onetruth

He is, but having recently replaced my 2nd hand harness of over ten years, I thought I might give LOLER a try.

Thanks, I'd looked at that thread before but think I missed the key principles. The eye is basically formed by having the friction hitch go around both legs of the rope? That really does look clean.

I've done that when using traditional ring cambium savers, but there is no way that's simpler than using the cord. If I'm using the cords (as opposed to planning on climbing back up for it), I just pull off the rubber bands and chuck the cord over suitable branches. They stay out of the way, allow for more manipulation of the device, and it's no more effort than tying in the throw line. Besides, if I do get my rope jammed in the pinto (has happened more than once), I really don't want to be without my throw line as well! Never had any problems with seaweed so far, will keep an eye out. I forgot to say "thank you" to Joe Newton for his kind offer. I don't want a homemade splice as I would need to replace the part every six months. I know a splice would be better, I know a genuine pulley-saver would be better still. Until I decide to get a rope guide I think I'll persevere with my beach-find.

I'm not 100% familiar with the regs but I think if you politely ask your equipment not to snap then it's fine.

I got a singing rock bala for my four year old and it has loads of growing room. Fits my three year old too. I got it because it has front and back attachment points, and was under £30. EU made. BALA - SingingRock.cz [ame= ] [/ame]

Perhaps some sort of modular system so you can select the items you need for a particular job. A nice big rucksack frame that takes various different rope/kit bags as required might work. An attachment point on a handle (or better still, a pulley) for hauling the gear up the tree might be a nice touch. I doubt these ideas would work very well in the real world, but they might make good talking points. As said before, some rigidity and a big mouth is best for feeding ropes back in. Don't go for loads of pockets unless you can see the contents without opening them. A well padded area for helmet and hardware would be good. Perhaps a puncture resistant pocket for climbing irons. A prominent, detachable first aid kit would be a good addition. Edit: ... and a GPS tracker for when it's stolen.

Three things: (1) the eye spice on my bt sometimes does not pass through the pinto as expected (2) the pulley comes through the eye much more reliably if I can wiggle it from above (3) I want to lower it, not drop it It really isn't that much more complicated, just a bit of paracord on either end. A little more snaggy than throw line but that hasn't caused me any problems so far.

Many thanks for the comments, guys. Here's where I'm at... I tried using a fig 8 but I really needed an eye where the redundant end ran away from the working part, not back along it (excuse my naff terminology). Bowline seems to stay exactly as it should under load, and only shifts very slightly if I have to rock it about when trying to retrieve. I'm pretty confident it's fit for purpose. Retrieval is a little hit and miss. If it's low enough in the tree for me to get a decent angle between the lengths of paracord attached at each end, it usually just pops right out, even from fairly tight forks. About a third of the time I end up having to go back up without the aid of the pulley. I've found that if I'm able to hang the retrieval cords over slightly higher points than the parts they're attached to it makes it much easier.

If it offended me so much that I felt the need to tell someone, I'd tell NPTC. It would be up to them if they wanted to complain to Trading Standards. The most severe outcome for the fraudsters would be that they were asked to remove the stickers, and I very much doubt that anyone would check to see if they had done so. They (and you) are probably over-estimating the value of those NPTC stickers. I think I mention NPTC on my website, but don't want to plaster my truck with what will seem to my potential customers as random letters. You need to be in the industry to know what it means, and no one has ever asked to see my credentials, even when subbing. I occasionally get asked "are you insured?", but never "what for?" or "can I see your certificate of insurance?" I have these things for my own sake, not as marketing tools.

Thanks, guys. Yes, I'd wondered about that. I thought a bowline might be easier to retrieve. Also uses less rope and easier to untie. I can't really imagine it coming apart while under load. I suppose I can test both while tweaking things and if the difference is negligible I'll opt for the df8.

Cheers, that's reassuring. It could be untied and submitted as its constituent parts. Can knotted prussic loops pass loler?

Great idea! I have done and it appears 8mm OP used to be used, so I guess I needn't have worried about the prussic. Don't want to buy one as I have a 'spare' pinto but not a spare £150. I also want to make one just for the sake of making one. I'll take the compromise! Thanks for the link - looks like I'll find lots of inspiration there. Any reasons why using a bowline for the soft eye (perhaps with a bit of hosepipe for rigidity) might be a bad move? Splicing/stitching is out of the question for me.

If a weaker part of the anchor is in a better position, then if it is strong enough, it is a better (and safer) choice. Your article is about recognising whether an anchor point is strong enough, but by following the flow chart the user is instructed to use an inferior anchor point simply because it stronger still. No, that wasn't my complaint. I think the way you address it is correct - for practical purposes there's no way of quantifying the many variables involved every time a new anchor is chosen. By stating the 'factors to be considered' you are doing the sound thing. When I first saw "Force = Branch Angle + Lever Angle + Mass ...", I thought:"ooo, an equation!", which it clearly isn't. You can't plug numbers into it, it's really just a list of concepts. My problem is that you probably could come up with an algorithm to determine whether a fork is safe. You could assign scores for species, condition, shape, size, angles, load, etc. which when multiplied give a safety score: the higher the better, under 1 is unsafe. Obviously such a method is totally unfit for your purposes (might make a great HND thesis for someone), but as there is genuine science/maths within your article, I'd prefer = and + signs reserved for their precise purposes.

I'm going make a pulleysaver type thing. I was going to use 3m of xtc (or similar) with a bowline for the eye, and a 10mm prussic loop (tied dfk) with a pinto on it. It occurs to me that when I climb on a prussic, it only ever supports half my weight. On the system described above, it would be supporting over double this as I ascend. (This is right?). I'm not sure if 10mm friction cord is the right thing for the job. I'd like to use some 16mm kernmantle with something like tachyon as the prussic. On the honreybros website it warns (for Sirius): "Do not use this product to secure persons or for hoisting purposes, in compliance with the European Directive 2006/42/EC." I definitely want to make one rather than buying one. Comments and advice appreciated.

Very useful article, thank you for sharing. It sounds like you have an interesting and worthwhile job. I have a couple of minor criticisms, though I accept I may be a pedantic prick for posting them! On the Knot Block Static Strength table, the kernmaster fails at 1.7kN. Is this a typo? Looks like there might be a digit missing. Also, when I see experiment data like this I want to know the sample size. Fair enough if it's a single test per combination, but I'd like to know. On the Remote Anchoring flow chart step 4 asks "Is the throwline set against the strongest part of the anchor?". This would hugely and unnecessarily limit line placement options: surely you mean "...sufficiently strong part of the anchor"? I can see that this might be nit-picking, but if this is to function like a best-practice standard I think it is important that the user can follow the process literally. One more criticism, and I really do hate myself for mentioning something so petty, is where you use pseudo-equations like "Force = Branch Angle + Lever Angle + Mass" etc. Since you are dealing with physics and actual numbers elsewhere in the article, I personally would much prefer such concepts (valid and useful as they are) more like "Force -> Branch Angle , Lever Angle , Mass" or some other way that is clearly not an equation. Hope I haven't offended, trying to be constructive. I certainly learnt some useful stuff skimming through this and will no doubt refer to it again.

Thanks for taking the time, gents. Those were just the sort of suggestions I was after. I will try the following: 1. Shorten bridge 4", fully loosen top straps. 2. Set leg loops so I can just squeeze my fist in. 3. Tighten top straps till at suitable angle. 4. Gradually adjust bridge and top straps till comfortable while maintaining angle.

I tried out a TreeMotion in the shop - felt unbelievably comfy. The previous occupant must have shared a similar body shape to me, but it never occurred to me to measure the bridge or strap lengths. I've had one for a couple of weeks now and just can't seem to replicate the feeling. It's either hurting my hips, pushing/pulling me from/into my system, or trying to turn me into a eunuch. (I'm the sort of person who has trouble working out which hole I should use on a belt or how tight I should pull my shoelaces). I've fiddled with the bridge, thigh straps, etc. I can tell it feels different each time, but not whether I'm going in the right direction or not. I don't really have a spare week in which to keep trying random settings until I fluke a good fit. My old butterfly felt lovely and had a fixed bridge length, so I've copied that for now but as the harness is significantly different I suspect there must be a more scientific method. I have read the manual. So... any tips on getting the right fit would be much appreciated. What sequence should I be making the adjustments in, and what should I be aiming for at each step? Should I be thinking in terms of angles/proportions when setting up, or is it all about how it feels (subjectively) when suspended? Where would sensible starting positions be before I start adjusting? (I'm 5'11", slim, long arms) Thanks!

I went for a 441 recently. I really feel the vibrations over night in winter, and the 441 was far gentler than the 461 for a pretty marginal power reduction.

I don't think shading is likely to be an issue. The photo suggests that most of the crown is getting direct light for at least some of the day. 6m of growth in about as many years is pretty good and it doesn't look overly spindley to me. You say it happens "every year" - do you mean from when you moved in or did you notice it first last year? And you've never noticed any similar symptoms on the other one at all?

Let's assume carabiner gates are nowhere near anything that could rub against them.

Problem (still there/come back) in IE, fine in FF. edit: actually, not sure if it's IE or Edge that I'm have the problem with.

Hi! Does these look like safe/practical ways of putting in top anchor? I know neither can be set or retrieved from the ground. Blue = Tape sling Purple = Oval carabs Red = Pulley Green = Load ropes I understand girth hitch (right) is only about 40% strength of basket (left). I don't see either way used for lifeline top anchors (as opposed to redirects). Apart from installation/removal issues, any reason why I shouldn't climb on this?

Yes, I did about half an hour ago using IE.

I've never been through anything like this myself, nor do I have any legal qualifications, but I did used to work as County Court officer and have seen similar things like this before. The "purchase order" others seem to suggest you might need isn't necessary. These sort of documents are supposed to eliminate ambiguity - the fact you haven't got one does not mean you haven't entered into a contract. There doesn't need to be a signed document either. The email appears to show that you have indeed entered into a contract (ie. had a quote accepted), assuming that it is from an appropriate representative of the other party and gives reference to the work, price, etc. That does not mean that you are entitled to the full sum, but it does mean that any losses you have incurred by the other party's unreasonable breech of that contract would be their liability. Legally, you could probably make a case to recover some of your costs (such as purchase of equipment etc. - very little chance that you'd be able to recover wages you don't have to pay or profits you wont be making, though). That doesn't mean you'd definitely win, and it certainly means you would never be asked to quote for that company again (maybe not such a bad thing). Here's my (non-professional) advice... * DON'T "shrug it off and move on" as some others have suggested. Fair enough, you'll want it to be a learning experience, but you'll need to understand what happened and why before you can learn from it. I know I couldn't just say "oh well" and move on after making such an investment. * DON'T invoice them. That will just make them defensive. * Check your correspondence closely - could you have misunderstood something? Were you definitely talking with someone who had the authority to agree a contract? * Decide on what the best possible outcome for yourself could be and play for that. Obviously you aren't going to be able to do the work that's already been done, so what's the best that could happen? Perhaps some compensation for your expenses, or maybe just an apology and acknowledgement that a favour is owed. * Contact them, asking for an explanation and explaining that you have incurred costs as a direct result of you working to fulfill your side of the agreement. Choose your words and tone carefully - you don't want to come across as aggressive but need to make clear that they are 'indebted' to you (perhaps not the word I'm looking for, but you get my meaning?) Good luck.

Thanks, guys. It wont be until 2nd/3rd week of January that it needs to be taken away. @ Bigfellers - thanks for the offer, but I'd rather be shot of the lot in one go.