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Blinky
Guest
I wear the right iron on my left and vice versa, but the L-pads are are switched so the front of the pad is on the front of my shin like regular. I just don't like the buckles over the front of my foot.
I wear the right iron on my left and vice versa, but the L-pads are are switched so the front of the pad is on the front of my shin like regular. I just don't like the buckles over the front of my foot.
SkwerI
Treehouser
Most brands of gaffs are shaped slightly different left to right. A better fitting solution might be to put the gaffs on the correct feet but reverse the lower straps. Perhaps the fact that you wear your gaffs on the wrong feet might go a long ways to explaining why you don't like to wear them.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
That part of the sentence was confusing me, too.
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Blinky
Guest
It's not that they bother me, I can stand on'em for 4-6 hours straight without any discomfort at all. Even after a week of straight spiking they don't ever actually hurt, I just get a little sore. I don't hesitate to put them on when i need'em.
I don't use spikes a lot because I learned to climb with just hands and feet. It's more natural for me to climb without'em.
I don't use spikes a lot because I learned to climb with just hands and feet. It's more natural for me to climb without'em.
A couple of guys I just did a training session with were previously doing all their tree work w/spurs and lanyard only. I know their boss really wants them to learn to climb spikeless as they prune a lot of nice yard trees.
They are a residential Co. and the first thing I did was to teach them to access a tree w/out spurs and use a climb line to move around in canopy.
There was a little resistance at first, but after we were in a tree together and I demonstrated how I could save tons of time and labor getting to where I had to in the tree, along with the safety aspects involved, they came around to the ideas I was showing them quite well.
As with anything there is a learning curve and some will come along faster than others.
They are a residential Co. and the first thing I did was to teach them to access a tree w/out spurs and use a climb line to move around in canopy.
There was a little resistance at first, but after we were in a tree together and I demonstrated how I could save tons of time and labor getting to where I had to in the tree, along with the safety aspects involved, they came around to the ideas I was showing them quite well.
As with anything there is a learning curve and some will come along faster than others.
rangerdanger
TreeHouser
This is probaly the biggest reason I have for having trouble with spikes. The fews times I've worn spikes so far, I've always done more climbing than spiking, because thats what I feel most comfortable doing.
It's also the reason I had trouble with chunking wood/topping the tree out and my first big removal. The tree had most of it's branches 40' up, so when it came time to top it out and chunk wood, I backed out since I didn't feel that great on just spikes, with no handholds/footholds.
But on a tree with loads of branches to put a rope on, stand on, etc, I have no problem taking the top out and chunking some wood, since I can climb with my hands and feet by leaving myself handholds, and that sort of thing.
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Blinky
Guest
Blocking big trunk wood is hard on everybody, especially with big saws. Increasing low back strength and using the saw near waste level will help though. You're gonna want to stop leaving stubs for holds though, they cause more trouble than they're worth.
I like spikes fine, I'm just not as good with'em as most guys because I was a rock climber first. I guess saying I don't use them a lot was wrong, I never leave home without'em... but I have done a few spikeless TDs recently because I thought it would be quicker.
I like spikes fine, I'm just not as good with'em as most guys because I was a rock climber first. I guess saying I don't use them a lot was wrong, I never leave home without'em... but I have done a few spikeless TDs recently because I thought it would be quicker.
rangerdanger
TreeHouser
Thanks Blinky. For the most part I try not to leave too many stubs. I try to just leave a slight ledge that my foot can catch on.
Like you mentioned, I'm more comfortable in most situations without spikes, but I recognize where they can have more benefits than downsides, be it on removals or sometimes even prunes, where Ivy has covered just about every inch of tree, making it slippery as hell.
Like you mentioned, I'm more comfortable in most situations without spikes, but I recognize where they can have more benefits than downsides, be it on removals or sometimes even prunes, where Ivy has covered just about every inch of tree, making it slippery as hell.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Not using spurs when it's acceptable to use them is absolutely silly, and not good for production whatsoever.
Learn to use hooks, PERIOD.
Learn to use hooks, PERIOD.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Spurs are very efficient...
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Not using hooks when needed is akin to not having a handsaw on your saddle.
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Blinky
Guest
Not using spurs when it's acceptable to use them is absolutely silly, and not good for production whatsoever.
Learn to use hooks, PERIOD.
I get around on spikes fine but there are definitely trees I can work faster without'em. When I takedown without spikes....which at this point is only 4 or 5 trees, I have a good reason. Sometimes the fact that I just want to try it reason enough.
You can't compare me to a production climber, I take my time because that's how i want to work. I can go fairly fast, but I usually don't unless I'm on a contract job... where I'd use spikes for TDs.
I've done short deadline and emergency work of one sort or another throughout most of my life. Now, if my knuckles are white, I want it to be because I'm charged up and excited, not because I'm stressed and behind schedule.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
I can dance a shuffle with my spurs on, lol!
wiley_p
Climbing Up
Yeah, that's how it is. 4 hours on spurs, it starts to ache, 6-7 hour5s on spurs, it Hurts.
If it was easy......, well you know the rest.
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Blinky
Guest
I'm pretty good at tripping over stuff.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
thattreeguy
TreeHouser
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Frans
Guest
The example of a riparian tree being damaged by spikes is a good example, but, according to what was posted, the spiking was way overdone.
I am not trying to 'bait' anyone, I am seriously attempting to figure out what is just preaching the party line about not spiking pruning jobs and what, if any, damage to a tree ACTUALLY happens.
Slipping up a tree gently using your spikes does not seem to me to be harmful.
Trees are remarkably resilient and are able to shrug off many things without any harm.
And again, I have seen trees pruned for years by Davy tree line trimmers that are perfectly healthy after years of being spiked.
IMO, any climber who chooses to do takedowns without spikes by making 'ledges' or something like that is not a very good tree worker. Guys like that just cannot make it in the real world of tree work. At least not in the production oriented world I live in.
And no, I don't spike any tree I am not taking down. I just wanted to objectively take a look at the 'no spiking' mantra
I am not trying to 'bait' anyone, I am seriously attempting to figure out what is just preaching the party line about not spiking pruning jobs and what, if any, damage to a tree ACTUALLY happens.
Slipping up a tree gently using your spikes does not seem to me to be harmful.
Trees are remarkably resilient and are able to shrug off many things without any harm.
And again, I have seen trees pruned for years by Davy tree line trimmers that are perfectly healthy after years of being spiked.
IMO, any climber who chooses to do takedowns without spikes by making 'ledges' or something like that is not a very good tree worker. Guys like that just cannot make it in the real world of tree work. At least not in the production oriented world I live in.
And no, I don't spike any tree I am not taking down. I just wanted to objectively take a look at the 'no spiking' mantra
sotc
Dormant hero!!
I spurred up a young pine last year to set up my tree stand a month before season. When I came back there were pitch tubes in my old "tracks". I haven't been back up to that tree this year to see if it's still alive or not
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Blinky
Guest
I cleared a bunch of pines for a guy who used to shoot a Kalashnikov at the trees from his deck. Talk about pitch tubes! I don't know how long he'd been doing it but none of the trees were dead, they looked like hell though... all pines.
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Frans
Guest
Monterey Pine? Was the tree already stressed? Was it in an area already infested with bark beetles?
Difficult to determine what exactly caused the infestation.
I have always compared spiking or no spiking to the Hippocratic oath 'first do no harm' and as an arborist I have faithfully followed that creed.
But I truly wonder if the spiking issue is overblown.
wiley_p
Climbing Up
It is, to a large degree.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
Pondorosa pine. We have pine beetles here but I wouldn't say it's bad right now. They saw an opportunity i'd say. I don't even like to prune pine or fir in town from May through October. I'm not concerned with a small pine that will either be logged or left to rot in the forest. Callus eh?
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Blinky
Guest
You're a cold man Willie.
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