Rich Rule

Yes the cold hurts but the light isn’t an issue. You just start later and go home earlier! Must admit you need to when it is really cold. It is more depressing leaving for work in the dark and getting home in the dark. at least I am not an office jockey. no head torches, Carlos.

Not where I live. If you live near stagnant or slow flowing water then yes. My inlaws place is up in the Arctic and the midge there is a 'kin mare! Oslo, area, there are very few. I do live pretty close to the Fjord though.

I live and work here in Norway. Bit cold in the hands and some days a brutal doing treework. The dark isnt an issue. It is getting your rope or throw line out and realising it is a solid lump as it has frozen in the truck over night. there was once a time I couldn’t get my flip line to open as it was frozen. I poured some of my flask of tea on it. Worked fine until I was back at the bottom and unable to detach myself from a 50 foot Silver birch stem. Couldnt get my harness buckles undone either until one of the guys came over with a blow torch and heater everything up so it could open... Summers are awesome though. Blue skies, 30+ degrees C and scantily clad girls. maybe the thought of the coming summer is what gets people through the dark nights.

It’s getting a bit silly now isn’t it? Forestboy, as a new starter it will be tempting to take every job you get. Sometimes it isnt the best choice. Some jobs are horrible, sound like the oaks are in that category for you at this stage in your career. Believe me, sometimes it is wise to pick and choose you battles... certain jobs you need to just suck it up and get on with it. Others can be done on a better day weather wise or crew wise. if you stick with it then you will look back at the oak tree job in a few years and think wtf was I doing or thinking. it gets easier with time. One word of advice is dont accept all the shit jobs, just because you are new and want the job on the books. Often other companies have walked away as they can see wht a nightmare the job will/could turn out to be. If you do accept them make sure you charge accordingly for the agg. best of luck.

I have the Swazi Anorak. There is a tread on here somewhere. It has HI Vis and a large hood. Plus a skirt to cover your ‘arris. I climb in it and the skirt doesn’t get in the way once tucked in.

How about get to fuck mate and grow up yourself...? That is my point exactly. I ask a question and you resort to childish insults. I honestly couldn't care about your pictures and emails. Do the job and get on with it, take pictures if you want. Expect a bit of banter, this isn't a job for the faint hearted that's for sure. Arrogance has to be earnt. You may be the 'Don' at fencing or gate hanging or whatever you have done in the past. This is a new job/trade. Learnt it. Buying 200 quids worth of kit might make it easier on the body but it won't turn you into a superstar over night. Give a good climber a piece of rope and they should be able to get the job done. Best of luck to you, including all your dramas.

Maybe I am missing something mate... but I think some people are trying to help you and offer constructive advice and you respond by calling someone a cock sucker? Is it an in joke, or what?

I always gaff out with geckos. I have tried plenty of times and end up going back to my bashlin alloys ones.

Sarcasm. Did people really believe climbing without a rescue climber is more is more dangerous than being a frontline troop in combat? Come on. It isnt that hard to work that one out. In other news, did people realise the word ‘gullible’ has been removed the the Oxford English Dictionary?

Josh, who did or where do you get the sliding draw assembly? i love the side access on my hardtop but drawers would make it double functional. back on topic, 3doors on a hard top is the way forward. I would recommend mine, but it isn't aluminum .

In Norway the tendency is for Birch, Pine and Spruce. Birch seem to command a premium from the merchants. So this year we order a pallet of mixed... Mixed??? Well if you call mostly Aspen and Goat Willow mixed. Luckily, the previous owner of my house felled a load of Pine and Spruce in the woodland next to my house and chopped it into lengths. This must have been about 5 years ago as the bark is starting to come off. A couple of weekends ago, me and the kids set to collecting, cutting and splitting it. It has been stacked for a couple weeks now. Providing I bring it into the house a day or so before burning, it burns very clean. Glass is clear in the burner and then mixing it with some dead Ash or any fruit wood I have makes for a sweltering house. So hot, we have to open the doors sometimes. Even though I had a slight gripe about all the willow and Aspen in the load we bought, it makes fine kindling and creates a nice bed of embers before I load it up with the other woods.

Sorry to hear that Mark. Dutchie is a cracking dog. Hope you find something to ease her day to day living. Give her a tickle behind the ear from me.

Pretty cool alternative to the grapple and Captain Hook. Designed by Morgan Thompson, inventor of the Unicender. Video of the Bennet Hook nicked from Treekits Facebook page.

I know mate. I slept with an axe and a very large maglite. Honestly, I don’t know how I made it away from there unscathed.

Hardangervidda stopover on a road trip to Bergen for some work. Lovely place, a bit crowded for me mind.

What he said. when I moved to Norway most people use Aspen2. I started using it and slowly saws started to play up. I replaced rubber hose, fuel lines etc and carb kits and they work fine. i prefer 2stroke and pump fuel in bigger saws though. They seem to run better. Just remember not to let the fuel go off.

Can you get anymore Tommy? Dont really know what I would use it for but I am sure I could come up with a purpose... such as canopy anchor.

@Mark J The one on The A20. I thought it was Lee High Road but it is Eltham Road. I heard one of the locals coming out of the council flats behind it... moaning about the leaves it drops, they called it a f’ing tree. Must be a new species discovered by chav Victorians Image taken from google maps.

@Mark J From that article I read that the name ‘Boabab Plane’ is a colloquial term rather than a botanical name. It also states but can’t confirm the swelling is thought to be caused from some form of viral infection. There is a plane tree on Lee High Road in South East London. About 2 miles from my old house which looked the same. No one has referred to it as a Boabab plane but rather a plane tree with Bottle butt. Plus there is one in Greenwich Park. Not as pronounced and I found an article which I think David Humphries played a part in. It appears to be a lot younger that’s the ones in the article you posted. I would wager the Victorians were all about one up man ship. If a new species was planted and discovered they would label it with a name. Interesting all the same.

It may just be an extreme case of Bottle Butt?

You could do it yourself. It isn’t too hard just follow some Instructions for a double braid splice. Alternatively, maybe Tom Bowen @Tommy_B could do it for you.

Do you live in Lewisham or was it you on the bike?

Depends on what you want it for. I have 60m of the 11mm http. It is very low stretch and is a bit like climbing on wire. It is great but I wouldn't want to take a fall on it. I haven't managed to get it working on my Rope Runners or BDB and it worked for a while with the akimbo. Then for some reason just started to slip with the Akimbo... an issue with the device and not the rope. I have other ropes I prefer to climb on so it has been coiled up and hung up in the workshop for a while. I might give it a go with the RW someday. It is always nice to have a backup long rope as the weather here in Norway can be inclement, so it is nice to be able to change if you need something dry. Hope this helps.

Are you sure about the towing capacity mate? In order to upgrade my 2018 Hilux to 3.5 ton it is about 2000Nok (200 quid ish) extra.

SAme here. but the SR+ model in Norway.