Line Advancing in Single-Trunk Trees

Hello All:

The trees to climb in the Northwest are conifers, so almost always single trunk. The bigger the tree the further apart the branches in the canopy. I'm looking for a handy and compact mechanism for shooting my throw bag virtually straight up to reach beaches 15' to 20' above me. Free-hand throwing can only get me so far.

I've experimented with sling-shots found at outdoor stores, but they are inconsistent at best (Daisy P51 PowerShot, for example). They don't do well with having a throw line attached. They do great with a 4-oz Bumble Bee without the throw line....

I'm sure this wheel has already been invented. Anyone know about it?

Thanks, Broadtree

For targets at less than 30 feet straight up may I suggest a hand made version of a weighted super sized rubber band. You will need to experiment with the size of your bands and the throw weight that works best for you. At a home center buy amber 3/8" surgical latex tubing and join the ends together to form a band of about 12" diameter. I like to push a small bead about an inch down one end slicked up with rubbing alcohol then push that end into the other end a ways. Squeeze the bead to center up in the middle of the intersection and you have made a loop that will not separate. Girth hitch this onto your lightest bag; attach your throwline to the latex loop; hook the loop where the line is attached over your thumb; grab the weight; stretch it out, ready aim fire.

I have three versions of these: small for hand shots; scuba spear gun size for heights less than 100 feet and solid latex for my best altitude of 135 feet.

I abandoned shooting fishing line since it always tangles up; leaves a mess in the boughs and want a single stage to pulling my climbing rope up.

Climb UP
Calm DOWN


Dan

Hey Tramp, does this mean the latex band stays attached to the weight? Or am I reading that wrong

Yes you read correctly. The beauty of this is the flying weight pulls the tubing which pulls your throwline right off of your thumb/finger/stick/whatever. If you are concerned about the latex loop ringing around the boughs then be clever and make one with a single tube. You can make a hole in the tube side near one end, pass it thru the bags ring, lube with alcohol, forced the other end thru inside and out the hole to attach the weight. On the thumb end make a loop of cord or narrow web and force its knot inside the other end. Secure it by tying a Constrictor Hitch so the loop's knot can not come out. Besides that they are fun to make.

Tree Tramp - Thanks for the recipe. If you ever do a You Tube of it, let us know. There might be a further comment / question once I try this out.

I haven't tried this technique yet, ( weight being on the end of a slingshot band ) but I definitely will soon. In the interest of not letting the loop be a possible snag point, ( and / or the spot the threading line is tied to it ) I'm thinking about making a sleeve. The rubber band would retract into it, causing the loop and knot to be inside, and the sleeve could pass more sleakly over the limb....in theory.