Mr. Squirrel

'Haul ass ascent system' worth it if just for the name, probably. Really simple to use one you've set it up... Personally I've not a problem with toothed ascenders, provided you're only using them on ropes designed for use with ascenders. Basically any caving/climbing static rope, and arb specific access lines, these are designed with shock loading in mind. I hope... I think having an instant bail out option is a very good idea though. I've heard it's extremely stressful changing over to your 8 in the midst of a swarm of bees. Getting myself a rope wrench to give that Haas setup a whirl.

The rubber grommets work alright for me, but my old setup was far so superior, got some bits of hose that were just a little too small, heated them up and wiggled them onto a dmm fatboy, then put tape over them. Never moved, infact I struggled to get them off when I got a new fatboy.

Ok I made that link work, was the silly tablet machine... Interesting take on things though, 'Yes, these zigzags appear to have cracked under normal usage. No, there's nothing to worry about with your zigzag' I guess they're desperately hoping not to have to recall all these models too... I've never been convinced that a piece of chain could make a particularly robust tree climbing tool...

Odd, that link doesn't work for me and I can't find any mention of it on their site?

How do you persuade a deer to whizz in your cup in the first place??

Had exactly the same experience, annoyed me so much in the end I just went out and got another petzl/msa combo.

That's pretty impressive, I would've imagined the spring would go before then. Decent bit of kit!

These are top notch. Been rocking one a couple years now without a hitch, much prefer it to caritools.

Since we're sharing spider pics... this 7 legged baby used to live on my old balcony. These weren't poisonous at all, or so I was told. Regardless, so long as you don't surprise them spiders seem to be totally harmless... http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=152428&stc=1&d=1396104358 Edit: I've nae idea how pics work on here...

That's exactly what my friend said... I wish I could still read the size from my haix but alas, they're too old. Really don't want to order the wrong size or I will just trim my toenails/put on some extra socks and say they fit, for a week or two...

Hey folks, I'm going to order some meindl airstreams, just wondering what their sizing is like? Seems like a ridiculous question but you know how these things vary... I have some la sportiva ganda guides and salewa mountain trainers so if anybody could give a comparison to those that'd be swell.

I have, in my youth, been caught short up a tree. I preferred aiming into thin air with consistent left-right motion, kinda like a sprinkler. It keeps noise and collateral splashing to a minimum. Heck, your groundy probably won't even notice unless you warn them first...

Yep, that's pretty much the long and short of it. At the end of the day we can somewhat accurately assume where the UK is headed but it's all just hopes, dreams, assumptions, promises and lies as to what will happen in the event of an independent Scotland...

Like may be the key word there. Apologies for the typo I cannot stand these tablet machines... talk of a referendum has been going on for years (or does it just feel like that?) and largely ignored. Though we have our own parliament, which is a big thing, it's easy to see how many may feel poorly represented when you look at the 2010 general election results. There was very, very little support of the Tories up here and yet that's who's calling the shots for us now? As I've said I'm really not very clued up on these political japes, but it's hardly surprising quite allot of people would be happy to break away from a government they never wanted in the first place. Short sighted view, perhaps, but it's the truth. Another aspect of that is how so much of the counter arguments seem to be based on negativity. I've talked to a number of English people (largely very rich ones) simply angry that Scots would be so belligerent as to think we could possibly be better off without England. When you have people slapping on a label of stupidity, fools, idiots, dense headed jocks etc. it's hard not to think, 'well, s***w yous then'. As I said before it might be more convincing were more 'no' campaigners arguments based on why we're brilliant together than how we're doomed on our own, a stance which will probably bring out the voice in people determined to prove the nay sayers wrong... Something a 'yes' campaigner said to me the other week also rang kind of true. If it was the other way around, would you vote yes to be a part of the UK? I dunno, food for thought...

I don't want to dwell on this one point too much, but if my business was a family and that families running costs were in excess of 30 million a year you'd have to be pretty bloody thick to keep supporting them... it's all by the by really though as a friend informed me earlier that though salmon is keen to cause many a ruckus, ousting the royal family is a step too far in his opinion? Just giving my 2 pence. I liked the analogy that Scotland is a bit liked a neglected partner, a desire to walk away from the relationship was voiced and largely ignored until the bags were packed; at which point there was some shouting about how you COULDN'T leave, how you'd be stupid to leave, you'll never cope, but there's comparatively little talk of why England needs Scotland? I dunno, it's all too much for me really. I'm a tree surgeon, not a politician. I thought we payed them to sort all this crop out for us? I expect there are many, many motives I don't have a clue about as to why people are pushing yes/no, at the end of the day I just want to climb trees though...

I'm not using Norway as an example of what Scotland will become. I'm saying that in terms of wealth, Norway far exceeds that of the UK, but they don't really seem to, or have any desire to 'hit above their weight' as some word it. Now obviously if it comes to throwing bank balance and they'd blow us all out of the water, but otherwise Norway, to me, seems fairly focused on self development where Westminster seems too eager to maintain an image to the rest of the world, an image which is long dead. With regards to the monarchy, I imagine it's very hard to put a number on how much they actually bring in in terms of tourism. Almost as hard as it is to put a number on their income from all of their estate since its some sort of royal secret apparently. I think it's pretty twisted to invest tens of millions into a single family though, while telling others that there just isn't the money for their benefits anymore, and so I'd be happy to see the end of that archaic facade. I suppose, looking at it, all of my points seem to boil down to images, which is pretty ridiculous really, but once you accept all of the numbers, promises, counter-arguments, coalitions, world wide stance etc. are largely hypothetical I guess it's all your left with... I must stress I'm really not decided, though I kinda feel like I am. Salmond is just as slimey as Cameron, but at least he's a crook from my neck of the woods, y'know? That business with Trumps golf course and the destruction of SSSI sand dunes was pretty unforgivable in my opinion. And how successful did it turn out?... maybe this is just another 'super golf course'...

I've not read this entire thread, though quite allot of it. Got to credit it really, for a bunch of tree choppers there are some very good points here. Far more realistic and far less bs than you see elsewhere. I was thinking about the money thing when it occurred to me that most of the times I've arrived in London with Scottish money shop keepers/bus drivers/bar renders have looked at me like I'm simple and refused my 'foreign money's so maybe that wouldn't change so much... There really needs to be more clarity I think on the EU position, borders, currency etc. Currently it seems to add though one side dreaming, the other side talking those dreams down and nothing really being achieved. I know some will call me an English hating fool but to me it comes down to some pretty basic feelings; I don't agree with all the wars that have been waged under the Union Jack, and I don't want nuclear weapons stored down the coast from me. It may be sort sighted but I don't think the current UK government are particularly in touch with the real world (though admittedly salmondland is pretty far fetched too), and I don't like that a crowd of lying, cheating politicians in Westminster call the shots for a place I see as being far removed from the south east, not so much physically as ideologically. I see the royal family as the nation's most successful benefits cheats (I believe they cost 31 million in tax payers money annually?). No matter how much they bring in tourism, that's 31 million for being born into the right family, which is wrong on every level. Why would a country strive to 'hit above its weight' as some put it? And what grounds does the UK have to do so? Norway for example, I can see having reason to, but they don't really. They keep to themselves and get on with it. The UK isn't a colonial power anymore, it's a small island with very few exports, very little manufacturing and really very little going for it on an international level. It's like a potemkin economy and something HAS to change as far as I'm concerned. Most people I know are leaning towards a yes vote, and they're not all working class/neds/racists. They're mostly good, successful people who, similar to myself and many others are thinking 'yeah, this'll bring about problems, but there'll be problems regardless, and at least we made some of these for ourselves. Perhaps we stand a chance of sorting them ourselves' For the record I'm undecided, though I guess it's fairly clear which way I'm leaning...

I was at college for 2 years and they never once even bothered with cambium savers. I understand the argument that when starting out simple is best but there is such a thing as over simplifying. Even something as basic as using a hitch climber would be an improvement. It's not as though you're particularly great fresh out of college anyway so having to learn a whole new set of techniques while also learning to be productive is a bit of a pain. My first employer often asked what on earth they actually taught us?

A guy I freelance for doesn't charge the church, I bill him as normal though...

Oh! Shut up silly man and call the darn ambulance!

A good friend who is a personal trainer/sports coach/diet boffin reckoned I should be getting 5000 calories a day to maintain healthiness. Protein is the major thing my diet was lacking in though, especially in the morning. Seems to work pretty well for me, I'm a little under 6ft and 70kg.

Yeah I can see that, they're a great idea like, no doubt much better at keeping dust out of your eyes than lots of little holes in front of your face. Just seem a little, fragile? I almost always wear glasses these days though after having a wee piece of holly stuck on my eye ball for 8 hours. Too much, however you do it, look after those eyes...

I had an Alveo for a while but don't think they were designed with tree surgeons in mind... Now have a super plasma which is a big step forwards, it actually feels as though it might protect your head! Would prefer husky muffs but the peltor ones will do. I've tried on a protos since I bought the plasma and that'll probably be the next cutting hat I buy, even if they do look like a bit daft. Edit: the clear visors for the plasma seem pretty pants, I've never met anyone who uses it regularly and hasn't just scratched it to bits...?

Stihl dealer was saying the other day they've found whatever was at fault making 201's useless and they can sort it out for you no problem. I'm sure he's told me that before though... Used a new 442 or what have you craning out a bunch of oaks a few weeks ago, it was nice.

I made one from 8mm sirius and it was really nice. Until I misplaced it somewhere Pretty easy stuff to splice and plenty tough enough for footlocking. I tried splicing using various fid things and didn't get along well with it, in the end I stole a few wires from a mates piano and it made the whole process a total breeze in comparison!