climbing pet peeves

sherwood7

sherwood7

Participating member
Location
Denver, co
Just thought it would be fun to throw out a few things that bug you, not trying to hate on any one. In no particular order

carrying a knife while climbing, especially something in a sheath
handsaw leg scabbards
face shields on helmets, especially if you are also wearing glasses
anything less than a 16in bar on a full size climb saw
foot ascenders on spikes(sorry mike)
carrying hand pruners while climbing
using slings to make a foothold
claiming that you never need pole pruners and can make proper cuts with a pole saw
not re clipping your chain saw after making a cut, and letting it hang off you like an anchor
rock exotica $60 caritool, sorry transporter(totally different...)
whistles on helmets(that's going to generate some hate)
putting your lanyard on before every HANDSAW cut( I know they are sharp)

there are lots more, try not to hate, join in on the rant
 
Levi.CO said:
You're funny Court, getting salty man, I like it.

The knife thing aint my cup of tea either, I could see a time and place where a face shield would be nice, I've never had one though so I can't say. Hand pruners in the tree has got to be one of the worst offenses!
Click to expand...
Why no hand pruners ? They make much cleaner cuts than most handsaws on small branches.
I do a lot of small pruning on my property.
 
Levi.CO said:
I am more referring to folks using them while climbing around in a tree of decent size, I don't see the point. I do a lot of boot pruning, you know, kicking small branches, suckers and deadwood. The occasional karate chop works as well.

Hand pruners are great for tiny trees.
Click to expand...
For sure, I meant using or carrying them in larger trees.
 
Yipes! Letting off some Friday Steam I gather :)

Point by point, no hating, just my way of climbing---

carrying a knife while climbing, especially something in a sheath

***Folding blade knife in the ditty bag on my harness...along with a Blood Stopper dressing and some other bits and bobs

handsaw leg scabbards

***I wear my handsaw on my knee and would NEVER have it anywhere else

face shields on helmets, especially if you are also wearing glasses

***In a thorny tree, yes! For a long while I wore clear faceshields on my Kask helmet and loved them!

anything less than a 16in bar on a full size climb saw

***Mostly run 14"...plenty long for the work I do up high.

foot ascenders on spikes(sorry mike)

***Never used them but it seems to have merit

carrying hand pruners while climbing

***Of course if I'm making small cuts. That 16" bar doesn't work all of the time :)

using slings to make a foothold

***Sure, why not? Especially when cabling...no footholds most of the time

claiming that you never need pole pruners and can make proper cuts with a pole saw

***Agree...go TO the work and make good cuts.

rock exotica $60 caritool, sorry transporter(totally different...)

***Nice concept no matter what company or homemade version is used

whistles on helmets(that's going to generate some hate)

***I've had one on my helmet for around ten years. Best location!

putting your lanyard on before every HANDSAW cut( I know they are sharp)

***suit yourself...too many stray handsaw cuts. Get ready for using two attachments for all cutting in the tree in the 2017, not the one that will be out this year.
 
Levi.CO said:
I am more referring to folks using them while climbing around in a tree of decent size, I don't see the point. I do a lot of boot pruning, you know, kicking small branches, suckers and deadwood. The occasional karate chop works as well.
Hand pruners are great for tiny trees.
Click to expand...
A couple of years ago there was a thread here on TreeBuzz that definitively stated, "yanking suckers off" would be better to prevent regrowth, than cutting.
I was not convinced.
I am not a professional arborist.
But, big tree or small, I would rather shear it cleanly than saw it, or ripe it.

I know that's not production efficient; but it seems more efficient for the tree to recover & heal.
 
My list...take your shots!

NOT having a whistle at all
Dangling the end of the lanyard with the snap. Leads to knocked out teeth and head bops.
Dangling chainsaws from lanyards...especially when they are running!
Sloppy cuts...miss the collar, rips and stubs
 
Levi.CO said:
Blood stopper/ tm first aid kit (same thing?) has always seemed silly to me as well. If you are capable enough to use it aloft, why not rap out and do you doctoring on the ground?
Click to expand...
In ISA Tree Climbing Competitions, Aerail Rescue, climbers are given 5 mins to complete the task of bringing the victim to the ground.
Most are relatively simple rescues.
MANY do not complete that in 5 minutes. (Way too long for a severe blood loss.)

NOW look what you started ! ! ! ;-)

................ still good thread.
 
Last edited:
(y)(y)
Tom Dunlap said:
Yipes! Letting off some Friday Steam I gather :)

Point by point, no hating, just my way of climbing---

carrying a knife while climbing, especially something in a sheath

***Folding blade knife in the ditty bag on my harness...along with a Blood Stopper dressing and some other bits and bobs

handsaw leg scabbards

***I wear my handsaw on my knee and would NEVER have it anywhere else

face shields on helmets, especially if you are also wearing glasses

***In a thorny tree, yes! For a long while I wore clear faceshields on my Kask helmet and loved them!

anything less than a 16in bar on a full size climb saw

***Mostly run 14"...plenty long for the work I do up high.

foot ascenders on spikes(sorry mike)

***Never used them but it seems to have merit

carrying hand pruners while climbing

***Of course if I'm making small cuts. That 16" bar doesn't work all of the time :)

using slings to make a foothold

***Sure, why not? Especially when cabling...no footholds most of the time

claiming that you never need pole pruners and can make proper cuts with a pole saw

***Agree...go TO the work and make good cuts.

rock exotica $60 caritool, sorry transporter(totally different...)

***Nice concept no matter what company or homemade version is used

whistles on helmets(that's going to generate some hate)

***I've had one on my helmet for around ten years. Best location!

putting your lanyard on before every HANDSAW cut( I know they are sharp)

***suit yourself...too many stray handsaw cuts. Get ready for using two attachments for all cutting in the tree in the 2017, not the one that will be out this year.
Click to expand...

Oh no Tom, I guess we should be on different crews;). We had a beer at the sherrill tcia after party( I'm the tall guy from Denver) if I knew this then I could have set u straight.. Let's grab a beer at internationals and debate (y)
 
Levi.CO said:
Blood stopper/ tm first aid kit (same thing?) has always seemed silly to me as well. If you are capable enough to use it aloft, why not rap out and do you doctoring on the ground?
Click to expand...

I've been my own First Responder, both in the tree and on the ground, more than once. Not for a life threatening injury but others. I want to be prepared.
 
Let me see...
Big shot on two 4 foot poles instead of a nice long one and a shorty. That's like throwball pole vaulting.

Struggling with the crappy rope angle you gave yourself instead of climbing up and over or moving your rope.

Not cutting at the branch union on removals. Especially pines. Picking up 20+ stubs and notches is stupid.

That's it.
 
I have used the FA kit in the tree on myself after the rare direct-handsaw-to-the-body-part.
Also you never know when that tree is gonna trade those limbs for a patch of skin. I replace skin with tape frequently.
 
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