Rigging Is a Team Sport
There are few aspects in tree work that require coordinated teamwork. Efficient climbers can perform a good portion of their trim work without the direct aid of a ground person. Ground workers can usually process and transport tree debris to the chipper without aid from a co-worker. If the material is too large, it can […]
Knotting Really Matters
As working arborists, ropes are a vital part of our daily work. From climbing to rigging, rope is a ubiquitous component of our systems. As soon as you give a rope a job, it becomes a line, and a line requires a connection to something to do its job. While there may be many ways […]
Not for the Knotless – Untying Rigging Knots
A knot in your calf, garlic knots, climbing knots, rigging knots, getting married – aka, tying the knot – or the early ’90s saying, “Not!” I’ve watched countless videos, heard many speakers and been trained several times over on “how to tie,” “when to use” and “the best” knots. I even led a discussion at […]
Seven Great Reasons to Relocate Your Lowering Device
As production arborists, we are often in a position where rigging is needed to lower tree parts. Whether we are preventing damage to the tree or the surrounding landscape or property, making the job more efficient by cutting larger pieces and/or lowering them into a more convenient place or managing risk, rigging is an intrinsic […]
Testing Equipment and Techniques to Reduce Loads on the Stem
Tree-removal operations in urban and suburban settings often employ extensive use of rope-based rigging to control and manage the dismantling of large trees. These scenarios typically conclude in what is commonly referred to as a negative-rigging situation, where the load the rigging must bear “falls into the rope” from above the anchor point (such as […]