Cambium / Friction Saver necessary?

[dmonn]

I'm a newbie (sort of) and have mostly been climbing to do removals on my own property. I have only climbed SRT, and since the tree is coming down anyway I haven't used a friction saver. I've been climbing only ash trees (recently dead or dying from EAB), but would like to do some pruning of deadwood on trees I want to keep. If I'm climbing SRT without a redirect, do I need to use a friction saver to avoid damaging the tree? I'm looking at climbing maples, elms, and box elders.

 

[Tuebor]

No.

 

[MikePowers321]

You can use a friction saver to set up an srt anchor point, but since there is no moving rope with a stationary line, you wont be doing any harm to cambium

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Monitor what happens to different species...sizes...TIP setups. Springtime in soft, thin barked trees like maples and a smallish TIP might warrant a false crotch.

There is a small amount of rope movement at some TIPs. For me...never enough to worry about rope damage and rarely a bark damage issue

A simpler solution may be a choked TIP with a haul back tail

 

[dmonn]

I've been thinking about using a canopy anchor but wasn't sure how to do it. I just found the thread on the Texas Tug. I'll definitely give that a try.

 

[moss]

Yep, natural crotch redirects will abrade bark, especially on conifers and certainly on younger upper limbs/branches on deciduous broadleafs where redirects are put to most advantage. For tree workers less of an issue, it's typically one climb to get a job done so overall damage to the tree is super minimal. For climbing on the same tree for rec or training, yeah you'll do some damage, mechanical redirects, false crotch, rope sleeve, all or any of these can be implemented to protect a regularly climbed tree.
-AJ

 

[southsoundtree]

@dmonn BEWARE CLIMBING DEAD AND DYING ASH!

 

[SoftBankHawks]

I'm a newbie (sort of) and have mostly been climbing to do removals on my own property. I have only climbed SRT, and since the tree is coming down anyway I haven't used a friction saver. I've been climbing only ash trees (recently dead or dying from EAB), but would like to do some pruning of deadwood on trees I want to keep. If I'm climbing SRT without a redirect, do I need to use a friction saver to avoid damaging the tree? I'm looking at climbing maples, elms, and box elders.

Hello !
It seems appropriate in three regards to use a cambium saver when climbing SRT. The first two are easy to understand and it was why, simultaneously in the north and south of France, two climbers cut a figure 8 belay tool in half and girthed a sling to it. The worlds first retrievable tool that cares for tree and rope, surely the two most important things. The third is for smooth and friction free retrieve, ropes passed around trees can have little to oh-my-ghod-tie-this-on-the-truck amounts if friction. And if your goal is to preserve trees or ropes then the latter will work against you.