Thinking about getting into climbing

[ziggo_2]

This topic has probly been beaten to death already here but im thinking of getting into tree climbing instead of buying another boom truck which seems to have alot of limitations and not to mention the cost..

http://www.wesspur.com/climbing-kits/deluxe-rope-climbing-kit.html

I was thinking of buying this kit with the sequioa harness from wespur but its backordered, not sure why, it dont seem like theres a shortage of anything. I thought maybe the harness but you can get it in different kits or separetly.

Is this a good kit to get started with? I dont mind spending money on good equipment. I dont want something that im gonna have to upgrade after a year or 2. I want something that i can learn on and add to. Besides, i want quality, my life is on the line!

I thought id add some spurs and a flipline to this setup eventually.

Anybody else wanna chime in on what i should get or where it would be better to get?

 

[I'llbearealclimberoneday]

I bought a similar kit a while back from Wesspur and have had nothing but good experiences with them. I had them swap the rope lanyard for a 1/2"steel cored flip line and then ordered a 22' section of 16strand 1/2" climbing line to make a lanyard with. I already had extra rope snaps, but if you make your own lanyard you'll need something because the swivel snap on the fliplines in not removable. The grab is the expensive part of the kit, but for about $35 you can have both if you don't mind swapping the grab over. The nylock nuts that it uses are about 12cents, so id recommend getting a small bag of them and using a new one every time.

 

[HuskStihl]

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/it-was-a-hell-of-a-ride.261576/
Good read to start with.

 

[ziggo_2]

just to clarify, im new to climbing....NOT new to trees or chainsaw or anything else related to tree care...im not exactly new to climbing either, just new to doing it the right way.

please do not try to scare me away from climbing, it wont work. I know the risks involved, and i accept them.

I would like to learn from a experienced climber but the only one i know in my area is a prick and hard for anyone (especially me) to listen to for any amount of time.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Most good climbers are pricks.....just sayin'

 

[ziggo_2]

Most good climbers are pricks.....just sayin'

well maybe he can train me to be a prick too.....

 

[ziggo_2]

The more i look into it, im thinking i may just order stuff from treestuff.com. seems like you get more for your money and thats even when i add extras to the kit. Not to mention they dont have them backordered.

Im sure it will be awhile before i order anything so hopefully you guys can give me some more pointers so im not buying a bunch of useless junk that i dont need.

 

[BC WetCoast]

You need to decide whether you want to climb on a split tail/blakes or an i2i/VT-distel-swabish hitches. The tree stuff kit came with a split tail, the wesspur with an i2i. I'll let you do your own research.

The tree stuff kit comes with a pantin (foot ascender) which is handy.

I have some arthitis in my hands, so I can't grab the rope well, so I have a hand ascender which helps me.

I think you need to do some more research, especially watching lots of you tube videos and you will quickly get the gist of what you need.
The Climbing arborist has a good set of training videos.

 

[ziggo_2]

You need to decide whether you want to climb on a split tail/blakes or an i2i/VT-distel-swabish hitches. The tree stuff kit came with a split tail, the wesspur with an i2i. I'll let you do your own research.

The tree stuff kit comes with a pantin (foot ascender) which is handy.

I have some arthitis in my hands, so I can't grab the rope well, so I have a hand ascender which helps me.

I think you need to do some more research, especially watching lots of you tube videos and you will quickly get the gist of what you need.
The Climbing arborist has a good set of training videos.

Way ahead of you, watched tons of videos over the last few years. This isnt a spur of the moment idea, ive been thinking about this for awhile. But i think its time to pull the trigger on it.

Im thinking ill go with blakes hitch and a different micro pulley if needed with a prusik to advace my hitch automagiclly. I price out everything i want and treestuff has it all cheaper. even when i add some spurs, prusik, micro pulley, and some biners to the mix, and some ppe.

One thing i havent done much research on yet is spurs. im not sure what length of spike i need or what ones to get at all really. I want something comfortable yet not too expensive.

 

[Zale]

Spike length is adjustable according to the length of your shin. There are no comfortable spikes. Some just hurt less than others.

 

[KenJax Tree]

My Gecko's are comfy

 

[Zale]

I've heard that but I think anyone who spends that kind of money has to convince themselves these are the most comfortable spikes in the world to justify the cost.

 

[oldboy]

i'd recommend getting the harness instead of the truck. i don't know bout that particular harness, but i bought a similar one from wesspur, and they are great, give em a call and they should be able to answer questions about the harness. climbing is pretty fun, i've had fun on buckets, climbing is a different kind of fun, i bet you will be stoked. it's also pretty easy to add a chest harness with a sling or two and a few carabiners for an added sense of security.

 

[IHateTrees]

Tree climbing is dumb, just get some latters and a farm boss. You'll do fine.