Carabiner safe guard

[CurSedVoyce]

Why I said I don't bother setting the line on a lot of removals. Most our conifers here are pretty brushy and hard to set as well Willard. Especially the grey pines with their tight unions. Awful things and hard to isolate. I just advance my line ahead of me as I gaff up. More so when I am cutting.
If I am pruning the conifer, I will most certainly go for the perfect shot into the boles if I can get it. SRT up and get at it. Gaff work, one flip line up, second tie in with the climb line when needed. Easy peasy. I get that the canopy is more dense in that species, but you have to remove some anyway to get through it once you are up there. Climb line still acts like your second lanyard/flip line. Lightens your load.
You can see me advancing the line starting at about 1:30. Not arguing, just showing what might make the job a tad easier since it was already pointed out. Canopy was not terribly dense on this one, but..... You get the idea.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j8Q4Nv9F6Ek" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sorry about the video repost.

 

[HolmenTree]

I see your point getting the weight off the spurs hanging from a line Stephen. Day in day out in that beetle kill pine definitely warrants that technique. You must be getting tired of that stuff by now,ponderosa or lodgepole?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Ponderosa. And yeah, it really feels good when you get to prune or remove a live tree. Climbing our fair share and there are days I just want to rethink my career choices
Like when you have fruiting bodies at 80 plus feet and bark falling off..........

 

[HolmenTree]

Couple more years time mother nature will take those carcasses down for you.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Already is Willard. We had a few 60 MPH windy with rain storms roll through. That threw some and topped some. We'll be setting lines and breaking tops out soon or use a crane for tie in. Is should get real ugly this summer when they dry out some more.

 

[HolmenTree]

Stay safe Stephen, breaking out tops sounds like a better plan. I get tired just watching you in that video advancing that rope and biner.
When I used to have a groundie working spruce climbing removals (never pruned one) I would remove my right side wire core lanyard and run my 200 ft. 1/2" Blue Streak through the Gibbs on the D-ring. With a snap on the splice I now had my 2nd lanyard , on the way up limbing the spruce I could alternate lanyards past the first few feet above me and always had 2 points of attachment while cutting. Always had a quick exit to the ground, but since working solo I no longer have the luxury of a groundie keeping my rope bag and rope clear of snagging up from the falling limbs.
So now I just go up on 2 wire cores and if the tree is super tall and a little compromised I'll do a Reg and take my rope with me in a back pack.
No pine beetle here (yet), where I'm living spruce out numbers pine 10 to 1. Here's a pic of a white spruce and Jack pine to show the differences in structure, which one would you rather do SRT or advance a climbing rope lanyard in?

 

[squisher]

I couldn't fathom using two dedicated flip lines. So on your normal strip it up and pop the top you are always lanyards in with two steel core flip lines every time you cut a limb? I will admit due to how I was taught, myself I rarely followed proper protocol if just heading straight up limbing as you go.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Bag the rope. Leaving the rope to get tangled in limbs is creating more work for a groundie, detracting them from clearing the drop zone. With SRT, you can carry a 120' piece and always make it to the ground.

$.02.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I use two non-wirecore lanyards when going up, stripping limbs. I keep them together when stepping up and separate them when making the cuts.

 

[HolmenTree]

I couldn't fathom using two dedicated flip lines. So on your normal strip it up and pop the top you are always lanyards in with two steel core flip lines every time you cut a limb? I will admit due to how I was taught, myself I rarely followed proper protocol if just heading straight up limbing as you go.

I was taught from day one doing aerial chainsaw cuts by work positioned on stem.....always cut with 2 T.I.P. whether it's 2 lanyards or 1 lanyard and 1 climbing rope.
Even MB. workplace health and safety officers up here in northern Manitoba watch me for that .
As I delimb up a spruce my lower lanyard is on limbed trunk , upper lanyard a few feet above in trunk with limbs. Cut limbs up to upper lanyard , hook saw to saddle, advance lower lanyard into next 2 ft of trunk with limbs. Grab saw cut next batch of limbs. Goes like clock work alternating lanyards and cutting. My steel cores are long not short.
Do I have to make a video Lol.

 

[HolmenTree]

Reg, I have to apologize for the derail of your thread Lol.
Here a pic of how I isolate a biner on my climbing line. I love long splice eyes as I can girth hitch to my biner and it does not move sideways.
Tough old split tail I have used on Blakes hitch for years. It's has this little leather strap like your rubber bungee cord idea.
Always holds the biner and dog leash snap in place and doesn't interfere with the gate. . Leather to biner holds really nice.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If something is that brushy (spruce) Willard, I more often cinch to the stem. Or I can use the climb line like a second flip line. I will often just take my rope up with me. Don't need it hitting the ground until I am usually ready for either a larger saw, a pull line, or a exiting the tree.
I guess I am using the wrong term for what I prefer. SRTWP. SRT Work Positioning. I do not ascend the line SRT very often on removals. I just spur up. I us the SRT hybrid just to act as a secondary and safety. Life line is ready for self rescue if I need to bail.
But mostly, work positioning.
Even when I have the whole crew around me, I often set myself like a solo climber in that they are probably too busy to keep tending my line. Drop the bag down when needed.

 

[Raj]

+1 on using the HH on a climbline as a second lanyard, simple choke the spar when cutting. I like the ISC mighty mini mouse or whatever it's called for that.

 

[cory]

Willard, when your cable breaks, you might be able to replace it with a piece of stiff/ thick string trimmer line, which will give the spring effect.

Trimmer line is a nice repair, though the unit works well with no spring, no nothing.

 

[chris_girard]

Thanks for sharing Reg, love the simple solutions to problems.

 

[bonner1040]

What make of blower was that?