In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Tree climbing for work or play

Discussion in 'Hobbies and Interests' started by J. Dirt, Nov 25, 2017.

  1. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

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    I'm bringing this fine thread back from the dead. A few pages back I posted some pics of the Petzl zigzag, so I felt it would be good to provide an update on it. In short I couldn't get used to it and, not being midline attachable was a huge drawback for me.

    On top of that I decided to jump into climbing SRT so I sold the zigzag and picked up a hybrid device called the hitch hiker 2.



    20180310_164937.jpg

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    I've put a little over a dozen climbs on it and so far I love it! Made right here in the USA by a fellow tree guy Paul Cox. I can't see the thing ever breaking.

    Coming from an old school drt background the thing I like most about this thing is it works equally well in a SRT or DRT drt up. So far on removals I like jetting up the tree in srt getting my PSP set and switching to drt to work the tree. Plus it's still hitch based so it feels very solid and familiar.

    This is where I bought my hitch hiker:

    Hitch Hiker 2 - RopeTek

    P.s. yes I'm hanging from my garage rafters in these pics:whistle:

    So what's new with everybody?
     
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  2. p61 western

    p61 western

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    Not much exciting here. How was the transition to srt?
     
  3. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

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    Pretty easy really. I like it a lot. I practiced a bunch in my garage. Then in the back yard low and slow. I can see using it for pruning and skipping the switch over to drt entirely. I really cannot see myself going back to strictly drt.
     
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  4. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    I got a Hitch Hiker a few years ago. One of the single best pieces of climbing gear I've ever used.
    I use mine for all kinds of life support stuff.
    Like snow shoveling on steep pitched roofs.
    When I'm spuring up a tree to do a takedown. I chock the tree with a running bowline and run the line thru my HH. Hold the running bowline and the wire core flipline in my hands as I ascend and decend in the spurs. But, if I need to bail out, I just unclip the flipline from either side , kick my spurs out and rife the Hitch Hiker to the ground.
    It works super for tree to tree transitions on srt with a top choke. Super smooth stopping part way down the tree. Just an awesome piece of gear !!!
     
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  5. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    photobucket-75631-1375308217633.jpg Resized_20171118_123909.jpeg

    Not a very good pic. But u get the idea. Up here we don't have the nice climbing hardwoods y'all do back east. Which is where the HH would REALLY come into its own. But it works great for me none the less.
     
  6. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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  7. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    Your not alone in using the rafters for some testing haha:yes:
    As for what’s new.... work, work, work, basement remodel, work, work..... you get the pattern:( Although the work part has included a bunch of climbing, just no ropes or fancy equipment.
     
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  8. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    I've got a pic I uploaded to my Facebook album of me hanging up in the rafters of my arctic entry when I first started learning double rope technique.
     
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  9. savemoney

    savemoney

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    Pruning an old American Elm
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

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    Right on. A couple of those pics look familiar from the giant hitch hiker thread over at the treehouse. That thread alone sold me on it! Good to see you over here.
     
  11. UncleJoe

    UncleJoe

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    Hello everyone! I haven't been around for a couple months while preparing the late MIL's place for sale. So I thought I would start here with a few pics from a job I did earlier this week.

    Another dead ash. The house is on one side, garden on another side and a shed behind the tree.

    After stripping off the lower limbs I came down out of the tree to help clean up the mess I made.

    0423080947.jpg

    One looking straight down when I went back up the tree.

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    Looking out over the neighborhood.

    0423081037a.jpg

    And my shadow on the ground.

    0423081105.jpg
     
  12. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    When those ash trees die from EAB. How long afterwards are they safe to climb and take down. ?
     
  13. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

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    Well the only answer that makes sense is it depends:rofl: :lol:

    Seriously though here in Michigan we've been dealing with them for about 15 years now. I've found that the base/roots starts to dry rot and and weaken at around the 4-5 year mark depending on how wet the ground is. It trends more toward wet here.

    If it still has bark they are usually fairly safe, but I typically prefer to be tied in to a safe tree near by. If they don't have bark I will use something sharp to gouge several spots around the base near to the ground to determine rot.

    The tops also get really brittle and stuff will not hinge without rigging. I've taken to treating them like cottonwood/poplar/Bass and rig small.
     
  14. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

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    Here are a couple bases of trees that gave up the ghost at about the 5-6 year mark. It's very wet at this location. Watershed is at around 12-24 inches continuously.
    20180321_153602.jpg

    20180321_153610.jpg
     
  15. UncleJoe

    UncleJoe

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    That about sums it up.

    I'll take one of my spikes and jab it into the trunk in several spots before I go up the tree. Then I pay close attention as I'm going up, feeling for any soft spots. Most of the ones I've taken down have been solid enough to climb. I did turn down a couple though. The one homeowner had let it stand there dead for several years and I wasn't comfortable with it. I told him he should get someone with a bucket truck to be safe.
     
  16. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    Around here they have made a rule about no climbing any ash. Most of the local guys have invested in backyard buckets that will fit through fences and have 80’+ booms. Same as everyone says above though. If you go back to page 4 of this thread I think I had some pictures of one last December. It was solid wood but stone dead and I tied to a better looking one behind it.
     
  17. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    I myself have not put on my gear this summer due to certain circumstances, but what about you guys?!! I’m hoping in another month I can get back at and drop a few pounds in the process!!
     
  18. p61 western

    p61 western

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    Got a big cotton wood coming up next week. Been quite a few with room to just fall them. How have you been doing Joe?
     
  19. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    Hanging in there ! Hopefully next month I’ll tear into clearing the ash out of my hedgerow near the house. There’s a ton!! I’ve also got 3 willows a cotton wood and box elder that needs removing this fall/winter. Hope to get some climbing in on them since some of them need some precise disassembly.
     
  20. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    We've been pretty busy all summer, I look for any excuse I can get to go climb trees!!

    Hope you've been feeling better, J. Dirt!
     
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