Unicender?

Discuss vertical caving, equipment, & techniques. Also visit the NSS Vertical Section.

Moderator: Tim White

Re: Unicender?

Postby gdstorrick » Jan 2, 2010 11:37 pm

Post deleted.
Last edited by gdstorrick on Jul 10, 2012 12:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.
gdstorrick
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 272
Joined: Jan 3, 2009 11:06 am
Location: MI, USA
Name: Gary Storrick
NSS #: 12967
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Pittsburgh
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby caverdan » Jan 4, 2010 11:10 am

chh wrote:Was it a rope you saw, or a positioning lanyard? What kind of trade show?


It was a rope I saw. The trade show is called The Pro Green Expo and is for professionals in the green industry. It's held in Febuary with both vendors and classes offered. The product might not have caught on and I'm not sure if the core was steel. My memory is that it had strands woven into it to make it cut resistant. I imagine it was rather expensive and thus might not be available anymore. I thought I could find it on the internet, but I'm not seeing it. I'll be attending the show in Febuary and will look for it. I'll PM you if I find more info on it.

As for this product, due to cost, it's best if your employer buys it for you to try. :big grin:

chh, I've taken several arborist classes but I'm not licensed as that is not the focus of my business. I own a nursery and do a lot of commercial landscaping, working with large contractors. I trim my own stock, but I sub out my big tree removal and trimming to my friend Mikie (Frazier Tree and Shrub) as he is a specialist like yourself. I know enough about tree trimming to know a bad job from a good job.........so you better do a good job if you want to get paid. :argue: If you don't do a good job.....I don't get paid either. :sadbanana: :sadbanana: :sadbanana:
Member: Colorado Madrats, SoCoMoGro,CWSG.
caverdan
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 662
Joined: Nov 24, 2006 9:39 pm
Location: Colorado Springs
NSS #: 40262
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby Ralph E. Powers » Jan 5, 2010 1:04 pm

I've some experience climbing trees using arborist's methods and have realized some caving applications to it, i.e. a need to go back up a pull down (for whatever reason), before the rope is err, pulled down.
The ropes that we climbed on were made of the polyester type and they are indeed very tough and very supple.
The person that I climbed with and learned from had a leather bark wrap that the rope went through over the branch thus protecting the tree that way.
As for the unicender... yeah $450 is a lot... and it does look like the bastard child of a grigri and a rack. All things being equal I'll stick to what I got.
The statement that the climbs aren't as long as say an average caving ascent is correct. 50 feet at a time at best.
Still a neat way to do rope stuff.

Oh and their method of wrapping the rope around the foot was awesome and face-palm simple and I've found it terrific for doing change-overs and improvised climbing when stuck with one ascender (during practice and trying out a hypothetical "what if").
Without the possibility of death, adventure is not possible. ~ Reinhold Messner


http://ralph.rigidtech.com/albums.php
User avatar
Ralph E. Powers
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2101
Joined: Sep 10, 2005 5:48 pm
Location: Chattanooga, TN
NSS #: 37616
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby chh » Jan 5, 2010 4:17 pm

caverdan wrote: I know enough about tree trimming to know a bad job from a good job.........so you better do a good job if you want to get paid. :argue: If you don't do a good job.....I don't get paid either. :sadbanana: :sadbanana: :sadbanana:


That's good. Many people, as I'm sure you are aware, are willing to pay good money for a hack to come out and top their trees, or do ridiculous/injurious view pruning just because they don't know any better. I myself won't do this. I might make more money if I did :laughing:
The climbing part of tree work is really only a small part of the knowledge required to do it well.

As far as the steel woven rope is concerned I don't think I'd have much use for it. I doubt OSHA would allow climbing on it, and I don't think I'd even want to use it as a rigging rope. Maybe for slings if it could be spliced depending on the hand. It might also work as a winch line if it was strong enough. I'm always looking for a better way to protect the end of our winch from abrasion.
Your words of caution are no match for my disaster style!
User avatar
chh
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 522
Joined: Oct 4, 2005 3:21 pm
Location: asheville, nc
Name: caleb
NSS #: 55745
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby chh » Jan 5, 2010 4:24 pm

Ralph E. Powers wrote:Oh and their method of wrapping the rope around the foot was awesome and face-palm simple and I've found it terrific for doing change-overs and improvised climbing when stuck with one ascender (during practice and trying out a hypothetical "what if").


I know, right? Cavers look at me strange when I tell them it's possible to jug up a free hanging pitch with a single prussik.
"Face-palm simple" I love it!
Your words of caution are no match for my disaster style!
User avatar
chh
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 522
Joined: Oct 4, 2005 3:21 pm
Location: asheville, nc
Name: caleb
NSS #: 55745
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby gdstorrick » Apr 4, 2010 6:33 pm

Post deleted.
Last edited by gdstorrick on Jul 10, 2012 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
gdstorrick
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 272
Joined: Jan 3, 2009 11:06 am
Location: MI, USA
Name: Gary Storrick
NSS #: 12967
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Pittsburgh
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby fellglenn » Apr 26, 2010 9:16 pm

I actually got to see one of these in action two weekends ago at a recreational tree climbing gathering. A friend of mind who climbs trees (who also caves) had one that he borrowed from a gear head coworker. I did not get to use it personally, but he was not overly impressed and actually just ended up wearing it around as "Tree Bling".

In tree climbing, people use various techniques to get up the rope. Some use Double Rope Techniques (DRT) which involve a friction hitch that can release and come back down (Much like a prussik knot captures the progress going up) The friction hitch can actually release and you can descend on the friction hitch. We also use many different SRT methods.


In DRT, the uni is actually designed to replace the friction hitch all together.

Depending on the rope brand, Arb rope is definately more supple than cave rope. EZ bend comes close, but is still stiffer than Arb Rope. Arborist Rope falls between a static rope and a dynamic rope: it has some stretch for minimum fall arrest, but it is static enough to provide efficient ascension up the rope.
fellglenn
Infrequent Poster
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Jun 5, 2009 8:44 am
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Dogwood City
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby chh » Apr 27, 2010 7:11 pm

fellglenn wrote:I actually got to see one of these in action two weekends ago at a recreational tree climbing gathering. A friend of mind who climbs trees (who also caves) had one that he borrowed from a gear head coworker. I did not get to use it personally, but he was not overly impressed and actually just ended up wearing it around as "Tree Bling".


Hey fellglenn, was it the Souther Chapter comp, or something else? I don't know many folks who climb trees recreationally though I'm sure they have to be around. If you're ever in Western North Carolina and want to go for a rec climb gimme a holler.
Your words of caution are no match for my disaster style!
User avatar
chh
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 522
Joined: Oct 4, 2005 3:21 pm
Location: asheville, nc
Name: caleb
NSS #: 55745
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby fellglenn » Apr 27, 2010 8:10 pm

It was a gathering of some just some rec folks up in Virginia. A fellow climber has about 35 acres on the Blue Ridge Pkwy and he hosts a gathering twice a year. There was one arborist, the owner of an arborsit supply company that was about the extent of pro climbers. The rest of us just enjoy the activity and being outdoors. I have never been to any ISA Comps. I think it would be fun to go.
fellglenn
Infrequent Poster
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Jun 5, 2009 8:44 am
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Dogwood City
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby chh » Apr 28, 2010 6:13 pm

Man, that sounds awesome! I live just a stone's throw from the parkway here. Was just eyeballing some trees while hiking the other day with the dog. Is the dogwood city grotto in Virginia?
Your words of caution are no match for my disaster style!
User avatar
chh
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 522
Joined: Oct 4, 2005 3:21 pm
Location: asheville, nc
Name: caleb
NSS #: 55745
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby Cavernuke » Apr 28, 2010 9:56 pm

gdstorrick wrote:...the second had some phosphor bronze inserts to improve wear resistance.

gary


Bad design. Bronze and aluminum together make a battery, with resultant galvanic corrosion. In boat design, it's something we always have to be aware of.
Cavernuke
Frequent Poster
 
Posts: 78
Joined: Aug 16, 2009 2:42 pm
NSS #: 56251
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Wisconsin Speleological Society
  

Re: Unicender?

Postby fellglenn » Apr 30, 2010 8:57 pm

DCG is in Atlanta. I was just up on the BRP for the weekend. Be careful about climbing on the NPS grounds, they may not like that to much according to my friend who lives on pkwy.
fellglenn
Infrequent Poster
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Jun 5, 2009 8:44 am
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Dogwood City
  

Previous

Return to On Rope!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron