spurs/climbers

[climb4fun]

what do you climb on/ have climbed on/ learned that you could share with a newb. im bouncing between two companies, figuring out which i want to work for and i know im going to need some new spurs. ive heard a lot of guys say they like the geckos and im sure they are awesome but im kinda curious about the climb rights with the ultra pads. they cost about $100 less and the replacement spurs are $50 less. anybody out there used them? any good? thanks in advance for the help guys.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Personally, I climb with good ole steel bucks, pole gaffs, and wear my t pads backwards. Never seen 2 climbers like exactly the same setup is my point. Wait til you get going with these guys, try a few pair and see what works for you. Spurs are a very personal thing. Jeff

 

[Blakesmaster]

I like most of what jollylogger said except the backwards pads deal...:msp_unsure: I've used old steel bucks with straight and twisted shank, pole and tree gaffs, big buck leather pads, velcro wraps (with and without insert), caddy pads, etc. back and forth for years and couldn't get comfy. Used a buddy's geckos and liked them so I ordered a pair. Coulda been a bad batch but the velcro leg straps on the ones I got were far too long for a normal sized human. Sent them back and settled on titanium bucks, straight shank, with velcro and inserts. Had them about a year and am very happy, though I dont climb as much as I used to...

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I like most of what jollylogger said except the backwards pads deal...:msp_unsure: I've used old steel bucks with straight and twisted shank, pole and tree gaffs, big buck leather pads, velcro wraps (with and without insert), caddy pads, etc. back and forth for years and couldn't get comfy. Used a buddy's geckos and liked them so I ordered a pair. Coulda been a bad batch but the velcro leg straps on the ones I got were far too long for a normal sized human. Sent them back and settled on titanium bucks, straight shank, with velcro and inserts. Had them about a year and am very happy, though I dont climb as much as I used to...

I don't even remember how that backwards thing got started it was so long ago. I think I had gotten a new set of pads, put em on wrong at the job, and had to get up in the tree before I could fix em... Ended up likin em that way. Just remember Climb, that first climb for these guys you'll be nervous, just double check your gear.... And the spurs go on the INSIDE!
Don't laugh, I had a newb who said he could climb walk up to the tree, and didn't notice until I asked him if he usually climbed cross-legged. He had a rough first day. Jeff

 

[climb4fun]

yeah when i did the working interview at the first job i forgot to connect my leg straps. didnt make any real difference and i dont even know if they noticed but it made me feel pretty dumb when i noticed. its completely different climbing in front of a bunch of people that you dont know, who are watching you and judging you, as apposed to climbing in front of people that dont know anything about climbing who just think its "neat" to watch. everybody on the crew from the first company was wearing geckos. i like my climbers and they are great for hobby stuff but if ansi or a critical boss got a look at them there would be hell to pay, since i have re-engineered them.

 

[joezilla11]

i have the climb rights with the ultra light pads and love em. well made and feel very solid, light, and the pads are comfortable and snug up tight. i first ordered them will pole gaffs and ended up switching to the tree gaffs. both are comfortable i just found the tree gaffs worked better for me. the gaffs are not offset like buckingham or kleins so i dont notice the high heel effect and it makes them very comfortable to work in and theres no real difference from the pole to tree gaffs as far as comfort (to me anyways) but i seemed to get better purchase in the tree gaffs. the only thing i noticed thats odd is the bottom of the gaff is not completely flat so the file doesnt hit the edges when you sharpen with a flat file. they werent that sharp out of the box thats how i noticed.

 

[imagineero]

+1 on spurs being a very personal thing.

I've tried the geckos and hated them. I ended up chipping mine as shown in this thread, but I still never really got used to them honestly, and I've gone back to climbing on my dinosaur steel buckinghams with new gaffs. Aluminum bashlins with caddy pads or the velcro wraps are one of the setups that has almost universal appeal. They're hard to find here in australia, but I'm looking at getting a pair in from the states.

The trouble is you're never going to know until you climb in them. An hour in spurs will tell me almost everything I need to know, and a full day will fill in the blanks, but shops don't lend them out. If I'd have had a chance to try the geckos before buying, I wouldn't have bought them. I think they were about $550. After chopping them, they've lost value, so I ended up giving them to one of my groundies, and now I'll buy another pair. Buying 4 or 5 pairs of spurs you don't like can get expensive pretty quick, so try to borrow spurs to climb in if you can. If you can't borrow then I'd recommend going with either buckinghams or bashlins.

Shaun

 

[qwik48r]

bashlins, tree hook, aluminum pads.

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

I started with the buck steels, then went with CF Gecko's and never looked back....just soooo light and fit good

Most spurs will be fine for starting out, then up grade as you make the $$$

 

[beastmaster]

i have the climb rights with the ultra light pads and love em. well made and feel very solid, light, and the pads are comfortable and snug up tight. i first ordered them will pole gaffs and ended up switching to the tree gaffs. both are comfortable i just found the tree gaffs worked better for me. the gaffs are not offset like buckingham or kleins so i dont notice the high heel effect and it makes them very comfortable to work in and theres no real difference from the pole to tree gaffs as far as comfort (to me anyways) but i seemed to get better purchase in the tree gaffs. the only thing i noticed thats odd is the bottom of the gaff is not completely flat so the file doesnt hit the edges when you sharpen with a flat file. they werent that sharp out of the box thats how i noticed.

I climbed on steel buckinghams for almost 30 years. I recently got some "climb rights", and love them. Their the most comfortable gaffs I'v ever wore. They don't hardly weigh anything and are really easy to put on and off with the velcro strap on the pads. I had never even heard of them tell I was giving a pair as a gift. I only wish I had them 20 years ago.

 

[Jlhotstick3]

I started in buck titanium offsets with the huge Velcro pads , they were nice but the pads were too bulky, now I'm in buck titaniums offsets with. 16 degree gaff and lether l pads which i love,I also have a pair of stringers with l pads too, that I don't use as much. Less bulk= less weight ur dragging up with u.

 

[sgreanbeans]

Old steel bucks and I hate them, but I hate all gaffs. I only use them when I have to. Soon as I get to my destination, I dump them.