Ascenders

[B Snappy]

I'm getting older and tired of the foot lock method to ascend into trees. I was looking at the Petzel RAD Ascender/Descender system for $219.00. What do you recommend?

 

[elliotttree]

The big red ones

I like the big red ones with two hand grips on top and two foot holes on the lower unit. I forget the name. I've tried a few and those are the most comfortable and smooth but big so plan on tossing or lowering them out of the tree. I'm a bucket or F it guy now.

http://gear.sherrilltree.com/iwwidb.pvx?;multi_item_submit

 

[masiman]

You might be referring to the Mar Bar system. I think I remember reading on here that they were good for bigger guys and very comfortable. It may have even been JPS that posted that.

Expensive and heavy, but they do work very well from what I remember. A search on here should pull up some hits.

 

[Tree Machine]

It depends which rope method you're using to footlock that makes footlocking difficult or reasonable.

In a traditional 2:1 friction hitch system, you have a couple major things working against you. #1 is that for every 12" of grab you attempt with the footlock, you gain only 6" in altitude. #2, any slop in the system between the hitch and the saddle will diminish the 6" gain. This makes footlocking a traditional system very inefficient as you're using a lot of motion and effort. A poor return on investment, if you will.

By swapping out an ascender for the hitch, you change very little, so don't look forward to much advantage, other then the ascender offers next to zero friction on the way up, and the grab is sure and pure, no slippage. Still, a 2:1 system gives you 50% of what you want.

The marbar system utilizes dual ascenders, going up a rope in a 1:1 manner, meaning you do a 12" footlock, you go up the full 12", not half that like traditional. This is an instant doubling or 100% gain in effectiveness.

Further boiling down the marbar to just using one dual ascender on the twin line, try footlocking on this. You will see remarkable results in footlocking efficiency compared to the traditional system. You just have to move your mind out of 2:1 ascent and into 1:1 ascent. This 1:1 ascent is the touted rave of SRT, but dual ascenders allow the same exact 1:1 ascent, only you're working twin parallel lines instead of a single line. Footlocking is much easier on twin line over single since two ropes under and over the boots gives twice as much friction advantage than the single line. Also, with dual ascenders you can opt to climb SRT by only utilizing one of the two sides. More efficiency and versatility.

 

[murphy4trees]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUuXv823xBw

A little video of footlocking taken by my 8 year old son... Pretty good camera work for a such a youngster huh?

I usually prefer footlocking on a double(d) line becasue of the added grip as per tm's above teaching... Had a lowering lines set at least 85' high today.. With climbing line being only 150', I had to footlock up the lowering line and then pull up and set my climbing line... I tied one end of the lowering line to the porta-wrap and footlocked single line on the other side... Even just the single line started getting heavy on the legs when I was getting over 50'.. Of course true blue is quite a bit heavier than fly, but still on long ascents, single line is a good way to go..

Also on the video, I clipped my biner to the big side of the kong dual handle ascenders... DO NOT do that... always clip to the small side of the handles, which will keep the biner away from the cam locking mechanism..

 

[squad143]

Great video Daniel. Also good job from your son.

BTW, time to fix the fence.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I'm getting older and tired of the foot lock method to ascend into trees. I was looking at the Petzel RAD Ascender/Descender system for $219.00. What do you recommend?

I know a few guys who climb on a RADS system, even before Petzl came out with theirs. It is SRT, so you nrrd to learn a different way of climbing.

As stated I use the MarBars for entry and revert to DdRT using a VT hitch. I mostly just use the upper, you neeed a lot of rope for the lowers to self tail, so I just footlock most of the time.

What I like about them is the pullup position that it puts you in, vs the bent wrist of a traditional ascender.

I'm 250 LBS and have spinal injuries that reduce the strength/RoM of my right hand and left leg. Shoulda played colledge ball instead off going into the USMC (I do not like b-ball all that much)

 

[Bigbrass1's]

As stated I use the MarBars for entry and revert to DdRT using a VT hitch. I mostly just use the upper, you neeed a lot of rope for the lowers to self tail,

this is easliy fixed by tiing the rope to a chain saw.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

this is easliy fixed by tiing the rope to a chain saw.

Or the rope bag, if there is enough left in it. I don't like the weight and I footlock OK. I'll do that if I'm going 60 ft or more.

 

[deevo]

I'm getting older and tired of the foot lock method to ascend into trees. I was looking at the Petzel RAD Ascender/Descender system for $219.00. What do you recommend?

I got that exact set up, works extremely well (for me anyways) easy to set up. Gets you up in the tree fairly quickly and efficiently. I use 11 mm blaze with it. Did about 15 jobs with it since September! I'd recommend it!:greenchainsaw:

 

[DK_stihl]

Mar Bars

I have a set and I like them. I only use them if I have a long ascent before I start working, once in the crown I use Drt with a distel hitch. Here is a link to me climbing a 140' pine with them.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=85901