Trust in the gear !?!?

[vduben]

stuart freeman?

but they get all there stuff from landmark, honey brothers or buxtons.......

[madmatt]

Yes Stuarts place, Don't know about Honey brothers, but they dont buy in from Buxtons! I started using them last year after Buxtons kept ballsing up simple orders. they are now very competative and for me there great as they are on my doorstep, but I suppose being towards melton mail order is more convienient.

[Marc]

 

on a serious side it took me a while to get confident in my gear, im now more confident with the gear than i am wth the dam trees!!!!! done 2 trees today and both had ****** centers but looked perfect on the out side!!!!!!

 

Hollow centers don't bother me much, a tube is a strong structure. Root decay like ustilina and other fungal problems like really bad innonotus on big trees bother me. Or climbing old high Ash/Lime pollards with 30ft regrowth on poor unions in high winds.

 

As for confidence in your climbing gear, it probably took me months to get fully confident, I found it was'nt just the kit either the type of tree plays a role. BIG Populars I hate the most as you can feel very exposed over 60ft up with no limbs beneath you.

 

We are all different and have to find our own ways of dealing fear/lack of confidence/stress. I found singing songs in my head or listening to an mp3 player helped relax me and improve my focus, might not work for you.

 

In the end though it comes down to experience, the more time you spend climbing the less it bothers you, some of us just take longer than others.

[RPA]

its good to never trust your gear 100% that way you constantly check stuff.

 

Spot on.

Also think its true with regards to the tree and what you are doing. The more complacent you get the easier it is to come down to ground the hard way:vollkommenauf:

 

Keep double checking your gear, the tree and your next move. Soon it will become second nature as opposed to something you worry about

[bob]

:saint:WHEN i first started all we used was posh bailer band so all this new gear is super strong i dont think your problem is confidence in the gear more a general fear of climbing which only comes with time just remember all your climbing kit can safely hold a long wheel base landrover so unless your very very large it wont let you down its more likely that you let your kit down

[Marc]

I like the way you specifically mention a "long" wheel base land rover Bob! sounds like you have experience

 

I agree that its more of a general fear of climbing that is the cause, but I do remember being paranoid my knots would come undone, or my prussik would somehow slacken off and send me plumeting to the ground etc! So confidence in kit does have some role. As soon as you can relax and forget about the irrational fears, the better.

 

I did teach myself to climb with no instruction from, so I always had fear in my mind that I was doing something wrong, so I can sympathise.

[High Scale]

its good to never trust your gear 100% that way you constantly check stuff.

 

I agree but also a good way to get to trust your gear is to fall off the odd branch, have a swing and realize your OK and your climbing gear is very strong.

[swe#kipp]

Well sounds like I have to keep on climbing and things should be better, thing is I feel safer climbing on the limbs with out any gear at all, So it's maybe more about getting used to all the gear

 

Thanks for all replys !!!

[TimR]

its good to never trust your gear 100% that way you constantly check stuff.

 

cmon be honest all how many do an actual daily check ..... and i mean before putting it all on and start climbing .... the way found best to do this is to dismantle my kit after every use so my body strop would be unclipped my centre d karabiner would be unclipped and my prussik clipped to it and my rope in a rope bag that i always check the whole length as im putting it away . that way i found that every karabiner im using is unclipped and clipped once before use so i can tell if its stcking or faulty , my prussik i have to handle to re tie so inspect as im doing so, my rope is checked, i use a komet butterfly 2 and in the pocket of my bag i have an allen key and each day i check the bolts, and finally my centre karab is checked as i connect rope and harness . sounds a lot of time but its not as you get in the habit for those sticky karabs for the temporary solution i keep a small pot of graphite powder in bag light dusting and it loosens off but then it will be a case of boiling water drop karab in for a few mins then a good blow out with air comp and leave to dry and re apply dry graphite ... carry a spare new karab in bag and also a new prussik which is replaced when i bring it into service so there is always one there ....

[Steve Bullman]

i was referring more to regularly checking my krabs during the climb