Gray

ok heckel and scoff if you want, but i've got to tell you the possitive points about the t22 or "nappy" as it's called. firstly when i started climbing around 17 yrs ago it was pretty much the only harness good enough for the job and to be honest i only changed to a skylotek 3 yrs ago ,the main reason was just to upgrade as people were telling me it's a "no brainer" to get a modern harness, and having had this one for a while now i totaly agree. but the one thing the willans has in it's favor is ,if i can explain it right,a more direct feel ,as in when you accend up a pole say 50ft on blake's or prussik with the t22 it's no problem to go all the way ,try with a modern harness it seems more comfy but spongy aswell. seems to sap more energy. don't worry i didn't just do that, i just kept swapping from day to day approx 6-7 hrs climbing each day for 2 weeks i even try'ed using the hc on both but it was the same. personaly i think it's jut where your susspended in the harness ,more from the legs on modern harnesses and from your waist on the willans. i'll never go back to the willans though co's the skylotek's too good overall but it's just to say the t22 is still a very good harness strong,secure,good on price,needs no adjustment from new and it's been around like forever and it'll take the weight of a 066 until you can't.

hi bud ,only thing i can say is if you do a lot of take downs and you need a big saw quite a lot then you can't go wrong with a skylotek kolibri(comfort and sturdiness).

beal fingerless ,epic.

if i had one and i had problems i'd probably email one of the comp' climbers, shouldn't be too hard to find an email link as they probably gone through the same themselves.

none of it matters ,you'll adjust honest. and you'll be good because of it.

no bud but i can jet to the end of a branch hold on with my right hand pull to the lenth i need with my left flip it over and either pass my left through or swap and use my right to fasten in, same as you would anyway but the flip line's all the way in first so it's hanging behind me, i know it's not as good but its pretty much the same(visualy) as a sidewinder when in use, i'm sure the sidewinders better of course, just commenting is all.

any top handle i can put a 16" bar on , ooh and kelly brooke purely for trunk examination purposes:)

i got completely sick of buying anything with a moulded sole that claims to let you be spiderman, so i got some tirol fighters and they have better grip than most cos they don't just roll over the stuff you want to grip on like a flat tyre and are super good on spikes ,two yrs now and just slight ware on the sole(i usually destroy pro climbers/mendel's and such in 6 mnths).

i got a 3/4" grab on 1/2" wire core, works the same

sometimes you need an out board step to stop the piece swinging into a fence or such, best thing i ever started to do was draw the saw out as i cut and on some big pieces angle the saw 15-20 degrees down just using the bottom tip and first quarter % of the bar still drawing back the saw. never do that on an undercut though co's of kick-back. if you do cut something big make sure there's an extra undercut a bit further back incase it rips by your strop. to be honest there's too many ways to do it to list, just practice drawing the saw out on i'd say max 5" stuff two handed all the time.

i to waited about 8 yrs before i had the balls to be a subbie and demand top money,but some advance more than others. your generaly on a lot more money than you could ever get "on the books" and you make the rules, as in you climb get paid go home or you climb drag chip clean up get paid go home, its up to you. i've only ever done the first with gypsy's. try and be safe,always suggest a lowering rope first ect. guy's like you thinking of their insurance premiums, NEVER have climber rage or blame anyone else for any miss'haps and try to remain friends with everyone you meet including your current boss and above all else be modest(at my 40th ,36 tree surgeons came along,thats 80% of my work mates) as i said modest like me

don't forget to flap your arm's say bzzzzzzzz alot and eat by vomiting on your food,and stay away from anyone with a swatter. just joking sorry guy's but thats what they look like.

it's all i do and it's epic. six or seven crew's to work for at any one time ,it gets you loads of mates aswell. and you can bring some of the crew's together when they need help on big jobs, all in all a lot more open and out there than sticking to one employer if that makes sense. five yrs experience a must.

lombard's are the best, nothing compare's ,they look tall but are real easy to do,easy to chip, light and you can have epic fun hand-bawling the lot down old school style, by far my fave tree to bash.

ok bud,only three answers then...first is an anchor point tree not more than a few yds away to climb off,second is a crane ,but thats cost, then thirdly brute force ,a pulling line,a tractor and a thick hinge at ground level and a good escape route(just incase there's another way to drop it other than over the fence). but if you do go halfway up and cut it then i suppose go with a cut your familiar with if it responds like corsican or redwood then i'd prob go for a standard hinge but if it tends to hang on abit then you could do anti tear cut's or take the heart out. if it shakes you dont worry as long as the tops away from you thats all that matters, keep looking at it...you'll figure somthing out.

tirol's ,just wear and forget about gettin' another pair of boots for yrs.

hi bud, what i would do is take some loops up and girth hitch them to make leg loops on the lean part(spaced every 5-6ft or so)to make work position more comfortable on the way down,then make my way to the top, tie in and drop the branches in safe size's. then whats left of the top(usually a funny shaped knuckel of a log)knock out in say a 4ft lenth and continue logging. the leg loops are mainly because you can get a good sidewards position for cutting any "gobs,cheese's,wedge's" co's it's usually quite hard from the back of the trunk . i would also anchor my strop to the harness bridge with a loose backup on the side d's and as always a climbing line setup attached to my harness. take a vid-cam to either show people what you did or to remember how the subbie did it.

ian morgan of "ian morgan arb.com". very friendly and proffesional guy ,check out the website bud.

thats exactly the point, i think everyone doing this job has something good to offer, usually when as a climber all you first look at is anchor points,lowering area ect... but then someone points out a quite easy fell(oldschool experience). i know i started this thread because on that day i'd done a quite difficult job for a couple of farmers who had no experience lowering but they both did realy well, but on the way home the thought working with an experienced crew the next day was as relaxing as getting paid for staying at home with you'r feet up. when you've worked with saftey and no breakage's ,going back to how you started is very hard.i think a gell of old and new is the best. so it was just realy to say how much appreciated a well sorted ground crew and boss is worth .

just thought it worth a mention,been subbing for about 7 or 8 yrs now, climbing for 16. in that time i've worked for all sorts and.., well, you can't beat a well sorted crew, i meen it just makes the day go realy well ,every one grafts ,good sence of teamwork, good gear to use ,saftey,good banter and a nice cuppa when you need it and most importantly a few early finishes to compensate the mostly late ones you do. it's ok being a balls out nutter climber but without a good crew it just feels well, "cack" . (just to clarify though most either don't have the funds or training/experience or good enthusiastic staff). i'm always chilled and i've never had "climber rage" and i don't like putting people down infact i suppose it's better to laugh when the lowering rope you are passed up is blue lorry rope or twenty yr old three strand, and then to watch them looking like they're straining for a **** gripping the rope for all they'er worth incase the 20kg branch is going to launch them up the tree, or when they can't remember the marlin spike you showed them 10 times so they just put a knot which go's through the saw handle across the exhaust and for good measure around the chain. but i realy do get cheesed off when the jobs not finished because there were about 3 lunch breaks of about 45 mins each ,trip to the cafe ,no app's for chipping on the mobile phones or bad logistics.you can't help feeling like he thought you were just gonna go bish,bash,bosh and magic happens while they have a fag and presto it's done. there's a lot of brain work in climbing as it is ,so a good crew makes a very happy climber and a job well done. i meen the best thing for me is a happy boss co's it's all done and he's been paid,and the guy's get home at a good time and you know it's been good teamwork, so if you're reading this and you don't know what a pulley block,porta wrap,hobs,3in1,50mtr yale,emergency kit, chain file or proper ppe is,don't despair training is out there(get it and you'l earn loads), but please don't ask me to work as i feel a cold comin' on. to all (you know who you are)"great crews" especialy the ones i've worked for/work with , thank's guy's ,i only do this job co's i like it and you make me like it.

kolibri is good ,but if your hips hurt adjust the d's more to the front using the buckel on the back pad. willans is still best though for just choggin' ,and if it's just stem with big saw work get the willans full ,just for that as it's about £180ish and it will spread the load better,also my old willans is the wide back version,very good

never,end of.

as any good woman will tell you "it's not how you get up it's what you do when your up there". personaly i use a shoe-horn.

give ade a ring mate on 07870383137