Gecko climbers vs Caddy Pads

Eric Frei

And we have video footage.

I gave them a go, and Jim tried the caddies with Bashlin alloys, short gaffs.

Hands down, Bashlin alloys with caddie pads leaves the Geckos for dead.

I found the Gecko's twist on your knee more and the pad of the caddies is better on your shins.

9.7mb WMV video

www.treeworld.info/video/geckos.wmv

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JohN Dee

Great vid. Lol Jim you spoil sport :P

I climb in Steel Buckingham Shorts w/velcro wraps (Comfy as, except my arch aches), I have a set of Longs hanging up in the garage, havn't used them full on yet in a removal... Guess I'll have to get around to it soon eh?

What are the advantages with Shorts vs Longs?

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Eric Frei

You need to get those caddy pads.

You need long/short gaffs depending on the tree. For example, a chunky ironbark I use longs, a pine tree I use longs, a cuban I use shorts.

But the caddie pads shit on those velcro pads and way cheaper.

http://bit.ly/qpoAEf

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jim1nz

Haha yea they were good as, i was just practicing my Aussie accent

I was genuinely surprised, they felt real real solid.

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JohN Dee

What is the difference?

My pads slip over the top of the hook, they have a steel plate inserted in them, then you put them around the wire piece and pull them back to the required tightness. What makes the caddies better?

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JohN Dee

Lol I thought you were putting on an accent there .

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We are what we repeatedly do... Excellence then, is not an act, but HABIT...

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Eric Frei

You will find those pads ...

Dig in your shin, perhaps you have inserted a piece of foam or carpet like many.

The shank or shaft of the climbers will try to twist the pad assy toward the back of your calf.

The velcro gets grubby and sticks less as time passes. You will find yourself fixing this up in the tree as time passes

The back of the pad bunches up or is twisted and gets uncomfortable.

The entry angle of the spur isn't quite natural and you'll have to be consciously spiking in.

They cost twice as much as caddies.

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Caddie pads are a cast alloy block that simply has no give in it, they're rigid and nothing can move or twist ... rock solid every time.

The inside of the pad is soft foam and very comfortable. You will not feel the steel cutting across your shin bone, when climbing the flat part of your climbers that sits in your arch wont roll over to the edge as the pads keep the shaft of that climber at the side of your leg not behind the calf muscle.

Climb with caddies and you'll never look back. I gave my cinching velcro's away to Brother Colin almost straight after I tried the caddies ... no comparison.

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Mike Poor

The problem with Geckos is the soft steel they used to make the gaff. Nobody would use junk steel like that for even a butter knife. The pad etc. is the most comfortable of all (even more comfy than buck velcro pads) and very light! I modified mine to fit buck pole gaffs and now they work great. (before they would pop out of lignified dead wood)

reachtreeservice

Hey Erik, I noticed in the vid you were using what looked like a gibbs on your line with a running bowline. And I didn't see a decending device in the line like in your other vid . What are your reasons for the gibbs and no descender ? Also what are you using for your flipline lanyard adjuster ? Thanks !

Eric Frei

I just had 2 lanyards.

One is attached to my centre D's and girthed to the tree loose so if I did slip it would cinch off and hold (I hope).

I often take 2 flip lines when doing palm TD's.

If I need to change over saws I often have a so called "shit rope" hanging from rear of my harness to use for saw swaps.

Why do I do that?

Coz I dont want to bomb crap on my lifeline, I dont want it hanging down the trunk of the palm where I might spike it, it's not wire cored, it's not as easy to do a change-over with it up in the head as not as heavy to flick etc.

Downside, you cant come to ground if you needed to. So I use a lifeline when cleaning palms but not for TD's, I'll come down with the palm when cutting blocks.

Debate/argument: If you needed to come back down on a cinched lifeline (unless you had a figure 8 already) in you'd get stuck anyway. Plus, you shouldn't come down unless the palm is done anyway.

So, for palm TD's I take 2 flip lines. If I think for whatever reason I need to come down then I'll take a lifeline or "shit rope" to pull one up.

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reachtreeservice

Thanks Erik , Are both of your flipline adjusters gibbs? That one on your hip looks differant.

Eric Frei

Yeah, that's a Moxham rope adjuster

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newguy18

i love mine.

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old schooler

FlashD

I don't see much difference between the Bashlins with caddy pads and the Buckingham "Bucklites" with the cast pads. Are they as similar as they seem? I ask because my boss sells the "Bucklites" and they seem pretty nice, but if the Bashlins are better... well, you know the story.

newguy18

i have steel bucks with caddy pads,best setup i've used so far.Before these i had a set of kleins with L pads.

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Grais

No offense Ekka, but it looks like your mind was made up before you even stepped to the tree. Its obvious just by watching the video, with the geckos on every step is tentative and unsure, the Caddie pads you practically run up the tree.
Ive used 'caddie' pads for a long time, they are the de rigeur in this area, I always felt there must be something better than a 1" Nybuk strap cutting into the back of my calf for 6 hours a day, I found it eventually, the Buckingham Super Wrap(steel insert) pads blow them away, in my opinion of course, ever try em ?
Still enjoy your tests, even if this one seems a lil biased
-Grais

Eric Frei

Caddies rule, I gave away those velcro cinch pads, they suck!

You forgot the other person in the video eh?

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vl2007

My Geckos are very comfortable! They rule from my vantage point. My first pair was Buckingham, and they hurt like hell. I don't even know I'm wearing the Geckos. When I get the extra cash, I may give the Caddies a try.

Grais

Caddies are great, especially so if you enjoy a one inch nybuck strap digging into the back of your calf all day. Same as if you were using the L, or T pads so common.
I climbed on them for years and will never go back. Im serious, Ive let die hard caddie pad users, guys who have never tried anything else but caddies, use them and they were ALL sad having to go back to their `caddie` pads afterward.
As for your points of contention Eric, Ive encountered none of them, after climbing for 4-5 says a week for 3-4 months now. I have had two instances where my saw pads got kinda folded up and dug into my boney ass shin(real boney shins on me, perhaps that is one reason I prefer what I use), but after checking it out, I simply spend one moment to make sure my saw pants are situated under the wrap cap properly, and I am good to go for hours on end.
Im not bullshitting, or trying to start an argument, just relating MY personal findings, Eric you talk as if every other thing is garbage compared to the Caddie pad, buts its simply not the case.
They are great(caddies), and Ill admit affordable, for some guys, but so are a lot of other things, Big Buck pads are real nice, and get away from that single one inch strap, as do the Bashlin double wide pads, and a few others I have seen.
Choices.
Stay safe gang,
-Grais.

Eric Frei

LOL,

That's like saying dont wear a belt because you get a guts ache. Seriously, how tight are you doing up your straps?

I find doing them up just enough is fine, but you can get padding that the strap runs through if you want.

I see a lot of Gecko's for sale 2nd hand but caddies .... well never.

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newguy18

I never had an issue with the straps cutting into my leg either,seriously how tight do you run yours?

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old schooler

Therrin

Usually pulled to the hole as tight as I can get them, and then back one.

Don't wanna cut off circulation, but don't like em wobbling around a little either.

newguy18

I get them snug so the top of the pad can't move,but it sounds like he pulled his too tight.

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old schooler

Therrin

Just got the big buc pads with the steel insert that wraps around the shin, which are also thick felt padded, and double strapped.

Cant wait to try them out.

Between these new pads and the footplates it'll be like a whole 'new pair of spikes! (and, they'll look like righteous contraptions to boot) (no pun meant)

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TrevMcRev

RUN Therrin, RUN!

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Therrin

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SchafferLoaders

Hey Guys,

I don't know anything about climbing, can you tell me - do you only use this style of climbing if you are cutting the tree down or would a bigger tree have no problem (altough I guess it looks pretty unsightly?).
I'm think they could be handy for coconuts.

Cheers,

Cam

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TrevMcRev

Hi Cam,

Spurs/spikes are really only used for removals, by anyone who actually "cares" for trees anyway. Your more "lop n chop" type folk may be ignorant to the damage it causes and use them for pruning anyway, though that said, their "pruning" is usually just as/more damaging that the spurs!

Trev

SchafferLoaders

Thanks Trev,

They look like a handy bit of gear!
Might be good to avoid the crowds at the next fireworks show

Cam

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newguy18

Shoulda bought the caddies.

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old schooler