to steel core or not to steel core

treesap said:
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fixed it, anything else wrong with this setup (Other than I didnt spent $115 on a lanyard?:burlas:)
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For what its worth, (I've only been climbing a little while) I cant imagine fighting a blake's to adjust my lanyard like you are. I use a log rope lanyard, a prusik, 2 beaners and a micro pully to tend the slack. Fighting with nonsense wears me out by the end of the day. The saying, "just because you can doesn't mean you should" comes to mind. I'm like an electron, I'm searching for the path of least resistance. It's just my opinion though. Stay safe and use what works for you.
 
Marshy said:
For what its worth, (I've only been climbing a little while) I cant imagine fighting a blake's to adjust my lanyard like you are. I use a log rope lanyard, a prusik, 2 beaners and a micro pully to tend the slack. Fighting with nonsense wears me out by the end of the day. The saying, "just because you can doesn't mean you should" comes to mind. I'm like an electron, I'm searching for the path of least resistance. It's just my opinion though. Stay safe and use what works for you.
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its a pain in the @$$, but its what I got, and im making it work best I can, although, the blakes hitch isnt near as bad at the flexibility if I gotta flip it up a tree, it grabs the tree and bends, I want to get a steel core flipline (Or make one), most of the trees I climb are old growth, anything from 2-4ft diameter, so normal rope wont flip up it easily
 
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here are some pics of the trees, my climbing rope is only 45ft, so I dont ever get over 20 ft, might do some more now that I got gaffs (I know your not supposed to use them on trees your not taking down, but these are so large, the damage is minute in comparison)
 
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treesap said:
fixed it, anything else wrong with this setup
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Tails of knots should be about 6 rope diameters longer...about three inches. Use electrical tape starting at the tail and spiraling towards the hitch. Keeps it from snagging.

Sooner rather than later you should consider ditching that lanyard configuration. It is the least efficient configuration for trees.

But...suit yourself...
 
I want to ditch it, but it works great for a very short climbing system, and it is what I got (Im just some broke kid with $8 to my name lmao)
 
Jonny said:
It’d be like 9$ to get 4’ of nice hitch cord, and should be long enough to try almost any hitch and tie scaffold knots in the end or do some naked eye spliced yourself, it’s really pretty easy.
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yeah ya got a point, what is a good prusik cord? ive got a 30 or 32" 8mm armorprus i2i, I like it, I am thinking of 32" 10mm armorprus, but idk what would be best for this bluestreak
 
treesap said:
yeah ya got a point, what is a good prusik cord? ive got a 30 or 32" 8mm armorprus i2i, I like it, I am thinking of 32" 10mm armorprus, but idk what would be best for this bluestreak
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I think on a 1/2" lanyard I'd like a 10mm hitch cord. Buy 4 feet of it like Jonny said and experiment with different lengths. Once you find a length you like you can cut off the excess tail, and you'll know for future reference what length to buy for an e2e.
For me, that's 24 or 26" with a michoacan or distel.
 
ok, untill I get some I will be using my climbing line as a flipline (45ft samson velocity "hot") it has worked great, but I think I will deal with it till I get a wire core flipline, like I said earlier, most of the trees im climbing are quite large diameter, so flipping any normal rope up is a pain, although my technique will need work
 
How are you ascending? Flipping a lanyard and spikes?

I can't see any good reason to get a wire core unless you are doing that. Using a throwline to install your rope and footlocking or ropewalking is a better system. These systems can be built on a budget with less efficiency or well funded with high efficiency. Don't get drawn into the gear intensive systems available now. And to keep things in balance, don't go so low budget that you struggle.

I know that I've read threads about steel core lanyards in the past. It might be good to see what's been done already.
 
A couple bucks for hitch cord, and a stick made into a Rope Wrench, and you have an SRT system.
Use a 360 foot wrap in place of an ascender. Other foot on to top of rope and wrapped foot. Sit-stand climbing.

Couple bucks for hitch cord, possibly with a Distel hitch, tended through the eye on the snap, without a minder-pulley, and your lanyard will be way better.

A throw line can help set and retrieve a trunk-choke canopy TIP. That means climbing to 40'+ on a 45' rope.
 
treesap said:
its a pain in the @$$, but its what I got, and im making it work best I can, although, the blakes hitch isnt near as bad at the flexibility if I gotta flip it up a tree, it grabs the tree and bends, I want to get a steel core flipline (Or make one), most of the trees I climb are old growth, anything from 2-4ft diameter, so normal rope wont flip up it easily
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Try a Western Roll, not flipping up it.
Check @rico 's video.

All that weight and bulk is killing the flip.

Can't flip or roll from a belay loop.



Anyway, spurring up keeper trees, no bueno.
 
treesap said:
I want to ditch it, but it works great for a very short climbing system, and it is what I got (Im just some broke kid with $8 to my name lmao)
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I don’t see anything wrong with your lanyard, how you tied it up is a great solution compared to a lineman’s setup, the Blake’s teaches you good habits when adjusting.
Personally I hate having a loop of anything attached to me while climbing, baring a saw lanyard (still will default to just letting it hang vs stowed). I use three different lanyards, a ‘short’ spliced 11.7 double braid vt hitch climber, a long of the same setup, and a steel core.
I like the shorty on conifer prunes, or simple up and down prune jobs, the long on spreading trees where I switch it back and forth using it as a DdRT secondary setup.
The steel core comes out to play the least, but I like it if I’m doing quite a bit of up down removals or if I want to take a full wrap up a super skinny spar or top
 
Tom Dunlap said:
How are you ascending? Flipping a lanyard and spikes?

I can't see any good reason to get a wire core unless you are doing that. Using a throwline to install your rope and footlocking or ropewalking is a better system. These systems can be built on a budget with less efficiency or well funded with high efficiency. Don't get drawn into the gear intensive systems available now. And to keep things in balance, don't go so low budget that you struggle.

I know that I've read threads about steel core lanyards in the past. It might be good to see what's been done already.
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that is exactly how im ascending, I use ddrt allot, but its useless for most of my trees, I got spikes for dead or dying trees, I can remove widowmakers and dead branches over places we usually hang around
 
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I know my setup is NOT the best, tbh I am a level below a rookie, im a 14yo without a job, so everything im doing is makeshift stuff to make money with (I live in east tn, lots of work for me here) I dont like spiking keeper trees, but I do what I gotta do, and allot of my trees have way more damage than spikes will ever do and they are just fine ;) not hating on anyone trying to help me (Thats what this thread is for), its kind-of hard to explain why certain stuff isnt a concern, I might make a video of my setup, and issues for yall (Like a little background of myself)
 
That changes things. Are you running a chainsaw at height?

One little “ oops” can cripple or kill you, and sometimes that happens to people that have been doing this for decades. It really breaks my heart every time I hear about it happening again. I’m already sorry I’ve chimed in with advice about spurs and work climb techniques and tools.

In my opinion though, recreational tree climbing is still on the table, and you might be in a good spot to get hired somewhere when you’re old enough to legally work at height and operate chainsaws.

Unless you got an experienced working climber to train you and watch your back and prevent mistakes before they happen, you’re just winging it, and it’s easy to get in over your head without knowing it or without really understanding the repercussions of a seemingly little misjudgment.

I’m not picking on you or trying to permanently dissuade you. I think it’s great that you want to learn this trade, and it’d be a better world if more young people had your kind of work ethic and ambition, but I’m extremely worried for your safety.
 
Jonny said:
That changes things. Are you running a chainsaw at height?

One little “ oops” can cripple or kill you, and sometimes that happens to people that have been doing this for decades. It really breaks my heart every time I hear about it happening again. I’m already sorry I’ve chimed in with advice about spurs and work climb techniques and tools.

In my opinion though, recreational tree climbing is still on the table, and you might be in a good spot to get hired somewhere when you’re old enough to legally work at height and operate chainsaws.

Unless you got an experienced working climber to train you and watch your back and prevent mistakes before they happen, you’re just winging it, and it’s easy to get in over your head without knowing it or without really understanding the repercussions of a seemingly little misjudgment.

I’m not picking on you or trying to permanently dissuade you. I think it’s great that you want to learn this trade, and it’d be a better world if more young people had your kind of work ethic and ambition, but I’m extremely worried for your safety.
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imnot running a chainsaw, just a handsaw, and im pretty carefull about cutting away from my rope and being double tied in when im using anything that can cut my rope
 
and if anything seems even a little wrong in what im doing, I will re evaluate it and fix any issue,
hell, I keep my harness stripped when im on spurrs, and a saw? gonna be a while before I even take my handsaw up with me on spurrs, I only take it on ddrt
 
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