SouthSoundTree

A Petzl Rig has a panic stop feature not found in a GriGri. Why not just use 3 ropes and three independent devices? Is 3 enough while rec climbing? I am not serious. Is tree climbing fun with all that worry? My take, get a regular, modern climbing device, not a GriGri or Rig. In 30 plus years of climbing, I haven't experienced these concerns, and I'm known for my safety-sense.

small pipe wrench. Sometimes the "loosening side" of bolt head/ allen key hole are too worn to break it free, but the "tightening side" is not as badly worn. Sometimes you can tighten the bolt a bit, breaking it free, then loosen, if you can get enough grip.

Nicely done, as usual. Seems like you use a half-hitch with timber hitch with figure-8 stopper knot. Is that so. Is this stronger, easier to untie than HH with running bowline? Just personal preference? Another reason? Thanks. Also, In another video, you were removing large limbs with a half-hitch with a choked line by way of a carabiner. Curious if you are just using a standard steel double lock 'biner, or something else, or if I just wasn't seeing it accurately. Most people would be concerned about cross-spine loading. What do you have going on there? Clearly it worked. Thanks.

Seems to be different practices for different conditions. I've seen a few English gardens. I've heard the conflict that "too large" of trees can create. I've heard of English soaking up as much sun as possible when it comes out (we had a guy come over to Lake Tahoe California/ Nevada soaking up the sun so much he couldn't put shoes on for a week because he'd become a blistered lobster). Sounds like the previously pollarded trees need to be kept that way or they will have the problems inherent in topped trees. Sounds like the right tree for the right location is only a choice that can be made here forward. Some pics of landscape views that would inform of the scale of the landscape/ properties would be informative. As mentioned, some suburban American yards are the size of small villages in England. A different beast. I've seen only a few pollarded trees in my town, in a small garden bed in front of a business where large trees would not fit. We have lots of hack toppers in the US, as well as lots of skilled arborists. There is the tendency to equate Pollarding with "topping", with what some people people call "pollarding" but really are "topping". There a lot of hackers here that do what you all have to contend with in "pikey topping" outfits, so there is an embedded backlash against reduction and pollarding. As an American, I've though that, aside from some hot-headedness, this has been an interesting thread that informs about habits and standards and desires in other parts of the tree world. I thought that it was interesting what someone said about old woodcraft and country needs (coppicing for firewood) being outdated in some settings. Seems that part of the situation is "managed resource" practices, that may be outdated. Where we almost always "top" trees is in orchards. This forces the tree to do what we want, and the tree will never live to the ripe old age of a natural tree, while retaining a natural-ish shape and health. Perhaps this is part of the situation, trying to have the "wrong tree, wrong place" live a long life until the "right tree, right location" replaces the tree when it becomes overly mature. Different things in different places (to a degree), provided that it is based on best management practices and informed decision-making.

I've recently wondered if a few steel splitting wedges and a single-jack (about 1.5 kg sledgehammer would work faster than ripping when using a crosscutting chain. Less sawdust, just hang the saw on the tree, use a wedge and hammer pouch or splitting maul on a rope. Anyone ever try it? I never have, but in the US, we usually cut rounds/wheels/circles to 16" or more, whereas it seems you all have a shorter length firewood market there. Some of the maple and madrone that I've been splitting at 16" and straight-grained could barely withstand the 2.5kg splitting maul hitting it before splitting ever so easily. It almost felt like I must be cheating.

Why was it reduced? Was this an English-limited-sunlight keep the neighbors from being intruded upon reduction, or...?