you all prolly dont give a damn but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb lost the account password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Cedric Jaiden thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
Wow, well said. I have watch a bunch of videos on these things and assumed they were mostly hype. Makes total sense that adding friction to the system will make for smoother rigging. I also like the fact that my line won't go flying up to the block if released. Seems to happens when I'm tired, then you have to retrieve it ahh. Keep up the quality videos, I appreciate you taking the time to pass on what you know and what you have learned. Thanks.
i am very new to climbing and rigging, and your vid, and some from a few other awesome climbers, have swayed my choice from block to x ring. thanks for the awesome vid! keep em coming!!
Very well said. Thank you for explaining the benefits of these the way you did. It answered some questions I had, and I'm gonna order some now. Nice ending with the sweater, haha.
I was brought into arb rigging with a portawrap and block(s) and felt I achieved a good deal of success in running the rope and dissipating the forces. In Colorado with thick bull rope, large portawrap and big pieces. Working on lighter smaller trees in Coastal NewEngland I’ve found the combination is rarely perfect. Thank you for explaining the effect of friction at the rigging point. I’m guessing the X Rings, is the device with two rings, and would be even more desirable than a single ring usually, and that the rings in general do likely prevent the rope from binding up at the friction device which does seem to happen occasionally using a block. If anything isn’t perfect. Learning with blocks, i have a very hard time appreciating natural crotch’s for rigging points. But my foreman now does make them look alright occasionally
I'm so glad you made this vid. You answered some questions and saved me some money on blocks. thanks Reg ! and by the way you shouldn't be surfing at Christmas time. lol.
Thanks very much for putting all these videos up. I'm in my 3rd year of arb work and between you and Climbing Arborist I've picked up so many practical tips. Cheers from Oxford, England
At your age, and with you seemingly not being overly-wealthy (maybe you're just as smart with your money as you seem to be at everything else - if you'd won a million bucks I don't picture you getting a ferrari I picture you getting what you needed and saving the remainder!), it makes me think that the industry (and you!) would be so, SO much better-off with you going into product-design and manufacture.....I've yet to see a company that's both high-quality and fairly&consistently pricing their gear, I cannot even imagine how fantastic an impact you would have on the industry by creating a product line of your ideal versions of all the gear you use - if you did that you'd surely have an even greater effect than your video-series could simply because of how many non-viewers would end up seeing&using the products! I'm unsure your relations with owners of these manufacturers but you mentioned at least knowing the guy who makes these xrr's, if you just worked-off of him in a way wherein he had a 'reg coates signature line' or something it would just be insanely useful/helpful to this industry man!!! I guess he wouldn't want you to be making the most cost-effective products (ie reducing ROI) but who knows! There's gotta be some company owners who are truly all about getting good gear out there at good prices, Yale comes to mind, but with so much BS on the market at such price-gouging rates it would be such a breath of fresh-air to have, say, 5 or 15 of the more common products available in the reg-coates-version that's no frills, effective & appropriately priced! I've no doubt you thought of this but part of me suspects you've got a bit of a hyperactive predisposition to removing any&all "conceptions of incomplete info due to you profiteering" that you'd shun selling things so felt it was worth posting this to just say that, as someone who 100% gets what you mean (and why you - nor I actually - wouldn't use AdSense) i just felt it worth pushing the idea to you, can't think of anything cooler than to see you end your climbing-career when your body says the time has come and switching-gears to production!! (it's not inherently 'selling out' as I know your knee-jerk reaction likely would be, *someone* has got to make products and most of the people doing it now are "sell outs" in any way you'd care to categorize insofar as they're approaching it first&foremost as a profit-venture, I'm not saying you need to , or should, try and just make products & donate the proceeds or something but there's room to make products, sell them at a reasonable price and still profit - just looking at the price-gouging on something as simple as a port-a-wrap, or $400+ for lil blocks, shows there's massive room for high-quality products that aren't so absurdly over-priced and, frankly, the creation & promotion of such products by you would be far more comforting than buying from *any* companies I'm aware of!!!
How I think about it is pulleys give you an advantage in pulling things up, but they also give the branch being rigged that same advantage on your rigging point.
Great review Reg, probably one of the top XXR reviews yet. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a date when I can buy that new RCW-3001, lol. Thanks for the vid Reg.
I really like the Port-A-Wrap along with difference sized rings & slings. It's good to spread the friction just like it would be to spread the wealth. Watch out for Great Whites in cold water with that Surfing Sweatet of yours😉
Those lines sure do fly up at the drop of a hat, don't they? Been a big fan of in-the-canopy-friction forever. These rings are testimony that better riggers than me ( David ) agree, which is encouraging. I wear sweaters up trees, but just not my BEST one,which Mom got me in Ireland. She would KILL me.
Appreciate the video im new to cutting trees and climbing just for sides jobs and for my yard ..I bought alot of the equipment to climb ..need to learn how to tie off branches and use a porter rap and how to use the ring and rings and how to maneuver the climb line if I need to access a different part of the tree
WOW!! I'd been very curious about these and am so glad I saw this clip before getting a larger block/pulley (well, a stronger one, mine's 4" but since you're not supposed to bend rope at a steeper radius than a 10th that means my 11.7mm blue moon for example needs a little-over-4" pulley-wheel for proper 'rounding' at the top and obviously most are dropping heavier stuff with bigger lines - blew my mind seeing 2" wheels offered that talk about using >10kN WLL on a 2" wheel!) I don't drop nearly the weight (or frequency) you do so, having watched this, I think I've come-up with a fantastic solution for my needs - what about a **4** end-point anchor? I LOVE those giant, diesel rings on the XRR setup but for lighter-duty stuff I'm doing I'm now planning to use the "DIY adjustable-lanyard" approach and do *4* end-points by making a rope/lanyard with (2) prusiks on it, not only does that give me 4 o-rings to pass my bull line through but the adjustable nature of the prusik o-rings' placement will let me make "the smoothest arc" up at the top!!! Further friction from a 4th ring as well (to be honest I'm actually thinking it may be better, in this scenario, for me to use (2) o-rings at the two outside-anchor-points to induce a bit more friction) because as you say the balance between the top friction and the bottom/ground friction is far more equalized with this approach so, of course, a 2-ring XRR setup wouldn't be equivalent friction to th bottom (not that you'd want equivalent but it's much further off), 3 rings is closer, 4 rings should be more than enough to provide a bunch of friction up-top without it being detrimental to the rope because the friction/heat is dissipated amongst 4 (or 8) o-rings at the 4 termination-ends of the rigging anchor which'll automatically "spread" any shock/loading amongst the top and the bottom FAR better than, say, a super-efficient, 10" pulley wheel that provided 0.001 resistance! As per usual, thanks a ton Reg!!!!
I would LOVE to see you do a video on these rings **VERSUS** blocks, the very idea that these aren't just superior products for most cases but also inherently cheaper (and safer IMO since the top anchor doesn't force nearly as-steep an arc on the rope if the rope is 180'ing at the top / not re-directed there), I'm actually getting-into home splicing so trying to find a good (generic!) retailer of these rings so I can set them up myself BUT this could be done just as well w/ a fig.8-with-bight as with splicing and it's WAY more in-reach of so many that, when you consider that the rings (if bought generic and just knotted-onto strong bull line) are so much cheaper & better, it deserves a good "blocks are expensive and usually not the best option, never buy one until you've gotten used to your rigging-rings setup and *then* still think you want a block" theme (I know it's alluded to a lot in here but an outright-comparison video on the pro's & con's of both would be hugely valuable to the audience IMO!!! Hate to say but aside from lifting stuff and certain MA systems where friction really needs to be eliminated for efficiency, it's hard to think of any case where one of those heavy, expensive blocks is superior to the simple multi-ring setup.....) Am glad you've woken-up people to this concept, and also a bit pissed that the major companies gouged people with blocks for so long (I'm going on the assumption that it's virtually impossible that none of these guys knew that a ringed setup would be comparable - maybe they didn't realize *better*, but at least comparable - yet it's never introduced and instead a giant 'block market' begins with obscene price-gouging :/ ), at any rate I'm psyched to see this and, perhaps, soon I'll be able to put-up a video of a splice-job (with this type of rigging-ring) to make a 2 or 3 ringed version, gotta say I realllly am partial to the 3-ringed versions heck even just appropriately thick bull line with a rigging-ring spliced onto either end, with a slightly-thinner bull-line used as a friction-hitch **&** having its own rigging-ring termination, still does that same job of spreading the load amongst 3 points instead of 2 which is always better for your line IE equalizing forces BUT, in cases such as this where a friction-hitched third rigging-ring can easily be put-into-place wherever you choose simply by sliding it on-the-spot, you're able to create "the ideal arc" for your rope to take as it comes up, through & back-down from its top-anchoring!!
I stopped using blocks because its hard to explain to people. So natural friction is safer in the tree I have never used the rings . a big steel carabiner. Has done the same princable
Thanks for your thoughts and insight on blocks vs rings. Like previous comments it had not occurred to me that the added friction could be used in my favor. Im trying these out the next time I'm rigging stuff down. Also can you and August Hunicke get together and produce a Monkey Beaver Surfing Sweater in time for Christmas this year? I would buy one. Good Job on the Vid, hope you don't take too much offense to my joke. Have a blessed day.
Hi Reg. I've seen a few videos with the x rings but was still unsure if they could be a replacement for pulley blocks. You just made things clearer thanks. But.... how would I stand using these in UK and ireland as in lolar kit inspections? Because I'd really like to try theses. Regards william
Reg I have watched a few of your videos rigging tops and it does appear that you are very careful the way that you go about it but are you actually truly comfortable rigging the tops of dead trees to themselves while you are in the same tree?.....I have been climbing since 1984 and early on took a disliking rigging dead tops to themselves and usually when I do I like to set up the friction right at my location and be able to control the first bit of running that the top does and then hand over the rope control to my groundsman since it always seems a bit sketchy allowing the groundsman to have full control over the amount of shock load the tree top get's. I usually top trees just around where the top will be a few hundred pounds or less preferably.
Great review Reg! Been on the fence with buying these X rings, I like that you mention they provide a bit of friction adding more control. Will definitely be looking into getting them now. The sweater bit was fuckin awesome, last thing I expected lol. Thanks for sharing.
So, close to 5yrs since you've made this video, would LOVE to see you make a follow-up IE if you're still using them as your primary rigging points (which I expect you are!) but something I can't figure out which is that I've never seen you using the Safebloc...maybe I'm not paying attention enough but I've never seen one in your videos while at the same time I'd have thought you'd be a very keen advocate of the product, I'm still 'in-testing' but love mine so far and think it's great in-general but that it's especially of use for solo-rigging setups which makes me even more confused by its absence in your routine-arsenal (I watch your videos very keenly, will feel foolish if you've used one in a video and I somehow missed it, I'm always trying to check out your gear in fact the biggest recommendation I could give for your amazing channel would be to include 'specs' in the subject IE the bull-line used and things like that, I'm always watching - in awe - you do so much amazing stuff and so often am left wishing I knew what lines you were doing it with!) Thanks!
Still have and use all the original Rings I got from David Driver. Never had a problem. I dont like the safe block so much. You can pre load or lift through it effectively. And you increase your chances of the groundworker locking up the line and shaking you off your perch. Im sure some would disagree, but I dont see enough appeal or advantage.
Oh and re "the misconception that friction-free up top is optimal", I have to expect that it's nothing more than an artifact of the 'evolution' from natural-crotch rigging to smoother pulleys, I am kinda confused why O-ring based lanyards like this XRR setup is based upon didn't become 'the norm' and have to wonder if it's advertising or what but if I'd spent 2x as much as I did on my 4" wheel block by getting the best DMM, only to find this later and relegate the dmm block to a redirect, think I'd be forever pissed at myself for not having the common sense to realize I could simply create a lanyard with 3, 4, however many I want really, termination-points by including prusiks-with-rings onto the anchor-rope!! People saw the destruction to the ropes from natural crotching, saw the un-even friction of relying on bark, and swung so far the other way with pulleys that this optimal middle ground was largely missed! I'd sooner put my rope through 4 o-rings than have it squeezing-over a 2" wheel, regardless of what that wheel's kN rating is it is simply too-steep a bend in the rope so bad for the rope and of course as-is-obvious the lack of friction puts all the work to the bottom which is simply sub-optimal when the top could provide some help, this must be why they're able to move OxBlocks at the price they do. I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts on 'optimal' top friction and top-arch-width, as I mentioned in other reply anything under 10x the rope's diameter is stressing the rope to a degree so even my 4" wheel isn't truly wide-enough even for my 11.7mm climb-line! But an arch that spreads multiple feet due to it being comprised of 4 adjustable rings doesn't only fix the arc and add some useful friction to the system but it's also spreading the loading on the rope - IE these ringed friction-anchors are, despite it possibly seeming counter-intuitive, are actually *easier* on your rope than forcing it to spin against a near-zero-resistance wheel that's
Hahahahahahaha @ the sweater bit.
Best review I've seen for the XRR's.
Most I’ve laughed in a bit
you all prolly dont give a damn but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account??
I was dumb lost the account password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Eddie Remington Instablaster :)
@Cedric Jaiden thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Cedric Jaiden It worked and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D
Thank you so much, you saved my ass!
Wow, well said. I have watch a bunch of videos on these things and assumed they were mostly hype. Makes total sense that adding friction to the system will make for smoother rigging. I also like the fact that my line won't go flying up to the block if released. Seems to happens when I'm tired, then you have to retrieve it ahh. Keep up the quality videos, I appreciate you taking the time to pass on what you know and what you have learned. Thanks.
Sunday morning, Bacon and eggs, fresh coffee and this cracking video. Doesn't get much better than that. Cheers Reg.
i am very new to climbing and rigging, and your vid, and some from a few other awesome climbers, have swayed my choice from block to x ring. thanks for the awesome vid! keep em coming!!
Very well said. Thank you for explaining the benefits of these the way you did. It answered some questions I had, and I'm gonna order some now. Nice ending with the sweater, haha.
Just ordered some rings yesterday. Glad I saw this today, I feel much better about my purchase!
Thanks Reg!
I was brought into arb rigging with a portawrap and block(s) and felt I achieved a good deal of success in running the rope and dissipating the forces. In Colorado with thick bull rope, large portawrap and big pieces.
Working on lighter smaller trees in Coastal NewEngland I’ve found the combination is rarely perfect.
Thank you for explaining the effect of friction at the rigging point.
I’m guessing the X Rings, is the device with two rings, and would be even more desirable than a single ring usually, and that the rings in general do likely prevent the rope from binding up at the friction device which does seem to happen occasionally using a block. If anything isn’t perfect.
Learning with blocks, i have a very hard time appreciating natural crotch’s for rigging points. But my foreman now does make them look alright occasionally
Your northern roots came out there when you clarified about the sweater. Nice.
I like my safeblock. We don't do a lot of speed lining so it keeps things efficient. It takes it easy on my groundsman, and my rope. Good vid thanks
i use towing rings and towing straps because theyre curvy, strong and can be attached mid line.
I'm so glad you made this vid. You answered some questions and saved me some money on blocks. thanks Reg ! and by the way you shouldn't be surfing at Christmas time. lol.
“If you unclip your rigging line it’ll fuck off to the top of the tree” 🤣🤣🤣
Great info. I have never heard of a surfing sweater but shit if Reg Coates surfs in a sweater.........
Great vid as always Reg!
Lovely justification on the sweatshirt too.
Thanks very much for putting all these videos up. I'm in my 3rd year of arb work and between you and Climbing Arborist I've picked up so many practical tips. Cheers from Oxford, England
+Alex Cannon Thanks Alex, and good luck
+Reg Coates Cheers
Well said Reg. I've found those same things to be true myself and it's encouraging to hear someone confirming it. Thanks for a well explained review.
At your age, and with you seemingly not being overly-wealthy (maybe you're just as smart with your money as you seem to be at everything else - if you'd won a million bucks I don't picture you getting a ferrari I picture you getting what you needed and saving the remainder!), it makes me think that the industry (and you!) would be so, SO much better-off with you going into product-design and manufacture.....I've yet to see a company that's both high-quality and fairly&consistently pricing their gear, I cannot even imagine how fantastic an impact you would have on the industry by creating a product line of your ideal versions of all the gear you use - if you did that you'd surely have an even greater effect than your video-series could simply because of how many non-viewers would end up seeing&using the products!
I'm unsure your relations with owners of these manufacturers but you mentioned at least knowing the guy who makes these xrr's, if you just worked-off of him in a way wherein he had a 'reg coates signature line' or something it would just be insanely useful/helpful to this industry man!!! I guess he wouldn't want you to be making the most cost-effective products (ie reducing ROI) but who knows! There's gotta be some company owners who are truly all about getting good gear out there at good prices, Yale comes to mind, but with so much BS on the market at such price-gouging rates it would be such a breath of fresh-air to have, say, 5 or 15 of the more common products available in the reg-coates-version that's no frills, effective & appropriately priced!
I've no doubt you thought of this but part of me suspects you've got a bit of a hyperactive predisposition to removing any&all "conceptions of incomplete info due to you profiteering" that you'd shun selling things so felt it was worth posting this to just say that, as someone who 100% gets what you mean (and why you - nor I actually - wouldn't use AdSense) i just felt it worth pushing the idea to you, can't think of anything cooler than to see you end your climbing-career when your body says the time has come and switching-gears to production!! (it's not inherently 'selling out' as I know your knee-jerk reaction likely would be, *someone* has got to make products and most of the people doing it now are "sell outs" in any way you'd care to categorize insofar as they're approaching it first&foremost as a profit-venture, I'm not saying you need to , or should, try and just make products & donate the proceeds or something but there's room to make products, sell them at a reasonable price and still profit - just looking at the price-gouging on something as simple as a port-a-wrap, or $400+ for lil blocks, shows there's massive room for high-quality products that aren't so absurdly over-priced and, frankly, the creation & promotion of such products by you would be far more comforting than buying from *any* companies I'm aware of!!!
I'm new to your channel, and only been climbing for 💵 for a few years, your information and videos are priceless thanks, Jolly hockey mate
T-Rex Reg says he's "In favor of theses things." Me too Reg.
How I think about it is pulleys give you an advantage in pulling things up, but they also give the branch being rigged that same advantage on your rigging point.
Love that he felt he had to defend the surfing sweater. LOL
Reg is awesome.
Great review Reg, probably one of the top XXR reviews yet. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a date when I can buy that new RCW-3001, lol. Thanks for the vid Reg.
"is that ya Christmas sweater" - "is it fewk" brilliant.
I really like the Port-A-Wrap along with difference sized rings & slings. It's good to spread the friction just like it would be to spread the wealth. Watch out for Great Whites in cold water with that Surfing Sweatet of yours😉
Cheers, Reg. Some good information there, nicely presented.
Those lines sure do fly up at the drop of a hat, don't they? Been a big fan of in-the-canopy-friction forever. These rings are testimony that better riggers than me ( David ) agree, which is encouraging. I wear sweaters up trees, but just not my BEST one,which Mom got me in Ireland. She would KILL me.
Appreciate the video im new to cutting trees and climbing just for sides jobs and for my yard ..I bought alot of the equipment to climb ..need to learn how to tie off branches and use a porter rap and how to use the ring and rings and how to maneuver the climb line if I need to access a different part of the tree
WOW!! I'd been very curious about these and am so glad I saw this clip before getting a larger block/pulley (well, a stronger one, mine's 4" but since you're not supposed to bend rope at a steeper radius than a 10th that means my 11.7mm blue moon for example needs a little-over-4" pulley-wheel for proper 'rounding' at the top and obviously most are dropping heavier stuff with bigger lines - blew my mind seeing 2" wheels offered that talk about using >10kN WLL on a 2" wheel!)
I don't drop nearly the weight (or frequency) you do so, having watched this, I think I've come-up with a fantastic solution for my needs - what about a **4** end-point anchor? I LOVE those giant, diesel rings on the XRR setup but for lighter-duty stuff I'm doing I'm now planning to use the "DIY adjustable-lanyard" approach and do *4* end-points by making a rope/lanyard with (2) prusiks on it, not only does that give me 4 o-rings to pass my bull line through but the adjustable nature of the prusik o-rings' placement will let me make "the smoothest arc" up at the top!!! Further friction from a 4th ring as well (to be honest I'm actually thinking it may be better, in this scenario, for me to use (2) o-rings at the two outside-anchor-points to induce a bit more friction) because as you say the balance between the top friction and the bottom/ground friction is far more equalized with this approach so, of course, a 2-ring XRR setup wouldn't be equivalent friction to th bottom (not that you'd want equivalent but it's much further off), 3 rings is closer, 4 rings should be more than enough to provide a bunch of friction up-top without it being detrimental to the rope because the friction/heat is dissipated amongst 4 (or 8) o-rings at the 4 termination-ends of the rigging anchor which'll automatically "spread" any shock/loading amongst the top and the bottom FAR better than, say, a super-efficient, 10" pulley wheel that provided 0.001 resistance!
As per usual, thanks a ton Reg!!!!
I'd let this guy sell me a used toothbrush. I'm convinced lol.
just got my first one and i love it,
I would LOVE to see you do a video on these rings **VERSUS** blocks, the very idea that these aren't just superior products for most cases but also inherently cheaper (and safer IMO since the top anchor doesn't force nearly as-steep an arc on the rope if the rope is 180'ing at the top / not re-directed there), I'm actually getting-into home splicing so trying to find a good (generic!) retailer of these rings so I can set them up myself BUT this could be done just as well w/ a fig.8-with-bight as with splicing and it's WAY more in-reach of so many that, when you consider that the rings (if bought generic and just knotted-onto strong bull line) are so much cheaper & better, it deserves a good "blocks are expensive and usually not the best option, never buy one until you've gotten used to your rigging-rings setup and *then* still think you want a block" theme (I know it's alluded to a lot in here but an outright-comparison video on the pro's & con's of both would be hugely valuable to the audience IMO!!! Hate to say but aside from lifting stuff and certain MA systems where friction really needs to be eliminated for efficiency, it's hard to think of any case where one of those heavy, expensive blocks is superior to the simple multi-ring setup.....)
Am glad you've woken-up people to this concept, and also a bit pissed that the major companies gouged people with blocks for so long (I'm going on the assumption that it's virtually impossible that none of these guys knew that a ringed setup would be comparable - maybe they didn't realize *better*, but at least comparable - yet it's never introduced and instead a giant 'block market' begins with obscene price-gouging :/ ), at any rate I'm psyched to see this and, perhaps, soon I'll be able to put-up a video of a splice-job (with this type of rigging-ring) to make a 2 or 3 ringed version, gotta say I realllly am partial to the 3-ringed versions heck even just appropriately thick bull line with a rigging-ring spliced onto either end, with a slightly-thinner bull-line used as a friction-hitch **&** having its own rigging-ring termination, still does that same job of spreading the load amongst 3 points instead of 2 which is always better for your line IE equalizing forces BUT, in cases such as this where a friction-hitched third rigging-ring can easily be put-into-place wherever you choose simply by sliding it on-the-spot, you're able to create "the ideal arc" for your rope to take as it comes up, through & back-down from its top-anchoring!!
Nicely written. I do like the mid line aspect of blocks. Rings can take a beating, and i don't wince if my rings get knocked around.
All made total sense well done again Reg regards alan & flo
Awesomely honest! Thanks for sharing
Cracked me up when you mentioned the rope fucking off back to the rigging point. Pain in the ass to drag the line around on your belt the entire time.
Karhu Tree Service They work really well. Definitely not a gimmick or flash in the pan.
I stopped using blocks because its hard to explain to people. So natural friction is safer in the tree I have never used the rings . a big steel carabiner. Has done the same princable
Thanks reg ,🌲you Cant sell mé on the sweater though
Thanks for your thoughts and insight on blocks vs rings. Like previous comments it had not occurred to me that the added friction could be used in my favor. Im trying these out the next time I'm rigging stuff down. Also can you and August Hunicke get together and produce a Monkey Beaver Surfing Sweater in time for Christmas this year? I would buy one. Good Job on the Vid, hope you don't take too much offense to my joke. Have a blessed day.
Hi Reg. I've seen a few videos with the x rings but was still unsure if they could be a replacement for pulley blocks. You just made things clearer thanks. But.... how would I stand using these in UK and ireland as in lolar kit inspections? Because I'd really like to try theses. Regards william
western tree care Cant answer that William, sorry
Reg I have watched a few of your videos rigging tops and it does appear that you are very careful the way that you go about it but are you actually truly comfortable rigging the tops of dead trees to themselves while you are in the same tree?.....I have been climbing since 1984 and early on took a disliking rigging dead tops to themselves and usually when I do I like to set up the friction right at my location and be able to control the first bit of running that the top does and then hand over the rope control to my groundsman since it always seems a bit sketchy allowing the groundsman to have full control over the amount of shock load the tree top get's. I usually top trees just around where the top will be a few hundred pounds or less preferably.
Great info reg,nice 1 cheerz
Yes I agree about the safety
Great review Reg! Been on the fence with buying these X rings, I like that you mention they provide a bit of friction adding more control. Will definitely be looking into getting them now. The sweater bit was fuckin awesome, last thing I expected lol. Thanks for sharing.
You're a trip brother! Good info thank you. Sweater looks dynamite!
So, close to 5yrs since you've made this video, would LOVE to see you make a follow-up IE if you're still using them as your primary rigging points (which I expect you are!) but something I can't figure out which is that I've never seen you using the Safebloc...maybe I'm not paying attention enough but I've never seen one in your videos while at the same time I'd have thought you'd be a very keen advocate of the product, I'm still 'in-testing' but love mine so far and think it's great in-general but that it's especially of use for solo-rigging setups which makes me even more confused by its absence in your routine-arsenal (I watch your videos very keenly, will feel foolish if you've used one in a video and I somehow missed it, I'm always trying to check out your gear in fact the biggest recommendation I could give for your amazing channel would be to include 'specs' in the subject IE the bull-line used and things like that, I'm always watching - in awe - you do so much amazing stuff and so often am left wishing I knew what lines you were doing it with!)
Thanks!
Still have and use all the original Rings I got from David Driver. Never had a problem. I dont like the safe block so much. You can pre load or lift through it effectively. And you increase your chances of the groundworker locking up the line and shaking you off your perch. Im sure some would disagree, but I dont see enough appeal or advantage.
Awesome vid dude, they don't call you tree Jesus for nothing
15:40 ha! I'm sure he got a kick outta that.
Oh and re "the misconception that friction-free up top is optimal", I have to expect that it's nothing more than an artifact of the 'evolution' from natural-crotch rigging to smoother pulleys, I am kinda confused why O-ring based lanyards like this XRR setup is based upon didn't become 'the norm' and have to wonder if it's advertising or what but if I'd spent 2x as much as I did on my 4" wheel block by getting the best DMM, only to find this later and relegate the dmm block to a redirect, think I'd be forever pissed at myself for not having the common sense to realize I could simply create a lanyard with 3, 4, however many I want really, termination-points by including prusiks-with-rings onto the anchor-rope!!
People saw the destruction to the ropes from natural crotching, saw the un-even friction of relying on bark, and swung so far the other way with pulleys that this optimal middle ground was largely missed! I'd sooner put my rope through 4 o-rings than have it squeezing-over a 2" wheel, regardless of what that wheel's kN rating is it is simply too-steep a bend in the rope so bad for the rope and of course as-is-obvious the lack of friction puts all the work to the bottom which is simply sub-optimal when the top could provide some help, this must be why they're able to move OxBlocks at the price they do.
I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts on 'optimal' top friction and top-arch-width, as I mentioned in other reply anything under 10x the rope's diameter is stressing the rope to a degree so even my 4" wheel isn't truly wide-enough even for my 11.7mm climb-line! But an arch that spreads multiple feet due to it being comprised of 4 adjustable rings doesn't only fix the arc and add some useful friction to the system but it's also spreading the loading on the rope - IE these ringed friction-anchors are, despite it possibly seeming counter-intuitive, are actually *easier* on your rope than forcing it to spin against a near-zero-resistance wheel that's
Great vid' ,i'm adopting your choice. thanks
Thanks for this!
I spose wrapped like cabium saver, just nice with whoppie sling that ring or pulleys close to the trunk, guessing you just use one with single eye,
They have limits, Julian. None mid line attachable is perhaps the biggest short coming....but you work around it.
what are your thoughts on the safeblock?
Great review man
Good job Reg.
Just watched this again reg. awesome and informative.
What would you say is an ideal xring set up?
I like the bigger rings, better bend ratio on the lines
I'll get saving then and figure some out. You prefer whoopies or dead eyes?
Will Riseley dead eyes
anyone got a link where I could buy some of these? ideally in the uk!
I always tell myself...it’s all fucking dangerous you can only limit yourself to the exposure of the danger...
aye right...fuckin christmas sweater mate
Rings, baahhh, where do I get me a sweater Coates?
thanks!
Hey its not a cosby jersey'
Drugs kill