TreeMuggs
ArboristSite Lurker
Excerpt from my article...
Over the last 10 years there has been a flood of new kit onto the arborist scene. Gear, gadgets, gizmos, doohickeys, thingamajigs, contraptions. Call it what you want. Most of it is fluff.
For the majority of my climbing career I have been what you would consider a minimalist. The people that I learned from were the same. Just old-school climbing with a rope, lanyard, and handsaw. Natural crotch rigging, because it’s fast, and because, as we used to say, “friction is a good thing”. Trucker’s hitch instead of a fiddle block because it just works. No fancy gear, no new-fangled whatsits. Just one guy, one rigging line, one job well done. Consistently.
I want to paint a picture to illustrate a point. Here’s the scenario:
Early morning, mid-September. It’s you vs. Jack Nicklaus: 18 holes, winner takes all. You are playing on your home course, so you know it better than the bottom of your beer glass. Jack has never played this course before, in fact, he hasn’t even practiced in 6 months. In your corner, you have a professional caddy for expert advice, as well as a fully stocked bag with $5000 worth of the finest golf clubs that money can buy. Jack on the other hand, has to carry his own clubs around, which by the way, are old and crappy. His clubs were old and crappy in 1962. Now, any predictions on how this plays out?
Here’s my prediction: He is gonna whoop your butt.
You see, someone who is great at what they do is not great because they have all the fancy kit. They are great because they put in the time. They practiced. They studied the tape. They were willing to fail in the short term to win in the long term. They earned the right to have a fully-stocked gear bag with all of the latest gadgets and gizmos. The gadgets and gizmos were not the starting point. They were the extra bonus features tacked onto the end. The job could have been done just as well without them.
......
Continue Reading: EducatedClimber - Gear Obsession
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Over the last 10 years there has been a flood of new kit onto the arborist scene. Gear, gadgets, gizmos, doohickeys, thingamajigs, contraptions. Call it what you want. Most of it is fluff.
For the majority of my climbing career I have been what you would consider a minimalist. The people that I learned from were the same. Just old-school climbing with a rope, lanyard, and handsaw. Natural crotch rigging, because it’s fast, and because, as we used to say, “friction is a good thing”. Trucker’s hitch instead of a fiddle block because it just works. No fancy gear, no new-fangled whatsits. Just one guy, one rigging line, one job well done. Consistently.
I want to paint a picture to illustrate a point. Here’s the scenario:
Early morning, mid-September. It’s you vs. Jack Nicklaus: 18 holes, winner takes all. You are playing on your home course, so you know it better than the bottom of your beer glass. Jack has never played this course before, in fact, he hasn’t even practiced in 6 months. In your corner, you have a professional caddy for expert advice, as well as a fully stocked bag with $5000 worth of the finest golf clubs that money can buy. Jack on the other hand, has to carry his own clubs around, which by the way, are old and crappy. His clubs were old and crappy in 1962. Now, any predictions on how this plays out?
Here’s my prediction: He is gonna whoop your butt.
You see, someone who is great at what they do is not great because they have all the fancy kit. They are great because they put in the time. They practiced. They studied the tape. They were willing to fail in the short term to win in the long term. They earned the right to have a fully-stocked gear bag with all of the latest gadgets and gizmos. The gadgets and gizmos were not the starting point. They were the extra bonus features tacked onto the end. The job could have been done just as well without them.
......
Continue Reading: EducatedClimber - Gear Obsession
-
Now climber 1 begins his 1st tree and you're on number two. Opps climber 1 is up and down so fast now you're grin has turned into sweating to keep up,how did I let this old fart school me you say. At days end the old fart "being old" has managed to keep just ahead because you're drive has kept you competitive. Now and here's the best part, climber 1 goes home plays with the puppy and grandkids whilst you go home and soak in the hot tub "ahh the fancy life"
. Somebody's got to prove if it works or not! Excessive conservatism in itself is not a virtue. As long as it's done safely, do what ever imo.
