Grais

Id be interested to see what your working on. I also find it funny that the standard method you mention, three other people suggest, I guess reading a paragraph is too much like work ?

Still miles better than most 'reviews' Adam, where we are lucky if the piece of gear has even been used(and Im reffering to more than just tree climbing here, I have many hobbies...lol.), and is essentially just being reviewed by sight ? So Ill take the two weeks use, Im sure youll keep us aprised of any notable occurences. Thanks again.

Do not use a small Petzl Swivel. They state they can fit three beaners thru the hole, but I have trouble getting two to attach proper. The beaners have to be just so to fit them thru, and its a real PITA to mess around with in the tree. Even with two attached the beanrers are constantly fighting for position inside the swivel attachment, something I do not want to thinik about while climbing. I stopped using the swivel, mid climb yesterday, and I am going to take it off and just go off the bridge on the Seqouia, or maybe try a ring. Had I been able to get it off the saddle up the tree, it likely would have never been found......lol. I guess what I am trying to say is just make sure of what your buying it for, its always better to have a piece of gear that is a bit too big, or overrated, as opposed to too small, so buy a big chunky swivel that you can hook at least two, better three, beaners up freely. Such as the large Petxl swivel....lol. But not the small. have fun an stay safe. PS: IMHO, they dont really do as much as you think they will, personally, Ive never had a problem twisting my lines around each other, what are you guys doing that your lines are twisting up, quit spinning around and round and they wont twist up, no swivel needed. I bought the harness and the swivel was installed on it, so Ive climbed probably 20 trees and it never did a thing for me except frustrate me. Generally Im not spinning around and round up there, dont know who does, never seen it ? I think people are way too quick to 'gear up', gotta have fifteen beaners and pulleys and twenty five different lanyard setups, but the truth be told all you need is a couple of ropes, a saddle, and a saw and you can do 95% of the trees you will come across, if you cannot see that, your probably over complicating things. Im as guilty as the next guy, but we really shoudnt be overcomplicating what should be a simple system.

lol thanks, that was funny, looks handy. Essentially a smaller Snake Anchor ?

Now this is a gear review, none of this oh it looks nice and new. Thanks for all the insight, Id feel very comfy buying one just on the basis of your comments. Thank for all.

Lol, ya you guys can swing all you want 70-100 ft up there, and while your swinging you can think about that pic. Reduncnacy is such a bitch....enjoy. Some of the macho idiots onn this site are just that...macho idiots. Enjoy your ZigZags, and be sure to keep an eye on your parts, you just never know when plastic is going to go pop.

Its so easy to reduntantly safety it, as per T14EES T14UNK post, why would people NOT do this. On that note, why wouldnt Petzl simply release it with the redundant back up. A simple lil quicklink could save your life, I know the choice I would make. I like redunancy in my system wherever I can work it in. Best wishes, and speedy recovery to the injured arb, and his family of course.

None. I dont have a 'climbing bag' per se, I have a box on a truck, in that box, sometimes theres as many as three tirfors, and cables to go with them. Small medium and big...lol. How many tirfors do you have ? As far as slagging his product, its a cord reel, get over it, they sell them literally by the millions, its a mass marketed piece of equipment. As far as the work whoever has put into it, please, spare me your platitudes, he loaded a standard find em at home hardware cord real with Beeline and strapped it on a saddle, and then sent a couple of them to people. Thats what he did, hardly the great wall of china. I understand theres lots of tree nerds who get their panties all tied up in bowlines when people actually speak the truth, and deign to tarnish someones glorious reputation(lol lol lol), but I could honestly care less. Paul saw soemthing he thought would be helpful to some and went with it, Im not knocking that in the slightest, I was only replying to the fact that someone thought he had designed this thing himself, and he did not, he cannot rebuild the springs or put tough springs in it, at least the last time I read the thread Bonner started at the other forum. Maybe Paul will be able to source them, replacement springs, if you could easily and cheaply replace the spring, I would look at the Sidewinder differently, but if there is no way to replace the spring, its a toy to me. But hey, we all love our toys.

Mmmmm, still seems to be up in the air as too diameter ? Not that I want to climb on 8 mm or 6 mm, but I am just curious if it is technically 'allowed'.

If its a thread for new climbers, how about we dont post pictures breaking cardinal rules, such as haveing a suitable tail off your friction hitch, with a stopper in the end, not a 1-2"tail with a stopper. Have fun trying to grab that 3" chunk in an emergency slide situation. The long tail is so you can instinctively grab the knot, follow the tail and pull to stop. Ive had to do this more than once climbing in snow and rain. Having a proper tail has saved me from taking a long unbcontrolled slide many times in fact. Dont spread BS technique, keep it to yourself. For an experienced climber, if you want to climb with a two inch tail go for it, I do not care one iota for your reasons, Im sure you have them but its your life not mine. Good practices to be passin on to newbies ? Dont think so.

Please do correct me if I am wrong, but are we not allowed to climb on any rope certified for over 5000 lbs, irregardeless of diameter ?

Wrap an old, or new, throwbag in Ducttape, pretty much same thing. Simply a lot tuffer than a regular throwbag. Been doing it for a long time. Ill pass on the vaseline trik, I dont care how good people think it will work, I aint carrying a jar of vaseline around for throwbags, I do draw the line, and that is where I draw it. For such a creative bunch, some of you sure fail at throw bags! You can make them, throwbags, throwweights, slugs, balls, whatever, out of almost anything, they cost pennies. When they cost nothing it matter little if they get stuck in a tree, I got five-ten more of em who cares. PS: the 40 drops from 2m made me laugh hard too. It fell out of my pocket and survived. Good thing.

Hardly built from scratch, Paul admitted in the other thread that it is completely put together from off the shelf components that he purchases. Not built to withstand the rigors of tree work, and if it does , I would consider yourself lucky. One guy already broke the spring ? IMHO it wouldnt survive my gearbox. The first time junior droppped the tirfor on my saddle it would be toast. If it cannot survive the gear box I cannot use it. Now before y'all freak out, Im not knocking Mr Cox, he is open about this, but people shouldnt be harboring the illusion this is a made for trees bit of gear, its a standard cord winder simply stuffed with Beeline and strapped on a harness. Just google 'retractable cord reel' .

The cordura is put on the slings to combat wear and tear. Wear and tear that would otherwise be transferreed to a spliced eye. Been using cordura rope sleeves for many manymany years on many many many trees and never once have I ever had to deal with the sleeves gathering debris. Never. Ever. For the most part(99% of their working service)they hang in trees, generally thirty to eighty feet of the ground, just not a lot of debris flying around up there thankfully. Any decent arbor store will have rope sleeve. Good luck and stay safe.

Here's a link to a youtube video by Eric Frei, he explains a couple of the techniques mentioned, and shows a great method with a figure 8(I think also mentioned). Sometimes helps to see these things in action. Good luck and be safe, and don't forget to have fun, not everyone loves their job...lol. almost forgot the link.....