OTGBOSTON
punk in drublic
Hi Barry.
I think those pads you have are called euc pads, I could be wrong though. At anyrate those are the ones I use
I think those pads you have are called euc pads, I could be wrong though. At anyrate those are the ones I use
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
No, those aren't Euc pads - they're those wide leather pads that require two upper straps.
Bodean
Cali dreamer
Hello Barry,
Welcome to the Treehouse!
Your gear looks good, I think most people start with a tautline. I did.
Welcome to the Treehouse!
Your gear looks good, I think most people start with a tautline. I did.
M
Mr. Sir
Guest
Hello Barry,
Welcome to the Treehouse!
Your gear looks good, I think most people start with a tautline. I did.
Me too. Maybe I'll try that Blake's hitch one of these days.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Welcome to the Tree House Barry. Your gear looks an awful lot like my humble beginnings not so long ago. These guys will teach you a lot. They sure have done me right. I was already slightly upgraded from your set up when I came in here. My skills have definitely up sized since finding this group. My next upgrade from what you have now was a 5/8 wire core lanyard with mechanical adjuster since I did mostly removals. And a weaver double D saddle that I still wear today. Then followed the rest of Burnams upgrade suggestions (not just from him though 
). Except for the caddy pads. I still need to purchase those. Same gaffs and pads as you right now.
). Except for the caddy pads. I still need to purchase those. Same gaffs and pads as you right now.
J
jomoco
Guest
Barry's pads are bashlin steel insert spurstays, and they have one upper strap each.
They are exactly like mine, and they work great.
jomoco
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Yes, I saw the pic in the first post.
C
cutitup
Guest
Welcome aboard!
I think you'll find this site the best bunch of guy's/gal's around. I climbed back in the 80's for a few years and then got out of it until a few years back. Sort of in a "time warp" you'd say. When I got back into climbing all I could say was
! My oh my how things had changed! The treehouse has gone a long way toward helping me get my stuff right with good humor at the same time.
I think you'll find this site the best bunch of guy's/gal's around. I climbed back in the 80's for a few years and then got out of it until a few years back. Sort of in a "time warp" you'd say. When I got back into climbing all I could say was
! My oh my how things had changed! The treehouse has gone a long way toward helping me get my stuff right with good humor at the same time.
pantheraba
More biners!!!
I think you'll find this site the best bunch of guy's/gal's around. I climbed back in the 80's for a few years and then got out of it until a few years back. Sort of in a "time warp" you'd say. When I got back into climbing all I could say was
cutitup, you are telling MY story. I learned in the 70's, did it on my own into the 90's with no contact with other tree guys; I did an internet search for "treeclimbing" a few years ago and did the "WOW" thing, too. LOTS of innovations and new techniques that I am learning about.
This has been a wonderful place to get an education by guys and gals that care enough to take the time to explain things...sometimes repeatedly (my pea-noodle brain took forever to wrap around slack tending hitch pulleys...I can't imagine not using them now).
I am now both a more efficient and safer climber...even faster but these folks aren't gonna want to hear that 'cause they KNOW how slow I really am.
Hang in there, Barry...lots of good stuff to learn here.
N
Nails
Guest
Barry, If I was you I wouldn't bother changing out your spike pads. I have the ones you have and the caddies. Yours have an angle built in that takes preasure off of the knee, the caddies put more preasure on the knee but disperse the preasure with a bigger pad. It's a horse a piece, keep your hard earned cash in your pocket.
Get yourself a good lanyard like Burham showed you and a modern climbing line setup. You can go from there.
Get yourself a good lanyard like Burham showed you and a modern climbing line setup. You can go from there.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
I'm anxious to try out the set Brian's sending me.
J
jomoco
Guest
Well heres a better picture of the pad, to give you an idea of how they will fit. I like that the strap gets tight on the steel and not your leg, it kinda pulls your leg up in the pad. It also makes it so the the spike is always at the same angle, but those caddies look like they do the same thing:
Also heres a pic like if you were looking at them in the wesspur catalog.
The aspect of these Bashlin spurstays that makes them so comfy is often overlooked.
It's the steel of the stay's ability to slide on the steel of the upper shank of the gaff itself in a vertical telescoping throw of about 1/2 an inch.
This allows the spurstay to move as one with your upper shin and calf muscle
with no vertical slippage or friction.
In short these stays do a wonderful job of isolating both vertical and lateral torsion forces to a steel on steel location that's very punishing on the steel rather than your shins and calfs.
While I've never tried a pair of the caddies, by looking at the pics of them it appears they would not have much vertical play or give between the upper gaff and stay union point. Its that exact point that needs to be flexible in a limited range both vertically and laterally in my opinion.
Admittedly it's a fine splitting hairs distinction between the two spurstays, but an important one nonetheless.
jomoco
C
cutitup
Guest
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
W
Wagnaw
Guest
They be mighty comfy also!
I used some steel buckinghams with those pads a few times. They're no geckos, but I liked them.
Burnham
Woods walker
But they look about as bulky as my caddies, no?
S
sytherstrike
Guest
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #68
Well I decided to try and make my own lanyard, kinda like the one Burnham showed me. I saw one on wesspur that had hooks on both ends. The knots are a stopper and three half hitches, I think that should hold along with the tape. I would like to get some better quality rope and try some splicing later on but I don't think I did to bad.
Its like it is a little over 12' long made out of 5/8's rope, I figured when I get to a branch I want to save for later I can throw the other end up over and adjust it, than drop the other end and continue on my way. So what do you think? If you think its crap its ok, I don't get upset when people are honest.
Its like it is a little over 12' long made out of 5/8's rope, I figured when I get to a branch I want to save for later I can throw the other end up over and adjust it, than drop the other end and continue on my way. So what do you think? If you think its crap its ok, I don't get upset when people are honest.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
That looks like halter rope, you definatley want the right rope, some rope melts at pretty low temps or "picks" real bad.
Burnham
Woods walker
It's not crap, and it's an improvement over what you had...but it still takes two hands to adjust it shorter.
You want to arrange a slack tender, Barry. Doesn't have to be a micro-pulley, but they are smooth to use.
I'm not sure I followed you knot description...I'd use a scaffold/ double fisherman's if it was me.
Edit: yup, Willie is right...don't use big box store rope, no way.
You want to arrange a slack tender, Barry. Doesn't have to be a micro-pulley, but they are smooth to use.
I'm not sure I followed you knot description...I'd use a scaffold/ double fisherman's if it was me.
Edit: yup, Willie is right...don't use big box store rope, no way.
M
Mr. Sir
Guest
It looks good for a homemade strap. I'd want to be absolutely sure about the security of those knots, though.
Burnham
Woods walker
Do you have The Tree Climber's Companion, by Jeff Jepson?
http://wesspur.com/Books/tree-climbers-companion.html
You need this little gem of a book, for sure.
http://wesspur.com/Books/tree-climbers-companion.html
You need this little gem of a book, for sure.
FJR
Treehouser
I think it is quite an upgrade over your other lanyard Barry, nice job. Not sure about using three half hitches, I have always used a double or triple fishermans for my lanyards, some of the other guys can give you a better idea on that.
Have you thought about trying a VT or a Distel for your friction hitch?
Your off to a nice start!
Edit: I forgot to mention the idea of a slack tender also, Burnham had beat me to it
Have you thought about trying a VT or a Distel for your friction hitch?
Your off to a nice start!
Edit: I forgot to mention the idea of a slack tender also, Burnham had beat me to it
S
sytherstrike
Guest
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #74
I do plan on ordering the tree climbers companion. My local library said they could get it for me. Also the knot I used I found on animatedknots.com, they called it a double overhand stopper knot, which is a version of the fishermans or something like that. My boss right now, has a 40' peice of samson climb line, its only 1/2 inch, but I think I'll ask him if I could have it for a reasonable price.
Burnham
Woods walker
Here's a better pic, Barry.
I only use one snaphook; the adjustable end stays fastened to the D ring all the time I'm in the tree. I tie a stopper knot in the end of the lanyard...the Distel hitch only works one direction, so the other snaphook would be useless for me. You can do the same with your prusik hitch, and use both ends, but not with two slack tenders. A double headed one is just not a lanyard style that suits my methods. I'll use two lanyards instead, or a lanyard and a climbing line.
I only use one snaphook; the adjustable end stays fastened to the D ring all the time I'm in the tree. I tie a stopper knot in the end of the lanyard...the Distel hitch only works one direction, so the other snaphook would be useless for me. You can do the same with your prusik hitch, and use both ends, but not with two slack tenders. A double headed one is just not a lanyard style that suits my methods. I'll use two lanyards instead, or a lanyard and a climbing line.
