90m tall rainforest canopy . . .what gear would you use?

[sjarthur]

Hey guys, I’m one of the organisers of universal canopy exploration, a research group based out of Plymouth University. We carry out a lot of our work in the tropics were the trees reach upwards of 90m. Home - Universal Canopy Exploration

 

We’ve all devised our own favourite techniques and bits of kit to make this possible. I’m a big believer in not carrying any dead weight; as a consequence I like all my gear to be usable for a number of purposes’.

 

We use SRT to gain access to the canopy, often 70m from the ground, so an efficient and comfortable system is crucial. Once gaining the canopy I change over to Ddrt to move around freely, I tend to use both ends of the rope to give so points of attachment at all times.

 

The question is . . . if money was no option what gear and setups would you use in this situation?

 

I’ve added a load of pics to give you something to get excited about. . .

[combined tree services]

im affraid i would be looking at a chopper for that lol ,

[David Goss]

if i was going to be silly about it i would go for one of these [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGPRNZZEV44&feature=related]YouTube - ‪WRAPTOR DEMONSTRATION‬‏[/ame]

but seriously i would take every one of these with me.. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k1lAf_V5Uk]YouTube - ‪Strap on a Wraptor - with the Wraptor Girls‬‏[/ame]

then i may never come out of the tree ever again.

[sjarthur]

2 bits of "string"i always take with me are my footlock prussik and adjustable foot loop, they have quite the list of uses:

 

· Footlock prussik

 

· Adjustable footlock prussik

 

· Blakes hitch/standard prussik

 

. Uses include: rescue rig, freeing up the end of your line to make a temporary anchor point, fancy re-crotching jobbies

 

· Foot loop

 

· Cambium saver

 

· Choking cambium saver

 

· Retrievable redirect

 

· Non-retrievable redirect

 

· Chest harness

 

· Dream steppah (stirrup for going back up through crotches)

 

· Hitch-climber extender rig

 

· Cow’s tail

 

· Measuring string (branch circumference)

 

· Skipping rope

 

· Super-alpine side-strop

 

my foot loop for my hand ascender also has numerous uses, but mostly a pulleyless pulley saver for cinching onto branches.

 

I've attached a few pics, ill try and get a few better ones of them in action up soon

[Sam Thompson]

I'm no rope monkey, but I am loving those pictures! Any more please put them up

[Nick Waring]

If money was no object, one of these.

 

Act Safe Tactical Ascenders - T1-16 Assault Ascender

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bjyV_5TIk]YouTube - ‪Tactical Ascender - Urban, Marine and Rescue Applications‬‏[/ame]

[sjarthur]

ha . . . they can definitely all come along! multi purpose too! climbing assistance and hammock mates! perfect!

 

we had looked at the wraptors but they are wayyy too heavy to be lugging through the forest!

[David Goss]

If money was no object, one of these.

 

Act Safe Tactical Ascenders - T1-16 Assault Ascender

 

 

ooh i like that a lot but i still would rather take all the wraptor girls with me

[BenR]

Unicender surely for that sort of work? Up down up down and no need to switch over to drt when you get into the canopy. 100m of rope and a Uni, pantin, hand ascender and footloop?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

what are you using to get a rop[e into the tree?

 

crossbow or big shot?