A bike helmet in the woods....oh no...

[irhunter]

Gosh I hope I don't sound careless.

Hope springs eternal.

Good luck!

Roy

 

[user 188535]

I agree with the guys who say...the solution to tops landing 5' from you is not a helmet. People die from getting hit by tops which break off and are slung willy-nilly by the other trees. No realistic escape route will solve that problem, either.

My take, one either cuts enough other trees to open up a clear path for the snag to fall into, or one cripples the tree and uses a long rope to break the strap...and, start the tree falling. Long like 200'.

I imagine there are other options.

In any case, Andrew, I don't think cutting ash snags, in a closed canopy, is a reasonable way to develop the experience you need for the safe cutting of ash snags in a closed canopy.

Roy

If you have a tractor you can get a winch like a Tajfun or Wallenstein

 

[spongemark]

I wore my bike helmet all last month working on a roof twenty feet in the air. But in your situation I might wear my WWII Civil defense fireman helmet.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

If you have a tractor you can get a winch like a Tajfun or Wallenstein

Mets, you really don't want to winch an EAB ash...

 

[littletimber]

Thank you all for the words of wisdom. I'll, likely, put a proper helmet on the Christmas list. Thank you thank you!

 

[Billhook]

I consider a ski helmet to offer the most protection from say a smallish rotten limb falling from the top of a tree in a wind or the initial movement of felling. I wear mine for cycling as well

 

[Husky77]

Well, I had two dead standing Ash tree's I fell today. I could NOT see the top of them as there were multiple adjacent trees with branches blocking the view to the top. I wanted to get the trees down as they are adjacent to the path my wife and kids walk by. We have about 30 acres of woods and enjoy many family walks. Being that I could not see the tops I decided on wearing a helmet in case branches started to fall. This is where it gets rough...I don't have an arborist helmet. But I do have my ironman pro bike helmet pictured below. So I wore. that.

The trees came down nice and smooth, right where I wanted with minimal collateral damage, kind of surprising, my woods is so dense they usually get hung up. The one tree did break in half as it started to fall and the top came back to me and landed about 5 feet from me. Pretty close. Exactly what I was prepared for actually. Well moderatly prepared for as I was wearing a bike helmet after all. Gssh.

Anyways. I would like to hear from some arborist or more seasoned fellers about how dumb I was. I need to protect my family and therefore myself. I should probably pony up the $100 and buy a helmet like the Kaska Zenith.
Thanks
-Andrew

View attachment 1113548

So you know you were dumb and ask for advice after the job was done. Your a very lucky man, just because you got away with it once you may not the next time. Falling is not to be taken lightly, just look how many fails are on youtube. The most expensive helmet in the world wont help when a 20lb branch falls on you from 50 ft up.
But if your still serious on a good helmet, check out the Protos, best I have worn so far. But I guess you'll get the cheapest you can find and you wife and kids will be walking the woods alone.
Be safe!

 

[Geo019t]

So you know you were dumb and ask for advice after the job was done. Your a very lucky man, just because you got away with it once you may not the next time. Falling is not to be taken lightly, just look how many fails are on youtube. The most expensive helmet in the world wont help when a 20lb branch falls on you from 50 ft up.
But if your still serious on a good helmet, check out the Protos, best I have worn so far. But I guess you'll get the cheapest you can find and you wife and kids will be walking the woods alone.
Be safe!

A contractor who did much rebuilding of our house was also a tree-cutter. He "swore" by his military U S army helmet as "the cat's meow". In a quite similar paradigm as yours, the cut tree broke and a large branch missed his helmeted head, striking directly upon the center of his right shoulder. Such force that it took him down, perhaps breaking every bone below. Not coming home for dinner, his wife and two sons did a search (this, pre cell-phone/GPS days) and came upon him -- alive, but comatose. Rescuers with a chainsaw got him free, took him to local hospital, where he was transported to a distant bigger facility. Bottom line? He died -- in his early 40's -- five or six days later. Being crunched for several (?) hours mushed up internal organs -- ultimately, his heart.
The helmet did naught!
geo

 

[Wizard]

A contractor who did much rebuilding of our house was also a tree-cutter. He "swore" by his military U S army helmet as "the cat's meow". In a quite similar paradigm as yours, the cut tree broke and a large branch missed his helmeted head, striking directly upon the center of his right shoulder. Such force that it took him down, perhaps breaking every bone below. Not coming home for dinner, his wife and two sons did a search (this, pre cell-phone/GPS days) and came upon him -- alive, but comatose. Rescuers with a chainsaw got him free, took him to local hospital, where he was transported to a distant bigger facility. Bottom line? He died -- in his early 40's -- five or six days later. Being crunched for several (?) hours mushed up internal organs -- ultimately, his heart.
The helmet did naught!
geo

This is why I think shoulderpads are also requisite.

 

[Geo019t]

This is why I think shoulderpads are also requisite.

I was neither there, nor saw any photos (if these were even taken?) -- so I know only what I was told by Michael's older son at his wake. He said the tree "trunk" his dad was pinned under was just a tad in less diameter than a telephone pole, and it took four rescuers -- after chainsawing -- to lift it off him. He was told tree snapped "14 to 20 feet up" -- so I very much doubt, in this case -- if shoulder pads -- or ANYTHING other than his being NOT where he was standing at the time -- might have prevented this tragedy. Widow worked as a bank teller, "permanent part-time" -- which means lowest pay with ZERO benefits... Life became really tough for them!
Sooooo sad!
geo

 

[lone wolf]

A contractor who did much rebuilding of our house was also a tree-cutter. He "swore" by his military U S army helmet as "the cat's meow". In a quite similar paradigm as yours, the cut tree broke and a large branch missed his helmeted head, striking directly upon the center of his right shoulder. Such force that it took him down, perhaps breaking every bone below. Not coming home for dinner, his wife and two sons did a search (this, pre cell-phone/GPS days) and came upon him -- alive, but comatose. Rescuers with a chainsaw got him free, took him to local hospital, where he was transported to a distant bigger facility. Bottom line? He died -- in his early 40's -- five or six days later. Being crunched for several (?) hours mushed up internal organs -- ultimately, his heart.
The helmet did naught!
geo

shouldn't work alone!

 

[littletimber]

So you know you were dumb and ask for advice after the job was done. Your a very lucky man, just because you got away with it once you may not the next time. Falling is not to be taken lightly, just look how many fails are on youtube. The most expensive helmet in the world wont help when a 20lb branch falls on you from 50 ft up.
But if your still serious on a good helmet, check out the Protos, best I have worn so far. But I guess you'll get the cheapest you can find and you wife and kids will be walking the woods alone.
Be safe!

I went with a Kask, it was pretty cheap like you thought, about $85 from acme tools. I did upgrade those, I got the Lexan faceshield and the 35db hearing protection...which I still use my foam ear plugs, just want to save me hearing.

I disagree though that I was dumb. I fell another large Ash today, couldn't see the top through the under story. It went very smooth.

You be safe too!

 

[Husky77]

I went with a Kask, it was pretty cheap like you thought, about $85 from acme tools. I did upgrade those, I got the Lexan faceshield and the 35db hearing protection...which I still use my foam ear plugs, just want to save me hearing.

I disagree though that I was dumb. I fell another large Ash today, couldn't see the top through the under story. It went very smooth.

You be safe too!

No offence intended Andrew but it was you who mentioned dumb in the first place [
Anyways. I would like to hear from some arborist or more seasoned fellers about how dumb I was. I need to protect my family and therefore myself. I should probably pony up the $100 and buy a helmet like the Kaska Zenith.
Thanks
-Andrew]
Good to see your protecting your ears, they dont repair and you only realise when the damage is done. Over the years I have tried some good helmets from the basic cheap types to my currant helmet a Protos. After using that I would never use anything else and at first people see the price and say its too much but your paying for quality. Protect your legs too, its mandatory here in the UK but I see a lot in the states with no leg or foot protection, it's a must so would be well worth you looking into that too. I know it seems all cost but it should last and you will get your moneys worth.
Stay safe Andrew, dont get complacent with trees, you may have ten in a row all drop perfectly then the next will catch you out. It's a long learning process. Keep your chain sharp always and take your time and learn.
Enjoy it Andrew

 

[Billhook]

" ski (touring) helmet is designed to take force of your entire weight going head first into a solid object; so is likely to shrug of any falling objects that are not big enough to knock you off anyway. Climbing helmet designed to protect you from falling objects but not a head first impact. So ok to climb in ski touring helmet but not to ski in climbing helmet."

Does this quote if true make a high standard ski helmet more likely to protect you from a falling branch than a climbing helmet?