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Choosing a Climbing Line Breaking Strength This usually expressed in terms of average breaking strength (ABS) and should be high enough to hold even under shock loading situations in which a force can be generated that is several times the climber's weight. In general, the higher the breaking strength, the better. Every climbing line we sell meets ANSI standards for arborist lines. Construction This will determine many other aspects of the rope such as breaking strength, weight, and pliability. Common constructions are 12 strand (single braid), 16 strand (single braid), 3 strand (twisted), kernmantle and double braid. Material This will nearly always be polyester, which is desireable for its high strength, low stretch and resistance to abrasion. Diameter For most arborist climbing lines, this is 1/2". A few however are 7/16". The larger diameter ropes usually offer more grip, but the smaller diameter lines are usually lighter. Weight Since this is the amount of weight the climber must drag up the tree, lighter is usually better, though a lighter rope may not have as high a breaking strength. Pliability/Suppleness This is very important if friction hitches such as the Tautline or Blake's Hitch are going to be used because these knots require the rope to be able to bend tightly around itself and more supple rope is desirable. Color In order to reduce the chances of cutting it, climbing line should be highly visible in the tree and easily distinguished from rigging and tag lines. High Visibility ropes are recommended when chain saw use is necessary to reduce risk of cutting the line. Some ropes come in multiple color patterns, which can be handy when trying to distinguish last year's retired climbing line from this years. Spliced eyes As a way to terminate the rope (usually onto a carabiner or rope snap) spliced eyes preserve the breaking strength of the rope as much as possible. Ususally, the breaking strength lost due a spliced eye is about 10% compared to 25-50% for a knot. ANSI Z133.1 standards for arborist climbing lines: Arborist climbing lines sahll have a minimum diameter of 1/2" (12.5mm)and be constructed of a synthetic fiber, with a minimum nomial breaking strength of 5,400 lbs(24kN) when new. Maximum working elongation shall not exceed 7% at a load of 540 lbs. (2.4kN). Arborist climbing lines shall be identified by the manufacturer as suitable for tree climbing. EXCEPTION: In arboriculture operations not subject to regulations that supersede Z133.1, a line of less than 1/2" diameter (12.5mm) may be used, provided the employer can demonstrate it does not create a safety hazard for teh arborist and the arborist has been instructed in its use. The strength and elongation ratings of the line selected shall meet or exceed that of 1/2" arborist climbing line. Tree Climbing Gear Climbing trees does not require a great deal of equipment. However, you will use several items regularly: your helmet, saddle (harness), rope, daisy rope (lanyard), throw bag and line, and carabiners. You will need additional gear as you gain experience, experiment with new techniques, or become inventive as you develop your own unique climbing style. These additions might include specially designed mechanical ascenders, special ropes, and hammocks. Some climbers will carry a large assortment of tools, while others will want to carry the barest minimum. Much will depend on what a climber feels is most comfortable with his or her personal climbing style. It is important to remember two pieces of information about basic tree-climbing equipment: Never buy used gear, and always buy good gear. Store it in a safe place, and inspect it often for wear or damage. If you take good care of it, your gear will last many years and take you to lots of interesting places. Helmets A helmet should be worn at all times by every climber and all people near the climbing tree. The obvious applies: Helmets protect the climber from falling objects, such as dead branches. Helmets also protect people on the ground against falling branches broken or dislodged during a climb, which can land in unpredictable places as they bounce off other branches on the way down. Buy a good rock-climbing helmet. These helmets are designed for absorbing the impact of falling objects. Always use a chin strap to prevent helmets from falling off your head while you're looking up. If you plan to climb in the summer, we suggest a helmet with ventilation holes. Bicycle helmets are not good choices for tree climbing because they are not designed to protect your head from falling objects. You can get good helmets in both the children's and adult sizes. Harnesses (Saddles) Use harnesses designed especially for tree climbing. Do not use a rock climber's harness, which is not designed for prolonged suspensions in midair: if you hang too long in it, it can become very painful! Hanging too long in a rock climbing harness can also create serious problems due to restricted blood circulation. Saddles come in two types: leg-strap and butt-strap. Leg-strap saddles are similar to rock climbing harnesses in that they have two straps which wrap around the thigh near the crotch. However, tree climbing leg-strap saddles feature wider straps that are often padded for more comfort. Butt-strap saddles use a strap that goes across the climber's bottom. They feel like one of those flexible swing-set seats. Some models have a stiffened seat that feels more like sitting in a chair. These saddles are much heavier and are usually used by professional tree workers. When wearing a butt-strap saddle, you must be careful to use one that has two smaller straps that pass through the crotch and connect to the front of the saddle. These straps prevent you from slipping out of the saddle while hanging upside down or getting into contorted positions. Small children are most comfortable using a padded leg-strap saddle. The most important consideration with children's harnesses is that they fit snugly. Using an adult harness is dangerous because if it's too big, children can slip out of the harness. Carabiners Carabiners are used for a number of purposes. RRG recommends triple action auto-locking carabiners for main tie-ins to your saddle, where your weight is being supported. A triple-locking carabiner requires you to make three distinct moves to open the gate, and provides superior safety that a conventional twist-locking carabiner doesn't have. Dog leg carabiners and other non-locking carabiners are great for hanging gear off your harness. Get lots of different colors to allow you to find gear at a moment's notice (color-coding). But the gates can open without warning. Don't use them for life support! The Throw-Weight and Other Tools for Rope Placement The first problem you'll encounter with climbing large trees is rope placement: How do you get a rope over a branch if it's 50 feet up? RRG recommends several tools. The best of these is a throw-weight. This is a beanbag type of weight, usually 12 or 16 ounces, attached to a 1.75-4mm polypropylene or nylon line, which is usually 150 feet long. A skilled climber can lob such a line over a branch 70 feet high. Taller trees call for different tools. Some trees grow so tall that 70 feet won't get you halfway to the first branch! Slingshots are a good choice for getting the first line over a high branch. A simple slingshot with an arm brace, a short fishing rod and reel stuck in the ground, and a 1.5 oz. shot bag attached to a light 15 pound test line will do the trick. Many climbers use a "Big Shot", a heavy duty slingshot for shooting heavier throw weights high into a tree. (If you use this method of rope placement, you'll need to pull up a 1/8 inch line before you can pull up the heavier ½ inch diameter climbing rope.) A bow and arrow or crossbow using specially designed weighted arrow shafts are other options for placing high ropes. Ropes Tree-climbing rope, or arborist rope, uses a polyester-Dacron exterior sheath instead of the nylon sheathes found on rock-climbing ropes. Unlike nylon, polyester has a high heat tolerance. It is also soft and pliable, making it easy to tie the special knots needed to climb trees safely. The rope is built in a braided construction. Never use a twist-constructed rope. It will make you spin in the air while you hang suspended! Rock-climbing ropes are not suitable for tree climbing unless you are using static ropes with mechanical ascenders. Rock climbers use dynamic ropes with designed elasticity to take falls (shock loads); these are not appropriate for tree climbing because they have too much stretch. The main technique used by tree climbers, double rope technique, requires the rope (or even better, a friction saving device) to run over a branch while fully loaded with body weight. If you were to use one of those pretty mountain-climbing ropes (kernmantle), you'd melt the thin outside sheath on the first climb! Not good! Arborist ropes come in three different diameters. The standard diameter is ½ inch (13mm). This rope diameter is easiest to grip. A 7/16 inch diameter (11mm) static (low stretch) arborist rope has recently been introduced to the tree climbing world along with an 11.5mm static arborist rope. The thinner diameter static arborist ropes are lighter in weight, which makes them easier to pack in. But the thinner ropes are a bit harder to grip because the exterior sheath has a tighter weave, making it more slippery, and the smaller diameter makes gripping more difficult. Seasoned climbers often have one thicker ½ inch diameter rope (13mm) for local climbs; and a lighter weight static rope for climbs requiring a hike in and exceptionally tall trees requiring a longer rope, or smaller diameters that better accommodate mechanical devices such as ascenders. Ropes 150 feet long are your best bet unless you are climbing shorter trees, such as 50-footers, where you will need a 120-foot rope. To figure out the appropriate rope length you need, double the height of the tree. If you plan to travel to taller trees in the future, purchasing a second, longer rope would probably be in order. A short, secondary climbing rope, called a daisy rope, is used for a number of purposes. This is a 25-foot piece of climbing rope with two figure eight on a bight loops on each end. This rope can be used when you need to set up a higher rope placement, for climbing short distances, and as a backup. This type of rope is also known as a lanyard, but it is much longer than standard lanyards. Tree climbing ropes will last for years of daily use if cared for properly. It is always wise to inspect the rope before rope set-up, during the climb, and after every climb while you are coiling it for storage. If you see a nick or damaged section, cut the rope immediately with a knife. It is easy to forget about a damaged section of rope that you would never want to use!