Hi, meet a female climber

[Dadatwins]

Hey welcome to site, give ya some credit for even getting involved in this crazy field of work dominated mostly by male climbing- legends - in - there - own - mind. I use a weaver wideback 4 dee and like the back comfort. Also use a tautline which most here have condemned as the dinosaur of climbing hitches, but plan on trying some new stuff I saw on site.

 

[VTclimber]

cool, but what about your saw experience? thats what separates treeclimbers, what they can do with a saw in the air, as opposed to flitting around the tree having fun.

First of all, any time I go into a tree, saw or not, I'm smart enough to wear a hard hat and the rest of my personal protective equipment, so I figure I'm already a step ahead of some.

Second of all, I am small, so I'm working up to using the big saws. I never used a saw at all until about 2 weeks ago, but its been a great learning process. Hopefully I'll be fairly proficient soon and I'll be doing big jobs just like anyone else.

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by VTclimber
First of all, any time I go into a tree, saw or not, I'm smart enough to wear a hard hat and the rest of my personal protective equipment, so I figure I'm already a step ahead of some.

Good call

love
nick

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by treeslayer
Haircuts a giveaway, 1972?

Haircut? You can see my hair?

Errr, I was 28.


Lauryn, do you have a Silky yet?

 

[BigJohn]

Hey Nick is that Mark in that picture?

 

[NeTree]

I bet that smaller, lighter body gets you up where alot of us couldn't work without breaking somethin'.

Welcome.

 

[treeslayer]

Originally posted by VTclimber
First of all, any time I go into a tree, saw or not, I'm smart enough to wear a hard hat and the rest of my personal protective equipment, so I figure I'm already a step ahead of some.

. I never used a saw at all until about 2 weeks ago, but its been a great learning process. Hopefully I'll be fairly proficient soon and I'll be doing big jobs just like anyone else.

Well, no hard hard hat. I agree. what other PPE am I missing?

I've been operating saws 28 years, longer than many here have been alive. my comfort level is high. and rightly so. I have no problem pulling an 066 up or working all day with a 372 or 036.

I will not accede to the "fairer sex" and be polite. you won't be doing jobs like me any time soon. or even in a couple of years.

cockiness kills, hurts and maims people. know your place.

( no, I am not after rockys job, but that kid getting hurt in Williamsburg is really bothering me.)
Please don't take too much offense, I mean well.

 

[BigJohn]

What does being lighter and smaller have to do with anything? Sure it helps but we can all get to to tips and ends. I think most people beat themselves by not going out there and telling themselves they cant do it. There is nothing wrong with leaving the pole saw at home and getting out there. I think most people I come across are just too lazy to get there.

 

[NeTree]

Lazy has nothing to do with it.

If you can't see where someone's weight can come into play, I'm not going to waste my time to explain.

 

[treeslayer]

not as much lazy as scared. but I don't mean that as a flaw, just as a bare emotion.
you have to trust your TIP enough to go out, invert, and reach. especially when you reach that particular height,(different for everybody,) when you feel your mortality. That make sense?

 

[BigJohn]

I am just saying just because someone is heavier doesn't meant they can't get to the same places. People are either afraid or don't believe a limb will hold them. Being lighter does make it easier.

 

[Stumper]

Down boys, Down! (Eric, at 200 plus pounds and having watched a good small climber in action....I know what you mean. Big John-I know you are capable of working the tips but personally I need my polesaw for some tips or I start breaking things.

Lauryn, Welcome! I have a wideback Weaver and a Ness Work Saddle. I thought the Weaver was the best saddle I'd ever used (it was) until I got my Ness. It is only a few dollars more and worlds lighter and more comfortable. FWIW, the design was developed by Tom Ness and Sophia Sparks-Since a woman helped develop it I suspect that it willl fit the female form with more comfort than the typical saddle-it certainly is more comfy for most guys who've tried it-it is a super value in climbing gear.:angel:

 

[NickfromWI]

 

[VTclimber]

In response to your statement, I do know my place, and thats why I always wear my PPE and only do what I know I can handle. I'm not thinking I'm gonna be taking down huge trees with 066s next week. I'm saying that I hope to be able to do these things in a reasonable amount of time. You don't need to step around me just cause I'm a female. I can take crap and I can dish it out too, and when I see something that I know is wrong, I'm gonna say it. As far as I'm concerned you should never go into a tree without a hard hat and you should never use a chainsaw without ear protection unless you want to be issued a hearing aid at the age of 35. I'm sorry if I tick you off, but I'm not stepping around anything, and maybe you guys will understand the type of woman I am by my responses. I'm not trying to burn any bridges, just learn. Don't judge me for it.

 

[NeTree]

Being deaf in one ear (not equipment related) I know what it's like, and it SUCKS.

It also throws yer balance off. I'm not as confident as I used to be on rope, and it shows sometimes.

 

[treeslayer]

Kinda hard to wear hearing protection in a tree and expect to communicate with my rigger when I'm 60' up.
I'm 40, and still hear well enough.

I'm not mad, just saying my piece.

 

[VTclimber]

Dude, I'm not mad either, I'm just doing the same. I know it can be a hassel, but pop the ear plugs out of one ear, yell to your rigger, then put it back in and cut. We do it at my company day in and day out. Personally I went to too many rock concerts when I was younger to go without my ear protection for any amount of time. Just a thought.

 

[NeTree]

What works best for me is a set of hand signals. Beats yeeling & saying "WHAT?" every ten seconds. Crane operators know the standard.

 

[Dadatwins]

Originally posted by treeslayer

I'm 40, and still hear well enough

I am about same age and thought same until a hearing test showed different. Lost about 20% each ear. Worked for years without ear muffs so I could listen to groundman in case of problem. Realize better to keep them in line of site when working and not rely on hearing. Just my opinion, to each his own.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Almost 60 posts in a few hours, had to see what the commotion was! That is a lot of excitemeant, from a short post.....

i think the right female climber could exploit her lightness, stability, even perhaps a lack of strength etc.

The lightness takes less energy.

The lower C.o.B. gives better balance, along with wider pelvis for stability too, makes the 4" balance beam in gymnastics a Lady's event.

Not trying to bulldawg everything, drawing out better technique, a lil lack of strength perhaps makes it easier to feel the differance between slight variations of events, angles etc.

Ummmm loose clothing and hair etc. can get caught in a rolling D pinch powered by your own bodyweight IMHO, also smaller people i think can turn around easier anyway, so i hear.

Special to have you try this tough, guy dominated stuff. Honest to step into this anonymous den alone and not hyde. Great, to have better balance proposed here; do i have to tell ye how crusty a bunch of guys occassionally can git otherwise? (see/add to first paragraph)

Hang in there,
that's all we do here,
and the tree!
Welcome aboard
-KC