Steel core or rope scare strap?

rico · Apr 30, 2019

Tom Dunlap said:
Not only digging the hole...imagine how low on the seniority list the guy on the bottom end of the whip saw would be!

Yea, that fella eating sawdust all day at the bad end of a whip was probably the same mutherfucker with the shovel/pick in his hand on saw pit digging day. Talk about being forced to did your own grave!!

Barc Buster · Apr 30, 2019

DSMc said:
I agree with, Rico. It is the way I was taught and was called rolling your line. A must for large trees.

X3 always called it rolling your line or just rolling. Really don't understand the trend of needing to attach a cutesy name to everything these days. Just go to work everyday and perfect your craft. Don't try to be a yoohoo tube rock star. Let your children tell your legend.

rico said:
By far the best video on the nearly lost art of rolling a flipline in big wood. That is how its done!! Notice the non wire-core 1" 3 strand. The perfect tool for the job. You can tell a lot about the type of trees a climber works with by their flip-line!!!

Outstanding vid! Thanks for posting. I will save that for the youngsters. Sometimes it helps for the hardheaded ones to hear it from someone else. Dude clearly knows wtf is up.

SomethingWitty · May 1, 2019

rico said:
By far the best video on the nearly lost art of rolling a flipline in big wood. That is how its done!! Notice the non wire-core 1" 3 strand. The perfect tool for the job. You can tell a lot about the type of trees a climber works with by their flip-line!!!

Not many titans here, but I learned some things that could make my jobs easier a couple of days a year.
Thanks. The part about not pulling your arm back after tossing the line is sort of counterintuitive for someone who deals with short lanyards on small logs, but it makes perfect sense.

rico · May 2, 2019

SomethingWitty said:
Not many titans here, but I learned some things that could make my jobs easier a couple of days a year.
Thanks. The part about not pulling your arm back after tossing the line is sort of counterintuitive for someone who deals with short lanyards on small logs, but it makes perfect sense.

Trimmed this from one of my vids to show how well the roll technique works in smaller stuff. You can really toss your flip-line up a tree this way. Leaving quite a bit of slack in your flipline is very important, but it really puts the hurts to your hands, arms, and shoulders.

Reg · May 2, 2019

rico said:
Trimmed this from one of my vids to show how well the roll technique works in smaller stuff. You can really toss your flip-line up a tree this way. Leaving quite a bit of slack in your flipline is very important, but it really puts the hurts to your hands, arms, and shoulders.

Great work Eric....that video led me hear. Good topic, Treebuzz still going strong I see.

Mr Schatz is a wizard with spurs and flipline by all accounts. Shows SOME of his technique in the video, but fails to mention or demonstrate the night and day difference between throwing a line while stood on the ground, verses performing that technique while clinging to the same tree at height. For those who have and do work tall, wide, single stem trees, know that its takes practice....not to mention strength, endurance, timing and a lot of confidence.

Having a supple line that is wide enough for you can get a good grip of is a huge factor. Although a 6-7 footer is still doable with a steel core, just not as efficient....it stands to reason. A rapid back and forth motion of the line between hands to skid the line up the back face of the tree is often better suited, and sorta gets you up there eventually. The Heli loggers out here in BC use steel core exclusively, because they are required to by WorkSafe regs. But they are also cutting/limbing off the flipline through the whole climb....no second tie, or even a rappelling line for many. After they top the tree they spur back down and onto the next one. Forestry climbing is very different to Arborist. Its not for everyone.

If you don't practice your skills they eventually erode, as does your confidence. While rope access might be the current trend, its surely better to be a good allrounder.