Climbing saddles

[kfd518]

Well there is the start.
Buckingham rebellion saddle
Arbor-Plex 1/2”
Climb right wire core 10 ft swivel snap lanyard
Climb right carabiners 23,27 aluminum,45 steel and 50 steel kn

One notch 24 kn
Tenex 10’x3/8” will be here tomorrow

 

[kfd518]

 

[kfd518]

@Rob Stafari well sir I like it. So far probably do some stuff on some trees at the house tomorrow.... need to get a friction saver definitely, but even still set up w basic gear to get going once MY friction cord get here for friction knot.

Next purchase will prob be friction saver small pulley and rope grab.

Wife was nice enough to bring it all to me at work today.

 

[Rob Stafari]

Nice! Friction saver is a must for non removals. Amazing how fast a rope will dig into the bark on some species. I have two MARCS friction savers from climbing innovations. One for initial access or if I'm moving tie in points a lot. Another lives on my lanyard, but it is a long rope lanyard and functions as a second tie in point a lot and does a lot of running a wire core will never do. I also have two teufelberger multislings with revolver carabiners. They function like a ring and ring friction saver but can also be used in other ways. Hop on treestuff and watch the video. They can be set from the ground, but one small branch in the way you can't see and they can get hung up which is no fun at all. So I got the leather style for initial access and set ring and ring aloft. Unless its a nice branch and I can see clearly what's going on. Get up there in a big old oak or maple tree and there can be hidden surprises. The multi sling can also be set up as a cinching retrievable spar anchor. Other ways to do it, I just like having one tool with multiple uses that I'm going to have on my saddle anyways.

As far as pulleys go I'm a DMM 100% There's other good brands that are trustworthy, DMM is just in a league of their own in terms of smoothness and functionality. So much thought has gone into making them what they are. Price of course reflects that, but some things are just worth a little extra. For instance pinto and hitchclimber pulleys. There are some copycats out there, but they just aren't the same. Shame as you are just missing the 25% off DMM sale at treestuff, which kind of makes some decisions more of a no brainer.

Got all my gear out for a nice cleaning and inspection on the kitchen table the other day. Can't wait to get back up in the trees!

 

[Frank H]

I'm not really a hitch cord guy, I switched to mechanical hitches years ago. The one thing I do recall is that I preferred a leather friction saver over a pulley when I would run a Blakes hitch. The added friction from the leather made the hitch a little more forgiving. @Rob Stafari may have better thoughts on this, like I said up top I haven't ran cord in years.

 

[Rob Stafari]

Haven't spent much time on a blakes hitch myself. Running eye n eyes with a hitchlimber tender you can dial in the friction at the hitch to suit your needs. Which varies a lot building treehouses. Some days its basically me and the climbing setup. Other days it is a fully loaded toolbelt over top of all the climbing stuff and it pushes me into a far different weight bracket and things need adjusted. Not doing as much moving around as 'normal' treework. But when you do you want it to be smooth and reliable.

As far as the saver goes I do prefer the ring and revolver if the tie in point isn't moving a bunch. The way it moves as you do most of the weight is on the ring while descending. Switch to ascending and the revolver moves up to work and you get the added efficiency of the sheave. Not that the friction of a leather one is unmanageable and if I were to just have one friction saver it would be the MARCS from climbing innovations. I like mid line attachable, even if I will rarely us it in a way that it is needed.

 

[J. Loe]

I think starting on Blake’s is a good idea as you can use it with nothing but your saddle and a biner.
I’ll do that when I use my tail for double crotching sometimes.

I only use a friction saver on prune jobs if it’s a pitchy conifer because I don’t want my rope and hitch to get jammed up which it always does anyway so that gives me an excuse to wash my rope which I really like doing.

In Wisconsin we’ve got spread out trees multi stem ash being a prime example. I tend to switch tie In points (tips) a lot and that’s a pain in the a$s (pita) wit a fs (friction saver)

I do use a chocking fs when I’m chunking down a spar if I’m doing that on double rope.

However, these days I’m climbing srt a lot with a hitchhiker or more often, A bulldog bone and ill use a choked tip that way.

I wouldn’t get hung up on the fs just yet.
I would spend a ton of time with the throwbag.
That’s really helpful with tons of applications.

 

[Frank H]

I still suck with a throwball, anything over 20ft I just get the Bigshot out. Or toss up 20 and keep moving my tie up as I go.

 

[kfd518]

@Rob Stafari will the revolver work very well wit arbor plex since it kind of goes to a square/rectangle shape when it’s got tension on it? I decided not to use the Blake’s at the moment since I had the fortune to try several friction cords at work and think I’ve settled on ocean poly10 mm. I have been using a Distel with a carabiner to tend slack as I don’t have any pulleys yet. I’ve been climbing at work when I have the time and climbing in a red oak treee here at the house with a nice spread trying learn how to move around up there.
Does the marcs have the leather smooth side in, or out? I do leather work here as well and figure I can make it myself. As far as a ring and ring or ring and revolver I’m goin to make my own.

@J. Loe ive been cheating and using a slingshot and 2oz weight and monofilament. I don’t have a proper throw line yet.

Picking up a set of Spurs this weekend. Klein’s with pole gaffs but can change them to tree gaffs if I run into thick enough bark around here.

I have probably 5 hrs total in the air at the moment and feel that I’m making decent progress don’t want to spur the tree I’ve been climbing in though. It’s an amazing shade tree lots of low trimming to do though, that as I figure out how to move around I will get to.

 

[J. Loe]

The hitch that you settle on will be largely influenced by your weight.

A distel is great for thinner climbers.
Say 160 or less.
It is waaaay to grabby for me.

I started on the distel but switched to the Knut pretty quick, did that for a few years then moved to the Michoacan.

Ocean poly is great cord.

If you get the chance try some armor-Prus 10mm.
Really tough stuff, works as a lanyard as well.

For the throw bag, I don’t go lighter than 10oz because it’s hard to get it to come back down, specially through rough bark or lower twigs. I’ll toss her high then isolate with a heavier bag, say a 16oz.

The throw bag is pretty important for remote rigging and also for srt, so it gets used a lot.

The higher your tip the more that tree is yer *b-word.

It’s all about managing your rope, both between the tip and you and importantly from you to the ground.

When it comes to spiking I had a backyard full of box eldars.
*s-word trees so you don’t care about the damage and they grow at crazy angles and are really hard to spike cause they don’t grow straight. Great practice.

 

[J. Loe]

These are really really flexible.

Smooth, tough.
M system works awesome for spread out trees like a live oak for example.
Great bend radius as well.

Love em.

They do work with unspliced rope but your knot needs to face away from the hitch.
I’ll get a picture later.
It’s easy.

 

[J. Loe]

Here’s some really useful, but not free climbing instructional videos.

Lawrence Shultz is an amazing climber

Jerry Beranek is the stuff of legend

 

[kfd518]

I’m 135+\- so I think I’m good there. Trimmed most of my Ashe junipers a long time ago and just maintaining them now.

I’m practicing with the throw bag but right now with no proper line and being more accurate w the sling shot method, until I get accurate enough it will be my primary.

Pulleys will probably be in budget in about a month. The guy teaching me has told me that other than recreational climbing and a FEW smaller jobs during the fall and winter that we won’t be doing much until hunting season here in TX is over. Dove season starts in september and bow season for white tail starts October rifle in November through beginning of January. We are both avid hunters but I will be seeking smaller things to learn on while not able to go with him.

 

[J. Loe]

I know a few deer hunters here that use their tree climbing knowledge to maintain their stands and prune the lines of sight from the stands.

I’m sure climbing in 100degree Texas weather would be a killer.
I love climbing in the cold months. For prunes especially.
Love the removals all year round.
Love removals generally.

When I first started I had a short (6’) cheap as dirt ($5) box store rope that I would practice my knots with while watching movies and such. Good thing to do in the off time.

I stress the throw bag because a lot of people aren’t great at it and it sets you apart and really helps.

All in good time brother.

 

[kfd518]

I’ve been playing with a piece of utility rope from the station tying knots. I thought I knew some knots from my boys out days but had no clue. I’m learning each day which I guess is a good thing.

Climbing in 100* actually is a relief sometimes, you feel the breeze up there that others don’t feel on the ground. Last Friday in Houston I was envious of my mentor being up there. By the time we were done with the first tree my shirt was stuck to me like Saran Wrap cause of the humidity and no breeze with the temps. Was soaked from neck to waist. Had to throw a long sleeve on over it to absorb some moisture and get it off of me. The low breezes started about 30 min into the second tree. It’s drier here in my part of Texas.

It seems the removals to me are easier due to being able to use climbers and put a spike wherever you want to, to get better footing. Pruning is more challenging in that aspect. I do plan to use the trees here on my place to learn movement through the crown though.

I do plan to use this skill set to clear some huge dead standing live oaks on my folks land at some point but also plan to use it to get a better vantage point to hunt from. That part I have to get used to. I’m a stalk hunter due to the fact of the places I hunt being high traffic and dense woods, the deer take different paths all the time. If I don’t see anything for 20-30 min I’m moving some to a different trail. Pays to be light on the feet with all those live oak leaves crunching beneath you. I routinely have non shooters 15’ away. Longest shot I’ve taken in the last few years has been around 45 yds.

 

[Rob Stafari]

@Rob Stafari will the revolver work very well wit arbor plex since it kind of goes to a square/rectangle shape when it’s got tension on it? I decided not to use the Blake’s at the moment since I had the fortune to try several friction cords at work and think I’ve settled on ocean poly10 mm. I have been using a Distel with a carabiner to tend slack as I don’t have any pulleys yet. I’ve been climbing at work when I have the time and climbing in a red oak treee here at the house with a nice spread trying learn how to move around up there.
Does the marcs have the leather smooth side in, or out? I do leather work here as well and figure I can make it myself. As far as a ring and ring or ring and revolver I’m goin to make my own.

@J. Loe ive been cheating and using a slingshot and 2oz weight and monofilament. I don’t have a proper throw line yet.

Picking up a set of Spurs this weekend. Klein’s with pole gaffs but can change them to tree gaffs if I run into thick enough bark around here.

I have probably 5 hrs total in the air at the moment and feel that I’m making decent progress don’t want to spur the tree I’ve been climbing in though. It’s an amazing shade tree lots of low trimming to do though, that as I figure out how to move around I will get to.

I would think the revolver would work just fine despite the squareness. What's the diameter of the rope. The difficult part might be remote retrieval. I know the overhand knot on my 11.5 mm tachyon can be tough to pull back through at times.

Ocean poly is great cord. I started on the 8mm that came with all the Teufelberger gear. I've since switched to 9.3mm epicord after recommendations from several great climbers and some splicers on treebuzz forum that named it their favorite cord. Just me and climbing gear/chainsaw 8mm worked fine. Climbing gear and tool belt was too much weight at times in certain conditions and the hitch would want to bind. Started on a VT been working through some michoacan varients as of late to get less sit back.

Smooth side in on the MARCS. I'm out of town till Thurs, but when I get back I could get you some rough dimensions to work off if you'd like.

 

[kfd518]

Haven’t had much prob so far with binding yet if anything it doesn’t catch quick enough, however rit 9mm catches very well. Too well in fact just me on the rope it grabs up and I have to do funny things w my hand to release it.

Having to balance current needs and long term needs/wants with budget. Out of town right now.... going to see if any of the guys here at the department have a revolver they will let me use a couple of times and see how it works. Probably going to make ring friction saver with rope and steel rings for now.

I woul apreciate to dimensions on the MARCS. No rush though I’m out of town till next week.

Some of the stuff I’m grabbing has been stuff that I’ve found good deals on and wasn’t willing to let go since the money was available.

 

[p61 western]

Here is a link to a electronic copy of what many consider the bible of tree work by Jerry Beranek. Probably the best 20 dollars I ever spent.

 

[kfd518]

@p61 western can’t find the link

 

[p61 western]

@p61 western can’t find the link

Ah crap give me a minute lol.