My beginner's climbing stuffs...

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BrokenSVT

Where did all these saws come from?!?
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Location
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A couple of guys expressed interest in what I chose for a beginner climbing setup, so I thought I'd post it up publicly.

I've been blessed with great input from a professional climber throughout my shopping process. I chose to stick to the basics and use a DRT/DdRT setup for now. I picked up a split tail to use as a Blake's hitch. I also picked up a Hitch Climber pulley system and plenty of extra hardware so I can learn some more advanced techniques as I go. Keeping with the basic theme, the figure 8 gives me a tried and true descent method if all else fails.

My saddle is a Weaver Cougar. I chose to perform the Liger mod, which removes the "square" webbing bridge and replaces the hardware(rings) which held it with some four hole rigging plates and an actual rope bridge. This allows for length adjustment of the bridge, more mobility and also affords the saddle two more rigging points. I intend to use those as more forward points to attach my lanyard.

The lanyard is a 12' 2-in-1 setup, which will allow me to traverse up a tree and pass branches without losing my second tie in point(the lanyard).

Some of the hardware may be a bit redundant/superfluous/lavish...but I'll have it if I need it.

I went with a cheap helmet for now. I'll eventually upgrade to the Pfanner Protos(aka Power Rangers) helmet, when the budget allows. Not for the sake of showing off, but because it's truly a sleek and very effective piece of PPE.

There's 120' of New England Safety Blue in the Treestuff.com rope bag! That will get me 50-60' up into a canopystraight vertical. I'll upgrade to a longer length once I get comfortable at lower altitude(and withtransitions).

200' of throwline and both 10 and 16 ounce throwbags round out the gear.

Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Fire away. :)
IMG_20171214_181426.jpg IMG_20171214_182006.jpg IMG_20171214_182050.jpg IMG_20171214_193509.jpg
 
A couple of guys expressed interest in what I chose for a beginner climbing setup, so I thought I'd post it up publicly.

I've been blessed with great input from a professional climber throughout my shopping process. I chose to stick to the basics and use a DRT/DdRT setup for now. I picked up a split tail to use as a Blake's hitch. I also picked up a Hitch Climber pulley system and plenty of extra hardware so I can learn some more advanced techniques as I go. Keeping with the basic theme, the figure 8 gives me a tried and true descent method if all else fails.

My saddle is a Weaver Cougar. I chose to perform the Liger mod, which removes the "square" webbing bridge and replaces the hardware(rings) which held it with some four hole rigging plates and an actual rope bridge. This allows for length adjustment of the bridge, more mobility and also affords the saddle two more rigging points. I intend to use those as more forward points to attach my lanyard.

The lanyard is a 12' 2-in-1 setup, which will allow me to traverse up a tree and pass branches without losing my second tie in point(the lanyard).

Some of the hardware may be a bit redundant/superfluous/lavish...but I'll have it if I need it.

I went with a cheap helmet for now. I'll eventually upgrade to the Pfanner Protos(aka Power Rangers) helmet, when the budget allows. Not for the sake of showing off, but because it's truly a sleek and very effective piece of PPE.

There's 120' of New England Safety Blue in the Treestuff.com rope bag! That will get me 50-60' up into a canopystraight vertical. I'll upgrade to a longer length once I get comfortable at lower altitude(and withtransitions).

200' of throwline and both 10 and 16 ounce throwbags round out the gear.

Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Fire away. :)
View attachment 618760 View attachment 618761 View attachment 618762 View attachment 618763

Thanks for posting this. I want to start slowly buying climbing gear but have no clue what to buy. What kind of saddle did you buy?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It's listed about midway down my wall of text lol...

It's a Weaver Cougar. The Cougar comes stock with a square shaped webbing bridge. A lot of folks do the "Liger" mod, which replaces the stock steel rings and webbing bridge with rigging plates which allow you to use standard rope as the bridge. My last photo shows the rigging plates in place and one end of the rope tied off. The picture is a little bit blurry and I apologize for that. I'll try to take better ones later today. I personally chose some four hole plates from Rock Exotica.
 
It's listed about midway down my wall of text lol...

It's a Weaver Cougar. The Cougar comes stock with a square shaped webbing bridge. A lot of folks do the "Liger" mod, which replaces the stock steel rings and webbing bridge with rigging plates which allow you to use standard rope as the bridge. My last photo shows the rigging plates in place and one end of the rope tied off. The picture is a little bit blurry and I apologize for that. I'll try to take better ones later today. I personally chose some four hole plates from Rock Exotica.

My bad, I see it now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Looks like a better list than I started with, you'll have a bunch of fun. It's really nice having a figure 8 hanging off the back of your saddle, you can get out of a lot of bad spots with that, and whatever you're using for rigging line, real quick and in a hurry. Used mine while learning on a blakes hitch for descent, didn't like all the friction, still keep it hanging there, doesn't even come off to go back in the bag.1513385313956653121984.jpg
Never had to try it on big bull rope, though, that may not work so well. I'd recommend saving up for a pair of chainsaw pants next, but that's just my opinion. I know I'm really glad I finally got some!
 
Looks like a better list than I started with, you'll have a bunch of fun. It's really nice having a figure 8 hanging off the back of your saddle, you can get out of a lot of bad spots with that, and whatever you're using for rigging line, real quick and in a hurry. Used mine while learning on a blakes hitch for descent, didn't like all the friction, still keep it hanging there, doesn't even come off to go back in the bag.View attachment 618939
Never had to try it on big bull rope, though, that may not work so well. I'd recommend saving up for a pair of chainsaw pants next, but that's just my opinion. I know I'm really glad I finally got some!

Excellent input, and much appreciated.

I've got a pair of chainsaw pants in my cart on Treestuff right now, for the next round of goodies. Plus a friction saver.

I'll take any pointers you've got :)
 
I'm not gonna push my climbing system beliefs on ya, you'll never have any beer money! But ascenders. Foot and knee ascenders. They make life so much more wonderful, even on drt. 28 foot ladder to get into the tree is how the owner of the company I work for likes to do things, but when the dead, broke, hanger of a limb is 50-60' up, that doesn't help that much! I can beat him to 28 feet, him on a ladder, me on an old lockjack with drt, and foot and knee ascenders. On srt, there's absolutely no contest. But, I said I wasn't gonna push my beliefs on you!
 
Brother, I've got five kids aged from 18 years to 9 months. Do you think I know anything about beer money? Lol...

Tell me about ascenders. Which foot/knee, etc? I'm shopping Treestuff right now, filling another cart. I'm all ears.
 
Doesn't need to be real fancy, I'm happy with the CT set I'm using that replaced some even cheaper stuff recently. Some quick splicing with itty bitty 3/8"-ish hollow braid, tie on a some hardware store bungee cord, keyring biner the bungee to your climb line biner. Can put the whole set together for like 120 or so.
15133912761641322789686.jpg

And then get a Unicender. And then wait impatiently for the Akimbo. And a Positioner. Few more ropes. Miscellaneous bits and doodads that you can't even remember where or how you got them. Build a throwball cannon. Use it to set an srt line and base tie it before boss can show up with a ladder. This and that, on and on.
 
Excellent! So which foot and knee am I shopping for? Lol... That's what's baffling me right now.
 
Which side is more a matter of preference. If you always start stairs on your right foot/are right handed, I'd get a right hand foot ascender, and vice versa.
http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=195&item=2230

And these only come in left-ish. Could be used on whatever side you want, but is built like a left ascender.
http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=232&item=15605

That's what I'm using, but they ain't the be all end all of ascenders. There's definitely shinier stuff out there!
 
Reason I say right is, if you're in the tree, and need to move up just a little ways, it's easier to just clip in the foot ascender and step a couple times, and if you're right leg dominant, that's the one you'll instinctively use.
 
I see what you're saying. I'm right handed, but left foot and left eye dominant. How strange I am...lol. I always step/jump left foot first.

I need to look into these a lot more obviously. Particularly, how the knee ascenders are attached/rigged and whatnot.
 
Really very simple

Adjust the length to your step15133958027021580481839.jpg

Eye splice through the top hole
15133958469421073508404.jpg

And an adjustable woopie(edit, oops) splice to shove your foot through.
15133958742651760283709.jpg

Somewhere, there's a writeup on putting one together, I think. If diy isn't your thing, a SAKA or HAAS is a pre built alternative. Having to self fund all my work gear means I have a basic splicing knowledge, and do a lot of reading about everyone else's way of doing things.
 
Yes, that's an 029 on the kitchen floor. Don't even think about the bedroom or backseat of the truck. There's much more that a wife would never allow... Saws and climbing stuff everywhere.
 
Really very simple

Adjust the length to your stepView attachment 618971

Eye splice through the top hole
View attachment 618973

And an adjustable loopy splice to shove your foot through.
View attachment 618975

Somewhere, there's a writeup on putting one together, I think. If diy isn't your think, a SAKA or HAAS is a pre built alternative. Having to self fund all my work gear means I have a basic splicing knowledge, and do a lot of reading about everyone else's way of doing things.

I love all the pictures. They're great, and hugely helpful.

Yes, that's an 029 on the kitchen floor. Don't even think about the bedroom or backseat of the truck. There's much more that a wife would never allow... Saws and climbing stuff everywhere.

Haha there's not a corner of this house I don't have junk in right now. If I'm counting correctly, I've purchased 39 chainsaws since May. Here's a recent scene from the garage...
IMG_20171109_185316.jpg
 
No problem, here to help.

Had my 084 scattered in bits and pieces across the living room floor for a month or so, waiting on parts from the dealer and me to be less lazy... Talk about ****ed off trying to walk through barefoot in the middle of the night... Good times hah. Used it today on a big(for Florida) old oak with a crane, talk about a monster hah.
 
If it's not raining tomorrow, I can try and take a couple pictures of how I set it up for use, if you like.
 

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