so how bout some of our other members take a swat at this?:
cntrybo2 says he'll be going for an upgraded saddle, which I assume will bump the cost up right off the mark. Hopefully it will at least have side "D-rings" so he can use a lanyard.
Which he will apparently have to purchase separately as no lanyard is shown. Truly a rec kit of minimalist proportions, emphasis on "mini".
Those Petzl ball-lockers are rubbish, some batch lots even recalled by Petzl, see sticky thread in Climbing Forum.
Nothing provided for slack tending, ie: not a single micro pulley. You could learn to get around in a tree without one, but why torture yourself?
Rope sleeves as a cambium saver are good to have, as friction savers, not so much.
On the up side, that's a nice helmet.
It shows a prussic cord that looks like I could fashion a useful VT, Schwabish or Knute out of it for a split-tail climb, but without a lanyard, how practicle is that?
There are enough throw bags that a rookie could get one hopelessly stuck and not have to pack up and go home. Been there.
TONS of throw line.
Rope bags are a very good thing.
The sticker is way cool.
cntrybo2, you are far better off IMHO by first buying a copy of The Tree Climbers Companion, a well illustrated book about the basics of this trade, written by Jeff Jepson. One of the first things he covers is your basic kit.
It is available through Sherrill, a site sponsor here. Read it and then browse the Sherrill site for what you really need and do a price comparo to what you'll be getting from the New Tribe rec kit, plus what you'll need on top of that kit.
Not knocking New Tribe, not at all, just saying the rec kit is not enough to go to work with.
RedlineIt