You cannot take "lessons" from "us". That doesn't work, too much conflicting information. Aerial Traveler is excellent to study. TreeFool is good but tries too hard to implement the rock/alpine minimalist approach. You need to know in your body and mind what tree climbing is about before paring down gear to follow minimalist ideas. Putting minimalism first is cart before the horse. As others have mentioned, go simple with well accepted and reliable rope and gear designed for tree climbing. You'll have plenty of time to innovate later. Stitchitch lanyard is cool but do you know why you would actually use it? Not yet.
I never have and never will stress test a limb or tree to failure. It's useful in very specific constrained experiments but has zero application for a beginner or intermediate rec climber. Focus your studies in this area on tree structure/anatomy and biology. Learn about the basic structural differences between conifers and broadleaf/deciduous species. Go out into the woods and look at all of the failed limbs and trees, and all the ways they fail, will teach you a lot. This is tree forensics. Look at a broken off hollow limb with plenty of branches and foliage on it. Why did it fail? Where did it fail in relation to the main trunk? You can find someone somewhere who will tell you that this or that tree species is too dangerous to climb. You'll eventually find out that every tree species is too dangerous to climb in some person's mind. It's about the tree's context and condition no matter what the species, this is the way forward understanding what's safe to climb and what isn't.
No need to be cheap about it, dynamic lines have very poor characteristics for tree climbing lanyard use. Sure, you can make it work but a total PIA. You can buy an excellent 11mm double-braid supple arb rope by the foot from Wesspur (or elsewhere) and build a simple and sweet lanyard that you will love without at first knowing why but will grow to understand why. Put a double locker triple action alloy carabiner on the end secured with a double overhand knot, gives you a full range of options. Rope snaps on a lanyard are for removals and major pruning work, they'll frustrate you with their limitations. Here we go, them's fighting words for working climbers ;-) This is not work climbing this is rec climbing. A tree worker's rec climbing is different, more about practicing for competition. Mileage varies but the tree worker climbs they way they do for a reason, their core technique and overall thinking is about work climbing whether they're working or rec'ing, has to be that way. Bear that in mind.
-AJ
