# Flipline,Gibbs ascender,or safety lanyard??



## Timberhauler (Feb 25, 2007)

It's pouring down rain here,the house is clean,nothing on TV so I've got nothing to do but hang out here....I've always wanted to post this,but it keeps slipping my mind..I prefer a Gibbs ascender and a safety lanyard for climbing on spikes during removals...The saftey lanyard for when I'm going around limbs,I can stay hooked in,the ascender I like,because it's very easy to adjust it with one hand...What are some of you guys using?And why,what makes you like it better than any other device?


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## beowulf343 (Feb 25, 2007)

Use my climbing line with a blakes and split-tail as my main lanyard. A flip line with a prussic and micropully as a second lanyard for going around branches. Never could get into the gibbs-just couldn't seem to trust it like I can a knot. Both the blakes and prussic are rigged for one hand adjustment so no problems there. Plus out of habit I always tie my split tail on the right side so my climbing line unhooks on the left and my flipline always gets carried on my left side and unhooks on the right-it just helps me keep absolutely clear in my mind which one i'm unhooking. Safety lanyards always seem too short for my use. Also usually carry just a simple adjustable buckstrap attached at the back right of my saddle, running over my shoulder, and attached to the front left of the saddle-helps to hold my saddle up when carrying heavy saws, and can be easily unhooked and used as a third lanyard when needed.


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## Soul Assassin (Feb 26, 2007)

I tie in with the srt, using a split tail with a micro-pulley (fair leed), Blakes hitch, ascending and descending...and a steel core work positioning lanyard backup always , Gibbs ascender on lanyard...and of course the pantin.


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## Bermie (Feb 27, 2007)

I built a 20' safety lanyard last week, the extra length makes it usable as a 'mini' climbing line for those longer reach situations and redirects. Great for coming back from a long limbwalk too.
I climbed last week with spikes, main line, safety lanyard and wire core. I was waaay up (70') over power lines (turned off) with like 15 guys watching, belco guys, landscapers, bystanders...use whatever you need to be safe and secure! 
All my kit has friction hitches, micro pulleys on the lanyards, not keen on ascenders.


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## MURPHYTREE (Mar 2, 2007)

*ascenders /climbing knots*

The Petzl Grillon is the best flip line ascender. Ive used the them all ,I recommend you try it.Its small and its all one handed to tighten and loosen.You do not have to lean foward to take your weight off it before adjusting.You can just lean back and hold the device at the same time to give you more space or the opposite to tighten up. Hope this makes sense,tough to explain. Highly recommend them.As far as climbing knots,I use the ??Machard truss???/or I think its also called the french prussic w, micro pulley in middle for prunning.I just get 9mm cord for it .Very fast , reliable and easy to move around with it. Blakes hitch is a solid knot for removals and crane work. just my own opinion as usual , be safe


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## 046 (Mar 2, 2007)

split tail with blakes and DEDA


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## Timberhauler (Mar 2, 2007)

MURPHYTREE said:


> The Petzl Grillon is the best flip line ascender. Ive used the them all ,I recommend you try it.Its small and its all one handed to tighten and loosen.You do not have to lean foward to take your weight off it before adjusting.You can just lean back and hold the device at the same time to give you more space or the opposite to tighten up. Hope this makes sense,tough to explain. Highly recommend them.As far as climbing knots,I use the ??Machard truss???/or I think its also called the french prussic w, micro pulley in middle for prunning.I just get 9mm cord for it .Very fast , reliable and easy to move around with it. Blakes hitch is a solid knot for removals and crane work. just my own opinion as usual , be safe



I know alot of people are switching to it,but I have never been able to make myself comfortable using the blakes hitch.I've tried it a few times.One day I was using it,and was walking out on a limb.I had probably about half of my body weight on the rope as I was advancing it as I went out...I was basically using the rope for balance.The limb I was walking slanted down.That blakes hitch slid,causing me to loose my balance and fall off of the limb,and swing back into the trunk.I have not used that hitch since.I just use the "old school" taunt line hitch....I'm using the gibbs ascender with a wire core flip line for removals,and when I'm near a power line,I've just always used a 3n1 safety lanyard...As mentioned before,the biggest thing I hate about the 3n1 is that the prussic on it most always binds up at the most awkward times,and it takes two hands to adjust it...I'm really enjoying hearing some of the set-ups that some of you guys are using.I am always looking for something safer and better.I really appreciate the input.


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## treesandsurf (Mar 2, 2007)

sounds like you might not have had the blake's set properly, when it's tied and set correctly it won't slip. in fact, the tautline slips more than the blakes. 

as for the lanyard, I use a 8' 1/2" climbing line and a petzl microcender.. .works well for me

jp


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## lync (Mar 3, 2007)

5/16 bee line/vt/ micro pully/samson climbing line about 15 ft/locking snap. Thats my lanyard, releases under load, one hand adjustable. When it wears out, or gets sticky from sap the hardware gets reused. Very inexpensive and works great.
corey


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## Timberhauler (Mar 3, 2007)

treesandsurf said:


> sounds like you might not have had the blake's set properly, when it's tied and set correctly it won't slip. in fact, the tautline slips more than the blakes.
> 
> as for the lanyard, I use a 8' 1/2" climbing line and a petzl microcender.. .works well for me
> 
> jp



That could be...I just saw it in an illustration and tried it.I never really had anyone show me how it was supposed to be done.


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## rahtreelimbs (Mar 3, 2007)

Timberhauler...........you should really take a look at a closed system advanced climbing hitch like the VT or Knut. Once you climb on them a tautline or blakes seems antiquated!!!


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## Timberhauler (Mar 3, 2007)

rahtreelimbs said:


> Timberhauler...........you should really take a look at a closed system advanced climbing hitch like the VT or Knut. Once you climb on them a tautline or blakes seems antiquated!!!



It's worth a try...I'm always open to new ideas.


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## DonnyO (Mar 4, 2007)

*so............*

this question comes up all of the time. I've never replied but felt it was my duty to do so now........... 

My lanyard is 8ft with a spliced eye and an aluminum double action snap. I tied a Distel hitch out of 7mm prussic cord directly onto my D ring, ran the lanyard through a twisted clevis and anchored to the clevis, to the D. I always used a petzl fixe and a biner before, but the clevis is smaller and lighter and of course cheaper!


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## rahtreelimbs (Mar 4, 2007)

DonnyO said:


> this question comes up all of the time. I've never replied but felt it was my duty to do so now...........
> 
> My lanyard is 8ft with a spliced eye and an aluminum double action snap. I tied a Distel hitch out of 7mm prussic cord directly onto my D ring, ran the lanyard through a twisted clevis and anchored to the clevis, to the D. I always used a petzl fixe and a biner before, but the clevis is smaller and lighter and of course cheaper!




Why the extensions on the lower leg straps?


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## beowulf343 (Mar 4, 2007)

That is a nice setup and i've tried similar. But just personal preference-seems like too much crap on the D for me. There will be times i have 3 or 4 different snaps hooked onto a D-this setup doesn't leave alot of room. Just my $.02.


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## DonnyO (Mar 4, 2007)

rahtreelimbs said:


> Why the extensions on the lower leg straps?



Wait a minute, thats a different thread!

The original set up would hold you horizontally. So I had to extend them to hang more vertically. Make sense??


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## treevet (Mar 4, 2007)

I like the kiss theory , keep it simple stupid. I like microcender and safety blue braid on a non safety snap w bolen.Don t like the buttons. Just bang it on the d ring and you re thumbtacked to tree for a rest. My favorite all time innovation.


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## DonnyO (Mar 4, 2007)

treevet said:


> I like the kiss theory , keep it simple stupid. I like microcender and safety blue braid on a non safety snap w bolen.Don t like the buttons. Just bang it on the d ring and you re thumbtacked to tree for a rest. My favorite all time innovation.




Sorry dude, not reading you here. What is a button? How is a microcender less simple than a clevis?


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## 046 (Mar 4, 2007)

Here's thread about Tom Dunlaps DEDA (double ended double adjustable) flip line. 

it's more than a flip line, depending on how you use DEDA, it can double as a short life line. 

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=11958&highlight=deda


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