rangerdanger
TreeHouser
Curious as too how many climbers own a 200' climb line and how often it gets used. Around here 150' seems to suffice, but there are some real giants where a 200' would be required.
How many own a 200' climb line??
- Thread starter rangerdanger
- Start date
- Replies 43
- Views 5K
N
NeTree
Guest
Never owned more than a 150 footer. Never really needed anything longer.
B
Blinky
Guest
I have a 200' static. My longest lifeline is ~135'. My shortest is 60' my newest one is 90'.
I use the shortest lifeline I can get away with.
I use the shortest lifeline I can get away with.
SkwerI
Treehouser
My thinking is that in order to need a 200' line, I'd have to be climbing a tree with the first limbs at 100'. Trees like that don't exist here. When I was climbing, I had a 150' line for the tall stuff and a 80'-100' line that was used on 90% of my climbing.
When doing tree work, one of my biggest concerns was having too long of a rope because only a very few groundmen will ever be concerned about keeping your line clear. Most will gladly drag the end of it to the chipper entangled in a limb without ever caring or bothering to check. Your safety is none of their concern, their job is to pick up sticks. I hated having to be dependent on their aptitude and attention span in order to ensure my safety, so I would always use the shortest rope possible. Even if it meant I had to retie lower in order to get to the ground.
If I had a 200' rope I'd cut it in half.
When doing tree work, one of my biggest concerns was having too long of a rope because only a very few groundmen will ever be concerned about keeping your line clear. Most will gladly drag the end of it to the chipper entangled in a limb without ever caring or bothering to check. Your safety is none of their concern, their job is to pick up sticks. I hated having to be dependent on their aptitude and attention span in order to ensure my safety, so I would always use the shortest rope possible. Even if it meant I had to retie lower in order to get to the ground.
If I had a 200' rope I'd cut it in half.
C
countryboypa31
Guest
I use a 200ft on everything. Its the only rope i use. I think you should always be able to reach the ground at whatever point of the tree your at. Its a safety concern. If you get attacked by bee's or something and need to fly to the ground what are you going to do with a 150' in a 100' tree? Even in a 70' if your redirected there is a good chance your not going to reach the ground. Now what do you do? I
If for some reason you get injured and someone comes to rescue you, how much does that suck that he can't just take you to the ground cause your line isn't long enough? If you need immediate medical attention like a chainsaw cut, your loosing valuable time.
If you have a short line so your groundies don't drag it to the chipper, sounds like you need to train them better!
If for some reason you get injured and someone comes to rescue you, how much does that suck that he can't just take you to the ground cause your line isn't long enough? If you need immediate medical attention like a chainsaw cut, your loosing valuable time.
If you have a short line so your groundies don't drag it to the chipper, sounds like you need to train them better!
B
Blinky
Guest
I was facing yellow jackets in a tree just yesterday with without enough rope to get down (first time I've seen'em nest in a tree) but I managed to not rile them up very much and pulled my TIP, rest and slid down.
It would've hurt. So I see your point but still, I'm staying with short ropes. I can't stand the extra time it takes to keep a long rope fair in a broad canopy.
It would've hurt. So I see your point but still, I'm staying with short ropes. I can't stand the extra time it takes to keep a long rope fair in a broad canopy.
I have a 120" and a 150' I use.
As I use snaps on my climb line a split-tail, I can "re-tie in" in no time at all.
I have yet to run into a situation where I needed or wanted a longer climb line. I have however thought about shrotening my 120 footer.
As I use snaps on my climb line a split-tail, I can "re-tie in" in no time at all.
I have yet to run into a situation where I needed or wanted a longer climb line. I have however thought about shrotening my 120 footer.
PCTREE
Treehouser
Hey Countryboy, Ive been climbing 22 years and have never needed to be rescued from a tree but have had my rope put in the chipper twice:roll:
I climb with an 80' rope day in day out, have a 150' but never seem to use it. Pretty rare around here not to have a TIP within 40' of the ground. It does worry me about the whole bee thing though
I climb with an 80' rope day in day out, have a 150' but never seem to use it. Pretty rare around here not to have a TIP within 40' of the ground. It does worry me about the whole bee thing though
T
TREECYCLE
Guest
2oo ft all the way here. tying in once on a 120 ft Fir is really nice. Plus you can lower a branch or two with the tail.
Old Monkey
Treehouser
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2005
- Messages
- 8,764
I have one and I've used it twice, once for a hundred foot tree the other time I used both ends for tie ins. Usually I climb with an 80' line. Back in California, I used a 200 foot rope much more often.
I'm a chicken, so I like to always have the option of bailing out.
Normally I'll use a line that is twice as long as the tree is high.
For the tallest trees here that is about 280 feet.
For smaller trees I use shorter lines of course.
Normally I'll use a line that is twice as long as the tree is high.
For the tallest trees here that is about 280 feet.
For smaller trees I use shorter lines of course.
Old Monkey
Treehouser
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2005
- Messages
- 8,764
Wuss!
SkwerI
Treehouser
I guess I should have clarified that my position applies mainly to spreading hardwoods. Keeping track of your trailing line is a huge deal when working a spreading canopy. Our big oaks can easily spread 75'-100' across. On conifers it really doesn't matter if you have a 600' line since you only go straight up and down. In a really big one you might venture 10'-15' out on a limb but that isn't going to drag the tail of yout rope out very far.
And I'll second what Paul said. I've NEVER had to be rescued out of a tree and I have never met a climber who needed to be rescued out of a tree (that I know of). But I hear about ropes getting sucked into chippers on a regular basis around here. I'm a chicken too, which is why I'm scared to use a long rope.
And I'll second what Paul said. I've NEVER had to be rescued out of a tree and I have never met a climber who needed to be rescued out of a tree (that I know of). But I hear about ropes getting sucked into chippers on a regular basis around here. I'm a chicken too, which is why I'm scared to use a long rope.
lumberjack
Young man on the go
So far every climb line I've bought has been 200'.
rumination
Migratory Hippie Arbolist
Since I left Hawaii I haven't had much need for anything over a 150' climb line.
rangerdanger
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #16
Thanks guys. I think a 200' line will go on my to buy list later on down the road. Around here there aren't a ton of trees that need a 200', but there are a few where I could definitely use one. And with my ambition to go to Cali one year, I would think a 200' climb line would definitely come in handy.
Burnham
Woods walker
Y'all know my answer, I suspect. My short climb lines are 150 ft. They get longer from there .
I had to get a special rope for the WCGTG to have the option of moving up through the canopy, using it like a long lanyard...that one is 75', and is now my "baby rope".
.I had to get a special rope for the WCGTG to have the option of moving up through the canopy, using it like a long lanyard...that one is 75', and is now my "baby rope".
SkwerI
Treehouser
Burnham, you guys in the PNW are in a unique and special world up there. If only the rest of us could be so lucky as to have the trees you do.
B
Blinky
Guest
True that... but I wouldn't give up my 80' wide oaks for it.Burnham, you guys in the PNW are in a unique and special world up there. If only the rest of us could be so lucky as to have the trees you do.
... a 75' lanyard, now THAT's a damn lanyard right there!
G
Greenhorn
Guest
Make alot of my money with an old 60 foot or so piece of blue streak. Little stupid live oaks and what not.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
120' climb line, 150' bullrope here.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
150 foot climb line a lot here. But I am building a range of sizes.. My money maker lines are my 60-90 foot ropes.. Live oaks, mistletoe removals and positioning lines in a second crotch for long limb walks. I need a 200 footer for the pondos and jeffrys here.... That will be purchased when I have one to do.. Job pays for the rope.. BTW... The oak that Stig and I climbed.. one limb walk I had about 12 foot of my 150 left off the high TIP ....
C
countryboypa31
Guest
To each there own. Just wanted to point out some good reasons to have a climbing line that will always reach.
Another reason i like a long climbing line is cause i use the "rope trick" regularly. Throw my tail down one side, work the other. When i'm finished with that side i work back to my tail and flip everything back over. That way i can work my way up the backside. If you understand that.
To Each there own. And i hope you never run into bee's or need rescued with a short line. It only takes one accident though! You make your own decision but i've made mine.
Another reason i like a long climbing line is cause i use the "rope trick" regularly. Throw my tail down one side, work the other. When i'm finished with that side i work back to my tail and flip everything back over. That way i can work my way up the backside. If you understand that.
To Each there own. And i hope you never run into bee's or need rescued with a short line. It only takes one accident though! You make your own decision but i've made mine.
G
Gord
Guest
I dislike working when I know I don't have the option of a straight rappel to the ground. The best rescue option in case of an injury is always self rescue, and retieing halfways down is only going to complicate that, or even make it next to impossible.
When I had maybe a year's climbing experience I cut the large vein on the inside of my elbow, just slipped a bit with a handsaw and punctured it. I didn't think I had done anything (I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt) until the blood soaked the sleeve and was dripping off my fingertips. I didn't have a long enough line to get to the ground directly and had to retie, pulling about 40' of rope down, resetting and then another 20' rappel. All I could think of was, what if I had cut myself a little worse? Cut a few tendons? An artery? The five extra minutes it took to get down might have been the death of me.
A local climber here bled out in a tree here about two years ago because he wasn't tied in, didn't even have a climbing system set up, just a rope on his belt. His 200t kicked back into his shoulder and armpit area, making his arm useless. Couldn't get his rope set up with one arm. Even had he been tied in, it wouldn't be easy to retie in with one arm had he had a short rope.
My most used rope is a 230'.
When I had maybe a year's climbing experience I cut the large vein on the inside of my elbow, just slipped a bit with a handsaw and punctured it. I didn't think I had done anything (I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt) until the blood soaked the sleeve and was dripping off my fingertips. I didn't have a long enough line to get to the ground directly and had to retie, pulling about 40' of rope down, resetting and then another 20' rappel. All I could think of was, what if I had cut myself a little worse? Cut a few tendons? An artery? The five extra minutes it took to get down might have been the death of me.
A local climber here bled out in a tree here about two years ago because he wasn't tied in, didn't even have a climbing system set up, just a rope on his belt. His 200t kicked back into his shoulder and armpit area, making his arm useless. Couldn't get his rope set up with one arm. Even had he been tied in, it wouldn't be easy to retie in with one arm had he had a short rope.
My most used rope is a 230'.
Similar threads
