# Getting a line up a 35 meter tree



## luckycharms (Apr 16, 2013)

Hi Folks,

I need to get a line up a 35 meter tree. I work in tropical forests, and I need it so I can raise a string of light sensors up into the canopy. I bought a handheld slingshot and a 12-oz bag attached to 1.75 line. Any idea if I'll be able to shoot it that far? Perhaps a weight and a fishing line will do better - I'm not sure.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

thanks!


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## TheJollyLogger (Apr 16, 2013)

Big Shot, Sherriltree.com. a slingshot won't throw a 12oz that high, and a fishing weight won't be heavy enough to drop back down.


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## imagineero (Apr 17, 2013)

+1

35 metres is 115 feet. If there's a hand held slingshot that will shoot anything up there I'd like to see it. You're going to need a bigshot (8 feet tall slingshot) and possibly a 4 foot extension for it. I'll be needing possibly a 14 ounce throw weight to get the line back to the ground though you may get away with it if it's light line and the branches are not too grippy. You will need multiple attempts to get the line where you want it. If you want the line right up high in the tree you will need (at least) a 200' line. You may get 2 or 3 lines stuck in the tree before hitting what you want, so consider that beforehand if you are unable to climb the tree, and cannot leave lines hanging for whatever reason.

Shaun


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## beastmaster (Apr 24, 2013)

I would use a bow and arrow or crossbow with a fishing spool attached, the kind you shoot through. Check out some videos of people ascending redwoods. Sometimes the first branch isn't for 110 ft.


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## lowandslow (Apr 26, 2013)

*don't ask me*

I struggle to get a line 30 feet up by throwing it


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## Naked Arborist (Apr 29, 2013)

lowandslow said:


> I struggle to get a line 30 feet up by throwing it



I suck a hand tossing to. My accuracy is not good. PVC or CPVC potato gun powered by propane 

Should I start selling them?


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## TheJollyLogger (Apr 29, 2013)

Big shot will send 16 oz throwball 120' - 150' no problem.


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## lowandslow (Apr 30, 2013)

TheJollyLogger said:


> Big shot will send 16 oz throwball 120' - 150' no problem.



Kind of pricey though for a hobby


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## TheJollyLogger (May 2, 2013)

lowandslow said:


> Kind of pricey though for a hobby



A hundred dollars is pricey? Nothin about climbing is cheap, but the bigshot is the best hundred you'll spend.


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## lowandslow (May 2, 2013)

*100 is big money in Iowa*



TheJollyLogger said:


> A hundred dollars is pricey? Nothin about climbing is cheap, but the bigshot is the best hundred you'll spend.



Yeah I'll put one on my wish list I've heard that they work good


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## climb4fun (May 13, 2013)

big shot works great. if your on a super tight budget you can buy a wrist rocket (sling shot) and take it apart, attach the head to an old used broom handle and then run the broom handle down the center of a thick walled pvc tube (8 ft. long). it wont get the range of a bigshot but its a cheap way to get started. cost you about $30 to make it. for your throwline, you can use the heavier grade mason's line, cost about $10 for 500 ft. before i was willing to invest any real money in climbing i just figured out how to make things for cheap that would serve the same function. it works just fine but the investment into the quality gear that is intended to do the job, is worth it. longer range, better accuracy and lines that dont snap/snag/tangle as easily save headaches.


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## KevinJenkins (May 15, 2013)

Sorry mate, I'm not too sure how you would be able to do this, but the larger slingshots sound about right, and something heavier that a fishing weight would definitely be advisable seeing as this is a 35 foot tree, would it be better to have some sort of old weight on there that won't be so easily caught?


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## climb4fun (May 15, 2013)

KevinJenkins said:


> Sorry mate, I'm not too sure how you would be able to do this, but the larger slingshots sound about right, and something heavier that a fishing weight would definitely be advisable seeing as this is a 35 foot tree, would it be better to have some sort of old weight on there that won't be so easily caught?



35 meters bud, about 115 ft.


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## lowandslow (May 15, 2013)

*metric is hard*



climb4fun said:


> 35 meters bud, about 115 ft.



Meter! WTF!


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## fubar2 (May 27, 2013)

I don't deal in meters but anybody who is half proficient with a bow should be capable of doing it with one shot, crossbow would make it even easier.


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## imagineero (May 27, 2013)

TheJollyLogger said:


> Big shot will send 16 oz throwball 120' - 150' no problem.



I gotta disagree there. I've had my big shot completely maxed out, with 12' I pole an two guys launching it, and never seen anything close to 150', even with a 12 oz weight. To say 120' is no problem, is an exaggeration. I think you'd be seriously pushing it to reach 100' with a 16 oz. I'm happy to be proved wrong, but I'd want to see video, with both ends of a 200' throw line off the ground before I'd believe it. 

Shaun


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## TheJollyLogger (May 27, 2013)

imagineero said:


> I gotta disagree there. I've had my big shot completely maxed out, with 12' I pole an two guys launching it, and never seen anything close to 150', even with a 12 oz weight. To say 120' is no problem, is an exaggeration. I think you'd be seriously pushing it to reach 100' with a 16 oz. I'm happy to be proved wrong, but I'd want to see video, with both ends of a 200' throw line off the ground before I'd believe it.
> 
> Shaun



I don't even have a bigshot anymore, Shaun. All the trees around Georgetown are so small. I rarely have to set a line more than 60' these days. But in Kingwood after Ike we had some good solid 110-120' Loblollies that we would launch right over if we weren't careful. Do you have a new or old style? I like the new style better, feel like I get better height and accuracy. How old are your straps? Oh, and this was with Slickline, that really thin waxy line. Jeff.


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## bootboy (Jun 2, 2013)

Home-made Pneumatic launcher.


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## lowandslow (Jun 3, 2013)

*got pics?*

That's what I need, plus I like to make things, it cost's more and they tend not to work, BONUS!


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## Treepedo (Jun 15, 2013)

BigShot and RopeKnight.
1/2 the battle is the shot and to win the war RopeKnight has all the right stuff!

Tree Stuff - Rope Armor Access System


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## bcaarms (Oct 19, 2015)

lowandslow said:


> Kind of pricey though for a hobby


 There are lots of fun things to do with one's time. In order for them to be considered a hobby, they have to be expensive and time consuming. As hobbies go, climbing is not bad on the expense scale. SCUBA, Soaring, target shooting, and Cars all run higher in the cost column.


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## Fireaxman (Oct 27, 2015)

Naked Arborist said:


> I suck a hand tossing to. My accuracy is not good. PVC or CPVC potato gun powered by propane
> 
> Should I start selling them?


+1. Works Great. We used hair spray to power the potato gun, wrapped enough rags under the 16 Oz throwback to fill the bore of the gun nice and snug. Our first shot threw the weight bag completely over the top of a 100 foot loblolly. Great Fun!


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## James Green (Nov 30, 2015)

I am afraid people are right!


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## GilksTreeFelling (Dec 11, 2015)

Highly trained midgets borrowed from the circus? The crossbow with fishing spool is probably the easiest most accurate 

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk


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## Dshurak (Jan 2, 2016)

nscoyote said:


> Highly trained midgets borrowed from the circus?



Midgets....


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## Toronado3800 (Jan 21, 2016)

How much $$$ do the bowfishermen have tied up in their gear? For this purpose you can probably use lighter line to increase distance.


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## Fireaxman (Feb 22, 2016)

I used a bow for a while until I got the Big Shot. Very accurate, and Great range, but had a lot of trouble making the arrow heavy enough to fall through the canopy to the ground. Pulled the knock and filled an aluminum shaft with bird shot to get as much weight as I could, but it still hung up in the canopy a lot. I can get 100 feet from the Big Shot with decent rubber and a 16 oz bag, and that is what I usually use. With a good potatoe gun and professional hair spray as a propellant, 200 feet with a 16 oz bag is No Problem!


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