YIKES!!

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Dave

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Check out this auction on ebay-1235255782-a perfect example of why you should take the Felcos to any climbing or rigging equipment you take out of service. Personally, I wouldn't climb my back door steps with that thing!!! I'll say it again-YIKES!!
 
It looks scary, Dave! But I treat my climbing gear like a wife or my dog...... NOBODY messes with it, and NOBODY gets it when I'm done with it. I don't think I would ever trust someone else's climbing gear, especially if it looked that bad. I always cut out the D-rings on my retired belts, old lifelines turn into hand lines or get cut up for the trash. No way to compare a few dollars with personal safety. If you need gear, buy NEW. If someone is willing to sell old equipment, they probably didn't take care of it anyway.
 
Who let the mice out

Looks like something ate it. It reminds me of a friend that works for the Denver Forestry. He has been using the same belt for 25 years. It has been the only one he has ever used. He had three bolts holding it together. OSHA stopped his use of it this year. He is a little nuts anyway, but great at what he does. I thought I would give a direct link to the auction http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewItem&item=1235255782 I like the part that says "some frying" No bud that thing is fried. Also it looks "solid". Solid what? Crap? Surprise there are no bidders. Its only $45. I have 15 other saddles for sale for that. That are barely used. Totally funny. Thanks for that Dave.
Darin
 
I end up with lots of utility and hand ropes from my climbing ropes. Upon inspection, if in doubt, they are downgraded. Not that I'm that active in it anymore to wer them out, but on the other hand, that's all the more reason to frequently inspect. Safety first.

Brian - tell us about your fall, if you don't mind. I had one and it rang my bell pretty good. My going too fast and not reading the situation right, and not properly tied off. Plunk. 18 feet flat on my back, the saw beside me still running. That was six years ago and was the beginning of me starting to look back to logging for my primary $$$.
 
John's request for the gory details

We were on a residential trimming job with 10 trees to trim in 1 day. 3 man crew- myself, another climber and a groundman.It was about 11:30, and I wanted to knock out 1 more easy trim before lunch. 40'-50' Sycamore, light elevation and 3-4 dead limbs, an easy 15-20 minute climb. When I tossed my rope up to go up, it missed the limb I wanted and went over a smaller limb instead. In a hurry, I figured it would hold. I got almost up to the 1st limb, and it broke. I fell 20' and landed on my back. Believe it or not, I shook it off and finished the tree (and the whole job). By the next day I could hardly walk, let alone climb. I figured I was just bruised, but as days turned into weeks and months the pain won't go away. I'm hoping to reach a settlement with worker's comp. soon, perhaps retraining in a less physical job. Afraid my climbing days are over. :(
 
That's a tough conclusion to a day at work for a pro. It seems that most injuries are a result of us trying to take a shortcut to save time or more work.

My fall was in 1994 and was entirely my fault. We were trimming the end 16' from a 30' oak limb that was horizontal and about 18 feet from the ground. I used our 24' ladder and ran it 3' above the limb, figuring that to be OK. This too was just before lunch and I went up the ladder with the saw and did not tie myself off. Ralphy was pulling a utility rope down and to the side to let the branch clear the ladder. That fact probably made things worse.

When I cut the limb, the balance of the limb reacted upwards about 4', and I knew immediately that I was fubarred.

I landed flat on my back, having bounced of the ladder and limb, the saw landed beside me Stihl running. I lay still for about 5 minutes telling myself I'll be OK, just wait, and also how stupid I was. I was able to get up, felt crappy and I had a shin rash right to the bone and sore all over. Ralphy packed up and I went home to bed. In hindsight (?), I should have gone to emergency for a check. The next day, I was sore and I firmed up my new, no excuses, safety policy.
 
yeah, a guy over here about 2 weeks ago fell 50 feet from a tree he was just finishing up. guy was 25 years old. now he is dead.
 
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