rope and saddle......

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Brian,
Say you are in one half of a wide tree, say you tie into the right half and are working on the left. A 4 foot lanyard can't even reach a round a 16" trunk. Then when you start working what do you do? Drag another rope up? Work off the tail of your climbing line?With a longer lanyard you just work away. I move my lanyard to the front, so i'm not hanging off my side rings.

I personally run the tail around to my back side so its out of the way, And daisy chains keep the slack out of the way.

 

[rbtree]

Re Bailey's Blackmax:

I've seen the rope. I'm thinking it is made by NE Ropes. It has the same specs as HI-V, but is a bit limper, perhaps not woven as tightly. And being black, is easier to lose sight of under a brush pile. I think it has a blue core too, also same as Safety Blue Hi-V.

Price is right though!!

Good DWT discussion. I will be using it, and/or trad speedlining, to facilitate an extremely difficult removal of a 43" dbh, declining, poor structure, bigleaf maple next week. I'm trying to get the photos that Oxman shot with his digital up, so we can better discuss the job. It will likely be the most technical tree I've done. I may have to raise the appx $3200 price I've given the customer.

 

[rbtree]

treeclimber 165,

just catching up on thread after weekend in British Columbia. Got in my makeup arbormaster day, from last spring's 6 day course. Then went skiing and dropped off some chain saws with Dennis (from chainsaw thread) to greffardize.

Your post re Bluestreak has the lines confused. Bluestreak (8100 lb)is white and blue and is made by Samson. Safety Blue (7700 lb)is NE Ropes (and the world's) first 16 strand climb line (got my first in ~1980). It is white with a blue "safety" core, so called so that, if you see the core, you knew it is time to retire it. Hi-V Safety Blue (7000lb)is orange and white, and loses 700 lbs tensile due the dying process.

I have all three, but prefer Bluestreak by a slim margin.

I'm looking at the Yale all white 16 strand as a rigging and/or occasional climb line, even though it is only 6200 lb, as I've seen it priced as low as $289/ 600 ft.

The spearmint, and red Yales are nice, firm woven lines, same as the white in handling and specs.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Brian, think the differance in our outlook is that your may still see the lanyard as a a safety devciceand. I'm looking at it as a secondary TIP. I can adjust my body positioning over a roughly 13 foot range with my 30ft line without uncliping. I feel this is a good trade with having it get caught on stuff every once and a while.

 

[DDM]

Hmmmm John never actually thought of a Lanyard that way But i'll just add one to my Bag of toys. Er Bags


Picked up my BigShot today Guess i'll go
play with it a while see what i can tear up!

 

[underwor]

Black Max

I helped a student whip the ends and milk out a 150 chunk of this last Thursday. Using a 3strand pigtail, it sure seemed to hold nice. Wasn't super slick and seemed to be pretty solid. Haven't climbed on it, but it sure seemed awful similar to blue streak. Will let you know when I have had a chance to try it or get a report from him.

Bob

 

[treeclimber165]

A 4 foot lanyard can't even reach a round a 16" trunk.

To comment, Mike. First of all, closing my lanyard down to 4' works for me on up to about 14" diameter. As the limbs get larger, I simply slide the lanyard open some. I guess I don't have as much gut in the way as you do, cause at 7' my lanyard will clip around a 2'+ trunk and leave me far away enough to cut comfortably. (climbed three 60'-70' laurel oaks today and didn't have any problems, although I used 2 lifelines in one tree to work a funky lead.)

 

[seanlarkin]

Speaking of ropes, we've got three new ones coming out in our 2002 catalog. Yellow Jacket, Pro Stripe and Pro Spec. They're all 16 strands. I'm at home, so I don't have anymore specs to give, and I'll have to make you wait til the catalog comes out to see the colors. I don't know if we've started stocking them yet, but they do have part numbers and pricing. I think you guys will really like em.
-Sean

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I guess I don't have as much gut in the way as you do

Hehe.

Brian, great, now say you are strapped to a 2+' limb(with your Ab Master gut), and you want to move down, say two feet. Do you have another 4' of lanyard left?

You can't use the tail of your lanyard to "safety in" while you disconect and move your lanyard down, it's too short. Remember, my senerio has you off to the side of your climbing rope, that only leaves three options, another rope to double crotch, pulling your tail through and adding a second prussic, or free climb while you disconnect and reconnect, a practice not recommended, while not being supported by the climbing line.

A little longer lanyard and you cold just reach down with one hand and let out some slack.

 

[treeman82]

I haven't checked on this thread in a while. However after catching up on the reading it looks like I will be making myself up a few new lanyards to play with. Any idea as to where I can get these ladder hooks? I see the locking ladder snap in Sherrill's however I was thinking of something that was non-locking and that is bigger with a smaller gate.

On another note, I just recieved a "Pantin" by Petzl the other day. Thanks Sherrills for such speedy delivery. I am gonna try it out sometime over the next few days and will let you guys know what I think of it.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Non locking snaps are prohibited by ANSI

I like a locking snap with a little heft in it so a can sail it around a limb/trunk. Just watch out for your teeth

i use one like this, you can attach with a fishemans or an eye splice girth-hitched

 

[Keener]

Under the heading always take your hard hat, that snap can really smart when it hits you on the top of the head too.
How might this happen you ask?
Well you might just have to pop up a tree to tie a line in or retreive a friction saver that seems stuck so you figure hey! it's hot I'm not doing anything I need a hat for so up you go.
On the way down on your line the loose end of the lanyard with snap hangs on a branch you go past before you notice and Bingo! the snap comes off the branch and nails you in the top of the head.
All hypothetical of course I don't know anyone who might actually do such a silly thing

 

[rbtree]

Hey, keener,

waana see th' bump on me for'hed from last August's wingding?

ouch!

Where's are u located? I'm in Seattle, and was just in new westminster last sat for Arbormaster Training. i had missed one day of the six day course here last spring due a swollen elbow.

I heard about the lower mainland's biggest windstorm in 45 yrs. Had I heard earlier, I would have called some ISA members to see if I could have helped out. It would have been tough to get work permit likely tho.

See my thread on the technical tree removal? Check out the four pics. We're doing it next week. It will be a who's who 6 man crew. All crack arborists, with Dan Kraus, 3 time ITCC Master's Challenge finalist supplying the Hobb's block and video camera. He's still recovering from knee surgery.

My Walkerized 335XPT is in the mail back to me, I can't wait!! Dennis Greffard, from Clearwater, is customizing my 3120 to 13 hp or so!! I dropped it off at his sister's in "loops, Then skiied SunPeaks.

65" of new powder at Mt Baker last 7 days, 54 " at Alta in 2.5 days!!

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i responded earlier pointing to ladder snap; and for the application; think the non -locking is best.

i only recommended that for a saw holder per certain request. i believe something to hang ropes on too was mentioned.

i don't beleive the throat size of any ladder snap is right for lanyard either, even in locking style; there is a specification for that too! That aside i have an old WesSpur catalog (Carla @1-800-845-1213) that has a non-locking ladder snap in it. One time she was real sick and could bareley talk; was having bad day till i started cracking 1-900-Whis-Spur jox! Though i wood beleive that you could find it locally for other disciplines. Might even call Dr. Tobe for a special order.

JP's choice of snap for layard matches my own; i especially like the slight curve for fitting in your hand nicer, don't have to bring it around to your left D quite as far with your right hand because of that bend too- intelli-gent piece!

Another, thing i use the advantage/disadvantage of that weight for is zapping small, small dead wood; and throwing out, snapping back around to retrieve hanging rigging line just out of reach! Us lil'guys need all the help we can get in that dept.! My limbs are so short; when i stand up; my legs just barely reach the ground!

One of the reasons i keep a double bowline with 'yosemite ' tie off in my rigging line is to hold 'biner to snap to belt, load or as throwing weight too! In fact another purpose for my steel drop eye pulley on belt is to clip into this line for even more throwing wieght in tree. With that much weight it can easily fly up over branch and come back to ya nicely. Or, work that end to ground pulled by the weight of steel pulley / 'biner and keep other end of rig line for loads. That lil trick really makes carrying that pulley even more powerful strategy.

i generally go up loaded for war; a fella was making fun of me about it; no big thing; i do that myself! But anyway; he said it was too much wieght, but he wears spurs! Kleins at that; at least my barely used anymore spurs are Bashlins with Buckingham wraps. But i think that weight wise spurs are heavier, he says that you carry them diffrent, and thinx belt weight is more fatiguing. Well, in vehichles/ bikes 1# off the wheel weight (unsprung weight) i believe is equal in effect to taking 2# off the vehicle itself i believe. Would that go for foot weight too? Or might he be write; and weight around waist is # for # more fatiguing? It is always one of my arguments about the trade from 'Euc' (tear it all up quick) to tech (care with toys added); when preaching!

O; um, uh; well, uhhhhhhhhh, let's see.............. his lead climber's lanyard is made from dog chain! Y'all ever hear of that? Guy has been climbing 20 years + or so like that!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I switched to the Kong aluminum rope snaps a while back, and I never missed anything LESS than those steel rope snaps.

They are much less painful to use, therefore safer.
They flip just as well.
They open and close much easier, big plus.
They are lighter.

Ask anyone who uses the steel rope snaps, for their version of how they were injured by their snap.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Dog chain lanyard...

Why does he take his dog climbing a tree?????

Doesn't 5,000 pound breaking strenth chain get heavy????

 

[Treeman14]

Now I've got this mental picture of Jeff Foxworthy addressing an ISA convention: " If your safety lanyard doubles as a chain for your 200 lb. pit bull...you might be a redneck arborist."


"If you put your spurs on before you leave your house in the morning and don't take them off till you go to bed... you might be a redneck arborist."

 

[coydog]

I like to climb with two fliplines, a 10' and a 12' each with a Gibbs and a steel snap. They really don't get in my way because I'm used to them being there. If I have to do a long limbwalk, I'll have one of the lanyards clipped loosely around the limb I'm walking while leaning on my climbing line, when I encounter a branch, I don't have to unclip to proceed. This is just one of the many uses I find for having two lanyards. Basically it gives you a freeclimb feel without the danger.

 

[coydog]

And yes, I've been laughed at and berated for carrying all that " funky mountain climbing junk" with me...
"...By the time your done messin with that rope I'd a been had the ladder up and gaffed up an sawed that limb and be down by now..."
That's why I decided to start working for myself.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I had a guy use that line on me a few time, I told him that I would race him out of the truck next time. I would be paked up befor he gets the ladder near the truck. He never took me up on it. And I suck with throwball.