Gear Storage?? How Do You

Jeff Darby

Hi Folks,
I was just sitting here thinking of how I can store my Arb gear efficiently,you know what I mean quick and neatly and some where to safetly dry wet ropes, I currently use and old bookcase for my saws and string my ropes when wet on John's weigth bench, So if you could post a couple of pictures of how you store your gear I would appreciate it.
Thank You
JayD

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Eric Frei

Doesn't leave the ute most times.

If it gets wet just dry it out and back in the ute.

But I cant show you the inside of my shed, OHS risk!

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treefeller

Never leaves the truck, although the wet gear goes into a dry room

mdvaden

Just got a mind-picture from the History Channel of a sausage machine someone was feeding link sausages into.

Just add a heater to it, and slow down the feed - instant rope dryer

I don't like mold and mildew on my stuff.

Ropes - rarely use them in my small work, but do dry the ropes on occassion.

Big loops over a couple of hooks.

Not for drying, but I hang my garden hose the same way (ever see how most people make a bunch of small loops or coils?). I hang my hose hanger almost to chest or neck level. It allows for nice big loops and fast removal or hanging.

If I had climbing ropes to dry, I'd use similar holders and place them about 8' high which is where I reach. Just 12 coils is almost 100' or rope.

Aiming a fan cuts dry time in 1/2 or better, and takes just cents worth of electricity.

Eric Frei

You know, doesn't rain that often here anymore ... but things might change and I'll have to get a cover.

I have a extra cab so most of my stuff is behind the seats.

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TreeCo

I have double and triple back up for all of my ropes. When a rope gets to wet to use I just hang it in the shop to dry and take another rope.

Just hanging in a shop with a fan blowing drys ropes out pretty fast. The wicking action that most arborist ropes have helps to speed things up.

TREEMONKEY

When my gear is not wet i keep it in this bag. it has 2 huge inside side pockets i use for lanyards, prussiks, pulleys, blocks, woopie slings 150ft tag line 1/2 inch,
in the large main pocket i have a total of 210ft of 1/2 inch rope for lifeline, 200ft 5/8 rigging line, spurs, harness, helmet, hand saw. and its on wheels keeps my gear clean and organized.

when it is wet i hang it up in the garage over the rafters.

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playfordtree

Howdy Treemonkey,

Is that a helmetcam i see here?
Have you got any videos of your work to post?

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Euthanizing South Australian Trees
since 2007

TREEMONKEY

[QUOTE=playfordtree;23707]Howdy Treemonkey,

Is that a helmetcam i see here?
Have you got any videos of your work to post?


I am not to good on a computer. trying to get file size smaller and learn to edit but i will post them hopefully shortly.

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playfordtree

Try windows movie maker its pretty straight forward.
Once you have finished editing it gives you an option to change your file size.
You just need to find the right balance between file size and quality of video.
Then contact Ekka and he will host your videos on the server.


One tip i can offer is, make sure you sharpen your chain before you post a video.
I still cringe when i watch my first video.(what was i thinking???)

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Euthanizing South Australian Trees
since 2007

JohN Dee

Lol, well it did take you abit to get through that wood...

When I look back on our cocos palm vid I cringe aswell... Alot of bad/unefficient habbits back then. But having said that, when I do load up new videos it will be great to be able and look over myself and how I've improved on all aspects..

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

Red : Green : Blue

treevet

I store all my stuff in milk crates (facsimile). You can buy them in some hardware or kitchen,etc supply. I have numerous gear (foldover w tops and handles) but I always quit using them as you cannot what you got in them and you cannot see if you put everything away easily. They do keep the rain out and give good protection.

Milk crates don t tip over (like buckets), you can see in them to check if you brought everything home, and stuff will dry out in them as sides have holes . You can backfeed a half inch x 120- foot line in a small square one and in a doublewide standard size one a 150 foot x 3/4 inch double braid will back feed in if you step on it some to compress it. In one double wide I carry spikes on bottom, a hook up and heavy pully and then rolled up climbing line and snap, on top of that a lowering line (1/2" x 120") and top of that saddle w handsaw/scabbord. In another half box I have big block and numerous hook ups, and porty. They re real portable, you can stack them and you can throw them in truck bed and just heave them on garage floor. They do let rain on gear though.

treevet

Hope this comes out. Never used a camera til couple of weeks ago.

DSC00088.JPG

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quercus

Wet ropes dry very fast when they are being used. Just don't hang them in the sun. A shady spot with some wind coming through is best. Don't use an external heating device of some sort. My gear doesn't leave the van when wet. Just don't stuff it in a sac or box. Coil it and hang it somewhere....


Really treevet, what kind of a SORRY mess is that pile of gear you have there? Not how it should be done.
RESPECTING GEAR = RESPECTING LIFE

JohN Dee

+1 - My thoughts exactly.

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

Red : Green : Blue

playfordtree

Photo came at well.

Your shed looks as messy as mine

Whats the bike in the background? it looks slick.

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Euthanizing South Australian Trees
since 2007

osb_mail

I agree hard to look at rope storage with that bike in the background I store my rope in grass seed bags .They are coiled and hung inside when I need to dry them . I also use seed bags for throw line storage it is cheap and pretty easy to use. Treevet storage dont look that bad I know a guy that just coils and throws on the garage floor he also has a metal lathe he runs in the garage now that a scary combo .

treevet

Fully expected to (would have been surprised to not to) hear that response from you Quercus. Your anal retentive (Wikipedia) van is not the ONLY way to do things!

Was just illustrating the containers and not the storage space. We just did a big TD and stuff has not been relocated yet. Boxes go on shelf in garage that is always aired out periodically. They are never around chemicals or gas or dirt. Ropes dry out well in these boxes, don t sit on floors aren t kept in sun and all is good.

You can feed them out when lowering, pulling over or feed them in when temporarily in the way and move box without rats nest. The lines don t have memory as your long wraps do as coiled and these memory bends can be a problem.

Your famous van box is probably a steam bath on a humid summer day with wet ropes enclosed in there and dry time cannot be optimum. Do you find any fungi growing in there? Chemical and gas fumes in that environment (with your saws in there too) cannot be overlooked as to their involvement with lines either.

My guess is your the only one that thinks you are the only authority on gear on this forum. Don t be so critical before you know all the info ("sorry mess, no respect"). I respect my gear and equipment, and respect your right to have your own opinion.

treevet

Another know it all still wet behind the ears.

treevet

It is an 05 Triumph Speed Triple 1050, Playfordtree.

JohN Dee

When you present a photo of your gear being left in a mess what would you like me to think? I didn't say I knew it all or that I even know you! But I can see what is in your that you have presented and that is indeed a mess.

My class last year, Arb 2 - also stored their gear in the milk crates, they also used the bread (rectangle with low sides) crates to store their hooks. So with me seeing your picture I don't put much emphasis into your storage with milk crates, but the mess around them.

Perhaps it is better to be "still wet behind the ears", then to be old and senile...

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

Red : Green : Blue

treevet

And in that mess, junior, do you see any ropes or gear being compromised in any way? Just in a transition stage as I mentioned. Nothing in your vast 2 years in the business would have you look and say.....foul....foul.

Not a whole lot unlike your Dad wrapping a wet rope around the weight bench as said in the opening post for drying now is it son?

Jeff Darby

Hi Folks,
When I first posted this thread I was looking for better methods of eficiently storing your climbing gear,drying out wet ropes, Safely storing saws so no contaimination to the stored gear.

I thank every one who has replied so far it has given me some good ideas.However we are all responsible for our own gear, How you store your gear is up to you, And I respect that,We who are trained know that in the event of failure of any part of our kit, Workcover will expect, Say it's a rope failure (Causing the climber to fall to his/her death) The inspector will request..demand..a rope log, and take the rope away to test and scientifically inspect the rope, If something is not within OHS guidelines the owner of the equipment in the event of death can be charged with industrial manslaughter.They have sucessfully done this in Australia.

All the ideas put forward have their own merit,some have small negatives,some appear to be picture perfect,But we could all pick them to pieces if we got started and this not the purpose of this thread, The purpose of this thread was to work out a proper profesional excepted way to safely store our gear to get maximum life out it.

So lets keep the pictures coming and keep the integrity in safety our prime concern, bickering gets us no where, Good discusion helps us all as a whole.
JayD

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Member: Australian Tree Association

Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard !

Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others

© Jeffrey J Darby 2011

Sean Freeman

Excellently put Jay

JohN Dee

Nothing mentioned in your original post.

Doesn't say anything about in the "transition" here. Which lead to Q's reply then mine, old man.

Regardless, they are surrounded by a mess. Are those leaves I can see on the ground there?

How are we supposed to know your motorcycle isn't leaking any fluids? How are we supposed to know that you didn't just recently oil the chain on your bicycle?

You painted the picture here, but did not tell the full story behind it. Making us guess the story. Now you are slamming anyone who does attempt to guess it.

Overall, it's your gear and noone is going to stop you from storing it, nurturing it or torturing it the way you like and believe in, but when you put up an unclear picture be aware that scrutiny is just around the corner. Much like when someone puts up an unfactual response and we go digging to find the truth.

and for your information, I have been in the industry the last 6 years and have seen some hellish demons in my short time.

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

Red : Green : Blue

quercus

Anal retentive van? seriously dude... Don't need to go down that road. You're almost making it sound like it's bad to repect the gear.
Humid and fungus in summer? Not really... There's an aeriator device on top of the van in the roof.

Like I said... Don't need to go looking for a brawl here. Let's keep it nice and polite ok?
You're a real veteran in treecare, but there's no need to scrutinize other people for pounding on you a little bit.

Eric Frei

James who climbs for me occasionally he has this excellent little builders trailer with flip up lockable sides.

Inside he's sealed it and compartmentalized it like a tree.

Anyway, his gear is all stored in there nice and neat, great set up, be a right bugger if some-one nicked your trailer though.

The tool that gives most grief to store is that flamin Pole Saw (ht75). If I got a cab thing over the back of my ute it wont fit coz it sits up leaning on the bar behind the cab.

I was once thinking 4wd van too, I think Treeseer's got a van too, dont know if it's got to get an anal check up though. But I think a van would be handy ... hey, somewhere around here some-one had a pic of them actually chipping into the back of a van. But they had to shovel it out.

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quercus

Why don't you trade in the HT 75 for an extendable KM 130?
This last one can be taken apart very easily and I've been using it for years. Can even fit an extension hedge trimmer on it. The talk about the fittings being bad is BS. But hey, you can break everything when you want to.

The silky's in my van are the buggers really... They are close to 2.5 meters in retracted position. If my van didn't have the extra half meter of space under the seats, they wouldn't fit in.

and eh... Treevet... If your rope has "memory", try washing it. That'll do the trick. None of my ropes have memory, but when they get real dirty they do tend to get stiff and that's what you call "memory". When you bend them when they are wet, the bend usually dries in and stays in the line when it is dry and that's a problem sometimes. Not so bad on a static line, but on a semi-static or a dynamic line that means that every time the rope is stretched, the fibers on the inside get sanded. I'm saying is that the fibers wear out from stretching with sandgrains between them and that's real bad. The strings within can break one by one if you don't check up on it and there's really no way of seeing something like that. That's why you need to feel with your thumb for parts that are narrower then normal. If you encounter such a part, cut it out and use the line in the new dimensions. Really need to wash it sometimes and when it's real supple, they usually last longer.
And eh... the way the lines are lying around in your garage, I reckon they must have a "memory" of over a 1.000.000 gigabytes....

treevet

Again, wasn t trying to tell any story here, junior, just show the containers mentioned in my previous post. Bet you ve been to hell and back at 17 years old. Might want to take a break.

treevet

"Anal retentive" (Wikipedia) (Based in Freudian Psychology) .....Person deemed to be overly obsessed in minor details........Such attention to detail that the obsession becomes an annoyance to others, and can become a detriment to the Anal Retentive person."

Don t want a brawl either, but never been real good at someone (ones) poking their finger in my chest either. We re both lucky this is on forum as we re just throwing words back and forth at each other. I may be old in age but can go out the door right now and run 10 miles at 7 plus minute miles, can bench press 200 lbs 3 sets of 10 times and curl ll0 lbs 3 sets of 10 etc. Been in over 140 bar fights, street fights etc. I am sure you are likewise physically able
and I am sure you are a very good arborist and a good person. You may try not to be as critical with other s that differ with you all the time. You got into the beef me and Therrin got into (which by the way we settled just fine and are buds now) and made inaccurate statements and assumptions that were unnecessary and uncalled for. I kept my mouth shut as it was over.

I Appreciate your acknowledgement of my experience and status as an Arborist, and would much rather have a friend than an enemy.......but "taking a pounding", I ve never, again, been real good at that and neither prob has any good tree man.