# What's on yur saddle?



## MasterBlaster (Sep 12, 2004)

NYSawBoss was telling me what he carried on his saddle, and I was wondering about everyone else. This has been discussed before, but I don't recall a thread devoted to it.

On my right side I have a 12 ft lanyardwith a Gibbs, my climbing rope, and my handsaw. And my smokes/lighter.
On my left is my 200.

Thats Zen Climbing for ya!


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## Bradley (Sep 12, 2004)

8' steel core w/micrograb on left. 

Figure eight, redirect sling, extra hitch cord and pulley, 2-3 biners, 4' web sling, cmi pulley etc. on rear. This may change depending on what I'm doing. I may add more or take some out. 020 goes on right or left depending on which side I make a cut on last. Handsaw is on right if I take it.

Nalgene bottle on back if it's hot.


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## Tree Trimmer (Sep 12, 2004)

My flipline and micrograb go on my right dee. The Echo goes on the right fixed caribiner via a bungee lanyard.

My climbing line goes on my left fixed 'biner and an extra steel biner goes on the back left ring. I also have a Gerber gator in its sheath on the back of my saddle belt. There's only been two occasions that I needed it up the tree, but when I did it was great to have it.

The zubat goes in a leg scabbard. I never leave the ground without it.

TT


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## BigJohn (Sep 12, 2004)

left side is 9' lanyard tied with a prussic with bulldog and zubat rightside nothing, in the rear I have one 8 oz throw ball on a tiny little biner. What more could you want?


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## blue (Sep 12, 2004)

petzl grillon on right side,zubat on left.that's it,apart from rope in the middle


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## Tim Gardner (Sep 12, 2004)

Butch, how do you walk from tree to tree without tripping on your lanyard? Anything over 10’ and I have to hold it while walking. 

10’ lanyard, Zubat, figure 8, water bottle (my design), friction saver, Petzl Shunt (for footlock or double TIP), pulley with biner and braided loop runner, saw leash. All that and my saddle weigh only 9 lbs. The same as my climbing saw.


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## MasterBlaster (Sep 12, 2004)

I tie it in a double knot coil thingy. It hangs a little lower than my scabbard.


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## wct4life (Sep 12, 2004)

Front, two krabs. Right side, laynyard. Right side rear, 2 4' loop runners. Center rear, figure 8 with krab. left side, Echo 341. right leg, 13" hand saw. 

Sometimes, I switch things around depending on what I'm doing in the tree.


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## Nickrosis (Sep 12, 2004)

In on the 1st page!

Lanyard on right or left. Handsaw on right. Anything else I need for that specific situation goes on the left.


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## rumination (Sep 12, 2004)

12 ft lanyard and zubat on the right side. Figure 8 and extra triple lock biner in the back. Occasionally a 4 ft loop runner or two depending on the job. Echo 340 on the left side. Usually one extra misc non locking biner on there somewhere just in case.


Oh, except that yesterday my Zubat scabbard broke (the piece of poop clip thingy) while I was timming above some dense vines and underbrush. Couldn't fine the darn thing to save my life. 



Oh well, I guess this gives me the opportunity to try out the new Silky Tree Tiger handsaw.


Edit: Crap! Just looked at the Silky forum and saw that the TreeTiger and even the new scabbard for the Zubat won't be available until the end of October. I gotta have a handsaw now! Shucks, I was hoping for a new tool.


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## Stumper (Sep 12, 2004)

11 ft lanyard on right with tail daisy-chained. Handsaw and scabbard also on right along with a couple of 'biners and a 9 ft piece of 3/8ths rope with eyesplice on one end (girthhitched in the middle so that it hangs short).

Center rear: locking biner and figure eight

Left : chainsaw on a 4.5ft lanyard The lanyard is set up so that I can clip short, let the saw hang (for blocking down a spar) or unclip the saw.


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## rumination (Sep 12, 2004)

Stumper,

What do you generally use that piece of 3/8ths rope for?


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## jkrueger (Sep 12, 2004)

Left side; Zubat, some web loops with biners, and a figure-8.
Right side; My 18' lanyard with a VT Knunt hitch, (coiled to a standard lanyard length with a version of the gasket hitch.) Also, a place for the climbing chain saw and bungee when I need it and a few xtra biners.

I'm going to start taking my small throw bag pouch for bigger, spreading trees. 

Jack


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## rborist1 (Sep 12, 2004)

:Eye:


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## jkrueger (Sep 12, 2004)

> _Originally posted by rborist1 _
> *Am I the only one who carries a first aid kit on my belt? Whats up with you guys................... *



Thanks, I keep forgeting to get one. Next order.

Jack


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## Stumper (Sep 12, 2004)

Leon, The 3/8ths is for the stuff that Brian uses looprunners for. A slung 'biner redirect. Catching a large piece so that you can grab w/both hands to pitch it out etc. On some trees I'll carry several of those and use them to lower stuff and recover my rope (working alone without someone to untie knots) just leave the slings and 'biners on the ground and pull one end of the lowering rope through. In the right situation they work for zip lining branches to the gate too.


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## rborist1 (Sep 12, 2004)

:Eye:


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## jkrueger (Sep 12, 2004)

Rocky,

I think those first aid kits are for ground crew to assist you after rescue of something 'bad'.

Come to think of it, ..., I work alone most of the time. What good would it be? Oh well, I'll still get one.

Last week a was working with a fist of napkins to keep the Zubat cut from running blood down the rope. 

Jack


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## SteveBullman (Sep 12, 2004)

i have my first aid kit taped to the inside of my helmet


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## John Stewart (Sep 12, 2004)

Hey
12ft steel core with a microascender on my left.
Corona on my right.
2 loop runners with a screwgate aluminum biner on each, one is 6 foot and one is 4 foot.
Later
John


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## MasterBlaster (Sep 12, 2004)

> _Originally posted by stephenbullman _
> *i have my first aid kit taped to the inside of my helmet *



Someone said that decreased the effectiveness of the hardhat.

I don't bleeb it.


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## SteveBullman (Sep 12, 2004)

i've heard that mb
in fact i believe over here its illegal to stick anthing to your helmet


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## jamie (Sep 12, 2004)

*ok*

4 karabiners.....

thats it, 

anything that is needed for a job gets stuck on as and when required, 

i would have more toys but being skint and relying on teh gaffer to supply kit means i work with what he provides....bugger.

jamie


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## NYSawBoss (Sep 12, 2004)

*my schtick*

8 foot double thread lanyard on left side, ditty bag left rear with smokes/lighter, tree climbers companion, throw line and the occasional cold beverage. 24 inch loop runner and a non locking biner for redirects, 12oz throw bag, my echo cs-340 on right side, and a spare double locking biner for double tie in points. I know i still haven't added a hand saw, but i'm waiting for that new silky tiger saw. 

ps. i am a rookie climber so as i get better at it i will remove the TCC from my ditty bag. 

Anthony


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## NYSawBoss (Sep 12, 2004)

*while we're chatting*

any reccomendations on a good lanyard system. i have your traditional double rope snap with a prusik knot lanyard. Dont like it one bit. I was looking into either grillion or micro grab or gibbs with 1/2 inch 12 or 16 strand. i have used the 2 in 1 lanyard and it's pretty versatile...still though something mechanically adjustable may be better. Any advice fellas. 

anthony


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## MasterBlaster (Sep 12, 2004)

I prefer the Gibbs, Anthony.


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## Tom Dunlap (Sep 12, 2004)

Lanyards and adjusters have been thrashed regularly. Like most ideas, there are two or more camps. With lanyards it falls into mechanical adjusers or hitches. Take a look at these ideas:

http://www.mytreelessons.com/Lanyard.html

Using the d-ring as the slack tender makes for a really compact, light weight, inexpensive, quick action adjuster. It only costs as much as the cord. No extra pieces to fiddle with. 

Many of the climbers at work have converted and like the action. It works best with small side d-rings. If you have medium or large you need to pull slack out to the side, not straight back. If you pull back the hitch will invert.

My saddle has a pouch for ascender system/Pantin, Saddle Emergency Kit from Fresco, https://ecomecs.securesites.com/cgi...8-35889&WSC1037031288-18053&1037031439-20330, 5/8" spectra daisy chain with biner, 5/8"x24" Spectra sling. DEDA lanyard.


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## Dadatwins (Sep 12, 2004)

10 ft laynard 5/8 3 strand with a prusic attached right side with 13" fanno ( like the wrap around handle better than silky) 200T on my left attached to short strap. Also have large ladder hook on left side for bigger saws, snaps directly onto handle. Have to agree with Rocky on the first aid kit on the belt, band aids don't make it long in this biz, if I ever get cut bad enough to need it I will be coming down to get the napkins and duck tape.


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## Husky288XP (Sep 12, 2004)

On the left I carry one 10 ft. flipline, one 6 ft. buckstrap, and my echo. The right has my zubat and my climbing line, if gaffing a pine tree or what not.


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## Tim Gardner (Sep 12, 2004)

I prefer 3/4” electrical tape as my “first aid kit”. It is easier to get your fingers to bend than the wider duct tape. I do keep a 1 1/2” roll just in case.

Justin, I have been chaining up a 10’ length of 3/8” regatta braid that I put an eye splice in to put on my saddle. Every time I go to climb I think “no I will not need this” and throw it back in the box. Your post has made me feel much better about using it. Thank you. Been working with the cow hitch without the eye splice in it when a loop runner is too long and too short to get the pulley tight against the limbs.


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## okietreedude1 (Sep 12, 2004)

I have a 8' microjusting lanyard and zubat on the left. on the right is the chainsaw. back right is a 30" runner on a dmm boa biner. rope goes in the middle.

I used to climb w/ both saws on the right but my saw leach in combo w/ my mast2 wont let me do that now.


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## OutOnaLimb (Sep 13, 2004)

Left D-ring holds my lanyard, an 8ft split tail with gibbs ascender. Left back loop holds 2 aluminum screw gate biners, and keychain biner w/cmi micro pulley, I dont like the way loop runners tend to hang up on every little thing, so I put 2 18" and 2 12" loop runners in an old army M16 ammo pouch on the back left of my saddle. In that pouch I also cary a first aid kit and pressure dressing and a throw bag with about 20ft of line. The zubat also goes on the left side. I hang the 200 on the right side with a dog leash lanyard and clip the saw to a small clip to keep it from dangling around. I usually tie in with a tress cord and a swabisch With a petzl micro pulley, and have my groundie tend the slack as I hip thrust up, If I foot lock up the rope snap, tress cord, biner and pulley go on the right side next to the saw. I keep two steel biners on the back right side, most of the time I use one of these to rappell down using a munter hitch. This leaves a rope in the top of a spar so we can pull it over. My saddle weighs a ton, Im looking into getting another one. My Weaver floating D wide back is rugged as all get out, but its bulky and heavy, Im lookin into gettin the Ness or Pro-Versitile.

Kenn


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## Sep (Sep 13, 2004)

On my saddle, on the left side I have a 11ft long lanyard out of 7/16 KMIII with a 4 over 3 self tending vt, tied directly to side D ring (Thanks Tom for the tip). In the back a loop runner and carabiner. I recently put my zubot on my leg, its much easier to put it away there and doesn't get hung up like when it is free hanging off saddle.

-Sep


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## MasterBlaster (Sep 13, 2004)

I hafta try that leg scabbard out.


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## John Stewart (Sep 13, 2004)

> _Originally posted by MasterBlaster _
> *I hafta try that leg scabbard out. *



Hey Butch
I tried it and it kept gettin caught when I stepped through branches and the handle liked to snag on twigs and get pulled out
But dont let that discourage you give it a try, you might like it!
Later
John


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## wct4life (Sep 13, 2004)

> I hafta try that leg scabbard out.



I'm a big fan. Got tired of my laynard getting caught on the saw handle. Also, it was akward to get the saw out with all the other crap around. On the leg seems more natural.


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## ORclimber (Sep 13, 2004)

12' steel core and saw lanyard on the right, climb line and friction hitch(if it isn't set in the tree), zubat, 2+ loop runners on left. Will add a second steel core w/gibbs for spar work.


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## NickfromWI (Sep 13, 2004)

Lou, my first boss once said, "Makes sense to keep the cutting tools on one side and the climbing tools on the other." Made sense to me, too. I usually have a nine foot lanyard on the left side and keep my chainsaw on the right. Leg scabbard for the Zubat on the right leg. FWIW, when I leg-scabbarded the Corona, it hooked all sorts of branches, but when I switched to the Zubat, it's more curved handle didn't catch as many branches.

On the back left side I keep...
1- The red ball to retrieve the Rope Guide
2- Super loud emergency whistle (it's tiny)
3- Gerber multi tool
4- A watch, permantently attached to my saddle and an alarm sounds every day at noon.

I clip all other climbing and rigging gear mostly on the back right side.

love
nick


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## rahtreelimbs (Sep 13, 2004)

On the new Butterfly II I have a 10 ft. lanyard with a knut hitch tied directly to the d-ring. On the right is my Zubat and climbing saw of choice. On the back 2 loop runners, an extra tress cord, 14 oz. throw bag and the occasional water bottle.


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## biker (Sep 13, 2004)

On my left is a two in one 8' flip line, aluminum snaps on each end. Prussic and micro pulley to take up the slack, also my 13" pony say. On my right is my trusty o20. Those are my basics, if I need more gear I always have groundmen to tie it on. (How does that knot go again)


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## MasterBlaster (Sep 13, 2004)

*Haha!!!*



> _Originally posted by biker _
> * (How does that knot go again) *



For sure! 

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9853&highlight=Bowline+Mindblock


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## TreeJunkie (Sep 13, 2004)

Bfly1 w/ 8 foot lanyard w/ special red snap (hard to find) hooked up w/ knut to right side d. 2 Petzl Caritools one on each side. Bungee saw lanyard hooked up to my right side, just behind the caritool. Bungee hooks to yates screamer, and 200t hangs from caritool on the right. on back i have one short loopie maybe 48" loop runner equivelant; it's made of 1/4" tenex: used for redirect; using HMS ball lock biner w/ that. Left side I have line mug which carries extra cord/pulley/biner, also contained is my Footlocker/lanyard. hanging from a non locking biner i have a false crotch and a retrieval ball for it. Just behind this i have a 16oz. throwbag w/ accessorie biner. That about it besides up front i have ISC captive eye biner fixed upon the bridge, also a hms ball lock, cmi micropulley and prusik cord. I carry my Zubat on the right leg. And that's about it on a regular basis. The rope guide comes along on the back for removals and for long prunes. Extra rigging supplies come on board as needed.


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## a_lopa (Sep 13, 2004)

i have lanyard on my right, saw strap and 026 on da back.h/v with english prussic one biner,if i got to have 2 tie ins i use a taughtline always good to be able to tie a taught,if you burn your prussic out you can still get down,not that ive ever had to


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## a_lopa (Sep 14, 2004)

my kit


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## OutOnaLimb (Sep 14, 2004)

Hey thats pretty slick Glens, I have a lanyard that I made kinda like that except I use a tress cord and a Swabisch with a micro pulley to tend it. I may try that one out some time.

Kenn


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## Tom Dunlap (Sep 15, 2004)

Glen,

Is the cord that you tied to the d-ring acting like a slack tender? 

What size d-rings do you have? If they're large, does your cord keep the lanyard and hithc fair so that they don't invert?

Does the hitch stay snug?

I wonder if wire ties might accomplish the same thing.

Tom


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## arboromega (Sep 15, 2004)

10'lanyard and cmi ascender on my left.
1 non lock bine and 1 screw gate with a fig 8 on back.
one keychain binder with water bottle on back.
echo cs340 with 50" lanyard on right
zubat on right leg in scabbard.
two petzel tri act biners with ultratech prussic on front drings


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## dbeck (Sep 16, 2004)

I prety much use the same b'ness you guys are using, but I use 3/8" loopies instead of loop runners...more versatile and quite srong. Ms200 at work, 335 husky on my time. I prefer husky saw for the handles - otherwise both are great saws. Always have second splitail for the occaisional double crotch and maybe a double micropulley for frictionless redirects while climbing...


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## rumination (Sep 17, 2004)

I betcha it would work even better if the microcender was on the right way.


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## a_lopa (Sep 17, 2004)

ha yeah your right


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## a_lopa (Sep 17, 2004)

invisible whipping


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## a_lopa (Sep 17, 2004)

thanks glen


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## Dadatwins (Sep 17, 2004)

Hey aussie, why not try some plastic wedges, those metal ones look like they have seen some real action. And the plastic is easier on the saw chain if you accidently hit one.


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## a_lopa (Sep 17, 2004)

ive used plastic wedges,there not in the same class,them wedges are years old and dont do much damage to a chain.my lead climber made me the lanyard.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 3, 2004)

New lanyard i spliced on this morning, before going to work. Worked awesome, and by adding the shackle where i did, i doubt the hitch will want to pull through th d as much.

Oh yeah, and couldn't be happier w/ the Caritool. Perfect match for the bfly.


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## Tree Machine (Nov 3, 2004)

of late, no slings on the saddle in this shot.


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## Nickrosis (Nov 30, 2004)

I see you resized the image.


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