its time for me to upgrade my style.

[Tucker943]

I've been thinking. It's time for me to atleast give something a try. I love pruning and do lots of it. However, I was taught to climb by old school climbers. I wasn't always taught the newest and fastest ways to get up a tree. I learned to body thrust on 1/2" line, and that's all I've ever done. I know there is better ways out there. The problem is, there's quite a few better ways out there and I'm just not sure which direction to head in. I could really use help guys. Which set up do you use? Could you maybe post a link to a video if that set up in action? Maybe pics of your personal set up.

I have to give a new method a try. I owe it to myself and my business to make sure I climb to my potential and don't get stuck in ruts. I may not like srt climbing, but I atleast need to spend some time forming an opinion.

 

[NeTree]

I wasn't always taught the newest and fastest ways to get up a tree.

Here ya go!

 

[emr]

In the past I have trained guys using the Distel after they know how to climb using a Blakes Hitch. My first closed hitch that I used was the Distel and I felt very comfortable with it. It is not as touchy as some other closed hitches but that's what makes it a good one to learn with. Once you get the correct number of wraps figured out then you need to work on the climbing aspect. Body thrusting still works but it's different. You have to pull a couple of ten before you take the slack out of the system. This can be dangerous but any seasoned climber will know how to deal with it. Body thrusting works fine but you win see the benefits of the Distel when you are climbing the trees limbs or limbwalking and you can tend your slack one handed.

You really only need two bikers and a eye and eye tail to get started. A micro pulley is nice but not necessary. I now use Ice as my tail but Tenex is also nice. If you don't have a eye and eye tail and you don't want to buy one, you can also get some 3/8 StaSet from West Marine and tie your own. That's how I did it for several years until I learned how to splice.

I am sure more will chime in but that's pretty much how I learned. And I am glad I switched.

 

[bonner1040]

If you are body thrusting on DRT why not just pick up a Pantin and a hand ascender... you could do alot with those and they both have lots of different functions. If you are looking for more than that or SRT check this out.

http://vtio.org.au/Content/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Single-Rope-Technique-i.pdf

A lot of those techniques can be used on DRT just not with the added 1:1 efficiency of srt.

Pantin https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=724
Hand Ascender https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=192&item=1207

Here is Jerrys double line rope walker, I use a similar setup for medium length ascents http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-_GUggGMmM&feature=player_embedded

If you arent using a split tail, that will make a huge difference, I liked a schwabisch for my first closed prussick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4EJ2KHg1FU
It will work well with various hitch cords and ropes.

As far as rope, I am a rock guy at heart and I like the kernmantle stuff, I use the fly, it is cheap and works with the mech stuff really well.
https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=767
I like the eyesplices too, they make the whole system more streamlined.

Thats some good info to start, let me know if you have any questions.

 

[NeTree]

+1 on Jerry's AND the split-tail system.

 

[thattreeguy]

anchor hitch your rope snap to 1 end of your rope,
a few inches down from that tie a diestel in a 24 inch bee line,
as you place your tri act biner thru the 1st leg of the bee line, add a micro pulley under the bee line on the same biner,(leg pulley leg...all on the same biner)
finish loading the 2nd leg of the bee line into your biner,
set and dress your knot, and you are ready to climb..... important note here, i always set my biner with the bee line on me 1st , the set the snap , FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION so the gates wont rub


ive never looked back since i tried this set up,

ask javier at the wild animal park about my body thrust to do an ar at the park in a euc, fast for a big old boy, but it was ruining my shoulder, they showed me some new toys, and i got to get stuck, when a rope milked its kjacket into the bee line, reall funny times there, well at least for javier and his friends who had to swing me a 2nd rope



my point, try it low 1st because different ropes handle bee lines differently

good luck and have fun



i can slack out a bit and toss it up to the next limb, or use it as a lanyard

point is its on my hip ready to go, and once im up i can keep advancing, or go down, and not have to change over anything

 

[thattreeguy]

oh yeah now hand over hand the rope, not thrusting
hold with the left (above knot) tend with the right below the pulley...youre gonna like how quick you can now pull out the slack

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Mechanical ascenders are easier on the body. A Pantin to use your leg and a hand ascender with footloop for using your other leg saves the upper body a lot of work and wear and tear.

A Rope Wrench rocks. You can make a wooden one for next to free in 20 minutes, so why not try it????

You have to figure out what hitch cord and length/ rope/ climbing style/ weight work out in combination for you. A tied hitch cord lets you adjust the length while dialing it in. A stitched cord doesn't have the splice extra thickness from the 'bury' affecting the hitch. The spliced is the most streamlined.

A hitchclimber is really nice, and should be used with a spliced eye on your climbline. I use the spliced end of my rope for DdRT (Rarely, almost never) and the non-spliced end for SRT with a RW (and all the mechanical jazz, with a lot less overuse injuries).

It can be a bit overwhelming, but its just a learning curve, like anything else.

Low, slow, and not on a need to be high production job. Enjoy. Its worth it (after the four letter words are done).

 

[Porkbrick]

this is my system. it makes slack tending a non issue, and with the addition of a pantine makes hip thrusting unnecessary.
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[chris_girard]

Yeah, you really should try SRT and the Rope Wrench.

 

[Tucker943]

I was thinking I like the looks of srt with a rope wrench. Currently I climb on a split tail and micro pulley. I think I want to go the route of mechanical ascenders. But, I'm typing from a smart phone and didn't get to look over the above mentioned links and videos. I will when I'm home in a bit.

 

[Tucker943]

In terms of removals, I'm happy with how I do things and the pace I move. It's spikeless pruning that makes me wonder if I can get up in the tree faster. I roll around the tree very well, imo, once in it, but body thrusting my way up to get started just doesn't feel efficient anymore.

 

[brendonv]

Wraptor up, work down, done.

 

[Tucker943]

Oh I believe it. I'm not in the market for a wraptor at the moment. Im slow this time of year.

 

[sotc]

Hitch climber seems like "just another pulley" but I think it is a nice tool for any hitch based system

 

[Tucker943]

Willie, get a load of this. I was bopping around youtube checkin out some tree work other guys do. I like watching other climbers sometimes to see different perspectives on work. Anyhow, I stumble upon a 9 minute compilation someone put together and after a few minutes Im thinking, "This is one bad mofo here. He looks like he has a 3rd nut in a tree!" The name was "soortree" and I was like "Thats Willie!"

 

[DMc]

I was thinking I like the looks of srt with a rope wrench...

If you are looking for something new, I would highly recommend an SRT work positioning system. The Rope Wrench will allow you to sample this with a very small investment and a high probability of success.

Dave

 

[PCTREE]

5 years ago I was still climbing the way I had been taught 25 years ago. I was spiking up every TD with NO safety what so ever and body thrusting up trims. One day I realized I didn't really get much out of climbing anymore. I decided to get interested or get out. Getting out wasn't a viable option so I tried to get re-energized and found the inter web and forums such as this. Now I have changed pretty much every facet of my operation. The internet is such an awesome tool to use to find new techniques and just get interested in it again.

Don't spend too much on new gear, the Rope Wrench might be a good way to try but let me see what I have kicking around, might be able to throw something your way, give me a couple of weeks....

 

[Tucker943]

That's a mega cool gesture man. My problem is that I don't get around other climbers to check out their gear and give new ideas a try. In my area, there aren't many guys that are up on new gear in terms of climbing gear. I'm the youngest tree service owner in my region. Most of the guys in the business are close to selling their operation and stick to bucket work. So day in and day out, I don't get much hands on exposure to other guys gear bags to be able to form new opinions. I guess that is the beauty of the internet. The men I learned this line of work from were some BAD sons of bitches in trees but they were as old school as it gets. That has been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I learned the ropes from guys that put wood on the ground with no mercy, but a curse because I learned things the hardest way.

 

[thattreeguy]

a throw line and my set up works sweet, dont need to go all high dollar and fancy

but i am a stone age climber, from behind the redwood curtain

 

[SkwerI]

Chris, many of us originally learned tree climbing that way. I'm another one who learned updated methods only through the internet and these forums. I was never trained by anyone but learned by watching other climbers and then later attempting to replicate the moves on my own. I applied that same training method to the methods and ideas I read about online and eventually got pretty good at it. I pissed off a lot of bosses 'wasting time' with different stuff but I figured if they could do it any better then they wouldn't be standing on the ground while I'm in their customer's tree.

Buying the Big Shot opened up a lot of options for me since I suck at throwing a throwbag, and buying a Pantin and a handled ascender helped me even more since I can't footlock. But with those three items I could access the tops of a lot of trees faster and easier than most, and I wasn't spiking everything like everyone else in town.

Get some ideas on what you want to try and then we can get a lot more specific on suggestions and techniques. Think about your specific weaknesses and how you want to improve them. You have a phenomenal amount of talent here waiting to offer ideas.

 

[MasterBlaster]

a throw line and my set up works sweet, dont need to go all high dollar and fancy, but i am a stone age climber, from behind the redwood curtain

You and me both, brother.

But it's ALL good.

 

[Tucker943]

Hey my throwline and body thrusting on DRT works sweet as sugar, but i think there's more to be had...

Brian, you are certainly right. I'm going to do some pondering and post what I think I might want to try and see if folks can help steer me from there. Give me a day it so. As far as the weaknesses, time and effort. Mostly effort, I feel I waste too much when I see videos of guys moving twice as fast on Srt and exerting much less effort. I don't struggle with the motions, never really have. I have the endurance and strength to make my way to the top of any tree I've ever had to get in. I just feel there's an easier way to get up there and I'm doing myself dirty by not considering other options besides old school body thrusting.

 

[cory]

"Redwood Curtain," gotta love it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

This is a Most Awesome Thread, indeed.