iPod in a tree...

Blinky

Blinky

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Anybody have an elegant solution for wearing an iPod while climbing or moving brush?

I've busted three headsets in a month when twigs caught'em while I was moving. I haven't found any of the in-ear types that will stay in my apparently weird shaped ears... plus, they block out more of the external sound than I want.

I wish they made lightweight wireless version. I've tried armbands but they're no better than running the wire under my shirt down to my pocket.

You know how twigs are, if they can find something to snag, they're gonna snag it... usually right when you're letting go for a swing to another stem.

Anybody?
 
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Anybody have an elegant solution for wearing an iPod while climbing


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What happens if someone is trying to get your attention and you are totally oblivious to them cause your listening to your iPod?

What about taping the iPod inside your helmut? then wear the big ear defenders to cover the wires.

I wouldn't do it though, the job's dangerous enough without another unnecessary distraction.

Do you listen to jazz on it with the tree your pruning ending up all improvised and wacked out? like some mental abstract expressionist painting? that would be pretty cool.

What happens if you listen to Death Metal? do you start inscribing pentagrams in the bark with your Silky?

What about some Madonna? do you start 'voguing' in the tree with your ground crew looking on all perplexed and confused by your strange behaviour?

Mmmmm, might give the old iPod while climbing a try.

later
 
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What happens if someone is trying to get your attention and you are totally oblivious to them cause your listening to your iPod?

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That's what I meant about the in-ear phones blocking too much external sound. The Sonys I keep breaking allow me to hear screams of pain and anger from below no problem.

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What about taping the iPod inside your helmut? then wear the big ear defenders to cover the wires.

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Now there's a thought. Don't know about the ear defenders though.

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I wouldn't do it though, the job's dangerous enough without another unnecessary distraction.

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Ahh, but this distraction is indeed necessary... or rather, it's not very distracting to me. I frequently climb and prune alone (...I know, but that's another discussion) and the music makes the day go easier and my climbing has a little more rhythm to it.

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Do you listen to jazz on it with the tree your pruning ending up all improvised and wacked out? like some mental abstract expressionist painting? that would be pretty cool.

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Guy might say that it does.
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If it has any negative effect it would be that music accentuates my perfectionist tendencies and I wind up walking a 30' limb to clip a couple of twigs.

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What happens if you listen to Death Metal? do you start inscribing pentagrams in the bark with your Silky?

What about some Madonna? do you start 'voguing' in the tree with your ground crew looking on all perplexed and confused by your strange behaviour?

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I don't listen to Death Metal or Madonna all that much but I've definitely been caught boogieing(talk to the spell checker, I have no idea) to Neil young out on big white oak limbs before.
 
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The Sonys I keep breaking allow me to hear screams of pain and anger from below no problem.

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Oh well, that's ok then.

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Now there's a thought. Don't know about the ear defenders though.

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You can buy ear defenders that double as headphone speakers - maybe too hot though.

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I frequently climb and prune alone (...I know, but that's another discussion)

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What!! you know that's blah blah blah...............

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and the music makes the day go easier and my climbing has a little more rhythm to it.

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That's it, I'm trying it on Monday, gonna go for the taped inside my helmet method. Maybe need to drill a few holes and put some tie straps in there as well.

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I've definitely been caught boogieing to Neil young out on big white oak limbs before.

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Neil Young! what 'Old Man' and 'Alabama'? I'd be sleeping out there on that big ol white oak limb.

Wonder what would happen if you listened to 70's disco classics, hey we could bring out a pair of flared arborwears or big afro wig helmets, with chinstraps of course. cool.
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Do you use helmet mounted ear muffs? If so, the little ear buds seem to work well for me if you keep the muffs on. You also have the option of just using one side so you can hear a little more from the ground.
 
That is one cool song.

Here is a video which is totally irrelevant to the thread but is very cool anyway.

Enjoy - oh yeah, turn up the volume control

iPod music

Cool.
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ah i always wanted to use an ipod in the tree but my communication with my ground guys is pivitol, they are my second set of eyes, i am only as good as my ground crew and i found this out when i had no good ground guys for 3 months, it was hell, but then we hired on a new crew of motivated guys with one lead ground guy and now all is well, the only time i use my ipod is when im rec climbin in my trees at my house or elsewhere, whenever there is a chainsaw involved my ears are open
 
I PODS SHEESH,

I HIRED A GROUNDIE AND FIRED HIM JUST AS QUICK.

I POD USE WAS ONE OF ABOUT 10 THINGS BUT STILL STOOD OUT TO ME AND THE FALLER I WORK WITH.

FIRST TIME IVE SEEN EM IN TREES.

MOST OLDER GUYS STILL GOT MUSIC IN THE HEART AND HEAD
AND DONT NEED THOSE CORDS AND DISTRACTIONS TO RISK THEIR HEADS.

LEAVE IT IN THE TRUCK WITH THE PHONE.

JUST MY 2 CENTS
 
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I PODS SHEESH,

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We don't all work the same way. I routinely spend hours working through a large tree without any ground support. I have music in my head too but it's rarely the music I want in my head at the time.

I'm not talking about doing a take down where the communication between the ground crew and myself is pretty constant... I'm talking about a long day of pruning solo.

Music is GOOD... maybe if you listened to it a little more you wouldn't feel so prickly about it... and it might make your day go a little smoother.

If I was dragging brush solo and didn't have a climber to keep up with, I'd want some music then too.

As for cell phones, I always have mine in the tree... it's damn nice safety feature.

Just like everything else in tree work, a little good judgment goes a long way. When it's time for the phones to come off, they come off, no biggie.
 
Cell phones and cameras are very useful at times good to have in trees. If you're busy when a call comes in then just call em back when you can, no problem

If you need music, park your vehicle nearby and use those sounds. I like Beethoven in the background, tho Men at Work are good too.

Or better yet, listen to the birds and bees--tune into tree associates and you will be tuned in more to the trees. Rookies do not need extra distractions to inhibit learning. Veterans don't either.

distracted pruning and lapsed concentration led to productivity and quality issues back when I tried using an audiocassette player in the tree back in the early 70's...later those evenings I'd watch a betamax movie an d listen to a handcrank victrola...
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Nick I think you have the focus and safety-mindedness to prune some trees alone with some degree of safety. Overall, not a good idea.
 
I love my i pod (actually its an iriver)


So I would not recomend it to all..... and I dont use it when there is heavey comnuication needed ....ie lots of complicated rope or crane work,,,,,,,

However, if you have suffecient skill, they can be REALLY handy.

case in point.

the other day I was cutting an 85-90' pine.

it was really windy.

I was going to town, having a ball. grooving to some janes addiction.

I was up at the top when my battery ran out.

All the sudden I could hear the wind and feel the sway of the tree.

At least now my FEAR could.

My enviroment TOTALLY changed.

I then got totally scared and nervous.

instead of just doing what I knew how to do, my brain got overloaded with adrenalian and I got the super shakey weakness. (you climbers know what I mean).

Am I trying to start a fight about "should" anyone use head phones? NO. because the fact is, our noisy saws are just as loud and prevent comunication just about as much. so that is a "mute" point.. (pun intended)
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What I am saying is this..........

I love dancing in the tree.... I love getting the groove on to a little seb fontain during a take down.

If you have never tried it,,,,,,,, go ahead... do it...


you'll like it.....

go ahead.... "everybodys doing it"......

(smile)

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case in point.

the other day I was cutting an 85-90' pine.

it was really windy.

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It's funny you mention that, the only time I've ever really been shaken in a tree, that is, shakey shaken, was going up to about 80' on a spindly pine on a windy day... maybe I'd have been better off if... I HADN'T JUST BUSTED MY STINKING HEADSET a few hours earlier!
 
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grooving to some janes addiction.

I was up at the top when my battery ran out.

All the sudden I could hear the wind and feel the sway of the tree.

At least now my FEAR could.

My enviroment TOTALLY changed.

I then got totally scared and nervous.



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Your fear was caused my listening to Perry Farrell's whining trumpet bulge voice messing with your subconcious!
 
I love listening to music but when aloft I'd much rather listen to the three dimensional sounds of nature and the surrounding community.
 
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I love listening to music but when aloft I'd much rather listen to the three dimensional sounds of nature and the surrounding community.

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I can't argue with that, I love being way, way up where I can't hear what's on the ground for the wind and the tree sounds as is moves.

It's different when I'm on a wood lot by myself taking out pines or working through a big oak doing fine pruning.

Fact is, I haven't used my iPod while climbing in a long time but I'd like to be able to when I feel like it without trashing a $20 headset... same goes for dragging brush or raking. The twigs always catch the wires.

I had my son working with me this week and he broke yet another headset yesterday dragging brush. Seems to me tree work shouldn't have to be incompatible with personal music players.

Tree and nature sounds ARE some of the most relaxing things I've ever listened to.
 
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