Dilz

Cool thanks! Still cant find my pantin Ill be stuck on line clearance for the next few weeks so no urgency there for it - but would be cool to get some practice in with it.

I've been using the Tech extremes since they first came out. Really nice for climbing in. THe extra padding on the knee is good - the zip at the back of the knee though can rub, and it also breaks after about 6 months which is annoying in winter - same with the pocket zips - if you use them a fair bit the break within 12months. As for climbing in type A - The only risk is if you catch you leg on the edge of the protective area - it has been known to pull the saw round and will bite into the back of your leg. i cant remeber if the tech extremes have it but i know some type A's have added protection around the back of the calf because of this. I hate getting to hot so hence i wear type A's - could never go back to working in type C's apart from when its winter here in Sweden.

i used the husky one - its weird but kind of nice. It starts up with no hassle, and its very quite. Its like vutting with a silky but quicker and with out the tennis elbow. Crap when stuff gets big though. I had to dead wood a mature oak using one taking off 10" diameter stuff with it was a bit of a chore.

Hello! I bought a rope wrench but never really got on with it...but after a few days of long hauls watching another guy stroll up using a HAASystem i'm tempted to give it another go... I have recently changed to a lockjack - got to say i quite like it. I have seen various posts and threads about using the LJ for SRT with the RW. The drop test vid kind of convinces me that it wont be massively dangerous to climb on. Some people have mentioned it doesnt work well - how so? i can imagine that descending could be be an issue... but with the RW connectd to the top shackle on the LJ it should provide enough friction for it not be a case of all or nothing?? Can you footlock on SRT on do you need to use a pantin?? (i have one but the location of it is unknown presumed lost or liberated) any feed back or tips much appreciated.

Good reference to the Principles of Tree Hazard assessment and management. Had to blow the dust off the cover to check it out. Shall be useful to both show him during our next disccusion and it is also weighty enough to beat him about the head next time he decides to pluck leaves of the neighbors bushes instead of getting the gear out the van. 'Whats this?' ' Icouldntgive xxxxxx' 'Never heard of that - i thought it looked like thuja? As for an asset...i wish...cheeky runt has already told me of his grand plans to bugger off to Oz once he has got his qualifications sorted - but then i dont blame him for wanting to travel whilst he can. - He does however have potential - i wouldn't waste my time on him if he didn't. But i digress - I often find with newly qualified and student types they quote texts like scripture, or say things like 'my tutor said so'. It doesn't take them long to realise the real world cant always function like a text book.

'd like some feed back from others out there regarding a conversation im having with a co worker on a job. Its a mature chestnut. After convincing the customer not to have a very large limb removed, they want the downward growth from it lifiting from a building and i plan to do some weight reduction via thinning / selective pruning on the limb that is a main concern. Also there the tree is to be dead wooded and crown cleaned They want the tree pruning as soon as possible. The buds are just starting to burst on it. Now - My view is - Its not the best time to prune the tree as the tree is investing its energy into flowers and leaf production. - however since the volume of what is coming off is very low i don't feel it will stress the tree too much - most of the downward growth is very small diameter. Despite the age of the tree its in very good shape. An Apprentice type (who is keen on his text books) - says i should tell them to not prune it until next winter - in a way he is right - but then i will likely loose the job. - he his making quite bit of noise about this and waiving books and quotes about so i would like to put this out to the general arb community. I think he fails to appreciate i don't work in a botanical garden on a salary.... So what do you think of the situation?? Go ahead with the job? Or delay the work till autumn (or at least after mid summer which is my actual preferred option in this scenario but customer doesn't like it). Have struck a suitable balance? saved the tree from having a huge limb taken off but meaning it must suffer lighter pruning damage at a time of year that is not best to carry it out??

I would have bought a zig zag - but too many recalls for me to trust it now. Heard it will shred ropes as well.

any bit of rope thats strong enough and something to run it through, even add a pulley to it to make it smoother - on my old cambium saver i cut the ring off and attached a mailon with a micro pulley on it. Sling will work fine, even a bit of prussik cord will be strong enough- If you run it through a krab and then a micro pulley you should be able to retrieve it unless its a tight fork in which the knots may get stuck.

Sweden is like my tree motion - i love it and hate it in varying degrees depending on what kind of day i have had! Tried the spider jack - cant get on with the thumb on the wood block thing, feels very wrong. A mate had one and got jolted hard and dislocated his thumb. I found i could get a lot of fine control out of my mates lockjack - although he was using a 13m rope and a well worn cam - i understand from new they can be a bit grabby. I bought the extra padded back as soon as it came out - it was a useless harness until it had that on it would almost slip out of the thing when getting right on the tips of stuff - i think its meant for for fat people - given the amount of excess on the waist strap. Not on instagram, my phone just about manages to send text messages let alone take decent photos. I float about on FB a bit if you are on there.

i'm wondering if the back on my TM is just too old and worn soft. Its a mint harness when set up right for pruning though its crap as soon as you hang anything bigger than a 192 off it. I have the bridge set up really short. as i found it helps with self tending of my vt. I hang of my front D's when doing work positioning but on the sides for stem work. My mate spikes using the front d's - i tried it but i'd need to make the bridge longer for it to work.... When putting the harness on i have found that the best thing to do is nearly kill myself putting it on as tight as possible on around the waist and then it sits right as soon as i start to climb. Not sure if i wear it too high but i wear it wear it feels it gives my back the most support. I know some one who as the 3.2 but they have it in small...and i couldnt even begin to fit into it!

Ah! like the additional D rings on the bridge of the TM - which is one feature i really like! think i shall give it try buy as it has now ticked all the required boxes. As for thhe lock jack (which i have just ordered)... well i am not 100% convinced on them - i love my VT but i have played around with a LJ, and i'm not yet very smooth on long descents, but i found when i used it on some pruning jobs it was very useful, fine adjustments were easy and coming back in from branches and back up through forks was a breeze - my biggest problem was pulling up too much as i'm so use to accounting for the sit back of my VT. Time will tell if its a worth while investment.

Hello James! Glad to see another of the 'Riseholm massive' is still tree bashing! You still cruising in the yellow 2cv?? I'm still living in Sweden - soon be 6 years out here! Had a golden eagle flying over head whilst i was working in nature reserve last week, and had to explain to the project leader that the trees that had been felled into the river had been done by a beaver and not us, so its kind of cool - bored of freezing my ass off though. Im almost tempted to stick with the TM - i hate it but it is also awesome...but all the austrias i have tried in the past are like a pair of well worn slippers - but the tool loop configurations are really important. - The saw really needs to be hung off the middle to given maximum reach on both sides, and there must be a way of clipping a krab to run the rope through on the outside of the leg pad (stops the rope getting spiked and im changing over to a lockjack so its useful for that as well). Its crap in Sweden for trying out gear as there arent really any good shops where you can get you hands on stuff and see how it is and try it on.

prussik loop tied above your main hitch if you are rescuing the fat boy from a heart attack.

and does it have options to attach a krab to the leg pad?? (very important!)

and can carry tools be fitted to it??

Out with the old in with the new and shiny. Time to replace my tree motion - i kind of like the TM but its not the best harness for spiking - im almost tempted to buy a weaver for my take down work and a TM for pruning.... I quite like the look of the Austria 3.2 has any one any experience of the these? do they have a central saw attachment point in the back like the TM? i use both sides alot for cutting so this is a must really. whats it like for sitting on spikes all day? ( i dont mean for an hour or two, im talking about all day) any feedback - much appreciated.

a true story from a company i worked for in the southern hemisphere - who shall remain nameless - Drive back from a hard and hot days work, with the standard case of beers in the truck picked up on the way home - myself and the driver both supping on one as we drive into the yard. Cleaning tools having a beer and the boss comes up for a beer and a chat. Boss - ' Right lads im going to introduce a random drug testing policy in the company - can you pass me another a beer ' Groundy - 'can i have two weeks notice before the test?' Boss- ' That kind of defeats the object' Groundy - 'fair enough - have you got some sciccors?' Boss - 'Sure what for?' Groundy - 'I need to cut up my weed for this spliff' Boss - 'Oh...Can you pass me another beer' Dog then runs past us with a cactus in its mouth Boss - 'Dogs in for an interesting night' Me - Hang on is that a San Pedro cactus? (contains mescalin) Boss - yup Me - Where did he get that from Boss - They are growing in the wood chip pile Me - How did they get there? Boss - I planted them for a laugh. Me - oh, ok. Boss - So about the drugs testing.. Crew Leader - you'd have to fire us all.. anyone for the pub? ahh memories...vague memories...

move a tarifa, become a kite sufring instructor.

Thanks for the replies. i talked to the owner about how removing such a large limb will effect the mass dampening when i first looked at the tree. Though i am aware of mass dampening all i can say is calculating exactly how the tree will be effected by removing this branch is for me little more than educated guess work.... However one thought is that by taking the branches back this will reduce alot of the torsional moment created, the remaining part will then allow some of the forces that are transmitted through the main stem from movement of the rest of the crown to dissipate along the long stubs. The tree is also going to have some thinning and some light reduction work, Though this will be kept to a minimum on this visit to avoid stressing the tree too much and stop it from growing mad with epicormics. The branch in my opinion is actually a bit of a mutant. It comes out of the main stem about 2 meters from the ground and bends up to about 30degrees. The actaul tree diameter is probably a touch over 1.5m at ground level. The concern is that if the tree fails in a high storm it will make a hell of a mess of the buildings and in the past a tree has failed and caused damage. I'll may end up doing a resistogrpah test on the tree, but it shows no obvious signs of internal decay, but it would put the customers mind at ease, and due to the size and age of the ash tree its not impossible that there is internal decay but its not showing any obvious external signs. Thanks again folks!

so having a disscusion with a fellow tree head about a mature ash tree thats having some work done - a large limb needs removing - now if it is taken back to the trunk the wound diameter would be around 1m. A normal reduction of the branch tips wont remove the hazard. What we have been talking about is - is it better to cut the branch back to some epicormic growth about 6m from the trunk, that looks to be about 5 years old or take it back to the the stem. My personal view having looked at the tree is that this is preferable to leaving such a large wound on the trunk - and then go back to the tree in a few years to thin out the regrowth where the cut has been made. Making such a large wound on the main stem in my view is just inviting decay to start forming in the main main stem. My mates view is 'well that isn't how your supposed to do it and is opting for taking the branch back to the main stem' Be interested to hear some different views on this.

yeah go for it. I have worked in NZ and Sweden having come from the Uk..in fact im still in Sweden. for 5 years...i just wish i had made more use of working holiday visas and done OZ and Canada as well! Auckland although expensive could be up your street, Some big companies lots going on, You have surfing in Murwai and Piha but the rips are savage! But found the locals really friendly the only thing is if you work all week your stuck with the weekend crowd line ups. Your only a hour or two from surf beaches further north and then also you can do a weekend trip up to Shipwreck Bay. Seriously go for it!!

Thanks ben. after asking around and checking some books came to the conclusion it was Peridermium pini.

WHen i was 22 i use to go to work and slog my guts out, head to the pub and get smashed and party the rest under the table, wake up, coffee and fag for breakfast and do it all again.. Now i need two coffees but i have time for that as i quit smoking...i think it all depends. I'm now 32. I have some muscular problems with my back. (mainly caused from driving long distances and time sat at a computer and not doing my exercises....The biggest difference i think that comes with age is firstly recovery it takes longer and secondly mindset. Older people tend to have a tougher mind set (i.e they winge a lot less and just get on with it) Experience makes life easier in the tree. The older a person gets i think the more prone to injury they can become and the more important it is to do proper exercises like stretching and Like Paul Jenks says, build on the core muscles as a strong core is vital. If you jump straight up a tree from sitting behind a desk for 25 years, you may struggle...but i met a guy who will now be in his 50's ho did that in his mid 40's was told he shouldnt even think of becomming a climber. 3 years after being told that, he was tough as old boots with a six pack despite how much ale he supped. Also know a woman who is about 5ft tall and in her mid 40's when she started...she wont prune trees as she doesnt have the body strength to pull her self up on a rope with out ascenders. But she can spike around a fell as good as most climbers who are 1 year out of college and swing branches in. She just pushes off smaller chogs than the blokes and climbs out a bit further.

Come across a site today of 9 pine trees all with dead tops, not just dead brancehs but the stem is dieback as well. some signs of white exudates on the dead wood, No obvious fungal fruiting bodies. No changes to the ground level or other ground disturbances. Any ideas?

the 25% referes to the amplitude reading . i.e how high up on the vertical axis the graph is. The higher it is the higher the resistance. So what you are saying is that the actual level of resitance recorded does not correlate to the actual strength of the wood? But by taking the baseline (which has been done in this case) a comparison can be made regarding the differeing levels of amplitude from other readings taken from the same tree, thus for example, if the base line and 2 other readings average out at an amplitude of say 60% but then another reading produces an amplitude average of only 25% then this could be suggestive of an area of inherent weakness with in the stem. or at least cause for a bit of chin scratching....