friction saver

I like the trunk walk method as well.
But how do you guys hand the traverse situation from one tree to the other? Do you try to set both false crotches from the ground? or up in the tree with your zing it line?
 
Do a self test and find out how much weight a small twig takes to sheer off not step on or set on but use as a stopper on the back side of the tree. Same fundamentals as the way your lanyard works. Pressure from the back side and or downward keeps you in position. I have found myself using the smallest and even water shoots to help with an ascend.
 
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"friction savers are like condoms" ps your rope is plastic recycle it...

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People that want to preserve something important use them, even though it is easier without.
 
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I like the trunk walk method as well.
But how do you guys hand the traverse situation from one tree to the other? Do you try to set both false crotches from the ground? or up in the tree with your zing it line?

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superman style, and/ or, have my groundman pull the tail of the rope toward the direction of the traverse.

Also, they can wrap the tail to arrest the swing back in the event that the branch I'm grabbing on the second tree breaks, or I miss the trunk/ branch.

Beware of stubs/ branches on the launch tree in case of an unintentional return trip.

A throw line can help.

If you take your rope tail and tie a throwing know, you can sometimes get it through a crotch and have the groundmen tie it off/ hold it while you pull yourself across the gap.

Or you could untie and take a leap of faith. Not advised.
 
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I like the trunk walk method as well.
But how do you guys hand the traverse situation from one tree to the other? Do you try to set both false crotches from the ground? or up in the tree with your zing it line?

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I set it from within the tree, I carry 100 ft. ZingIt, with a 6oz and an 8 oz throwbag in a small pouch on my harness to set traverses or make throws higher up into the tree.

I use a technique rec climbers call the J~Bird Dangle to bring the bag back for longer traverses (when you can't swing the bag back). New Tribe sells a very cool little and newly improved grapnel for this use, you can make your own with bent wire and some added weight. Here are illustrations of the dangle technique:
Remote traverse acquisition diagrams

This is a lightweight foot attached slingshot I built to make long horizontal throws tree-to-tree, it looks real stoopid but works great:
3818318822_c8c77b6ff6.jpg


More FootShot images
-moss
 
Hey Moss, why not go the next step with your toe slingshot and make it a collapsable unit that fits in a pouch on your saddle?

You're slicker than James Bond Moss!
 
I love and use leather cambium saver. Heck of a tool. Way easier to install and retrieve up in the tree. Ideal for elms etc with lots of tips.
 
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Hey Moss, why not go the next step with your toe slingshot and make it a collapsable unit that fits in a pouch on your saddle?

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The footshot folds down fairly compact. Definitely need to make a little bag for it. I'm thinking of making a pole adapter for it so it can be fired from the ground as well. Doesn't work too well standing on my head shooting up into a tree :-) I'm going to test it for setting a long SRT traverse tomorrow, I'll try and shoot some video.
-moss
 
Very cool Moss! I’ve been trying to do different techniques for this situation for years, and this one seems the best . I think I might make one of those grapnels out of a filed down bunker snagger.
Moss would you be up for a rec climb this fall?
 
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I love and use leather cambium saver. Heck of a tool. Way easier to install and retrieve up in the tree. Ideal for elms etc with lots of tips.

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check out the ones new tribe sells, they are even better!
 
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I love and use leather cambium saver. Heck of a tool. Way easier to install and retrieve up in the tree. Ideal for elms etc with lots of tips.

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check out the ones new tribe sells, they are even better!

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You have proper NT name for it. I didn't see it, nor did searching work.

Thanks.
 
Goodaking,
I rarely set my second TIP before trying the swing but often I'll try to get the tail of my rope over a high TIP in the tree I'm going for so when I get there all I have to do is tie in and pull my rope out of the 1st tree. If the stars are aligned and I have a polesaw I hook the tail and traverse on a double crotch... but it's more fun swinging if it's clean.

I know rec climbers are more about doing different stuff and challenging themselves so the footshot makes a lot of sense in that context. But I can't imagine myself with that much stuff on my saddle, I've already got more than I want. If the tree is sling shot distance, I come down and climb it from the deck.

Moss, that grapple is finally one I'm willing to buy, the other ones were too pricey and to big. Third time's a charm is right. Thanks for the tip.

The throwline/grapple technique is cool too, I think I'll give it a try. Thanks for that one too.
 
I always go for the swing technique first as well, But certain situations it doesn’t work.
I found myself with to much gear in the tree today it was getting snagged on all the suckers, it frustrated the hell out of me. And to top it off I smacked myself right in the eye with my lanyard.
Blinky, When you are tail tying for your traverse in pruning do you set a friction saver first? Or do you install it when you get to the other side?
I like that grapple idea though. I think I read something about the grapple techniques in the book Wild trees. I think sillet used a small fishing pole with the grapple attached to the end.
 
Nope, I only carry one FS so I can't reset until I pull it from the other tree.

I think natural crotching does very little damage to cambium until you start descending long or fast. Just moving around doesn't seem to make it dig in like a rapid descent.

On a big tree prune, I may reset my TIP half a dozen times but I only set the FS when I know I'll need the reduced friction or when I'll be descending on it... or when it's just easy to set.
 
Cool , I do the same. I carry one friction saver and when I get to the other side I install the same one.

I use the Buckingham friction saver and I have the adjustable one from Sherill as well, which ones are you guys using?
 
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Nope, I only carry one FS so I can't reset until I pull it from the other tree.

I think natural crotching does very little damage to cambium until you start descending long or fast. Just moving around doesn't seem to make it dig in like a rapid descent.

On a big tree prune, I may reset my TIP half a dozen times but I only set the FS when I know I'll need the reduced friction or when I'll be descending on it... or when it's just easy to set.

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I think that its important to consider the tree species in relation to tolerance for natural crotch. Contrast a redwood that has very thick bark to a thin barked alder or aspen, with poor compartmentalization capacity.

Whether these pruning TIPs are on trees where you might be climbing up and down more than ascending/ descending on rope will affect to some degree how much/ if any considerable damage is done.
 
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