Arborists Flipline / Soft Strop / Lanyard - Make your own

[@Neilgal12]

One of the best explainer vids I’ve ever seen. Thorough, meticulous, patient. Thanks! (Anyone who couldn’t hack the noisy table surface is a lightweight!)

[@getsmart2050]

James thanks for this video I am teaching myself to climb until I can afford to put myself through college very instructional

[@Bluecollar711]

Thanks very much for your sharing I'm a roofer of 25 years but climbing in trees is a new addition to my life

[@Bluecollar711]

You are the best

[@tomj5014]

Thank you for a clear explanation of how to set up and use the gear. I used to do a fair bit of climbing and worked on towers and trees, luckily I never had a bad fall. If I had known of this equipment I might have saved myself a lot of worry. If I ever climb again your time here will have been well spent because I'll definitely be using this information. Take care!

[@marknhopgood]

Very useful. Many thanks. I liked how you broke down the strop and rebuilt it.

[@falfield]

Excellent: well thought out and executed video, with all the important info for anyone to follow either clearly explained or evident in the picture. Except maybe for a word on the friction cord - choice of diameter, length, termination. Thanks very much, James.

[@theaxeman4429]

Good video! Just could have done it on the less noisy surface!!! 😄 👍

[@BusaDan86264]

Very well explained great tutorial stay high stay safe brother

[@coldrider3517]

good , I almost use that same set up , I like to use a "Koss" the snap reacts better when throwing it over and behind branch's/trunk and for my preference a double action snap lock is sufficient , I find that steel wires work terribadly & I don't use them but -> BUT I always have two way of securing my life .I never touched my lanyard with the saw ( I touch wood so that it never happen ) but if it ever get cut I will drop about 1 yard at the most . 1 cable to move 2 two cut always , thanks for sharing the safety (+ $ saving ) knowhow , Climb high & stay safe Cheers from Montreal Qc

[@ChicoTheArborist]

The arborist flip line is an essential tool for tree climbers! It provides excellent support and stability while ascending or positioning yourself in the tree. The flip line’s durable construction ensures it can handle tough conditions, and its adjustability allows for quick and secure attachment around the trunk. It's a must-have for any arborist looking to enhance their safety and efficiency in the field. Highly recommend incorporating a quality flip line into your climbing gear. Keep climbing, keep growing, and keep shining bright, my friends! 🌳✨

[@JamesTheForester]

All great comments and good advice. 👍

[@physiodigest]

Very informative relatively new to tree climbing but the clarity of explanation was excellent. Many thanks

[@AndrewMoizer]

James, thank you very much for making and posting this video. I've been researching different options for an adjustable length lanyard after putting new metal roofing on my house the other day. Last night I realized that I could re-configure the two lanyards I already had to make something like this. As near as I can tell it will work a treat. I only wish I'd known this before my monster session to get the steel on before the snow hit (just made it, but I have some finishing stuff still to take care of). I think an adjustable lanyard would have saved me an hour or more of time over the course of the day. I would have saved the time reconfiguring the two lanyards, and would have worked faster by being at the right height all the time. Once again, many thanks for sharing your expertise and experience.

[@Oakclimbercj]

With that friction lanyard set up you can use one hand to adjust. Makes the job a breeze. The only thing about a friction lanyard or climb line is that the pine tree sap can make it difficult to adjust. Any pine tree that is left standing long starts to sap alot so I make sure any pine tree I start I finish. Good vid. I've subscribed.

[@blacktusktrees]

James, up here in Canada we buy our wire core flip lines with steel swivel snaps from the factory. Rather than use prussic cord that can be cut, cam style rope grabs are the preferred progress capture because they are cut-proof and handle pitchy/sappy conditions much better. Nice video though:)

[@chain2grain]

Just so people reading this know, these steel flip lines need an easy cut away for rescue purposes. If they can’t cut through your flip line in an emergency you could get stuck up the tree

[@skye2881]

if you have problems getting the triple fishermans off the rope snap you can use a yosmite tie off, i think that's how its spelled. (bowlin with an extra step and exits through the top) Its just as easy to untie as a bowlin and is about the same size as a triple fishermans

[@odanne29]

awesome man, going to do my own Lanyard/soft strop

[@BoxJellys1]

Cool video, i too made my own strop cutting my rope down by 3 metres, only disadvantage i found is that the knot gets trapped in every fork while trying to pull it back, its nothing major but it really annoys me so i prefer to use a length with an eye on it so it traps less.

[@natoyilively9379]

Thank you for this video, i just assembled my lanyard using this video as a guide. Works great.

[@stickstone1]

Thank u ur video was very helpful I cut palm trees and I've been trying to come up with a good sytem to help me climb them easier

[@dulhanifah8050]

thank for sharing it's very imformative.

[@dysfunctional_vet]

still relevant, great presentation

[@JamesTheForester]

Thank you!

[@lukabrne1829]

I'm not quite sure on the rules in the UK but in Australia, a figure 8 is no longer considered a safe stopper knot due to the fact that they come undone quite easily after being knocked around for awhile i.e while you're climbing a tree. Just something to consider, I guess.

[@dprevish100]

Fantastic, Now I can make up about three of these depending on what length that I need perhaps:)

[@DucatiMTS1200]

Well explained and very useful. Thank you.

[@JamesTheForester]

You're welcome! Glad it was useful!

[@colorado2264]

Nice video !! Very simple and useful

[@JamesTheForester]

Thank you! More are coming!

[@iahmed1717]

Great video, explained eeverything very well.Thankyou

[@victorgutierrez5826]

James what is the name and the size of the prusik cord also the carabines where to get it. thank you

[@JohnJohn-wr7lg]

Excellent instruction. Thanks

[@JamesTheForester]

Glad it was helpful! 😊👍

[@isbjornen1000]

Great video. Thank you so mutch for explaning.

[@billboat10]

Was going to watch but all that banging doin my head in

[@leandrodesouzasouza1382]

P Por dspapwwp pwp

[@mvblitzyo]

excellent video .. joe from California

[@nancypelousy3152]

Excellent job! Very clear and understandable.

[@mike_van_in]

Nice video! Noise was an issue - maybe use a mat or blanket on the table next time - but thanks all the same!

[@davidputnam4629]

James. it's time for a new saddle. who made yours? it looks like it makes a lot of sense to me. thanksfor the video too. how bout a carpet ontop of that table next time. David

[@JamesTheForester]

It's a Petzl Seqouia. They have just released a new version with a rope bridge.

[@ilyas689]

Nice vid, thanks. One question sir, How long is the prusik cord?

[@lancerudy9934]

Great video

[@JamesTheForester]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful 🙂

[@thetreefellane]

Nice vid. Used this to confirm an approach were taking with soft strops. Using a Petzl Micrograb instead of the pussick. Are you from the north east?

[@fogcat1]

Great video! Thank's for posting it.

[@osmiumgus8025]

James, thank you the excellent content. I will refer to this clip again, but I will fast forward past the intro to 4.20 for the good stuff. I know it is unfair to expect high quality production on home made youtube clips using single fixed camera. For future clips, the scraping noise of the hard table surface is very intrusive, a plain colour mat or cover will fix that. Also, i wish you would stop touching the lanyards in the first section and allow us an uninterrupted view, you could have done the first section handheld to show the whole lanyard and then close up from one end to the other explaining the components. That said, I appreciate your effort it is a really helpful instruction

[@unclefrankonap1953]

just a real nice job explaining things

[@paul-erikrosenbaum2259]

Thanks. A very informative video:))

[@mvblitzyo]

great tip i saw viewed this in march of 2017 !

[@andyman242001]

thankyou james excellent vid.

[@robertotirabasso2812]

Yes...but if you use a macrocender its esier and faster to remove ...

[@JamesTheForester]

Yes - I use mechanical progress capture/descenders too. Thanks for the comment!

[@Stealth42]

great video , thanks for sharing. Why you préfere the prussik above the distel? Sorry for my english, i am from Belgium and only speaks flemish and french. Climb safe

[@JamesTheForester]

It just works with that rope combination, I have used different friction hitches. Whatever works best for you!

[@ndc2520]

Thanks for the very good DIY video!

[@TreeCamper]

It's mainly stiff to be able to flip up during advancement.

[@mooglecraft]

What kind of rope are you using to make the soft strop? Is it static or dynamic? What thickness? Thank you for the video-

[@JamesTheForester]

Hi, It's just a 4 metre length cut from the end of my climbing line which is designed for arborists - it has some stretch, but not as much as a rock climbing line. It's not static line - if you fell on a static line the sudden shock loading loading could hurt you.

[@right8630]

@@JamesTheForester actually all rope for arborist are considered static some more dynamic than others a pure SRT line is the most static. Their is a wesspur video explaining this. The main reason you don’t want a dynamic rope is it would be exhausting to use to climb trees.

[@jbbolts]

@@right8630 at the lengths typical of flip lines do you think would it make a noticeable difference? I just threw one together using a dynamic rope... at a couple feet I didn't think it would be matter much referring to this: The main reason you don’t want a dynamic rope is it would be exhausting to use to climb trees.

[@getlostrobyn5498]

Yeah dude put a sheet over the worktop. Listening with headphones, blew my eardrums out. Like the vids though 👌

[@krisdouglas6536]

Hi James, very very good video thanks. I was struggling to find a good video on making my, now ive seen yours the others are just a faff. One thing though im brand new to the concept of tree climbing, I dont have the split eye prusik. Can i make a pusisk with the same diameter as my climbing rope, as in cut some off one end? or should i use accessory cord, i have some 6mm? i realise doing it either way i wouldnt be able to use a pulley, unless i suppose i mad hoops on the ends, but then is it worth it? many thanks if you get a chance to reply mate cheers. Oh and nice to see a vid from a fellow Brit

[@mr.benitezhimself]

Thank you for this video very informative

[@KellyVisionPictures]

What is the name of your harness and where can it be purchased?

[@MrCarina1961]

Why not use the distel, rather then the prusik, the distel are easier to slide away from you?, and the lenght between the distel, and the micropulley, made to a minimum?

[@sfleinen]

sfleinen Another key thing about the 2-in-1 lanyard, is that it is helpful to use a swivel-snap instead of a carabiner on the Prusik loop. Reason: as you alternate between the two ends of the lanyard, the Prusik is going to cam or twist. You can either keep a mental tab of strict alternation of "over, under, over, under, etc." to undo the camming that occurs, or you can use a swivel-snap instead (much easier).

[@krisdouglas6536]

Hi there, you make some very interesting observations there. Im new to tree climbing and im very interested in making this lanyard. I was hoping i could cut a length of the bottom of my rope to use as a prusik, can you advise if this would work and if so the best friction hitch for matching diameters please, or i have some 6mm accessory cord if that would be better ? I do realize doing it this way i would not be able to use a pulley but until i buy the split eye prusik this will suffice. Many thanks in advance.

[@krisdouglas6536]

If my prusik is off the rope i am using, eg same diameter would the Distel work? Also are you inferring the pullet should be very close to the pulley ? thanks

[@MrCarina1961]

Hi Kris, I learned in the Danish forrest school, that the rope used for friction hitches, schould be slightly less diameter, then the climbing line, or in this case, the lanyard, 10 mm. Would be fine. When I had to start going on the first climbing course "basic treeclimbing and pruning" both my Yale 5/8" wirecore lanyards which I have mounted with Gibbs ascenders, were discarded by the teacher, because there have to be something somewhere on the lanyard which have to be able to cut with a knife or pruning saw, if somebody have to rescue me. If i am hanging in the lanyard, and somebody have to rescue me, it's very difficult to lift the victim up, in order to uninstall the carabiner, or snaplock. So all the school's wirecore lanard's were fitted with a distel. Making the Distel, start making the Fisherman's knot, in each end of the friction cord, then make the Distel, Install a Stubai micro pulley on the wirecore flipline, to lift the Distel. Take an ovale carabiner, and slide the eye on the fisherman's knot into the carabiner, then install the micro pulley, and the second fisherman's knot, slide all 3 items to the bottom of the carabiner, and put the carabiner in the side D - ring on your climbing saddle, and you are ready to climb :-D Watch Teufelberger CElanyard, it's similar to the above mentioned, except Teufelberger use sewn eyes, instead of fisherman's knot, and use DMM micro pulley, instead of Stubai micro pulley. Hope it make sense :-)

[@theaxeman4429]

Hey man! - you still haven’t changed your worktop!!?

[@rmwallis5943]

Why would you put a ropeman behind a prusick?

[@BRENDANTHERED]

It's a pulley I'm pretty sure, not a rope, man! Only partly joking.

[@bluecoraly]

Great video, James can you list the specs of the items you use ? thanks in advance

[@jcam6809]

No stopper knot needed on the end of the fisherman's knot?

[@right8630]

Why don’t you use a distal hitch or schwabisch over the English Prusik?

[@JamesTheForester]

I have used them all - this was the simplest one for a demo video. They all work well enough.

[@right8630]

@@JamesTheForester ahh makes sense

[@vinceabbinante2059]

How long is the pressick rope need to be

[@sawjunkie4370]

Thx for the great vid and sharing ideas...

[@terryburket5156]

Thank you for the presentation, I found it to be quite informative. I have one question, What is the diameter of the Prusik cord?

[@JamesTheForester]

Terry Burket From memory 8mm or 9mm.

[@pNoid2k1]

+JamesTheForester , what is the length of the prusik cord?

[@blackbird1234100]

+JamesTheForester diameter of lanyard? 11mm?

[@jackolantern6692]

james, exactly how long is your blue prusik cord with 2 eyelets? i notice they often come in 28 inch 30 inch & 32 inch (sorry, these are US sizes & not metric), so i am wondering which you have chosen. reason why, is because it looks like it would be best to use the shortest. if you can provide the metric length, that is OK. thanks

[@JamesTheForester]

It's on another fliplineat the minute and I don't want to pull it apart! - from memory it was the shortest - 60cm I think?

[@nikoscuatro7251]

great vid, thanks a lot!!

[@rudychavira5558]

What is length on the eye to eye? Thsnks for video started building mine.

[@scatoutdebutter]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@madandfun]

What thickness rope do you recommend for a lanyard?

[@abscomm]

Please put a table cloth or an old blanket or sheet or something on the table before you make another video. However the content was fantastic, thank you.

[@stevejones7140]

Thanks for that.. and it works a treat.

[@quong1]

what sizes are the climbing rope 10 mm or 12 mm or greater....and what are the prices for the individual items... would be great.... thanks

[@anthonyrichardbell]

Thank u u are the man!!

[@vinceabbinante2059]

A lanyard rope needs to be how long

[@delawareteacher1182]

Awesome, I love this idea.

[@josephparker7164]

What size is the littel blue rope on the soft strop

[@garengtutorial8923]

Bagus alat nya bro

[@JamesTheForester]

Thank you! 😊

[@1cleandude]

Why do you have to use the locking snap on one end then use carabiner on the other? Thanks

[@JamesTheForester]

Hi - the snap on the working end is being opened and closed all the time because it's the positioning end, it's quicker, the shape/profile allows easier snapping back into a rope etc and can be operated more easily one handed. In truth, they're both load bearing so could use either on both ends. The carabiner goes onto your belt and is more or less left there,it can also be rotated around on itself.

[@wbraith160]

Need a quieter table to work on there.

[@JoeDnufc4life]

What is the length of your prusik loop on your wire core flipine?

[@JamesTheForester]

Hi. From memory it's two metres. I may go shorter if the tree is thinner.

[@wcb22516]

How long is 3 meters? Is that standards?

[@Bubbles_Bubbles_Bubbles]

Between nine and ten feet. A meter is a little longer than a yard.

[@Thatmanz2212]

How long of a flip line should you get ?

[@myfreestylebmx1]

Whats the point of having a steel flip line if your going to put a foot and a half of soft rope prusik... kinda defeats the purpose of the steel flip line in my opinion.

[@Deliverance-Childrens-Bread]

What size rope

[@Seaguld]

so.... you say that soft strop is cheaper? give me the links youre shopping from....

[@drivethelightning]

Took me way too long to find a bare bones system..

[@BenJoynerCollection]

In a word, Thanks!

[@robertogonzales5862]

good work thanks

[@ridermak4111]

A piece of carpet on the table and I could have made it past 1:30.

[@atomatom6442]

Nice!

[@TheArtisans1]

Too much noise!

[@jamesdearth2145]

Noise!!!

[@Bluecollar711]

Best!!!!

[@bocanegrapaolo]

excelente video

[@79brumley]

Why use a prusik hitch when you have a eye to eye, Smh.

[@badasswood]

check out my vids, I spliced my own, and made my own eye to eye prusik, one on a twister, dual positioning, sick oh sick... did you build up the flip line yourself? I followed tberger specs for class 1 splice, and practiced for months... find spliced to be more reactive, better tending, and less cluttery...

[@JamesTheForester]

+Badass Wood I wouldn't trust my splicing!

[@badasswood]

lol... I have been in testing more over the past year than anything... I have done some small trim jobs on my splices this year, when I had time... I have a full time job doing other things, savin up for a class 1 splicing cert in the ropes I use, and to have enough to start my own tree business soon. I am tired of dead beat tree jobs for unknowledgable, dangerous guys, being way under paid...splicing takes time to learn, and extreme amounts of repetition, and a bit of testing, and examination. I only know two types of splice in class 1 material lines. I stick to that for my climb gear.

[@Bluecollar711]

✌️✅

[@meysamrapell]

like

[@jimgabbard112754]

hard to hear you and toooooo much noise

[@Stan_in_Shelton_WA]

not to ANSI standards in the USA

[@Stan_in_Shelton_WA]

Well actually the second version of clip in was. The first was not a double action lock. Rock climbing gear and arborist gear are very different.

[@carlcox7332]

You should seriously consider putting a blanket over the table next time. Jesus Christ I can't hear anything your saying

[@MrJohnBatty]

Yikes, the table is really distracting.