hitchclimber pulley on flipline?

[ZinTrees]

im about to purchase a flipline, preferably 5/8", which is around 15.8mm, and the hitchclimber is rated at 14mm

I just tested one of my hitchclimbers on some hi-vee and true blue (half inch) and it had lots of wiggle room, anyone here try one on a 5/8" flipline? I imagine the wire core will be a wee bit fatter

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I always just used the micrograb, always worked great and handles pitch really well

 

[ZinTrees]

I always just used the micrograb, always worked great and handles pitch really well

I was trying to do some cost saving

that went out of the door as soon as I got to the store, $120 later I got the wackiest offbrand I could lol

1/2" 10ft proclimb with a rope grab, just took it for a climb, works friggen amazing, did have a massive gaffout tho, slid down like 10ft, words were said, I came out of the tree, my left arm is scratched up but im fine



10/10 would buy again

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Keep them ankles out!

 

[ZinTrees]

Keep them ankles out!

yeah, this tree has SUPER hard bark, and my spurs need sharpening, I will say, spur climbing takes a ton of practice

as ive learned the painful way a few times
getting better tho

 

[TheJollyLogger]

And why 10' ? Why didn't your secondary catch you?

 

[ZinTrees]

And why 10' ? Why didn't your secondary catch you?

secondary? im not that smart

I try to have one whenever possible, but this was just a short climb in the middle of a forest "for testing purposes only" only went up about 15ft

 

[ZinTrees]

not gonna argue the fact that was 100% stupid of me

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Ok Zin, so here is how I climbed. I never tried to be the fastest up the tree, just safe. After numerous bad experiences, ( dislocated fingers from a groundie swing a pick into me instead of letting it run below me, cutting into beehives, hidden defects in a tree, etc. etc...) I never left the ground with a secondary that I could get out of the tree fast AND one handed...

If it was feasible I would set up a top rope, rig my VT and tend slack on the way up. If it wasn't feasible, like a spruce or aspen or no good TIPS available, I would choke the stem with my lifeline with a running bowline and either hard lock it on a rescue 8 or use a gri gri. I had a few climbers snicker at that, but I didn't care. I had a groundie time me one time on his phone, and in a 10 minute climb 50' up a spruce up to my first work position, I spent one of those minutes repositioning my lifeline. Maybe if I had spurred and flipped that spar like I was racing I could have made it up in 5 or 6 minutes... who knows or cares. I was also inspecting the trunk at the same time looking for any defects anyway, so it wasn't a race. I was in the tree for 3 hours cutting and rigging anyway, so saving 5 or 10 minutes by not having a secondary never seemed worth it to me

 

[ZinTrees]

Ok Zin, so here is how I climbed. I never tried to be the fastest up the tree, just safe. After numerous bad experiences, ( dislocated fingers from a groundie swing a pick into me instead of letting it run below me, cutting into beehives, hidden defects in a tree, etc. etc...) I never left the ground with a secondary that I could get out of the tree fast AND one handed...

If it was feasible I would set up a top rope, rig my VT and tend slack on the way up. If it wasn't feasible, like a spruce or aspen or no good TIPS available, I would choke the stem with my lifeline with a running bowline and either hard lock it on a rescue 8 or use a gri gri. I had a few climbers snicker at that, but I didn't care. I had a groundie time me one time on his phone, and in a 10 minute climb 50' up a spruce up to my first work position, I spent one of those minutes repositioning my lifeline. Maybe if I had spurred and flipped that spar like I was racing I could have made it up in 5 or 6 minutes... who knows or cares. I was also inspecting the trunk at the same time looking for any defects anyway, so it wasn't a race. I was in the tree for 3 hours cutting and rigging anyway, so saving 5 or 10 minutes by not having a secondary never seemed worth it to me

fair enough, and yeah, if its a small stem that I can advance my choked SRT setup easily then I do that, on these bigger ones (this one was about 3ft diameter) I dont feel nearly as much need for one, since the odds of my flipline sliding down the tree are very low

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Ok Zin, so here is how I climbed. I never tried to be the fastest up the tree, just safe. After numerous bad experiences, ( dislocated fingers from a groundie swing a pick into me instead of letting it run below me, cutting into beehives, hidden defects in a tree, etc. etc...) I never left the ground with a secondary that I could get out of the tree fast AND one handed...

If it was feasible I would set up a top rope, rigmy VT and tend slack on the way up. If it wasn't feasible, like a spruce or aspen or no good TIPS available, I would choke the stem with my lifeline with a running bowline and either hard lock it on a rescue 8 or use a gri gri. I had a few climbers snicker at that, but I didn't care. I had a groundie time me one time on his phone, and in a 10 minute climb 50' up a spruce up to my first work position, I spent one of those minutes repositioning my lifeline. Maybe if I had spurred and flipped that spar like I was racing I could have made it up in 5 or 6 minutes... who knows or cares. I was also inspecting the trunk at the same time looking for any defects anyway, so it wasn't a race. I was in the tree for 3 hours cutting and rigging anyway, so saving 5 or 10 minutes by not having a secondary never seemed worth it to me

fair enough, and yeah, if its a small stem that I can advance my choked SRT setup easily then I do that, on these bigger ones (this one was about 3ft diameter) I dont feel nearly as much need for one, since the odds of my flipline sliding down the tree are very low

Well, at this point the odds are 100%... you are 0 for 1. Playing the odds is not a great mindset for a climber. See my post in the injury and fatality thread "It was a hell of a ride" and see why I am a retired climber.

 

[ZinTrees]

Ok Zin, so here is how I climbed. I never tried to be the fastest up the tree, just safe. After numerous bad experiences, ( dislocated fingers from a groundie swing a pick into me instead of letting it run below me, cutting into beehives, hidden defects in a tree, etc. etc...) I never left the ground with a secondary that I could get out of the tree fast AND one handed...

If it was feasible I would set up a top rope, rigmy VT and tend slack on the way up. If it wasn't feasible, like a spruce or aspen or no good TIPS available, I would choke the stem with my lifeline with a running bowline and either hard lock it on a rescue 8 or use a gri gri. I had a few climbers snicker at that, but I didn't care. I had a groundie time me one time on his phone, and in a 10 minute climb 50' up a spruce up to my first work position, I spent one of those minutes repositioning my lifeline. Maybe if I had spurred and flipped that spar like I was racing I could have made it up in 5 or 6 minutes... who knows or cares. I was also inspecting the trunk at the same time looking for any defects anyway, so it wasn't a race. I was in the tree for 3 hours cutting and rigging anyway, so saving 5 or 10 minutes by not having a secondary never seemed worth it to me

Well, at this point the odds are 100%... you are 0 for 1. Playing the odds is not a great mindset for a climber. See my post in the injury and fatality thread "It was a hell of a ride" and see why I am a retired climber.

I will look into your thread

thanks

 

[Bango Skank]

If you can anticipate a potential gaff out, a 540 degree wrap around the stem with your lanyard will keep you from sliding down.
It’s slower to advance it up like that, can’t flip/wave/roll it up, but it’s simple enough. I use that technique more for positioning to make a cut then for ascending. A gaff out can suck, but a gaff out while the saw is running could ruin your life.

I probably mentioned it before @ZinTrees , but with you being too young to get hired anywhere, I’d strongly encourage you to leave the chainsaw on the ground until you have an experienced working climber to watch your back. There’s so much else you can do until then. Focus on spurless climbing, SRT, DdRT, limb walking and throw bag techniques. Familiarize yourself with the basics, learn the Blake’s and Taughtline and you can safely move all around a big spreading canopy with no gear besides a rope and a saddle.

 

[ZinTrees]

If you can anticipate a potential gaff out, a 540 degree wrap around the stem with your lanyard will keep you from sliding down.
It’s slower to advance it up like that, can’t flip/wave/roll it up, but it’s simple enough. I use that technique more for positioning to make a cut then for ascending. A gaff out can suck, but a gaff out while the saw is running could ruin your life.

I probably mentioned it before @ZinTrees , but with you being too young to get hired anywhere, I’d strongly encourage you to leave the chainsaw on the ground until you have an experienced working climber to watch your back. There’s so much else you can do until then. Focus on spurless climbing, SRT, DdRT, limb walking and throw bag techniques. Familiarize yourself with the basics, learn the Blake’s and Taughtline and you can safely move all around a big spreading canopy with no gear besides a rope and a saddle.

I do SRT, DRT, blakes, tautline, split tail, spurr climbing, all of that stuff

and, I dont use a chainsaw off the ground, handsaw for now, one would be amazed how much you can do with a sharp silky

540 wrap is nice on small spars, on this I had about 2ft of tail on my 10ft flipline, so I couldnt wrap it

 

[ZinTrees]

ive been climbing for about a year and a half, a few times a week now, ive got a good bit of experience for my age

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Yeah Zin, you know just enough to be dangerous. "There is no room for egos in the trees... they don't care, and neither does gravity."

You just took a 10' slide, could have been way worse than a skinned arm. Could have come down on an untrimmed stob and taken it right up your ass. Don't get defensive, we are trying to help you learn and be safe.

 

[ZinTrees]

Yeah Zin, you know just enough to be dangerous. "There is no room for egos in the trees... they don't care, and neither does gravity."

You just took a 10' slide, could have been way worse than a skinned arm. Could have come down on an untrimmed stob and taken it right up your ass. Don't get defensive, we are trying to help you learn and be safe.

im not tryin to get defensive about anything, and appreciate the help

and uh, that you said about the stub, is this what "ripped him a new one" means? lmao

 

[TheJollyLogger]

It happens

 

[ZinTrees]

It happens

btw, do you have any flipline/spur tips? ive gotten pretty good, but im at the point where some tips would be great, other than the odd gaffout, I dont get super nervous any more, every time I have even a small gaffout I stop and take 5, and collect myself before proceeding
my climb

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Yeah, focus on rope climbing and moving around the canopy. Unless you are a Logger in the pacific northwest, spur climbing is like the smallest part of your job... hadn't meant to bring this up, but it sounds like you are spurring a bunch of trees you don't plan on removing... a total hack move and a violation of a good arborist's code of ethics. Never spur a tree that is not a removal.