Help me get up to date

[Scars2prove-it]

I've been a tree climber for 15 years but I don't use all the modern methods that you guys seem to favor. I climb with 2 high vis ropes with steel locking snaps, a Buckingham saddle with two sets of rings. a buckstrap, and Buckingham climbers with the thick pads. I can climb without climbers proficiently. When I want to advance my rope I just wrap the tail around the snap and throw it through the target crotch or set it with my pole saw if there are too many limbs in the way. I use a 2 under and 1 over friction knot. I've never used a throw bag.

I was trained by an old timer that has been a climber for 45 years. Consequently, my methods are old. They have worked for me though as evidenced by my fairly successful business. Perhaps I could have gotten here quicker.

For equipment I use a 95 Bucket truck with 60' working height and a Morbark Model 13 chipper. My climbing saw is a Stihl 020T, the ground saws are all 044's or 440's.

What are the advantages of slings and carabiners? I've wanted to learn to use a speed line. How often does it come into use? What is the split tail climbing method and is it better? What books or videos can I buy to learn new methods?

I just ordered a Port-O-Wrap, adjustable sling, spring block and sling. What else should I get?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey, prove-it, welcome to AS.

The FIRST thing I would do would be to deep-six the buckstrap and set-up a 1/2" rope lanyard with a Gibb's ascender.

THE FIRST THING!!!

I'm old school, meself!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The second thing I would do is to get rid of the Gibbs ascender, and use a prussic hitch and fair lead.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
The second thing I would do is to get rid of the Gibbs ascender, and use a prussic hitch and fair lead.

Or one of the advanced hitches.


Welcome, it may pay for you to search past threads on this forum. Most of what you are looking for has been addressed before.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
The second thing I would do is to get rid of the Gibbs ascender, and use a prussic hitch and fair lead.

As a lanyard to replace his buckstrap???

 

[njarbor]

vt and micropulley. vt on the fixed lanyard too

 

[seanlarkin]

Scars2ProveIt,
This site is a great resource for information. Take advantage of the search feature, as there are tons of good stuff to read here.

Do you own a copy of the Tree Climber's Companion?

 

[MasterBlaster]

And don't be afeared to use the search function. Probably every question you might post has been addressed in there already.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Noe get a bigshot and pole, with a spool of Zing-It throwline and one of theose Sherrill cubes.

I guess a couple of 14 oz bags would help too

 

[murphy4trees]

A split tail is a seperate short line, used to create the bridge from your saddle to the friction hitch/climbing line, rather than just using the tail of the climbing line...
Using a split tail allows the climber to bypass an obstructing limb by unclipping rather than untying, which is a time and energy saver...
The newest systems use an ANSI approved 'biner with an advanced friction hitch, which requires special cordage.. The climbing line has an eye splice at the end to allow recrotching by simply unclipping the eye splice from the 'biner, and tossing it over the next crotch and reclipping...
All the new gear may get thinking there is more chance for a failure in this system.. so you gotta learn the rules... ratings for gear and ropes etc... as well as the properties of the new hitches etc... I'd recommend finding yourself a mentor and going to trade shows and competitions as well as reading up and searching this site... There is nothing like seeing it in action...
LOW AND SLOW... that's how to learn this stuff... Its fun!!

 

[jamie]

daisy chaining

i thought that you were never meant to daisy chain karabiners, or is there an exception with captive eyes?????

jamie

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Daniel,

Another concern with your setup is the possibility of your climbing line slipping down and putting a load on the gate of the biner/snap.

Using the biner/snap doesn't seem like a daisy chain the way you have it set up. Clipping gate to gate would be a daisy chain, I think.

Tom

 

[Scars2prove-it]

Thanks for your responses. I'm still confused. I should have gone to TCI since it was in my hometown but I am still trying to catch up on hurricane work. I'll buy the Tree Climbers Companion and see what I can learn.

Do you guys use slings and biners for attaching limbs to your lowering line? I just tie a running bowline around them.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Scars2prove-it
I just tie a running bowline around them.

Your farther ahead than most people, then!

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Originally posted by Scars2prove-it
I just tie a running bowline around them.


Originally posted by MasterBlaster
Your farther ahead than most people, then!

You got that right!!!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

If you are doing a removal with several limbs that need lowering, you can carry two or more straps with a nice sized easy to open rope snaps, girth hitched, on each one. Then as the ground crew is lowering a limb you cut, you can attach a strap to the next limb. As the rope comes back up, you remove the strap from the bull rope and clip the pre-attached sling on.
On the ground, the rope snap is easier to remove than a knot, and very easy to remove if you attach the strap close to the cut, because they can just slack the rope and slide the strap off the end of the limb.
A word of caution is to let you know that non-locking carabiners and rope snaps will detach from the rope with just a slight twist. Do not use them unless you can pretention the rope and lower cleanly. My advice is to just find and use a double auto locking snap that opens easily with gloved hands. That way you won't have a problem with the gate opening.
When the wood gets larger, use a running bowline and back it up with a marlin.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Think thrice before leaving behind your method of advancing the rope. In most trees your monkeyfist and polesaw method can get you to the top faster than all those fling and zing ploys. I've timed several of these flingers and zingers and in the majority of the trees they took longer getting to the top than an old fart doing it the old way. Only in the tall open trees do they have an advantage.

tautline hitches and running bowlines work well too.

slings and biners are nice for lowering many limbs, speedlining is a gas and can save tiem and work.
If your method ain't broke, don't try to fix it; just tune it up.
First book I'd read is the ANSI A300--just $15.

 

[treeman218]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur
Think thrice before leaving behind your method of advancing the rope. In most trees your monkeyfist and polesaw method can get you to the top faster than all those fling and zing ploys. I've timed several of these flingers and zingers and in the majority of the trees they took longer getting to the top than an old fart doing it the old way. Only in the tall open trees do they have an advantage.


This definitely could be true but those "flingers and zingers" might have done guite a bit of work in the tree, with less effort, "while taking longer to get to the top". Then again they already could have their TIP set so they don't need to climb to the top.

Every tree is different, sometimes I'll do it the "old way" …usually not. Is the "new way" the best way? Of course not, there is always a better way and time will prove that. The "advanced" methods that I might be using now will probably seem to be a waste of time and energy in ten if not five years.

Every climber is different and they need to figure out what works for them.

 

[treeman218]

First book I'd read is the ANSI Z133.1

I like trees so taking care of them is great but you should take care of yourself first… then take care of the trees.