master deluxe but I looked at the several pictures. Probably would depend on your build, but it seems to me with the leg straps buckling so high up close to the bridge that this would be endemic with this saddle. On my Euc Man the buckles are down lower. The strap around the leg is positoned further from the waist belt. Previously, I was using a bosun seat type of saddle that I had stiffened the seat in. The stiffening made it much better, but still 4 hours continuous was, frankly speaking, painful. The Euc Man (Sierra Moreno in Hagerstown, Md) is much more comfortable in all respects I'm sorry to say that since you already own the B'ham that you might never like the way it pinches the pods. Though I would encourage you to follow Jeff's advice and adjust as he suggests. Doing so might make it much better. Good Luck. Eljefe


----------



## treevet (Dec 2, 2009)

Interesting eljefe, I am home on a rain day. I just gave my old Eucman saddle to my gm last week. It was the state of the art way back in the beginning of designer saddles. 

Thought Blair had given up the business but went to SM Merc. and found he has a site under construction and lots of stuff in there to potentially be sold.


----------



## bergertree (Dec 2, 2009)

Hey, just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and idea's (even the u-band it guy). Will try the adjusting process as many times as needed. Would very much like to make this saddle work, BUT will have ice packs ready just in case. Thanks again to everyone. Climb smart, be safe, and may a little extra work fall your way this winter.


----------



## mattfr12 (Dec 3, 2009)

bergertree said:


> I've been in the tree business for 30 years. At least 25 full time tree climbing years. My climbing tools are as simple as it gets; simple 4 D saddle, climbing rope with tail tied to my snap. I guess you young guns can call that old school. I take alot of pride doing the job right. Good for the trees, good for the customer, good for my ground crew. As the years creep up on my body, I'm having trouble with my hips aching when I'm sittin my saddle. So I decided to upgrade the old 4 D saddle to a new Buckingham master deluxe. I chose this saddle because I was hoping that the leg straps would run on a different part of my hips. The saddle does this well, BUT I must not have it adjusted very well. When I'm hanging in the saddle, it tries to crush my nuts. This takes a lot of joy out of my work. So here it is, old school needs advice from all you young guns out there using those saddles with legs straps instead of a butt seat. What am I doing wrong, or do all you guys have cast iron balls.




i cant tell you how many times ive smashed the good old boys like this what a pain to. i think the guys on the ground know when this happens because i start fidgiting around alot going ahhh ahhh then i have to sit for a while and let the pain subside. all part of the experience tho thats half the fun


----------



## eljefe (Dec 3, 2009)

*Re: Saddle Pinch*

Hi, Treevet, I agree the Euc Man is kind of oldy worldy. And it is not, I am sure, the lightest of saddles. However I am more comfortable, both physically and mentally than I was with my old Klein butt strap. For me, I think I chose well. Coincidentally, I went to college in Cincinnati.
To bergertree: is seems you are in Maryland also. If you want to try my Euc Man you are welcome to PM me. I am in the Bethesda area.
Eljefe


----------



## tomtrees58 (Dec 3, 2009)

ol dirty said:


> loosen up the leg straps? but the best cure for crushed nuts is indeed the bosun seat on the saddle. man got to love climbing in biz for 36 years now still climbing 6 days a week my sons like the bucket truck not me its going to happen from time to time tom trees


----------



## tomtrees58 (Dec 3, 2009)

el jefe said:


> Hi, Treevet, I agree the Euc Man is kind of oldly worldly. And it is not, I am sure, the lightest of saddles. However I am more comfortable, both physically and mentally than I was with my old Klein butt strap. For me, I think I chose well. Coincidentally, I went to college in Cincinnati.
> To bergertree: don lives in maryland i climb with a blair or euc man ps i am a sierra moreno mercantila dealer tom trees


----------



## ddhlakebound (Dec 3, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> it's purrty simple if you can follow instructions. 1. throw rope over low crotch that you can sit on without touching trunk or ground. 2. tighten waist belt. 3. tighten leg straps. 4. tighten but straps. 5. tighten bridge. 6. sit in harness. 7. feel nuts crunch. 8. loosen bridge via straps on side of harness. tighten legs straps and but straps. 9. sit on rope. 10. repeat adjusting the bridge lower and lower until center of gravity is high and you are falling backwards when sitting on rope. 11. now reverse the procedure. tightening the bridge mm at a time until your cog is correct and you are sitting upright on the rope with no fatigue. DON'T OVER THINK THIS JUST FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS; I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR SOME OF YOU. IF FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS IS THAT HARD, THEN DON'T PLAY IN TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. :chainsawguy:



Hi Jeff, welcome to the site. 

Now this place has a bunch of basically anonymous e-ego's running around, and it looks like you'll fit right in. But sometimes a little respect is in order....Like when you're talking to someone who's been climbing for as long as you've been alive. 

Now I'm not sayin that your nuts are too big, or too small either, but have you ever considered that peoples bodies are built differently, and what works for one (or you) could create a less than comfortable climb for someone else?

And isn't the purpose of the thread to avoid #7? 

If the same saddle (or adjustment instructions) worked for everyone, there wouldn't be dozens of new and different, totally customizable saddles on the market and in development. 

So thanks for passing on what works for you. But don't go thinking that it'll work for everyone, or that it's the only way to make things work. 

Thats it from me, I'm off to play in traffic....fully instructed of course.

To the OP:

Definitely try out the split tail, it makes life so much easier. When my nuts are getting crunched in my old Buck saddle it's usually cause the let straps are too tight. I know that may mean jack for your saddle, but just keep fiddlin til you find what you like.


----------



## Jeff_Cochran (Dec 3, 2009)

ddhlakebound said:


> Hi Jeff, welcome to the site.
> 
> Now this place has a bunch of basically anonymous e-ego's running around, and it looks like you'll fit right in. But sometimes a little respect is in order....Like when you're talking to someone who's been climbing for as long as you've been alive!
> 
> ...


WOW your that old really! been climbing for years although.... you've probably been doing it wrong all of them. kinda like the guy who just came to work for me that had been climbing 10 years and i had to do an AR on him today from 50' because he was scared to death. funny stuff. if you bother to do any research you'll find those instructions on any saddle with an adjustable bridge. the adjustable bridge adjust cog on anyones body from fat midget to super lanky. so do a little research before you run your head old timer and you might learn something; like mustaches went out with tom sellick and mullets with billy ray. so get a hair cut and shave your face (your wife will love it) and read the manufactures instructions. personally i climb on a motion.


----------



## jefflovstrom (Dec 3, 2009)

:monkey:
Jeff


----------



## jefflovstrom (Dec 3, 2009)

Am I allowed to say " Idiot" ? Just asking.
Jeff


----------



## ddhlakebound (Dec 3, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> WOW your that old really! been climbing for years although.... you've probably been doing it wrong all of them. kinda like the guy who just came to work for me that had been climbing 10 years and i had to do an AR on him today from 50' because he was scared to death. funny stuff. if you bother to do any research you'll find those instructions on any saddle with an adjustable bridge. the adjustable bridge adjust cog on anyones body from fat midget to super lanky. so do a little research before you run your head old timer and you might learn something; like mustaches went out with tom sellick and mullets with billy ray. so get a hair cut and shave your face (your wife will love it) and read the manufactures instructions. personally i climb on a motion.



I'm not that old. I was referring to the original poster, and it certainly seemed to me that you were being a disrespectful punk. 

You're probably right tho, I've been doing it wrong all this time, and never even knew it. Thankfully, we've got a true master here to help now, so go on and tell us all how its done RIGHT. 

Sherrill's site contains NO adjustment instructions for the TreeMotion. But I strongly suspect that the adjustment instructions that come with the saddle don't tell you to tighten until you "feel nuts crunch", or even until you "experience testicular consternation". So perhaps if you're going to pass along manufacturer instructions, it would help to do so accurately. 

BTW....I shave when I want, and she likes it. My hair isn't a mullet....it's all long, and she likes it. 

See that lil red dot you got? It's not from me, but keep up the disrespect in general, and I'll be happily motivated to add some red. 

Oh.....an aerial rescue due to fear? Ten yr vet was so scared he couldn't hold his hitch an rappel down huh? I smell BS, but if it's true, that's a poorer reflection on your hiring and management skills than on his lack of climbing skills.


----------



## Jeff_Cochran (Dec 4, 2009)

never said i was a master. i can read and do research wow. that little red dot is in your fantasy pawpaw. go spike another prune and tell me how great you are. my hiring practices come down to trial runs and he didn't pass the trial and your right he was full of bs. you could come to work for me but first i'd find the thickest nastiest cedar i could find and if you made it through that then i would find a manky forest oak with a crappy tip and long limb walks for tip dead and if you could handle that then you'd probably make my crew


----------



## treevet (Dec 4, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> never said i was a master. i can read and do research wow. that little red dot is in your fantasy pawpaw. go spike another prune and tell me how great you are. my hiring practices come down to trial runs and he didn't pass the trial and your right he was full of bs. you could come to work for me but first i'd find the thickest nastiest cedar i could find and if you made it through that then i would find a manky forest oak with a crappy tip and long limb walks for tip dead and if you could handle that then you'd probably make my crew



You make a lot of assumptions here Cochran.... He is old, he spikes prunes, he'd want to work for you, he's been "doing it wrong all these years".....This is an old established community with relationships and respect that have been earned over the years....

and you walk in with a condescending attitude and a big mouth. That red mark under your name says if you keep it up don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. 

Oh...."and you're welcome".


----------



## southsoundtree (Dec 4, 2009)

Your body is irreplaceable. Clearly you are in it for the long haul. You might consider having a half-day at a well-supplied store that can allow you to sit and twist and reach and hang for a long time in each saddle to see what works best. You'll be in the saddle working for long hours, so take the day as an investment in comfort and long term body care. Try the bosun's seat, butt strap, leg straps, Ergovation, Treemotion, New Tribe, etc. $550 sounds like a lot of money, but you're body is worth it (I've got a glide II, and like it, but think that I'll upgrade for the longterm) Think about it this way...how much do you spend on boots over 5 years? How much on a saddle? 

New school techniques with pulleys on friction savers can save soooooo much effort. SRT and a RADS system as well. Old school gets the job done, clearly. New school is more complicated, but if you take what is applicable to the jobs you do, and run with it. It will become second nature in a short time. Its easier on the body.

Also, think about, and maybe have a video of you climbing to examine to see how ergonomically you are working. This in combination with good gear may be an improvement. 

Some of it might also be wear and tear. Are you rigging much or cut and chuck? For the larger pieces that you can handle, sometimes its just a matter of girth hitching two slings on either side of a cut and clipping with a steel 'biner. Cut it. lower your saw. Get in a good position. and grap the piece, slipping it out of the sling, chuck it and resume. This can help with positions that can be hard on the back as well.


----------



## D Mc (Dec 4, 2009)

SST, good post. 

OP, get this situation taken care of. Don't try to bull through it. It is totally unnecessary and can be remedied.

However, this may require not sticking with the saddle you just purchased. If that turns out to be necessary, do it. Some people seem never to be able to adjust to a leg strap saddle. But don't lump them all together, they have many subtle differences.

I have been climbing for a long time also and I plan on continuing for as long as possible. I can say, if I had not changed my ways to some of the newer systems, I would not still be climbing.

Good luck.

Dave


----------



## tree MDS (Dec 4, 2009)

D Mc said:


> SST, good post.
> 
> OP, get this situation taken care of. Don't try to bull through it. It is totally unnecessary and can be remedied.
> 
> ...


----------



## Jeff_Cochran (Dec 4, 2009)

those were jokes! you guys are way to sensitive! i thought you were a bunch of hardened tree vets not crybaby newbies. jeez louize what a bunch new age politically correct mr sensitives. i'm sorry did i hurt your feelings? let me go take some sensitivity classes and a pc class oh and a creative writing class so that i can impress everyone on here with my class, style, and sensitive replies. NOT! grow up and quit wearing your feelers on your sleeves. it makes me wonder how all you old times and ten, fifteen year vets made it this far and still do tree work. the guys i work with are all a little rough around the edges. i guess i just won't post here anymore if i've caused so many ulcers in such a short amount of time. peace and chicken grease


----------



## jefflovstrom (Dec 4, 2009)

Jeff, You are an Idiot. You should grow-up or find another place to fight. I don't think you realize who you are talking to. Otherwise, stay around and be a :monkey:


----------



## TreeW?rx (Dec 4, 2009)

Wow, I had to read this thread twice just to figure out what the hell was going on. 

To the OP: I also have the deluxe master saddle. I ran in the the nut vice problem also. Really hard to descend out of the tree while trying to pull your nuts out of your butt where they are hiding. Almost every piece of the saddle is adjustable. Take a little time and loosen every strap to its max, then pull them back in till they are comfortable. The leg straps should hit you about mid thigh. Try out several arrangements of the straps. If after doing that the saddle still isnt working for you then you may have to bite the bullet and get a different saddle. I personally love mine and would recommend it every time. But if it doesnt work it worth the pain of keeping it.


----------



## outofmytree (Dec 5, 2009)

bergertree said:


> I've been in the tree business for 30 years. At least 25 full time tree climbing years. My climbing tools are as simple as it gets; simple 4 D saddle, climbing rope with tail tied to my snap. I guess you young guns can call that old school. I take alot of pride doing the job right. Good for the trees, good for the customer, good for my ground crew. As the years creep up on my body, I'm having trouble with my hips aching when I'm sittin my saddle. So I decided to upgrade the old 4 D saddle to a new Buckingham master deluxe. I chose this saddle because I was hoping that the leg straps would run on a different part of my hips. The saddle does this well, BUT I must not have it adjusted very well. When I'm hanging in the saddle, it tries to crush my nuts. This takes a lot of joy out of my work. So here it is, old school needs advice from all you young guns out there using those saddles with legs straps instead of a butt seat. *What am I doing wrong, or do all you guys have cast iron balls*.



I don't know what my balls are made of but they clank when I walk.


----------



## Mr. Woods (Dec 5, 2009)

*regarding hip health*



treevet said:


> You may have been happier with the Pinnacle Classic w extra padding and suspenders like I got and I love it.
> 
> Once you start getting the hip pain its tough. You cannot exercise to improve it, you cannot take a steroid shot (in the hip) and often the only answer is retiring to management or getting the hip replaced.



I'm a registered massage therapist considering getting into arboring (is that a word?)
For all you climbers with hip issues I recommend looking into craniosacral therapy treatments. Definitely give em a try before surgery. And of course not all therapist are created equal so try another if the first doesn't help.

http://www.iahp.com/pages/search/index.php
this link will take you to find a therapist page.

http://www.upledger.com/
this site is the guy who started it all

I also recomment belly dancing and yoga. (just kidding about the belly dancing) but you do need to release all that pressure that your body is holding. Think about it, you're sitting in that sling all day long and your hips are being compacted. Now how long do you try to stretch them out if at all?
Stretch? What's that? That's a word for pain free body. Give it a try.
Happy swinging everyone.


----------



## tree MDS (Dec 5, 2009)

treevet said:


> suspenders are great just for comfort and esp if you have to use something larger than a ms200. I don't have a belly but have narrow hips and the saddle can slide down.



Are you using the buckingham deluxe suspenders TV? 

If so, do you find the padding around the neck to be annoying?


----------



## treevet (Dec 5, 2009)

tree MDS said:


> Are you using the buckingham deluxe suspenders TV?
> 
> If so, do you find the padding around the neck to be annoying?



Yes MDS I have the padded suspenders. I generally only use this saddle and suspenders if I have a long climb of say 4 hours or more and if I am just up and down a lot of trees I use my cheapo saddle. The new saddle is much heavier and harder to slip into and secure.

I think the suspenders are very comfortable esp. if I have a big saw sent up and usually on crane jobs. The big PITA is trying to get the suspenders on correctly behind the neck without being twisted. Once on right it's all good.


----------



## tree MDS (Dec 5, 2009)

treevet said:


> Yes MDS I have the padded suspenders. I generally only use this saddle and suspenders if I have a long climb of say 4 hours or more and if I am just up and down a lot of trees I use my cheapo saddle. The new saddle is much heavier and harder to slip into and secure.
> 
> I think the suspenders are very comfortable esp. if I have a big saw sent up and usually on crane jobs. The big PITA is trying to get the suspenders on correctly behind the neck without being twisted. Once on right it's all good.



Thanks for the info TV.

There is definitely a problem is with my sadddle sliding down (at least with just the d rings supporting me, its fine tied in above). I'm thinking it may be possible that its too big for me (of course theres the no azz thing too). My waist is 32", my saddle is a medium, baileys lists that saddle for a 32" - 36" waist. Maybe I should have waited until I found somewhere to try the small on, they list that as fitting 28" - 32"...


----------



## treevet (Dec 5, 2009)

tree MDS said:


> Thanks for the info TV.
> 
> There is definitely a problem is with my sadddle sliding down (at least with just the d rings supporting me, its fine tied in above). I'm thinking it may be possible that its too big for me (of course theres the no azz thing too). My waist is 32", my saddle is a medium, baileys lists that saddle for a 32" - 36" waist. Maybe I should have waited until I found somewhere to try the small on, they list that as fitting 28" - 32"...



There are other types of suspenders. My Eucman had a set and I have had other ones. The padded one adds weight and costs more. Whatever ....suspenders will cure your problem without any further saddle worries and not buying a new one. You have a good problem, be thankful you're not a fatso. I'll quote some genius I read somewhere...

"Those fat guys ain't gonna make it up there".


----------



## D Mc (Dec 5, 2009)

Tree MDS, Take Tree Vet's advice. Just get some type of suspenders that will work for you. When you are on the edge of a size as you are it generally works out better to go large. The side D ring placement is much more comfortable slightly in front of your hips than on or behind.

Dave


----------



## tree MDS (Dec 5, 2009)

Thanks again D Mc and TV, looks like I'm gonna do the suspender thing. 

Gotta place a sherrill order soon anyhow.


----------



## pdqdl (Dec 5, 2009)

Jeff_Cochran said:


> ... let me go take some sensitivity classes and a pc class oh and a creative writing class so that i can impress everyone on here with my class, style, and sensitive replies. ...



Nah. I like to read a good fight, so go ahead and keep it up. I would prefer that hit a few more of those "extra" buttons on the keyboard, though.

Like the Shift button for capitol letters, and those funny little spotty buttons on the right that enable you to insert punctuation.

Punctuate! It adds expression and force to your arguments. Savvy?


----------



## Treetom (Dec 6, 2009)

bergertree said:


> I've been in the tree business for 30 years. At least 25 full time tree climbing years. My climbing tools are as simple as it gets; simple 4 D saddle, climbing rope with tail tied to my snap. I guess you young guns can call that old school. I take alot of pride doing the job right. Good for the trees, good for the customer, good for my ground crew. As the years creep up on my body, I'm having trouble with my hips aching when I'm sittin my saddle. So I decided to upgrade the old 4 D saddle to a new Buckingham master deluxe. I chose this saddle because I was hoping that the leg straps would run on a different part of my hips. The saddle does this well, BUT I must not have it adjusted very well. When I'm hanging in the saddle, it tries to crush my nuts. This takes a lot of joy out of my work. So here it is, old school needs advice from all you young guns out there using those saddles with legs straps instead of a butt seat. What am I doing wrong, or do all you guys have cast iron balls.




Bergertree, I too have certain pain and discomfort that come with age--mainly herniated disk at L4L5. What worked to alleviate the pain was, first and foremost, not doing what caused the pain, lifting heavy objects and such. Luckily for me, climbing is one of the best strengthening exercices I've found for this condition, keeps the back straight, for the most part, and tightens up the legs, butt and stomach. When work got slow last winter I joined the YMCA
to stay in shape. One of the best workouts for my back was a Yoga class I tried for a couple sessions. I discovered exercises and stretches that strengthen my back and allow me to work around the injury. Still can't lift for long periods, but I don't have to. That's what my employees are for. Sometimes we have to let them do the work. But it sounds like you want to continue to climb. There are many techniques I've learned on this site that have made climbing easier and safer. Good luck with the new saddle, which may somehow provide the answer to your hip pain. And maybe exercise will help with the source of the problem.


----------

