Revolutionary new gear for the arborist

Aerial

Well I must admit that the dude's foot and leg positioning looked awkward if not dangerous. The guy is obviously an ice climber trying his axes and crampons out on a tree, not a tree climber trying out new gear.

I focused on his use of the axes, and they seemed to work well at creating a hold where there is none. Like being able to put a branch just where you want it.

Keep in mind that I am a recreational tree climber now, my disastrous for pay debut has made me a convert.

My gear for a traditional blakes hitch is sure to arrive any day now, and I will be working hard at mastering that technique before going out on a limb with my ice axes.

Aerial

TreeSpecialist

A lot of banter has been slung around on this thread and the most obvious point may have been missed.

Our (the industry) insurance rates are high because of folks like Aerial.

Ekka, I think you should take up a collection and take out some term life insurance on Aerial.

Looks like a safe bet with potentially large returns.

There are safe ways of doing things and then there are folks like Aerial.

Free climbing with ice axes and spurs, no safety gear (hardhat, flip line, safety glasses, etc.)..........

Either he's been incredibly lucky or God is personally watching over him.

treevet

Insurance was the biggest beef in the beginning by Ekka. Liab. that is, if he wants to kill himself nobody is going to stop him. He, like me, has most of the sand in the other little glass bowl anyway. Ekka suggested maybe sending the insurance carrier to this thread. Pittsburg Gas and Electric might be another option (to see this thread) as he fights this claim.

I also mentioned that my insur. guy, when told I had not had a claim in almost 4 decades replied ....."You re due for one then!" Well, they don't have names on statistics and it is not me that due for one, it is this guy and he is due for one and one and one and one.

Aerial

Now hold on there, mea culpa on the first part, but that guy in the video was not me.

I was given a new found religion during my initial approach. I'm a convert now and you guys were instrumental in my conversion. I've got my own trees to play in, and am acquiring the gear to safely do it.

Now I may try out whacky gear and novel, if not revolutionary, equipment brought in from other disciplines in my recreational climbing, which will eventually include rock as well as ice.

For now though, I want to become proficient in traditional tree gear, because this is where I started. There has got to be room in Tree World for recreational tree climbers, it's a bigger Sport than I imagined.

Aerial

TreeSpecialist

If you want to live to enjoy your retirement years, you should look up Ken Palmer and Rip tompkins at Arbor Masters and take one of their week long courses.

See:

Arbor Master

The life you save could be your own........

Aerial

Good link, looks like October in Richmond VA for the basic course in tree climbing methods and best practices.

I have a cousin in Richmond I could stay with. I taught him to skydive, he broke his leg on his first jump.

Aerial

TreeSpecialist

These guys take climbing to a level you've never experienced.

Ken has won the International Tree Climbing Contest (best in the world) 3 times and Rip once.

Together, they will make you a much safer tree climber.

The course is not cheap, but then again what is your life worth to you.

Ekka

Ah, here in lies the twisted truth.

It's not the Aerials, it's the insurance companies. That was my whole point.

How come the insurance companies can vary premiums and discounts for the motor vehicle insurance eh? Hmmm? Called no claim bonuses, rating 1 for life campaigns, how old are you, variable excesses etc etc?

The whole point is I want insurance companies to see that they are the STUPID ONES. Dont lump us all together, do differentiate, do look at previous claims, do look at qualifications, do look at the work being done, do look at who runs the business and their experience etc etc etc.

Don't just rip premium out of the next schmuck with a chainsaw coz YOU THINK you'll make a profit. Dont you have actuaries that calculate risk and claims ratios, insuring people is not a lottery, not a gambling system but a business based on legitimate skills.

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JohN Dee

Anyone know if Fitzpatick & Co actually differentiate between a Tree Lopper and an Arborist? I noticed on their website, Horticulturalists have the ability to do an online application, but us tree guys gotta call up so they can throw us all in the same basket I'm presuming...

Fitzpatrick and Company Insurance Brokers Website

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treevet

In my area the agent not the ins company has been pro active. I was approached last spring by an agency head that passed my lot getting a hair cut nearby. He was impressed with my equipment. He spoke with me for a while (an interview I assume) and then offered me substantial savings on my liability and bus vehicles. He showed me about 20 tree companies he insured in Cinci area and what they paid and what they pay with him. Huge savings. He said I could call them and I took him at his word. I asked if I would get nailed the second year after I dropped my friend (insur. friend is a friend to everyone ) and his agency. He is just insuring high quality tree companies. "You'd be amazed at how low a risk these companies are for a claim" he said.

He is buying policies for us in bulk.

I saved about 15k$ last year.

JohN Dee

Damn man, you got it so good there.

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