D Mc
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Everything posted by D Mc
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To be clear, I do make chainsaw cuts with one hand, often. Doing so with a well balanced top handled saw does not even come close to the other dangers tree work presents. I believe Reg expressed this in his video also. So I submit, that if a climber has difficulty judging when and how to do so safely, that tree work in general, as a profession, might not be a good choice.
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There is both truth and error in the above quote. First, analyze the term "lazy". Doing something an easier way; hummm, sounds like something we are constantly striving for in our line of work because as we know, fatigue is a major factor in injuries. "Laziness", in truth, has been the driving force in the advancement of our climbing technologies. Our bodies will often recognize what our mind will not. When going through accident reports, it is important to remember that what we do is dangerous. As Reg said, aside from ignorance, safety has more to do with the individual than it does the technique. Very few people that I see climbing should be. And even fewer should be using a chainsaw at the same time let alone with one hand.
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There is one aspect of the Rigging Wrench that makes it uniquely different: it's ability to take up slack while under load. This could prove to be an asset in a rescue.
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The Sequoia has adjustable straps from the waist belt to the bridge rings. For a more upright position while suspended, tighten them.
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Another great vid by Reg! The above statement is quite true and as Reg stated the times where DdRT is a useful tool are limited. Everything we do requires knowledge or we will not last long. Whether that means falling from the tree or physically wearing out from over-taxing certain body parts. There is a simple solution. Keep learning.
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Haha! Sorry, bad choice of words on my part.
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I don't have a ZZ so can't be of much help but remember, the RW is not rated as PPE. The acceptance of its use is based on the fact that a hitch will consistently and safely support a climbers weight by itself on a single line. Can the ZZ do this without over extending the links at a load that could cause it to fail?
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I generally use 10 to 15 psi more than the height in feet. With a 12oz weight and 1.75 Zing-it the throw bag is still moving smartly as it passes the crotch.
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I wonder what's going on with yours, Matty. I use mine even on small trees because it is so easy to regulate height by adjusting psi. With a 12oz bag it works out to be just shy of one foot of height per pound. Mine does have the new butterfly valve which is much better and easier to use than the older ball valve.
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How sad if true and a bit silly. Most of the tools we use, if misused, would be far more lethal. Why regulate on possible misuse when virtually anything can be? The APTA is great at doing what it was designed for, setting lines in trees.
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I have been using an early prototype and even without all the improvements that the current model has it is an outstanding tool!
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I find it hard to comprehend because what we do is hard work and SRT makes that work easier in most situations. Really is that simple.
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Even though I have spent most of my 47 year climbing career on DdRT, I now find it so annoying and slow, I only use it occasionally. The simple task of taking up slack becomes slow and cumbersome. DdRT is great for a toss and advance climb or crane work due to easy rope retrieval. But even choking a stem on removals is easier with SRT. So I'm having a hard time understanding Steve's apparent total lack of enjoyment in it's use.
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Those are all good points, Scotspine 1. If things are not working for Steve for the reasons you stated it is definitely worth a try. The only thing I have against the use of hand ascenders is that they can propagate the continued over use and dependency of arm power in ascending moves.
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No offense intended, but he already has a HAAS which is going to be much more energy efficient. Steve, and all, however you clip in your advancing tether, have it so the pulley is working. Even if it is just a small amount for support it will make a noticeable difference if the pulley is helping you to remain upright and doing some of the work for your arms.
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I have stated before that the change to SRWP was hard for me and made me feel the fool at times. I had a lot of years on DdRT and was very good at it. Now you couldn't pay me to go back. The two things that gave me the most trouble were reflex movement and equipment tuning. New reflexes will come in time but getting your equipment set to its best advantage takes thought. Basically if ascent isn't as easy as walking up a ladder something is not right. You should be able to ascend 40' while talking in a normal manner and feel no shortness of breath. Are you at that point? The new SRWP work possibilities will come but if your system and setup do not give you a ridiculously easy ascent you will be beating your head against the wall until it does.
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And I hope it stays that way. Using two separate climbing lines can be a fantastic choice in some situations but it should remain a choice.
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Climbing SRWP you have to train your eye to look at angles and potentials you never had before. With DdRT redirects are not used much so the force applied is linear. When you redirect you have a portion of your line above and a portion below that point. If the angle formed is exactly split by the redirect limb, that limb will be loaded in compression and will be a good choice for a simple dynamic redirect. If the angle is not equal, when you weight the rope, there will be a lateral force applied towards the more open angle. This causes lots of movement and is very weak. To counteract this you use a static redirect sometimes even pre-tensioning it so that the upper part of your climbing line is supporting the redirect limb. It is not dissimilar to cabling and allows you to use more of the tree to your advantage.
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Yes! When climbing SRWP do not overlook the fact that your climbing line can not only support you, it can also support the limb or top point you are hanging from.
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This is actually something to be very careful of. Bounce or movement that you can tell is coming from the canopy and not your rope should trigger warnings. When you feel it take the time to study your rope and load angles. It almost always means something is loaded in shear not compression. It is often necessary to set a static redirect instead of a dynamic to counter shear.
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Haha! Took me a long time too. But now there is no way I would even consider going back and in fact will use SRWP even in small simple trees. Once up to speed, it is very fast and easy.
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You are most probably right, but why bet your life on such an unknown? There is a hugh amount of strength loss when a formerly closed metal ring is open.
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This is why I don't like base anchors
D Mc replied to Steve Bullman's topic in SRT (Single Rope Technique)
Yeah I must admit that age and injuries have forced me to shift my work to mostly trimming. But even with that I will sometimes start a removal off a base tie switching to a canopy/spar anchor when appropriate. -
This is why I don't like base anchors
D Mc replied to Steve Bullman's topic in SRT (Single Rope Technique)
If we use the failure of a system due to misuse as the criteria for not using it, nobody should be climbing trees. ALL SYSTEMS can fail if misused and we have the history to prove it. Choose a system that best fits the work you are doing. I use a base tie for 99% of what I do and it has been a godsend in both speed and safety. -
I don't see ART ever producing an SRWP work system. Such a shame.
