The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: Furby on October 11, 2006, 07:17:55 PM

Title: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Furby on October 11, 2006, 07:17:55 PM
Was just looking at Bailey's Christmas catalog and saw this DVD listed.
Anyone have it/seen it?
Is it any good and can you really learn the basics of climbing from a DVD?
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: chet on October 11, 2006, 08:00:05 PM
Can't help ya Furby, as I never seen da vidio. But I do know da first and foremost rule of tree climbing  ;) don't fall out, it hurts.  ;D
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Furby on October 11, 2006, 08:12:33 PM
Learned that one many, many moons ago! ;D

Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Giel on October 11, 2006, 08:43:48 PM
Learning the basics with a DVD and some common sense should work fine. Bearing in mind the first an foremost rule of not falling down I would recommend proper training before you start to take up (power)tools into the tree. Give it a go, climbing trees is so much fun!!!!  8)

Giel
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Furby on October 11, 2006, 08:46:23 PM
I already take power tools into trees.
Maybe it's too late for me. :-\
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: mike_van on October 11, 2006, 08:51:22 PM
Physics 101 - gravity can be your worst nightmare -  :o
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Kevin on October 11, 2006, 08:57:40 PM
Looks like a good place to start Furby, Tree Climbers Companion is a good pocket book also.

Tree Climbers Companion (http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/472?mv_session_id=b8ziQ2GR&product_sku=17371)

Start low and slow, there's much more to it than meets the eye, mistakes are costly and possibly fatal.
If you can, try and start helping someone that climbs as a ground man running the ropes.
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Woodwalker on October 11, 2006, 09:04:45 PM
From personal experience, falls don't hurt.
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: JimBuis on October 11, 2006, 09:10:48 PM
Quote from: Woodwalker on October 11, 2006, 09:04:45 PM
From personal experience, falls don't hurt.

Woodwalker, you are quite right!  The falling don't hurt a thing............it's the sudden stop that smarts. :D :D
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: sawguy21 on October 11, 2006, 09:15:17 PM
The dealership I now work for sells climbing gear and it is a real eye opener. Good thing the customer knows a lot more about it than I do or he could get hurt. ;D
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Don_Papenburg on October 11, 2006, 11:01:25 PM
I disagree Chet , The fall is invigerating , its that very fast stop on terra firma that hurts big time .  I did it one time when a scafold plank broke .
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: chet on October 11, 2006, 11:15:00 PM
Trust me da fall hurts too. Lots of things ta possibly hit on yer way ta mother earth.
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: OneWithWood on October 12, 2006, 12:01:18 PM
brings a certain song to mind;

"I ain't afraid of falling, but I hate hitting the ground."
    -Hootie and the Blowfish
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: rebocardo on October 12, 2006, 12:13:51 PM
In construction we use to say it is only the first 30 feet that hurt.  :-\  Of course with a tree, hitting every branch on your way down or being yanked mid way by a safety rope might be a bit painful too.

I think the thing to remember climbing is to never assume the tree will actually be standing once you start cutting parts off it or that it will not spring board and send you flying.

I think learning climbing is one thing, learning climbing and cutting trees is another.  ;)

From what I have seen, there are three basic ways with three levels of mastery.

1) Spikes and a belt,

2) Ropes and ascenders for your feet and hands,

3) Roping to other trees and basically sitting in a harness to cut the tree, so if it falls, you do not go down with the tree. 

I think #2 and #3 are better off being taught by a professional. Then again, it depends what passes as a professional in your area.

Might be worth while to join a tree climbing club (all ropes).

Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Murf on October 12, 2006, 01:26:58 PM
OWW, that sounds a lot like what my dear ol' Dad taught me when I was learnin' ta fly....  ::)

Fallin' outa' da sky don't hurt none at all.......... the sudden stop at da bottom messes ya up some though.......    :D
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Riles on October 12, 2006, 03:12:50 PM
Gravity: It's not just a theory, it's the law!
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Modat22 on October 12, 2006, 03:18:09 PM
My dads brother was trying to save a bit of money topping a silver maple tree. Branch broke, he fell and a tree branch stopped his fall by jabbing into his right forearm like a worm on a hook.

I like heights myself but I don't think I'll ever do any tree work up there. I'll leave that to the guys that know what they are doing  ;D
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Murf on October 12, 2006, 03:43:03 PM
Riles, as a pilot I can tell you, absolutely, there is no such thing as gravity..........  ::)

The earth sucks!!!  :D   :D   :D   :D
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: beenthere on October 12, 2006, 04:09:13 PM
Murf
And so do tall buildings in New York, NY :o
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Murf on October 12, 2006, 04:12:34 PM
Nah, it just got in his way after he ran out of sky.......  ::)

Very sad, but the only three things of no use to a pilot are, the sky above you, the run way behind you, and the fuel back at the airport.

Lots of people have died for the lack of those things.

My prayers go out to his widow and son (who's birthday is next week). Lord preserve them as only you can.
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: pigman on October 12, 2006, 05:48:30 PM
When I was twelve, my Dad and older brothers sent me up a tree to shake out a coon. :-\  They said the limbs looked kind of weak and might break if a big person climbed on them. I got up to the coon alright, but then the coon did not want to jump out. ::) I shook the limb he was on and poked him with a stick. All the time my brothers were hollering to hurry up and shake him out. >:(  After a bit the limb he was on broke and he came tumbling out. After I saw what the dogs did to that coon, I wonder what would have happened if I had fallen  instead of the coon. fly_smiley
Bob the coon hunter
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: beenthere on October 12, 2006, 06:04:10 PM
pigman
Your coon story reminds me of 20-25 years ago, coon hunting with neighbors, startin about 8:30 at night and goin until 2-3 in the morning. Get the dogs on a trail, and then sit around, listen to the dogs barkin, and tellin old coon huntin stories. It was fascinating. I asked the older guy, 80 years old then, what they did for light before the 5 cell flashlights were used, figurin it was coleman lantern or similar. He said when the coon was treed, they'd send one guy up the tree with a lantern (kerosene I believe) and a .22 or blackpowder. Find the coon and either shake it out like pigman did or shoot it there in the tree. What a difference D cell batteries and big lights make. Now, no more tree climbin.
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Riles on October 12, 2006, 10:33:38 PM
... and helicopters don't fly, the earth repels them!
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: sawguy21 on October 12, 2006, 11:26:14 PM
 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D Not all the time, Riles. I worked with them contraptions for 13 years and lost a few friends due to 'impact with terrain'.
Title: Re: Tree Climbing Basics
Post by: Murf on October 13, 2006, 12:00:41 PM
Actually Riles, fixed wing pilots will tell you, da proper technical explanation is that da earth is repulsed by them.  :D

Yupp, first time they explained auto-gyro to me I jis' looked at em and waited fer dem ta start snickerin' some, dey didn't.......  :o

Den da feller said we was gonna go try it, I figgered as long as he was willin' ta go wit me, it couldn't be too bad.  ::)

It worked, but I wasn't impressed even a mite by it. I much prefer stall training ina fixed wing airey-plane. Nearly as much fun as spins......  :D