spikes that dont hurt?

[tramp bushler]

I think we got em all lined out. He's either gonna get a set of climb rights, ala Beast master.or a new pair of boots ala Jolly Logger and me. Or a combination of all.

 

[tramp bushler]

No doubt about it. Life kinda Sucks when your feet ect.hurt.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Usually that's either the heel on the boot or not double wrapping the ankle strap that causes that twisting. Everyone wants to blame the pads, but it's usually something going on down there.

 

[Coen]

Sore legs

Hockey shin guards slid inside my boots are my cure.

 

[husqvarna335xpt]

T-pads are horrible I just got the big buck pads makes a big difference the tpads shift and you have all the pressure in one spot.... Big buck have a metal plate to share the load and 2 staps per pad I dought there as comfy as the geckos but no probs afyer 3 hrs

 

[miko0618]

the pads where great when I got them. now they distort their "T" shape. they do more damage to me as they age. the pads are only a year old. its almost like I need a padded frame so to speak. I am thinking the pads on the climb rights are like this? are gecko's better?

 

[Shaunbobby]

I have bashlin aluminium spurs with the steel cushion pads along with viberg lineman boots,
I can stand on them all day with no pain at all,
Have had this set up for about 5 years

 

[Nemus Talea]

OP: Understand ya got worn out T pads but what are you standing on? Socks, boots, irons.
Buckingham, Kline, Bashlin? Tree gaffs, Euro tree gaffs, pole gaffs? Are your boots block heal loggers, quality low heal or Walmart jobs? Are you sure of the height adjustment? Are you tall and lanky or built like a silverback gorilla?
You have some experienced guys ready to help ya (and those PNW guys really know their socks and boots) so take advantage, give 'em more info to chew on.

 

[beastmaster]

As much as I love my new climb rights ultra lites. I used steel Buckingham climbers with reinforced leather pads Felt Backed Leather Pads with Steel Insert by Buckingham | SherrillTree.com for almost 30 years. I'd always double the strap around the shank to lock em in. I always wore logger boots too. I learned climbing on gaffs and am real comfortable on them. But after 6 hours in a tree there is a little area below my knees that would almost cripple me. I did a removal next to the HV lines last year. they turned off the power tell I finished, I didn't even break for lunch, spent 12 hours in that big pondarosa. I had to almost be carried to my truck because of the pain from those gaffs.
Thats what finely motivated me get a more comfortable set up.
The climb rights ultra lights have a rigid aluminum plate that supports a large area of your calf that is bolted to the shank. There is nothing to rub or ware on your calf. It's held on your leg with a velcro strap. I don't need to double wrap the lower strap any more either to keep it solid on the leg. I can't beleave I put up with pain I didn't have to for so long.

 

[tramp bushler]

Beast ; your tougher than me
No way I could spend 12 hoursin a tree.

My hats off to you Sir!

 

[beastmaster]

Beast ; your tougher than me
No way I could spend 12 hoursin a tree.

My hats off to you Sir!

Thanks,but the last few hours were hell. All the power down steam was off. There were 5 Edison trucks on stand by all day, some suit guys there the whole time. Lots of pressure to get it done. The tree leaned over the HV lines on the street side of a little two lane road, a house almost to the street on the other. Everything had to be lowered and tag lined. I was able to push off chunks at 60 ft into a small 6x6 nest. Each time a chunk hit the ground they had to stop traffic and pick up the piece with a loader to move it. Our 88 took a crap and I had to double cut every thing with a 66 with a 32'' bar. The tree stayed at 48'' from base to 50 feet. The 066 wouldn't idle and was a ##### to start. I had to send it down once or twice to get it started. Then pull it up before it died again. My gaffs had me crippled and each time when I double cut the piece and have to go to the other side to finish was torture.
In 30 years of climbing that was the worse job I ever did. I'm embarrassed to say I got paid 200 dollars for that job. I cussed out the owner when I got down and would of jumped on those worthless ground guys if I could of walked.
I could of had that job done in half the time with a good ground crew. I only made it by being really mad in the tree.

 

[tramp bushler]

One reason I like Huskies, the bars fit from a 372 up to the 3120 .
Junk saws and bad ground men make for this tramp, Tramping

That kind of job is what makes climbing about the hardest job in the world. At least the hardest job I have ever done.

 

[gumneck]

My Sanford & Son approach to gaff pain.

 

[since16]

I've had problems with spikes first it was boots so I sucked it up for the summer and got pair of wesco high liners at Christmas my spikes are climb right aluminum with t pads I know the problem isn't them. Most of the comfort and brusing problems I think is because of bad technique. I always try to remember what a foreman told me keep ur knees wide spike into the side of the tree even though it is strange. Keep your knees bent between 90 and 45 keep ur shins straight up and down move the rest of ur body. If I try cheating my spikes kill me. If I slow down and concentrate on the angle of my shin and foot I have a lot less fatigue.

 

[imagineero]

Spurs are a very personal thing, it's hard to give recommendations. A lot of old timers climb on buckingham steelies, which are rubbish truth be told. With enough hours on them though, they combine with your DNA somehow. I'm climbing on buckingham steelies and have become totally acclimatised. I can spend 8 hours in the tree no worries.

You've had some very good advice so far. Good boots make a hell of a difference. Wearing chainsaw pants while climbing makes a big difference too, all that padding helps a lot! Guys are divided on spurs, some like the geckos, even after a month of daily use I couldn't stand to be on them for more than an hour and found them very unsteady. Most will agree the bashlin aluminums are a pretty safe bet. Caddy pads are also very popular. Velcro wraps get mixed reviews.

Bashlin aluminums with caddy's is a good bet. You're still going to suffer, you just have to put your time in and that's all there is to it. Nurofen helps.

 

[Holden]

i like the Gecko's

 

[CanopyGorilla]

Try resting on your life line and not just flip line. I have my hitchhiker on my line and if I get to sore I will just sling my life line around the tree and sit an my saddle for a few to take the pressure of my legs. I have a fake knee so I need to do this a few times for every removal.

 

[CanopyGorilla]

also my ground guys are usually happy to be gettin caught up a bit

 

[jefflovstrom]

i like the Gecko's

We buy our climber's Gecko's,,A comfortable climber is a productive climber. And they like them. I never got to wear them because they were not around back then. I really loved the last one's I climbed with (removals), were aluminum Bashlin's with the wrap around velcro pad's,,many hours a day in them and not much pain.
Jeff

 

[NYTREECLIMBER]

I use buckingham titaniums with the pole gaffs on them about 95% of the time, the longer gaffs will make things a lot more uncomfortable , but you definitely need the long ones on certain trees. Now I have used almost every good boot you could think of (Red Wing,Wesco,Carolina's)but now I use Asolo drifters and they are Hands down the best boot for tree climbing,with or without spikes that I have ever used.