No Spikes on removals???

[Highclimber OR]

I saw one guy take down a 100-foot Doug-fir hookless. That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have seen in recent memory. Don't get me wrong, I won't use hooks on a non removal if it can be avoided, but I was truly worried for this guy's safety and I am a 15 year vet that has been in many a tight situation. I am sorry. I DO NOT see a point to not using your hooks on a removal, unless you are trying to string out the job and "sting" the customer in my opinion. I feel like hooks are part of what makes you a climber, not just my rope and ascenders, on removals anyway. I can still limb walk with my hooks and will always prefer them on a removal. Remember, it is also about saving energy and getting the job done safely and effectively as possible, right? The size of the tree does matter, and I will conclude by saying "Do what you are most comfortable with, a nervous or uncomfortable climber is an at-risk climber".

 

[treevet]

I have question: whether Conveniently to work in spikes on inclined trees?

Yes grigory it is more convenient to work on inclined than non inclined trees as long as you are on the top of the incline. In order to put the spike in the tree correctly you need to lean back away from tree and jab in like stabbing a knife in the wood. You don t need to lean back when on an inclined tree.

 

[clearance]

I saw one guy take down a 100-foot Doug-fir hookless. That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have seen in recent memory. Don't get me wrong, I won't use hooks on a non removal if it can be avoided, but I was truly worried for this guy's safety and I am a 15 year vet that has been in many a tight situation. I am sorry. I DO NOT see a point to not using your hooks on a removal, unless you are trying to string out the job and "sting" the customer in my opinion. I feel like hooks are part of what makes you a climber, not just my rope and ascenders, on removals anyway. I can still limb walk with my hooks and will always prefer them on a removal. Remember, it is also about saving energy and getting the job done safely and effectively as possible, right? The size of the tree does matter, and I will conclude by saying "Do what you are most comfortable with, a nervous or uncomfortable climber is an at-risk climber".

"Safely and effectively getting the job done, and saving energy"-You got 'er Pontiac, I climb with them all the time.

 

[Soul Assassin]

I use spikes on removals, usually to get up into the canopy, or help me rest while piecing down a butt log. But after I'm safely tied in and set with my secondary safety lanyard, they seem...to me ...cumbersome.

That's when I take em off, and lower them. After that sometimes I use my Pantin for stability and if I need to go higher.

I've found the Ghecko's to be a big improvement on prior climbers. My 2 cents.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

My last post on this thread was 06-24-2003, 03:04 PM.

I still will start some large removals w/o spikes on. Foot lock up to the first cut if you can crash stuff down, or the first rig point.

Often I will work my way up the the main rig point and get the ground crew started and a nice work area cleared out to swing big limbs.

If you treat the first stage of the removal like a trim with big wood, why use the gaffs?

I'ld rather not have the 2# my foot. They say that work quadruples on the foot or leg compared to equal weight on the waist.

 

[Jim1NZ]

Il always start off spikeless on a removal especially if there is rigging involved. I like to be able to footlock in and move around the tree fluently with out worrying about my spikes.

That is unless its a simple single leader conifer that can be skinned up to the top in one ascent.

I dont find putting my spikes on at the top of the tree a problem any more.

 

[Tim Krause]

gaffs

i wouldn't think of doing a stump prune without gaffs. i think it would be a waste of time. have you ever lowered a limb and have the ground man get it hung up on a stub? one or two trips down the stick to get the limb off the stub will make you sorry. how about when you get into bigger wood with a 372 on your belt? are you going to set up a foot strap? even rip the arbormaster dude wears gaffs on removals. i just don't understand.what are you trying to prove? gaffs are an essential tool of the tree biz. learn to love them.

 

[clearance]

i wouldn't think of doing a stump prune without gaffs. i think it would be a waste of time. have you ever lowered a limb and have the ground man get it hung up on a stub? one or two trips down the stick to get the limb off the stub will make you sorry. how about when you get into bigger wood with a 372 on your belt? are you going to set up a foot strap? even rip the arbormaster dude wears gaffs on removals. i just don't understand.what are you trying to prove? gaffs are an essential tool of the tree biz. learn to love them.

Tim, I often wonder myself. I have never climbed without spurs, couldn't imagine humping up a rope but doing removals without spurs? Next up is going to be someone saying they could put a big fir on the ground without spurs faster than me. 95% of the work I have done is removals, I strip and chunk pretty fast but lets hear it.

 

[SRT-Tech]

I only use gaffs when necessary...(like when I'm down to the spar). They hurt my feet.

sounds like your workboot soles are too soft or flexible. I had the same problem until i switched to a unbendable (90% rigid) mountaineering sole. Now i can stand on my spikes all day long and not even notice their on my feet.

 

[beowulf343]

Spikes all the time for me too. Know how to climb without them but more comfortable with them. I like knowing my feet are not going to slip off the tree if i'm 70 feet up and monkying with my lanyard.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

have you ever lowered a limb and have the ground man get it hung up on a stub?

The GRCS is great for that, they can crank it up so it will usually come out.

I never said I allways do the entire tree w/o gaffs on, I just wait till I get to where I will be spending more effort.

I can see if you work in gaffs al the time, you would want to have them on, but I'm not in them more then I am in them, and do lot of swinging and foot locking.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Interesting to see this thread pop up with some more good input after 4 years. IMO...........do what works best for you. I have done it both ways.............sometimes hooks were needed.............other times they weren't.


No right or wrong way here!!!

 

[Mitchell]

stiff soles

quate by SRT "sounds like your workboot soles are too soft or flexible. I had the same problem until i switched to a unbendable (90% rigid) mountaineering sole. Now i can stand on my spikes all day long and not even notice their on my feet"
What brand preference do you have SRT. Do stiff boots limit mobility without spurs?

Sounds like my boots are made for walking not climbing... I have taken to cutting limbs 4 inches out from stem when i go up multiple trees in a day. That way I can stand on em to ease my aching feet. So ironically i actually could do [and have done] some large excurrent trees without spikes even though I'm wearing them. I don't mind limb walking with em but i have not spent to much time without them as I have done mostly removals.

I have thought i would like to try a type of spur i could flip out or snap out of boots when needed and fold back when not. Any one ever heard of anything like that. I have toyed with the logistics in my head some but im to busy and no cobbler.
Scott

 

[clearance]

Mitchell, right in your town, Viberg Boot, the best. I have two pairs of lineman boots for climbing, one pair is triple soled. I have a pair of caulks too. The lineman boots are over $400 but they are the cats meow, the best boots I have ever had by a long shot.

 

[DDM]

Ive never heard of viberg where do you get them?

 

[SRT-Tech]

yo mitchell, my moutaineering boots are old old old Rachille (spelling?) mountaineering boots from about 30 years back. I had them resoled and a ful length oak footbed inserted into the sole. Off spur mobility is excellent, i love non bendy boots. I can run, hike, crag climb or ice climb in them, as well as spur climb.


But i will agree with Clearance, the Vibergs are top of the line. You get what ytou pay for.

for what it cost me to build the rachiles to my specs, i could have bought a pair of Viberg 105T's, to my specs.

oh and Lucky Lager is the best beer ever.

 

[clearance]

I buy them at good boot places here in B.C.. They have a website, don't know the exact website name, they are Viberg, in Victoria B.C. I got my caulks sent to me at a saw shop 1000 miles away. My feet are a little wide, they fit my kind of feet real good, just put them on and they were fine, climbed with them then and bucked a coupled of downhill logs today.

 

[Mitchell]

Viberg

glad to hear the endorsment, i was planning on buying some anyways as they have been the best boots I have ever owned when i worked in the bush. i thought they might be to stiff for spurless work so i tried a boot that i figured did both...

 

[Mitchell]

Viberg

DDM "Ive never heard of viberg where do you get them?"

A few years back I was talkign to the owner and he mentioned they were shipping boots to oregon for inmate work gangs to wear! I imagine they would no tbe adverse to seding them south if you wanted a pair. they are very highly regarded by loggers here.
scott

 

[clearance]

glad to hear the endorsment, i was planning on buying some anyways as they have been the best boots I have ever owned when i worked in the bush. i thought they might be to stiff for spurless work so i tried a boot that i figured did both...

Spurless to me means cutting from a bucket, never done it, probably never will, I think they would be way to stiff for it, from the pictures I have seen, it takes a pretty girlie pair of boots to grab the rope.