How often do you foot lock into trees?

I footlock when i want to get in the tree fast or if a comp is soon.If Im lazy i will get a ladder or if its a big tree I may frog walk.Heck I try to mix it up.I had a alll day workshop with my employees and went over footlocking,frog walking,rads,anchoring srt little bit of everything.I like having alot of tools in the toolbox.But with footlocking I noticed personally it helps when im light-i dont like doing it much with winter weight.do what you like we are all designed genetically a little different.I use to think footlocking was manditory but there are alot of ways to skin a cat.
 
if i am considering using marbars, the tree is usually useless for a ladder. In other words, once you reach the top of the 40 footer, you still have 30 feet to hip thrust to the TIP.

Plus I HATE ladders.
 
yeah i have a large ground man that loves carrying the ladder.Serously though i left the ladder at the shop the past couple weeks becasue weve almost done all of our storm work and our comp is in 2 months and I need to get in shape.Most of our trees that were damaged by the snow storm are under maybe 40 feet so a 30 foot ladder is nice.But now im back to footlocking and even body thrusting just too get in shape.Our trees are not very tall for the most part so I hardly even get out my frog walker.
 
You guys are funny...ladders are scary? hanging off a rope with a running chainsaw can't be considered scary? And I put the ladder up to get to the first limb and usually just climb the tree...rarely do i have to hip thrust
 
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every day with my kong dualcender, if that counts,, " its back upped in my mind,,

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Same here except I'm using Kong Futura hand Ascenders.
 
I am still trying to figure out the foot lock. I was trying a it a little, earlier today. I don't find it e-z. I just haven't found the trick of it I guess?
 
I NEVER footlock. Only SRT into the tree using Frogwalker technique, or a modified Frog walker technique.

As you get older, you need to find a better more ergonomic way to ascend and footlocking it not the way to do it.

Ask yourself this, how many 60-65 year old footlockers do you see climbing trees? Probably not too many.
 
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truth in puddin Mr. Girard
 
I foot lock nearly every day. If not daily, then multiple times per week. But, it's not like I foot lock long ascents. I may need to FL 20' here and there multiple times per week. But, it's footlocking.

Lately, I've been FL'ing on the Uni single line.
 
the question should be how many 45 or 50 year olds do you see foolocking.As far as I know in this industry people have only been footlocking maybe the last 25 to 30 years.So that would make those 20 and 25 year olds 45 and 55 and yes I still know alot of them still doing it daily.But for argument sake there newer techniques that could really be better for some.But the truth is we are all different so footlocking affects people in different ways.Just like alot of athletes genetics play more of a key in logevity than any thing else.
 
I like the footlock, and probably use it on half of the bigger trees I climb. I go back and forth experimenting with different SRT techniques, but I love the simplicity of the footlock.
 
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As far as I know in this industry people have only been footlocking maybe the last 25 years.So that would make those 20 and 25 year olds 45 and 50 and yes I still know alot of them still doing it daily

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Been around much longer than that, it's just the fact the last 10-12 years it's become some big thing for preping for the comp. They seem to forget it's just one event, and that the other events all add up. Even if you came in dead last on the foot lock you can still win, duh.

But, for your answer 42, and like I said before daily.
 
At what point/age do you think that bad ergonomic techniques will effect your work?

Take a paperclip and bend it a few times. It will break. Bend it gently and it will take more cycles to failure. Just a metaphor.

Those 65 year old former climbers may be so sore from FL that they can't enjoy their retirement. Maybe if they had climbed differently things would be different. I dunno...but I'm guessing...and, I'm 56
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weve been down this path before and we never could never really produce any of lame old climbers who are permanently damaged from footlocking.More than anything I think its more theory than fact.But the fact is we all get old and our bodies just dont hold up as well as they once did.We see genetic freaks like Brett Favre who continue to go strong even though he did every thing in the world to destroy his body-was even addicted to pain killers for years.The truth is some people can take the abuse more than others.I had knee problems in my early 20s from basketball that forced me to totally quit.I had a friend that never even had a sprained ankle and played into his 30s.The crazy part is he never worked outside and died from skin cancer and never had a cold before.So I really believe that genetics play more of a role in things then we do.For the record frog walking is great and easy to teach alot easier for new climbers unless there just freaks.
 
I'm with you 100% Jim. My pains are in my wrist I assume from saw use. Knees are fine even though I've had a grade 3 knee tear before, damn beer league softball.
 
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