Wanted to take a moment to say that, just from reading thru the 2007 Sherrill Tree/Vermeer catalog, I learned some extremely valuable lessons. Online is not the same - get the actual catalog.
Among them:
** "Uglies" The gloves they nickname uglies, the plain jane knit with the dipped rubber on the palm side - wow! If you never tried them, you won't believe the grip they afford. The amount of grip changed the way I climb. Up till now I wore full leather or leather with exposed fingers. With rubber I can go up hand over hand so fast now that I need a Pantin to self belay until the running end gets heavy enough. Yes, they wear out fast if you don't take them off when it's time to come down, but at a few bucks a pair at the Home Depot, who cares. You just can't believe how fast you can go up a tree with rubber gloves. (Note: if you have a condition like carpal tunnel, be careful. This kind of technique puts more stress and wear and tear on your innards, like finger muscles and tendons.)
** "Bye-bye Buckstrap" Yes, for the last 4 years or so I have used the conventional "buckstrap" style safety lanyard with the old fashioned Prusik that moves away from you as you lengthen it. No way could I have imagined the advantages to cutting a 15' (approx) length of climbing line and making a flipline lanyard that adjusts with a micro-pulley and a Schwabisch prusik on one end. Now I can re-crotch in almost every situation without the need to pull out my bag and throwline. Amazing. A lanyard that adjust from the hip with a self-belay action allows me so many more possibilities, I cannot begin to describe the many ways it has made every aspect of tree climbing more satisfying, practical and enjoyable. If by any chance you do not know what I am talking about here, get the 2007 Sherrill catalog and read it. Especially if you're gaffing and you are taking down a tree, the flipline is indispensible. If you're climbing without a tie-in point above you, just spiking around with nothing but your flipline, you don't want to be messing about with the old style.
(And you know, I buy all these extra pieces of gear, carabiners, micro pulleys, climbing lines, rope snaps, and they're just piling up. And I say to myself, "You spend a lot of money dude." But then, I see some grounddbreaking new idea like this flipline, and because I have all this extra stuff I have one made in 15 minutes. So don't lambaste yourself too hard for being a gearslut. It has its advantages.)
** "Slide line" I am learning tree work as I go. Embarassed to say I just learned the concept of using a slide line, from the Sherrill catalog. Helped me tree-mendously during a recent paying job where some very long limbs were over a neighbor's fence. Because I was working alone, I was able to make 3 cuts from a very high and difficult access point using a slide line without having to climb down and lose my position. You just have to crank the thing beyond tight with a very capable ratchet-enabled strap - it bows and stretches major.
** "3 hole rigging plate" Once again. never thought about this until I saw it in the catalog. Works pretty damn well for those situations where you need to tie on in multiple places. Just be careful when using a rope snap with a rigging plate. They tend to twist up and lever against the plate, which is a big no-no for any gear. (Yes, you can use a nice roomy HMS or "big boa" carabiner instead for a second dual tie in point. Your choice. The rigging plate is still cool though.)
** "Slipped clove hitch" When tying a throwbag to a throwline, I found that a slipped bowline worked great. But now I like the slipped clove even more.
There are probably a few more things I learned from the Sherrill catalog thatI am forgetting, like variations on knots and such. Just get the thing and read it. And don't get pissed at me when you spend! After all it IS a catalog, not a text book.
Get hitched!
