Pain on Gaffs

rico said:
Bucks, Bashlins, and Geckos, Malakus, Whites, Hoffmans. Vibergs, and Wescos are all great tools for making climbing in spurs much easier on your body. They are not gonna instantly make you a spar pole champion though.
If you want to get truly comfortable in spurs then you need to spent a lot of time climbing in spurs, learning the craft, and toughening up those body parts. Like anything else in life, practice makes perfect.
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No lie!
I discovered some muscles in my thighs after my first full day on spurs. It felt like I had spent all day riding a horse bareback.
 
rico said:
Bucks, Bashlins, and Geckos, Malakus, Whites, Hoffmans. Vibergs, and Wescos are all great tools for making climbing in spurs much easier on your body. They are not gonna instantly make you a spar pole champion though.
If you want to get truly comfortable in spurs then you need to spent a lot of time climbing in spurs, learning the craft, and toughening up those body parts. Like anything else in life, practice makes perfect.
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Exactly.
 
Well..I haven't even really got to try them yet, LOL I used the boots for about 15 minutes on a tiny Willow in my back yard, not a real test. I've been in the bucket truck all the time since. It will happen.
 
SomethingWitty said:
No lie!
I discovered some muscles in my thighs after my first full day on spurs. It felt like I had spent all day riding a horse bareback.
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There is much truth to this but ill fitting equipment and poor technique will cause discomfort. Even so, I find the first week in the spring when I get back into my climbing gear to be uncomfortable. After my thighs and posture get used to it again we are golden for the season. Even still if I can use my truck or rig and fell I will
 
Merle Nelson said:
Welcome to TreeBuzz Stephen. Great post and thoughts.

I notice how different we all are as human beings. Little or nothing that I do works for everyone around me.

If I were communicating with a new to figuring out spurs person I would say take great info like what you posted, or someone else if it resonates better with you, and then try to find a way to test it before you buy the climbers and boots that you think will be the cats meow.

What works great for one may not be just right for the next.
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Glad to be here, maybe a bit of my history so you get to know my background in this industry? I have 10 years old growth cedar logging experience mostly tied to the shake and shingle industry but some lumber also. Most of that was heli work. The last 12 years I have spent building a business doing primarily dismantles in residential / recreational areas. So far our company has had no WCB infractions, no insurance claims and no property damage worth mentioning. We are fully mechanized but also do things the old fashioned way when needed. I am a stickler for safety and proper one on one training.
I have tried and tested a lot of gear, always testing new stuff that improves safety or productivity. So I like these forums because I get new ideas and info about the latest gadgetry. So I’m glad to be here and hope I can be helpful.
 
Raven27 said:
So recently, last year or so I can't be on my spike more the am hour and a half or so on removals. My heels get incredibly painful , sometimes my Claves too. I decided months ago to by the platforms you can put on the steel gaffs, they helped a bit, but I did a fast removal Sunday, wasn't even in the tree 2 hours on them and when I got down it took a good 10 minutes before I could walk right, pain was nuts. I try to sit on my climbing line for relief as much as possible, but once down to the spar, not much of that to do. I do have pretty crap gaffs ,but I don't know of getting really good ones will help because it seems to be an issue of the part my foot is on. I'm on Carolina or Chippewa loggers. Amy suggestions? Anyone else have this happen and what did you do? We recently bought a bucket truck so I won't have to do as many trees on them, but o will still have to.
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I forgot to mention one more thing about climbing in leg irons that new guys suffer from. Fear! They get very sore particularly in the thighs because they don’t trust their equipment and can’t relax. The body is tense, and the longer it stays that way the faster you tire. This translates into over tightening leg irons and climbing harnesses and just not using energy efficiently. Don’t walk around with gaffs on keep them sharp, don’t sharpen them to a point either or they get stuck it the tree. Learn to sharpen them correctly. RELAXXX in the tree!
 
Stephen Moore said:
I forgot to mention one more thing about climbing in leg irons that new guys suffer from. Fear! They get very sore particularly in the thighs because they don’t trust their equipment and can’t relax. The body is tense, and the longer it stays that way the faster you tire. This translates into over tightening leg irons and climbing harnesses...

RELAXXX in the tree!
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Omg.. tell me about it! That's so true.. I used to be the same way... hahaha.. big ole scaredy cat.. wouldn't even go up in the bucket.. You come down from one little climb & your exhausted from squeezing you damn checks so hard thinking doing so will make it hurt less if you go for a ride.. that or you stand there paralyzed ten feet up..
90% of it went away once i decided to trust the equipment & stopped being a pussy.

Not saying this is the root of your pain problem just relating to what Stephen said & poking fun at myself while doing so..

Be safe y'all.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
Jimmycrackcorn said:
Omg.. tell me about it! That's so true.. I used to be the same way... hahaha.. big ole scaredy cat.. wouldn't even go up in the bucket.. You come down from one little climb & your exhausted from squeezing you damn checks so hard thinking doing so will make it hurt less if you go for a ride.. that or you stand there paralyzed ten feet up..
90% of it went away once i decided to trust the equipment & stopped being a pussy.

Not saying this is the root of your pain problem just relating to what Stephen said & poking fun at myself while doing so..

Be safe y'all.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
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Yeah it makes a huge difference for sure! The whole action of climbing in spurs feels very unnatural in the beginning. The smaller the tree diameter the harder the core muscles work to counter any weight shift as well, this puts a bunch of stress on your body. Its really important to get comfortable and feel somewhat relaxed. I tell new guys that its ok to leave stubs on the tree if it makes you feel more secure, but remind them that even a 2 foot fall against a steel core flip line is gonna hurt something terrible! So in a way it's a false sense of security and they need to get past that to become efficient.
 
Stubs on your side of the tree are pretty annoying in the event of a gaff out. Picture Dracula having a blunt wood dowel (with dirty bark on the outside) injected into the tender parts of your body.
 
So I had my first extended go on the new boots..... not really much improvent, still had pain after some time. I am still on crap gaffs and pads though, tbats my last hope
 
Raven27 said:
So I had my first extended go on the new boots..... not really much improvent, still had pain after some time. I am still on crap gaffs and pads though, tbats my last hope
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Are you sure you aren't reefig down too hard on the bottom strap? Sounds like you may be choking your foot to death?
 
Did i miss the post, what did you buy Raven?

Like Steve mentioned.. are you sure you ain't reefing down super hard on your foot straps? Try leaving them a bit looser..

I wonder if there is some sort of heel cup you can insert into your old boots.. Some sort slim memory foam.. You may have what everyone else has been suggesting (which i know nothing about), however you may also just have an odd shaped Achilles/Heel shape that isn't getting along with these boots.. most boots are pretty rigid in that area, especially working/outdoor boots..

Also, you may want to allow them to break in.. i know sometimes I'll be cursing out an expensive purchase & once they break in their fine.. the only time they don't work out for me is when it's an object that isn't going to break in, like a steel or composite toe that my foot isn't going to make stretch or expand when it comes to room..

You need to nail down where this pain is originating from.. Is it the heel cup of all these boots.. Are all these boots, in reality, fine & the problem only exists once you add pressure to that spot. What happens if you wear the lower strap super low vs high? Could you add a padded strap to the lower, something that would spread the pressure out, instead of it being super pin pointed directly in that problem spot..?

I say all of this after reading the thread about a week ago & coming to the conclusion your pain is in the lower area of your Achilles/Heel.. where the tendon meets the Heel.. I think I've experienced it too there before & it had to do with breaking in a pair of big stiff loggers...

I may not have a ton of experience with different gaffs but I'm if the problem is in that spot, I'm not sure what a different set of spurs is going to do.. that is unless a twisted shank, wider stirrup, angled stirrup & velcro straps will help that rearward area some how..

What are you using for gaffs? Tree or pole? I use the shorter pole style & I've heard the longer tree gaffs will cause more pressure in general to the foot.. im sure some of that is opinion but it's just what I've heard.

Best of luck to you!
 
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Some boots are far better for leg irons than others. You can expect to pay fairly heavy but Viberg on Vancouver Island invented the cork boot and have loads of experience making off the shelf and custom boots. They keep your boot size and type on file so if you need another pair they throw one in the mail! However, a pair of lineman’s now is around $800 Canadian. Maybe $600 US? They have a tall upper and reasonably deep heel pocket to hold irons. They are industry standard for many pole climbers. Don’t discount footwear.
But to be brutally honest, I don’t think anyone really finds irons comfy after several hours in a tree! If you can leave the tree after a full day with no discomfort, your a lucky fellow indeed!
 
Call me a freak, but I can stand in Buck Titaniums with Caddy pads, with some Hoffman or Makalu boots all day. I think it helps weighing in at 155-160 lbs dripping wet.
 
rico said:
Call me a freak, but I can stand in Buck Titaniums with Caddy pads, with some Hoffman or Makalu boots all day. I think it helps weighing in at 155-160 lbs dripping wet.
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You know I've always wondered if weight is really a factor in comfort.. yes if your lighter you applying less pressure on the small pressure points and bones in your foot.. but if your larger & by large i don't mean obese, your body probably has a larger structure to absorb the pressure.. That is unless it comes to down having larger features with a one size fits all stirrup means it's going to gouge you that much harder because it's that much smaller in comparison.. - a bit of mindfuckery there if you can follow..

That's what i have.. buck titainiums, but with the big buck pads & i feel pretty good in them for long periods. Big bucks seem heavy but the padding is legit.

Are the caddy's lighter than the big bucks?

Part of the weight issue is the boots I've been wearing are super freaking heavy, however like the big bucks, they are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned.. they have a suspension system built in. Yeah.. sounds quirky & ya'll hardcore hoffman, whites & sportiva loyalists will probably laugh but there the Timberland's rip saw boot.. the lace to toe version. I don't think they have the dual shank, just a single, so I'm sure with spur climbing there's room for improvement, but on the ground & hard surfaces it's like walking on pillows with the way that sole is designed. In three years of consistent weekly wear I'm on my second pair.
 
The caddy pads are definitely lighter than the big bucks. The big bucks are super comfy, but they don't fit me very well because I have legs like a crack smokin', dying chicken!
If the Timberlines are working for you, roll with it!
 
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