what is the leading cause of blown out knees in our industry?
- Thread starter DLCRL
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squad143
Tree Guy
I'll be 53 this year and don't have the best knees. Mainly from over use and abuse. (20 years of competitive motocross and many more years of hard snow skiing.
My knee specialist says some of the worst thing you can do is "jar" your knee (jumping from heights). Now I climb out of the back of the dump truck instead of jump.
Also keep your spurs sharp. Having to jam them into the tree puts unneeded stress on the knee joint, both when it goes in and when it comes out.
My knee specialist says some of the worst thing you can do is "jar" your knee (jumping from heights). Now I climb out of the back of the dump truck instead of jump.
Also keep your spurs sharp. Having to jam them into the tree puts unneeded stress on the knee joint, both when it goes in and when it comes out.
DLCRL
Organic Demolitionist Expert
Being old school, did you climb much w/o spikes, I'd think that crawling around trees instead of walking in them, which gaffs make so much easier doesn't help the situation?
squad143
Tree Guy
Pretty much 99% removals, so not much climbing sans spurs.
cutting timber on the wrong property
ChoppyChoppy
Tree Freak
Pleasing the boss...
With proper technique, spurless climbing is much easier on the knees. You're not " crawling around" on the tree, but using your TIP to balance yourself as
you move through the canopy. Not to mention it's much faster.
you move through the canopy. Not to mention it's much faster.
DLCRL
Organic Demolitionist Expert
I tried throw bags years ago and foot locking, I'm quite certain I can get up and down a tree much faster w/gaffs. Every now and then I climb a huge cottonwood, where the diameter makes it hard to get in the first crotch w/confidence. So I use a ladder or throw a rope so I'm tied off going up, but jobs like that are 1 in 1000.
mike515
ArboristSite Operative
For a guy who is a hired gun, I'm surprised you can't climb without spikes. But there are other ways to get up a tree besides foot locking.
As far as sharpening spikes...I never sharpen mine...ever. I don't want them to go in very far and having a sharp point is not what stops you from gaffing out. Having a kind of rounded surface leading from the inside of the tip to the straight part of the gaff is what makes you less likely to gaff out. It's a bigger surface area which therefore decreases your weight per sq. inch (or whatever measurement you might rather use).
Knee injuries.....I know a guy who was climbing and tied in but he slipped and swung towards a large lead. He tried to stop himself by putting his leg out but his foot missed...the spike didn't. Tore his knee up. He needed major surgery and never climbed again. In fact, he stopped doing any type of tree work and opened a saw shop instead.
As far as sharpening spikes...I never sharpen mine...ever. I don't want them to go in very far and having a sharp point is not what stops you from gaffing out. Having a kind of rounded surface leading from the inside of the tip to the straight part of the gaff is what makes you less likely to gaff out. It's a bigger surface area which therefore decreases your weight per sq. inch (or whatever measurement you might rather use).
Knee injuries.....I know a guy who was climbing and tied in but he slipped and swung towards a large lead. He tried to stop himself by putting his leg out but his foot missed...the spike didn't. Tore his knee up. He needed major surgery and never climbed again. In fact, he stopped doing any type of tree work and opened a saw shop instead.
mike515
ArboristSite Operative
It's not really an inconvenience to me. I'm just as fast with or without them. Sometimes it's easier without them.
When I climb on spurs, my knee clicks like a geiger counter. Old age
42 is not young but it also isn't ancient. Once you hit 50 though, you will feel the difference. Wear and tear gets everyone. Don't smoke, don't drink, eat healthy food, stretch everyday and get plenty of sleep. I do 3 out of 5.
jomoco
Tree Freak
I'm 55, have to wear ergonomic 700 buck knee braces in order to climb with or without gaffs!
But it wasn't treework that wrecked my knees by any means, it was thinkin I could keep up with pro's on a moto-X track, and failing, sometimes spectacularly!
If you do have seriously bad knees?
Today's braces can keep you climbing, relatively comfortably, IME.
jomoco
But it wasn't treework that wrecked my knees by any means, it was thinkin I could keep up with pro's on a moto-X track, and failing, sometimes spectacularly!
If you do have seriously bad knees?
Today's braces can keep you climbing, relatively comfortably, IME.
jomoco
That set up looks painful.
DLCRL
Organic Demolitionist Expert
it looks very sophisticated and complicated like a paraplegic missing legs could climb. Wow
