fliplines, what are there uses?

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just check and re check everything to avoid have to use plan b, if you need to use plan b when in a tree im sorry but you shouldnt bloody be there, always have 2 tie ins as its your life up there
 
Stuff happens. And its not even necessarily the business end of the saw that poses the threat. I put my saw back on my utility clip after a particularly long cut on a live oak limb a few months ago. When I got ready to descend I put my right hand below my friction hitch to control my descent and felt something unusual. When I checked, my 12 strand had been melted through about 75%. It had caught on the hot exhaust of the 200T.

This from an OSHA report of the fatality of a cement worker who fell from 160 feet when his nylon safety lanyard failed. The lanyard had touched something hot and was partially melted. : "Recommendation #2: Personal protective equipment should be able to withstand the harshest conditions to which it may be subjected on any given job.

Discussion: ... Many materials, including nylon, can be easily damaged in the presence of extreme heat. For this reason, nylon lanyards should not be used where they might be exposed to conditions that could include extreme heat; rather, steel mesh or wire core lanyards would have been more suitable. Personal protective equipment should be evaluated before being used on any job to ensure that it can withstand the harshest conditions to which it may be subjected without sustaining damage that would jeopardize the safety of a worker."

OK, nobody makes a "Chain Saw Proof" lanyard. But protect yourself the best way you can. Saying a wire core lanyard provides a "False Sense of Security" from a chain saw is like saying a hard hat provides a false sense of security from a wrecking ball, or a "Bullet Proof Vest" provides a false sense of security from a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle, .30-06), or a seat belt provides a "False Sense of Security" from a head on collision at 70 mph. The driver of the car might be doing nothing wrong. But unforeseen circumstance can put your life at risk even if you are qualified and careful. Thats why they call it an "... inherently dangerous" occupation.
 
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I use to make my own flip lines out of 3 strand rope, adding a 1/4in. cable in the middle. For really big trees I used 7/8 rope sometimes 21ft long. The heavy rope with the small cable made it easier to whip it as I gaffed up large pines. The rope has to be pretty flexible to get it to whip around a large tree. I know a saw could easily cut through the rope and cable if it took a direct hit at full rpm, but I saw a guy nick his rope one time and the three strand rope started unraveling leaving only the 1/4 cable. Im sure it was pretty un-nerving for the climber. A long flip line is a pain in the rear when your 110ft up and you have 18ft of rope hanging. These days I use a 6 ft lanyard along with my climbing line to stabilize my self while climbing, no cable.
 
... A long flip line is a pain in the rear when your 110ft up and you have 18ft of rope hanging. ....

Yes. And of course a wire core is too stiff to "Daisy Chain" to take up slack. I get around that problem by coiling the non-working end in a couple of loops then wrapping the eye around the loops and hanging it on a 'biner on my saddle. And, although I like and usually prefer the long wire core, I also have a 9 foot for smaller trees and as a alternate for bypassing limbs when I am on spurs.

The weight of the 18 foot wire core is its biggest detraction for me. But, of course, it weighs nothing wrapped around the tree, where I usually keep it.
 
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