Helium Balloon BrainStorm Contest!!!!

I will donate a copy of the Tree Climbers Companion to anyone who can come up with a technique to rig trees using helium balloons. The test of a winner is that I can replicate the process and place a line 130 feet off of the ground in the Eucalyptus forest here in Tasmania. Any ideas? Ridiculous ideas are encouraged.

Have two throwlines attached to a light throwweight. Have enough helium balloons to lift the weight into the canopy. Using the two throwlines, you should be able to guide the balloons' ascent through the branches. When the apparatus gets to the point that you want it, pull out the old bb gun and pop a balloon or two, letting the weight fall over the branch, setting your rope.
It's ridiculous, I know.
Joshua

I'd start with Joshua's idea and add radio controlled sails to control movement in the wind.

There was a guy in LA somewhere who tied an absurd number of helium balloons to a lawn chair, sat down with a bb gun, and cut the tethers. He immediately rocketed to about 10, 000 feet, way higher than he expected to go. His plan had been to cruise for a while and then shoot the balloons one by one for a controlled descent. He got scared about popping the balloons though, and drifted for hours, even crossing an airport and causing quite a scare. He eventually got up the courage to shoot a few and came down.
I don't know what sort of budget you're working with, but radio controlled sails might be too expensive. You've already got throwlines and weights and a bb gun or .22 is not expensive at all. Don't shoot directly up at it, though!

Joshua

What about training a koala to do it? Cheaper and more enviromentally friendly than balloons.

Koalas only live on the mainland, unfortunately there are none on the island of Tasmania.

Drat.

I'm in the process of searching for a BB gun here.

Or a little .22 with short bullets in it. It would have about the same effect, if you can't find a BB gun. You can probably order a BB gun over the internet.

Josh

Hey, don't forget the low tech blowgun. It is light, portable, lighter arrest charge if caught, and most ninja!! Let's hear it for stealth. Oh yes. You can order one online with all sorts of amo choices. Slingshots too.

Can a blowgun hit 125 vertical feet? Probably a slingshot can, but the height issue was why I suggested a bb gun.
Josh

Yep. Over 125 feet. Depends on the barrell length adn lung power. Blowguns are used much to bag monkeys- Pigmy hunter tribe.

Another arbo and I spent an evening brainstorming this a while ago.

Pretty simple actually.

Decide how much lift you;ll need and the volume of gas. Find balloons or blimp large enough. Add in a comfortable safety factor too.

The hurdle to overcome is anchoring. Using three, at least, anchors would keep the system stable and provide some redundancy. By using some kind of friction device on the three anchors you can move the balloon to exactly where you want to have your climbing point.

Here are some links to pages:

http://www.aerostar.com/helium.htm

http://www.clusterballoon.org/

http://www.sky-walking.com/

http://www.giantadvertisingblimps.com/

http://www.parabounce.com/


If I qualify for a copy of TCC, you can keep it Jeff and I are going to work together on Saturday to take down a tree. I already have enough copies

Tom

What about some sort of slip knot? I was thinking of how the House rope protectors were installed. Maybe a slip knot could be attached to the balloon, which could the hopefully find its way over the right branch, and then pull on the slip knot and down comes the throwbag...

I know it would take wind and some open space but a single line kite with the dropper module would work. They have used kites to take a small line across a canyon then keep adding bigger lines to make a bridge. A controllable kite with dual or quad lines would work. Quads have more controll. Fighter kites are too fast for a small area.

Waterbottle rockets. Pump them up with a bike pump, light, cheap. If a couple of two liters can hit 1000'+ one with a line should hit 130'
search for "water rocket"