There are two schools of though in developing new tree climbing equipment (and methods).
One revolves around the use of mechanical devices and the otheraround knot-based solutions. International examples of this phenomenon include ART (mechanical) and the Treemagineers (largely knot-based).Advocates for mechanical devices claim they are safer because climber involvement is limited to the specifications of the device. In general, knot-basedsystems are slightly more complicated and are totally dependent on the climbers ability to tie, set and dress the knot correctly.
An innovative example of a knot-based system in action can be seen in the video below demonstrating a retrievable redirect developed by Auckland climberDom Eastwood.
Dom obviously adheres to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) when it comes to the use of mechanical devices for redirects - the only thing evenslightly 'mechanical' in Dom's set up is the carabiner and the Wichard shackle.
While this retrievable redirect is 'simple' in concept it does require suitable knot tying ability to ensure the system is set correctly.
Dom tells us he has used this system over the last few months and it works perfectly every time. Contact Dom direct on Facebook if you want more information or to pass comments.
