hesslemount

Can't think of any possible reason where a flipline doesnt help the job. Keeps your rope free from falling branches using only one end of the rope and you just flip it across and snap in ready for ascent with rope to next branch. Surely fliplines are always essential kit???

The fact that others have used a sling for longer ascents between harness and pulley pleases me ... as that's the solution I reached. I find that having to pull through the tail after advance is more cumbersome than a Blake's / Prusik hitch so will go with the sling idea. Think that's the best solution for now. Still think the only reason a vt or other self tending hitch is good is for leaving a free hand whilst branch walking; and for that it's great. Thanks guys and thanks in particular for the you.tube video of Steve Bullman on page 1 of this thread. Now I get it. Merry Christmas to all. My harness is hung up until the 5th Jan. Now where's that case of Stella?

I'm getting to my wits end with the vt despite having heaps of help on the forum. I get it for branch walking and one handed self tending friction hitch and in that respect it's great. What I don't get is using it whilst ascending. It just doesn't advance right without someone pulling the rope through at the bottom. I was told the vt stays about waist height and the rope feeds itself through. What I'd REALLY REALLY appreciate is some photo's of the vt IN ACTION: i.e. clipped on harness pre ascent and mid ascent. I don't wanna be beaten but I'm getting close to going back to my old Blake's hitch and to never return to vt world again. At the moment I'm using an isc fixed cheek pulley with 1.5M of 8mm aramide tied off with single fishermans onto crab. Go on make my Christmas. Please

Does anyone know of a process that can convert your usual chippings into fire bricks? The reason I ask is I remember about 20 years ago the cub scouts used to sell fire bricks made from old newspaper which they mached and made into bricks. With so many chipping generated by so many of us it'd be ideal if we could pioneer a nationwide project with an institution such as scouts whereby they could use our chippings to make fire bricks. I know the fuel pellet product is well known and established now so why not make "the fire brick"? I'm tipping that the hardest part of the process (and probably the idea's downfall) will be in drying the chippings. Just throwing ideas out into the mix here to see if anything comes of it. Anything which promotes our by products as a useable resource has to be beneficial to all involved.

Great firewood and burns very very hot due to residual oils. Burns better with a slow burner such as oak or beech to prolong the heat. I'm burning mine after 6 months of seasoning on a well aired firewood shelter. Probably my fave wood to burn with ash.

You seem well informed on this matter. Which qualification / certificate is most recognised in Australia? May have a full time climbers job there and wanting to take a quali which is recognised by the Aussies.

As a computer savvy guy I've issues with the search engine on the website. I have replicated an already asked question twice and had a gentle knuckle rapping. But give it a go. "Knot" has 3 results, "First Aid" 1 and "ISA" a big fat zero. IF it's the search engine at fault (I may yet be to blame) then there will be replication. So please to avoid replication how do I find the subject matter without trawling through all the threads? Is there an alternative to the Search cookie? Give it a go. Try ISA for instance in it's many guises isa, ISA, I.S.A., i.s.a. Or "knot". I'm sure 1 link to "knot" is a little conservative for an arb' forum.

I type Celox in and it comes up with 1 search result ... mine. Also "knot" produces 3 results which seems a little conservative for an Arborist Forum. Great site but the search engine definitely needs some reconfiguration.

See article below: Nuff said! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485208/Woman-yelled-eat-pork-feel-fork-stabbed-partner-stole-chop.html

Thanks for that. The search engine in this forum finds nothing. I did try and was hoping I wasn't replicating. I tried first aid as a keyword in search and as always got zero hits but I also get zero for "knot"!

Hi All Reason for starting this particular thread is if anyone had ideas for "the essential" First Aid kit. I came across a product called Celox hemostatic granules (see link below) and ALWAYS carry. There's also Celox - A for deeper wounds. Basically you sprinkle them on large wounds and they clot the blood very rapidly and prevent potentially life threatening blood loss. I reckon EVERY climber should have it in their kit. If you purchase a packet of either Celox or Celox-A carry it in a tupperware and clearly label "Blood Stopper - Just Sprinkle on wound" making it easy for your workmen to identify. Also make your work mates aware that you carry it. Let's face it even though tree surgery work has improved it's H&S tenfold in the past ten years; it's still a dangerous occupation. Going to work without it is like going to Bangok without your rubbers. http://www.sammedical.com/celox_original.html http://www.sammedical.com/celox_a.html

For axes and general work tools that are getting some wellie I go Silverline Tools everytime and always fibreglass handles. You're always going to get some goon being over-zealous with his swing and overshooting; thus disconnecting your lovely new axe head from the hickory handle you took 8 hours to whittle up. Fibre shaft 6lb splitting maul £13.45 bargain. And for those extra large or tough logs whack a wood grenade (link below) through the heartrwood with a sledge hammer and it makes your splitting much easier. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/51334/Hand-Tools/Hammers-Axes/Axes-Mauls/Roughneck-Wood-Grenade-Log-Splitter http://www.silverlinetools.com/shop/HandTools/Hammers/Axes/d31/sd159

I'm struggling a little with vt's and getting the vt and pulley far enough away from my saddle to get an arm's length pull for body thrusting. At the moment I've my eye spliced rope in one krab and then my vt with isa small fixed cheek pulley and 8mm armaride (for vt) on another krab. This means that the vt is just above hip height whereas I need it above head height. What's the best solution? One simple way is attaching the vt / pulley system onto a Prusik loop and another krab of the desired length to clip into harness. But wouldn't this be unecessarily untidy and use too much kit. What I need to see is a photo of the vt assisted pulley system ON THE HARNESS with climber ready for tree entry. As I say I have the system and works great for branch walking but for body thrusting I need my system further away. Is there a way of making it easily adjustable to bring it in closer for limb walking and further for body thrusting? I have seem this sytem with a Blake's hitch. Any help appreciated especially photo's of the system ON THE HARNESS. Every time I've tried a system from photo's of a disconnected system there's been a gliche.

Cheers Sciutadopitys that was my gut feeling but good to get vibe from others who've been there and done it. ISA wins my vote there then. I'm a bit reserved to go back into the realms of studying as tree work was a physically welcome break from my 10+ years of study and research in biodiversity ecology (B.Sc., M.Sc., & Ph.D.). But I figure we must embrace the challenges to better ourselves so something to think about for the near future for me.

How does the ISA certified arborist creditation compare with being a Professional Member of the Arboricultural Association (see pdf. file below)? http://www.trees.org.uk/downloads/memtxtpro2007.pdf Is this a good route to go down? Or is ISA much more recognised? being a business mostly dealing with the domestic market (80% domestic 20% commercial) no one EVER asks for any form of proof with the exception of commercial clients wanting NPTC proof. I just wonder that other than self achievement the ISA or AA quali's don't count for increased business within the UK. What's anyone elses take on this and in particular which is the best route to take; AA or ISA?

That'd only work if the rules were different for Recyled Products Carriers and we were promoted to continue in our good deeds. Recylcers could be ruled by the carrot and waste carriers ruled by the stick. Thus recycling would continue to flourish. Try telling your domestic green, brown, blue black bin waste producers that they've to pay for their recylables to be recycled - there'd be little demand for green bins. Just need to get away from the "that's the way it's always been" argument to one that promotes a good reuse / recylcing ethos.

Here's another good article called "Zero Waste Maximum Profit" by Mark Bell for Euroarb: http://www.euroarb.eu.com/articles/julyzerowaste.htm

If you can find a copy of Euroarb Oct / Nov 2007 there's an article from page 7-12 "The Future is Fuel Wood" which has some great article of firewood and running a firewood business

HAIX ALL THE WAY FROM ME TOO. Slightly more expensive but great value. There is no other boot.

You'll need PTS Personal Track Safety (as mentioned above) and to take a fairly strict medical checking sight, earing, drug use, alcoholism etc. Then you'll need to be sponsored on a 4 day course to get your PTS. I got mine at Martin's. The work's basically wood butchering doing all undergrowth (bramble etc) to 3 metre clearance from peripheral lines and trees to 6 metre - sky's the limit. What this interprets to is some lovely trees heavily spiked to cut branches to 6 metres. Rather than climbing properly with ropes they prefer to spike for speed. My main problem with this is the tree's gonna be more prone to decay this way meaning a return journey to do the tree again. However the big companies such as Network Rail and subbies such as Martin's don't seem to care about the tree just the 3 and 6 metre clearance. Sorry if I seem to be bad mouthing companies there but it is from experience not heresay. Don't get me wrong though it's hard graft and very physical which is great (for some) but the arb' side of things leaves a hell of a lot to be desired.