I was climbing a pretty sketchy willow the other day that had 2 questionable trunks apart from the still healthy main stem. Tied into the main one I was still tied onto the dead guys with my lanyard as I crawled out on them. What if the same concept of the chainsaw break away lanyards was put into a lanyard for doing work like this on dead trees. Strong enough to hold a climber in his work position but weak enough to snap if a larger force was applied. Maybe it already exists but I haven't seen it.
Break away lanyard?
- Thread starter chevybob
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Brendon Phillips
Chief Wood Chucker
I couldn't see a company ever producing that just from a liability standpoint. You could always put a "fuse" in it. Use some throw line cord with a 400 lb break strength between the hip connection and your lanyard. If the tree let's go with you on it, it should break pretty easy. Just remember it's there before you put your life on that lanyard again.
I
I've been in that situation and clipped my lanyard on with a keychain carabiner.
Brendon Phillips
Chief Wood Chucker
That's a great idea. I'm gonna use that next time also.
KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
My fat ass would eventually wear that breaking point right out......not really im about 185lbs but i wouldn't use one of them.
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KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
Brendon Phillips
Chief Wood Chucker
I def wouldn't use the fuse twice. It's kind of a one time use thing for those sketchy "dont want to be dragged down with this ****** limb" circumstances.
Just un-cliip,,
Jeff
Jeff
Brendon Phillips
Chief Wood Chucker
Yeah, that could work if you wanna be all common sense and practical about it. But where's the fun in that?
What is the purpose of the lanyard?
-Work positioning?
-Life support?
-Both?
ANSI says you need to have 2 life support lines. Using a break-away means your lanyard is not one of those 2.
-Work positioning?
-Life support?
-Both?
ANSI says you need to have 2 life support lines. Using a break-away means your lanyard is not one of those 2.
CanopyGorilla
climber....sawyer
Brendon Phillips
Chief Wood Chucker
Dutch295
ArboristSite Member
I tried using my buckingham chainsaw lanyard (the yellow breakaway type) a few years ago as a lanyard... very uneasy feeling... had visions of wylie coyote slamming into the good spar I was tied to. On the other hand the attached is a very nice video possibly addressing what you have in mind. I think the lanyard that you will see in the video is a breakaway but am not sure... maybe someone else will shed some light.
Brendon Phillips
Chief Wood Chucker
I like that. Great way to do it. Only one thing... 115 ft up... 200 ft of rope on a DRT. Sounds sketchy to me!
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BuckmasterStumpGrinding
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Looks like a protective sheath on the lanyard in the video to me.
My grillon has the same
coltree
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I always climb with a breakaway lanyard - about 8-9mm manilla for my 175 lbs.. Whatever ANSI says is an excellent guideline, but not always practical. That said, one could stay within the guidelines by going into a sketchy situation with two life lines at TIPs and a breakaway lanyard on the sketchy limb. I always think about the worst case - what I absolutely don't want to have happen - and pick my lanyard on that basis. It's usually a decision between a pendulum swing to another tree and riding big wood to the ground with a lifeline snapping at some point along the way.. Obviously, one should do everything to get better choices than these (rig smaller), but I occassionally find myself preferring the swing to an adjacent tree. Common sense, or an issue?
I always climb with a breakaway lanyard - about 8-9mm manilla for my 175 lbs.. Whatever ANSI says is an excellent guideline, but not always practical. That said, one could stay within the guidelines by going into a sketchy situation with two life lines at TIPs and a breakaway lanyard on the sketchy limb. I always think about the worst case - what I absolutely don't want to have happen - and pick my lanyard on that basis. It's usually a decision between a pendulum swing to another tree and riding big wood to the ground with a lifeline snapping at some point along the way.. Obviously, one should do everything to get better choices than these (rig smaller), but I occassionally find myself preferring the swing to an adjacent tree. Common sense, or an issue?
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