Do you carry a throwline/weight into the tree with you?

NorthWoodsDiver

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Duluth Minnesota
Do you carry a throwline/weight into the tree with you?

I was going to make this a poll but figured there would be to many variables worth explaining.

I'm interested to learn things like preferred weight size and length of string as well.

T
 
I've done it maybe 2-3 times in my life. If it's that hard to reach the spot from my tie in, I'll shoot the extra lines before starting the climb. Even that is a technique rarely ever used as the vast majority of the time it's faster to just swing over and set the rope by hand since I'm already up in the tree anyway. Once you're fluid at moving around in the tree then all the remote techniques become much less important. The best example of using a throwline to set an additional line is if you're rigging off an adjoining tree and can save yourself a separate climb.
 
I keep a 22 ft throw line and 8oz bag, Not every climb but nice to have on removals for natual crotch rigging line changes.
 
I have an automatic fly reel with prolly 60-80ft of zing-it but I don't need it very often but I do climb with a 10oz throw weight on my saddle when I know I'm gonna be recrotching... just clip it on to the end of your climbing line and it's pretty much the same difference.
 
I haven't, in the tree.

I've done a bunch of eucs and oaks where I'd just rather come down and

throw the line from the ground, in order to get to another spar.
 
I carry this on my saddle...it reminds me of a croquet ball...don't know what it originally was. I paid 25 cents for it about 30 years ago...it came with the screw eye in it. I clip it to my climbing line when I max out a TIP and advance the rope with it...can get about 15-20 feet higher with it.
 

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I carry this on my saddle...it reminds me of a croquet ball...don't know what it originally was. I paid 25 cents for it about 30 years ago...it came with the screw eye in it. I clip it to my climbing line when I max out a TIP and advance the rope with it...can get about 15-20 feet higher with it.

Man, that thing looks like it would knock you out if you weren't careful.:lol:
 
I have a spare throw line and small bag for the saddle. But it stays on the ground unless I need it.Then it is sent up to me. Some of our larger spreading trees it can come in handy. Mostly I will do more what Brian mentioned by setting more than one line for my game plan. Most trees do not require either as you can just swing out or work yourself out. But there are times.
 
I used to carry a shortish throwline in a chalkbag, but after my eyesight started deteriorating, I cannot see well enough to untangle it w/o glasses, and I frigging hate wearing glasses.
Jerry B showed me the fishing reel trick last year, and I have used that since. Neat trick!

I mostly use it for rec climbing though.
 
I don't carry one but I do keep a steel biner on me to weight the throwing end of my rope.
 
Here is using the throwball to install a pull line.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mb8ENlvpQww" frameborder="0"></iframe>
 
Gary, I'd just make a monkey's fist outta the pull line and set the sucker. Why involve a throwball for such a short toss?

Just assing.:P
 
No problem...good question. I watched a guy make a monkey's fist way back...he was a navy quartermaster or some such, my first official treework teacher. It looked complicated and I got that throwball instead...old habit is the main reason, I guess.
 
I'm not talking about that super-tight, original sailor's type of fist. I couldn't tie one of those to save my life. I'm more on about the other type of fist - just a small, tight coil that can be locked off or not.

monkeys-fist.jpg


Not this!
 
That's what I do. The majority of the time I can throw for another crotch with the rope itself. The few times I've wanted a throw line in the tree it was because it was a tight spot with no room for swinging or throwing anything. In those situations, a throw line would be hard too without something alike a wrist rocket to launch it. Who was it on here that took a dowel and some tubing and made an in the tree launcher? I wonder how that has been going for him. It seemed like a promising idea.
 
Same here Butch, Sam taught me to call it a Johnny ball. 3 or 4 coils maybe 6"-8" diameter, about 2 wraps around the middle like a belt and a coulpe loose coils in hand. Theres enough weight to carry through a crotch and some small brush, then the coil falls apart and drops down to where you can reach it
 
Then it doesn't unravel and you have to whip the slack down, I never lock anymore. Nor do I use the middle wraps if i'm throwing a line up to a guy, i'd rather it uncoiled on the way up, gives a guy more to catch
 
I hate bringing a throwline into the tree. It's like trying to fly fish from inside a tree. It just doesn't work very well. Instead I just use a heavy steel biner on the end of my line and sometimes clip a 12 oz weight onto that to get another 5 ft of reach. A pole saw can also be useful for setting lines from within the tree, but I only bother to use this if I brought it along for some other reason. I wouldn't bother to carry a pole saw for that alone.
 
Ditto, Sean. Make do with what you have unless it's worth the time to drag another piece of gear up. Most times I can accomplish the goal quicker using what I already have.
 
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