WorcsWuss

That was my thought... 2 Ultra O's. How are you going to climb, open or closed hitch? If you start open [split tail, blakes hitch] and then progress onto a closed hitch [with eye to eye friction cord & hitch climber for instance] your original split tail will go into your aerial rescue kit, the 2 ovals will migrate to the HC. I would suggest you get a little swing cheek pulley, an couple of offset D crabs, a short length of prusik [60cm ish loop] and a figure 8 as well. An 8 is always useful to have on for descents [for a cup of tea!] to save your hitch cord from unecessary wear, and a crab, cord & pulley can be set up to self tend your hitch. A foot loop is always handy to have as well, but you can use a length of your friction cord for that. I tied mine together with a series of fisherman's knots to create a wide knot which holds the loop open to slip my foot into and I stand on the knot. I eventually did away with the prusik knot and choked it onto a Petzl Croll instead, kind of a 'remote Pantin' set up... the prusik was a pain to advance, the Croll just runs so well.... Sounds odd but it works well... Oh, and the HB lanyard kit is really good.

Man, you have got to let it go.... you're going to end up looking like David Gest, and that's NOT a good look.... Embrace the belly dude.... get some nice comfy slacks, hush puppies, string back driving gloves..... hmmmmm, pint of mild.....

Should be fine, 13mm is still 'normal' size.... HC will take up to 14mm rope...

VAT.... perpetually confusing.... Just read the catalogue for Brightwells 4x4 auction... some VAT reg'd vendors sell vehicles with VAT included [the sale price includes 20% VAT which can be claimed back if you're registered], PLUS VAT, [20% will be added to the sale price which you can claim back if registered] or, most interestingly, NO VAT. I think this is something perculiar to traders in that if a vehicle is purchased by a non-VAT registered individual or organisation originally, the VAT is paid and the revenue take no interest in it from then on, just like a normal car, but the fact that the trader is VAT registered is irrelevant..... With commercial vehicles it seems that once VAT has been paid and not reclaimed, the revenue are happy, I don't believe that VAT can be claimed by the revenue [or rather 'not reclaimed'] more than once on a commercial vehicle. Curiously, a vehicle which starts off as a commercial [Discovery Commercial for instance] is liable for VAT if converted back to a passenger car for the first 14 months or 2 years [i forget exactly what] of it's life. So, you can buy a Disco commercial as a business and claim the VAT back. If you add seats & windows in the first year or so then technically you owe the revenue the VAT. After that period though then you don't so for the first owner it's a good way of claiming the VAT back on a 'car'.

Blakes is a great friction hitch to start on. It's a piece of cake to tie and is quite steady, use a split tail with 1 spliced or sewn eye. The way it sits when dressed makes it quite easy to set up self tending too. I've about come to the end of my time on a blakes, I've been trying out a helical but it's a bit of a pain to tie and set right so I'm moving over to a VT now [with a length of cord with a fisherman's knot each end] which I really like, quite quick running and ties easily, but I think I need an HC & spliced eye to eye cord to get the best from it. Then I watched the Spiderjack 2.1 video and friction hitches are dead to me.....!

If that's the case and I've heard wrong then I stand corrected. The rest of my post stands though!

You are of course correct Steve, but the fact remains that irrespective of how badly this kid came across to everyone on the train, he had every right to be there. I know that there is a great case for clipping these gobsh**es round the ear, however, quite often a more diplomatic approach needs to be taken to protect those who have good intentions but perhaps don't think through the consequences properly. This is a case in point and thus far has panned out exactly as I suspected it would do.... it's a shame but it was tragically predictable....

No... if not VAT reg don't mention VAT

Jesus... something that big shouldn't wobble that much from a someone working on it! That's well outside my comfort zone!

I know Selly Park, refurbed the day care centre at the hospice last winter.... I'll have a think...

Where exactly in Brum...?

Nothing like someone ending up in hospital to prove you've partied really hard...

Oh man I gotta get me one of those.... never really looked at them before but that is ace....

Home with the kids, wife is bloody working... booo.... think we're having a new year's eve eve party the night before with some friends at home. As it goes I've never found NYE that exciting, perpetually grumpy me.... I remember playing 'drink while you think' one NYE with friends in the Oak in Tenbury [Drew will know them]... one mate from college was a paranoid manic depressive with a drink problem - he held his mum at knifepoint once because he thought she was working for the Russians and had come to get him - another guy who hadn't met him before was excitedly forcing him to drink while he took not inconsiderable time to think with his unusually wired brain.... there was terrified silence around the table waiting for the bloodshed.....

I'm pretty sure I have my PA1 ticket, but I don't think I've ever had call to wave it in front of anyone.... I must dig that out....!

Not arb work but at the moment the best bonus we can all hope at our firm for is to be able to come back to work after christmas!

Incidentally, I have a couple of 35m lengths of Marlow Aeris [1 to climb on and a spare if something bad happens!] 35m is enough rope to access 17 vertical metres DdRT, 50 odd feet, which is probably plenty for a beginner. I've certainly never been able to get my throwbag high enough to use it all up from the floor anyway! Simon

I reckon a 50m rope bag is probably more like 25 litres, mine's pretty big.....

I would say don't get too hung up on 'making sure you get the best bit of kit'. It's all very subjective and to be honest, it's actually only when you become very experienced that all the tiny nuances of different items of equipment actually start to make a real difference. As a beginner it's as well to just get something simple, durable and good value. I know that there are far better harnesses out there than the one I use, but I'm happy in it and for my level of ability it suits me fine, I'm not swinging around 40 metres in the air all day long with a 660... I'm pottering about on weekends at usually no more than 12 metres with a top handle saw.... I really don't need a Tree Motion or ART jack! Ropes do wear out so I wouldn't worry too much about getting it wrong, it's not forever, if you stick to the usual brands you won't go far wrong... besides, you can never have too much rope... and what one experienced climber says is stretchy compared to the dozens of other types he's climbed on, will probably feel just fine to you without that yardstick.... If you can get yourself into a harness and hang in it for a while then all well and good, but if you can't then just buy the one which you can afford, you can always upgrade later on once you've established exactly what it is you're looking for. Hardware lasts well and cost wise is all much of a muchness so splash out on some DMM stuff and you'll be pleased as punch. You may as well buy Ultra O crabs now, eventually you'll want to try a hitch climber anyway and you can use them in your kit until then.... The way I look at my kit is whatever gets upgraded becomes back up kit anyway so it's not like it's a waste....

This is a great film, soundtrack is brilliant too.... have a hunt for the film he did with a film maker as part of a competition I think, around some disused rail sidings.... not quite as epic as the way back but some of the things he does will make you flinch!

Good start! Come on guys, so far we're going to benefit from this more than the Children's Trust, get buying those tickets! Ticket sales need to exceed the prize fund value! And while I'm here.... I really hope I win the pimped out Arbor Trolley...!

Bought my tickets now. I was going to donate a prize but then realised that buying tickets is more helpful than donating prizes now.... I'll get in earlier next year! How much has been raised so far Steve?

Do you mean using a prusik as friction hitch to climb on? Prusiks tighten under load so if you're repeatedly loading and unloading one to move up a line you're going to get cheesed off with it pretty quickly. I only use a prusik as an anchor or loading point on a rope.

I just stuff my throwline in the way it came out, not had a ball of knots yet.... and 50m. Stuffing the line back in the bag is the worst job of the day though....

How did I acquire a reputation as a cider addled space ranger so quickly....? And before actually meeting anyone [other than Drew years ago as a cider addled space ranger!] in the flesh....!