rope and saddle......

[budroe69moni]

i'm investing in some climbing gear next week, any
advise????? i'm 6'1" 210, what do you think????

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

How much you spending
what type of work to you plan on doing
What size trees will you be working with
What do you already have


after a little experiance it is easy to spend over a grand on outfitting.

 

[Kevin]

Here`s an oldy but goody ...

http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1184&highlight=The+Basics

I`m still using it for a reference.

Here`s another ...

http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1158&highlight=Buying+a+saddle

 

[budroe69moni]

i plan on spending around 500.
i'm mostly going to be thinning out
and dead wooding big ass live oaks.
there's alot of laurel oaks as well.
i want something confortable and
safe. what type of ropes do you
like working with?????

 

[DDM]

Budroe i'd definatley Try on a saddle before ordering one from a catalog because you can get sone mighty uncomfortable ones. Go to your local vermeer dealer they usually stock a few
Sherrill saddles. You can go to this link and order climbing videos There very informative http://secure.news-gazette.com/isastore/category.cfm?Category=3

 

[budroe69moni]

david,
you are the man!!!! thanks for the help!!!!
budroe

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If you want to do dw on big trees then at least one 150 hank of climbing line.

A long flipline, probibly 18-20 feet. You can make your own using a fishermans knor on each end to hold a safety clip. Attach with a short prussic/mt cord with 2 eye splices. that cord will be the mose expensive part of the setup. You couls save if you can tie a dbl-fish for a prussick, but he other works better.

Use a different color for the flip then the climbing line.

Those short lanyards are worthless for wide trees.

At leas 2 split tails so you can double crotch off your running end.

A short climb line if you don't want to dbl crotch with one line

four or five safery clips (including the 2 in the flip above)

A few of the CMI stitched slings

several 'biners of different make so you learn wich you like

one or tow pullies for rigging

rigging line

minni pulley for slack tender

handsaw/scabbard

2 throw lines and three bags

PW III and a long heavy eye sling to secure in to a tree (I like the modle III the best). the sling should be larger then the biggest tree circumferanc you pan working with by at least a yard so a timber hitch can be used. Hold off on whoopie slings.


with big deadwood you will be rigging things down, and if you dont's have a skilled grounder, then a friction break is a must.
this is probibly pushing 6-7 hundred

 

[treeclimber165]

Saddles are a personal preference, most guys start out with a similar saddle to the climber they learn from. You gotta try on a few and go with what you like.
For a lifeline, I like the relatively inexpensive 'blue streak'. Plain white rope with a blue core that will show if the rope gets nicked. Soft and easy to tie. I'd recommend getting a 200' and cutting it into a 125' and 75'. You will end up using the 75' for most of your climbing. Most trees you tie off at 40' or so, and having an extra 50' of rope on the ground for the groundmen to snag is a pain.
A lanyard is imperative also. I use a plain 4'-7' adjustable. When 90% of your work is up in the canopy, dragging around a 15'+ lanyard is stupid.
Can't say much on 'biners, ascenders and all that stuff, never used them. I guess I learned climbing from 'old school' guys and was never much for toting a bunch of multi-colored 'yuppie climber' stuff around a tree to snag on every twig I climbed past. I'm sure that all that stuff is good and serves a purpose, but I just stick with the basics and it works for me.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I gotta disagree with the 4-7 lanyard. I use a 30ft on daisychained up. It is very useful as a secondary TIP and for doing dificult but short transfers.

 

[treeclimber165]

That's what is so great about this. Everyone has their personal preferences and that's OK. What works for you, and is SAFE, is the best way for YOU. I was just trying to say that it is OK if you start with a simple setup and add what YOU need in the tree, rather than what some other climber with different techniques uses. There are thousands of combinations for a safe, effective setup. Sometimes I hear about gear and think "I could use that". That is when I buy new items. Buying stuff before knowing if YOU need it is kinda backwards in my opinion.
I didn't think about using the 20' flipline for a second tie-off, good idea JPS. But in my neck of the woods it is rarely needed. Most of my climbing is on trees with a central leader. On wide, spread-out stuff I might bring a second short (50') lifeline with me. These are easy to come by when a good lifeline gets nicked.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

From ironworkers i have learned an interesting point.

They say that a man that drops 6' and is caught by side D's (lan-yard); ruptures his spleen! So a standard fixed lan-yard is 6' os it cuts that drop in 1/2 as it is anchored around something! So i start newbies off on 6' and give warning as they advance not to let slack in lanyard!

i use a 12', i make in 3 strand and have a small swivel snap with 3strand on it to take up slack. The end of 3 strand runs through the eyeletand is stopped from sliding off by backsplice, in this way it doesn't get in my feets,a nd leaves snap open for hanging on accessory ring.

If i need more; i open my redirect biner/sling and extend lanyard 4'! But that is rare. i use microscender(15200); connected to saddle by twisted 5/16 clevis (15991)from......................... yes Sherrill of course! That lil'twisted, polished clevis is very discreet, strong, secure and lines up microscender perfectly; very much worth the price!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've had a number of "crabapple ropes" and lanyards that started life as 120 hank climbing lines

If your cutting it at 40 feet because of a nick, whay not still use it for some sort of climbing?

 

[DDM]

I guess you'll make your own split tail?
Which now that i think about it i'm paying
26.00 for 5' of split tail when i could use
a piece of climbing line.

 

[treeman82]

I was talkin about this the other day with somebody. Do you guys know anywhere where I can find one of those big old snaps? The ones that people use for hanging chain saws and ropes off of saddles? Single locking. Big hook / small gate. I just wanna get one for when I got lots of ropes coming up. Something to hang slings and ropes and God only knows what else off of.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i believe you might be talking about a ladder hook; the only other thing that comes to mind is a large pear shaped biner. But we used to use ladder hooks.

 

[Kevin]

Ryan, have you considered a daisy chain?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

or knot.

For that matter what is a bowline using a bight, but wrapingin it aroynd a chunk of wood first called. It don't look like a "bowline on a bight".

I've done it as a running bowl'n, and call it a bowl'n with a bight.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I gotta side with John on the lanyard issue. Four to 7 feet is not a lanyard, it's a chin strap for your hardhat or something.
I would say 12 to 15 feet for your short lanyard and then have a second, long lanyard for the wide trees.
I would recommend you at least try those Kong aluminum rope snaps, they look goofy, but work very well, even with a gloved hand.
Blue streak is sampson's rope that is blue and white, and I like that rope the best. The white rope with blue tracer inside Treeclimber165 mentioned, is really called safety blue by NE ropes(I'm pretty sure).

 

[treeclimber165]

Yer right, Mike. It's safety blue. I started climbing with Arborplex and got very comfortable with it. When I went to work for Davey Tree, they made me use their stuff. I rebelled at first, didn't like the 'feel' of it cause I was used to the stiff Arborplex. But before long, I came to like the Safety Blue better and now just use Arborplex for hand lines.
I guess we gotta agree to disagree on the lanyard thing. 99% of my work in most trees is in the canopy, on limbs ranging from 2" to 2". Somehow, I just can't see using a 12' lanyard to secure myself on a 6" limb. Just that much more to snag on twigs as I work my way around. But if you like it, it's cool

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Blue Streak is the strogest standard climbing line i think, specially devised for foot locking; easy to identify, they say easier to eyesplice. i think the 16 strand wears longer than 12 strands, is rounder too (smoother friction hicthes). The high strength is very comforting especially as it gets downgraded into a rigging line, and you get a new line for yourself.

Off the beaten track; Baileys has a house brand rope; not sure of reviews. http://www.baileys-online.com/store/USA.htm

But; i really like Wall Maximum-V and wish it was a lil'easier to find; i got my last hunk from Sherrill; on some sellout deal i believe. i have always liked it; it is not rated as strong; is super bright; feels nicer to work with, has always lasted a long time; perhaps because of this fuller bodied feel that it has. It is a variant of their Tree Perfect (white w/ red fleck) i believe as High-Vee is to Safety Blue.

It comes to mind with your question, and the amount of positive comments i have heard from a few guys handling the new rope recently. Was also wondering if anyone else liked it.


i like a split tail system; and one of the reasons is to maintain length of these new lines i'm buying. i make tails and lanyards from easy to splice 3 strand, preferring New England Hy-Vee for this. Once again, one of the reasons is because as i buy a line i am visualizing its down grade path; for maximum safety and utility. All that extra line could come in handy for rigging......


Has anyone tried Wall's 12 strand Ultramax for rigging? 1/2" @8600#; 5/8@ 14,000# i think, was wondering about stiffness, stretch and wear.