# sore ankles and gaffs



## adirondackhick (May 6, 2008)

any remedies for not bruising inside of ankles like crazy with the gaffs while in the tree. I was on a trimming job for a few hours yesterday, 1st time in years up the tree, ankles are real bruised..
Thanks


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## kennertree (May 6, 2008)

adirondackhick said:


> any remedies for not bruising inside of ankles like crazy with the gaffs while in the tree. I was on a trimming job for a few hours yesterday, 1st time in years up the tree, ankles are real bruised..
> Thanks



No need for spikes. If you don't wear them they won't hurt your ankles. The tree will like it better too.


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## arbor pro (May 6, 2008)

adirondackhick said:


> any remedies for not bruising inside of ankles like crazy with the gaffs while in the tree. I was on a trimming job for a few hours yesterday, 1st time in years up the tree, ankles are real bruised..
> Thanks



No remedy, just advise - don't wear gaffs for pruning jobs. It's bad for the cambium tissue of the tree. Gaffs are only for removal jobs.

That said, I seldom wear gaffs because they kill my shins and ankles too. I think I'm wearing them properly but, man, do they hurt my shins after an hour in a tree!


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## Blakesmaster (May 6, 2008)

Something I learned off this sight a month or two back was to take the strap that wraps around your boot and before you buckle it simply take an extra wrap around the steel on the spikes by your ankle. Not only does this help hold your spike in place but it puts some leather between the metal and your ankle. Way more comfortable.


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## 2FatGuys (May 6, 2008)

adirondackhick said:


> any remedies for not bruising inside of ankles like crazy with the gaffs while in the tree. I was on a trimming job for a few hours yesterday, 1st time in years up the tree, ankles are real bruised..
> Thanks



NO GAFFS ON PRUNE JOBS!

Other than that, use proper boots and proper pads.


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## adirondackhick (May 6, 2008)

thanks everyone...... had to use gaffs. 50 feet up pine trees taking dead limbs on a wooded lot. But the wrap around with ankle strap for extra cushion does sound good. talk to you guys another time.


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## Mikecutstrees (May 6, 2008)

get better pads.....


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## scubadude1188 (May 7, 2008)

I'd have to say I disagree that you had to used gaffs because I've climbed plenty of pines to prune them and never needed gaffs. I didn't see the tree and I didn't climb so I can't say too much but thats just what I think. Just use a cambium saver for your climbing line so it doesn't slip off a branch or dig into the soft pine branches.


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## Canyonbc (May 8, 2008)

I am not going to chyme in on the whole gaff thing...i think we all can agree in 99 percent of the situations out there gaffs arent acceptable...

With that said...

As anyone tried using something like sold as WesSpur 

http://www.wesspur.com/Spurs/spur_accessories.html

The leather shank pads...about half way down the page, sold for $ 13.50 

I have the Buckingham catalog and i know they have some things in there too for ancle protection..however i think its the shank pads...

Hope this helps.

Mike


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## oldirty (May 8, 2008)

Canyonbc said:


> I am not going to chyme in on the whole gaff thing...i think we all can agree in 99 percent of the situations out there gaffs arent acceptable...
> 
> With that said...
> 
> ...





i got a pair on my old spikes. i bought them by accident, thinking they were something else.

i put them on anyway so that i wouldnt have been wasting that money. 

any difference you ask? i didnt notice anything.


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## joesawer (May 10, 2008)

Different people have different shaped legs and ankles. Buckingham makes different shaped climbers for people who have trouble with the straight shank.
If you are using Kline cimbers with tree length gaffs, they are going to hurt your legs.


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## (WLL) (May 10, 2008)

get the geko 2's and save your ankles


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## Industry (May 10, 2008)

Love my Gecko 2s.


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## Bermie (May 11, 2008)

I have the Bashlin offset shanks, regular leather pads, never a problem with ankles or shins...I do the wrap around the shank thing, keeps everything snug. I wear good solid chainsaw protective boots too.

No spikes on prunes...prunes have really thin skins, can't hold your weight, and anyway they make better juice if squeezed....opcorn:


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## Bermie (May 13, 2008)

What...was my joke so bad it brought this thread to a screeching halt???
Prune juice is good for that too you know.


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## oldirty (May 13, 2008)

so is coffee and they both do the samething right?

rather have coffee!

lol


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## (WLL) (May 13, 2008)

dang them are the biggest set of kankles iv ever seen:hmm3grin2orange:


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## geocom (May 26, 2008)

*Don't laugh to hard*

when I went to climbing school for telecommunications we had 4 weeks of training and almost all of it was on the poles after a few days I got huge raw spots that were rubbed raw from the pads and straps.

asked my instructor he reached into his desk drawer and said here you go and gave me some maxi pads I thought he was joking and giving me crap but he started to explain put some neosporin on the wound then maxi pad over that and the put your gaffs on,, worked like a charm lol 

I really thought he was kidding at first but like I said it worked


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## bluebuddhist (Jun 1, 2008)

Some spikes have optional foot plates that save your soles and transfer much of the weight from the instep and shin directly onto the footplate. It's not much more difficult than standing on the ground. They are expensive though. An additional 50% -75% the cost of spikes alone.


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## tomtrees58 (Jun 1, 2008)

adirondackhick said:


> any remedies for not bruising inside of ankles like crazy with the gaffs while in the tree. I was on a trimming job for a few hours yesterday, 1st time in years up the tree, ankles are real bruised..
> Thanks



?? hey leave the tree work to us pros you do not spike trees pruning tom trees


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## Ted-RI (Jun 1, 2008)

adirondackhick said:


> thanks everyone...... had to use gaffs. 50 feet up pine trees taking dead limbs on a wooded lot. But the wrap around with ankle strap for extra cushion does sound good. talk to you guys another time.



Why did you have to use gaffs?


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## pbtree (Jun 5, 2008)

Blakesmaster said:


> Something I learned off this sight a month or two back was to take the strap that wraps around your boot and before you buckle it simply take an extra wrap around the steel on the spikes by your ankle. Not only does this help hold your spike in place but it puts some leather between the metal and your ankle. Way more comfortable.



Exactly!


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