Arborist Mag

WWW.ARBORTEC.COM

GEAR REVIEW www.rescuemagazines.com

AKIMBOROCK EXOTICA By Adam Jones

An arborist by trade, Adam became a career firefighter in
Hampshire, UK serving in the county's USAR team and Technical
Rescue Unit. He maintained his Arboriculture credentials
throughout by running and now expanding his own arb business.
Adam is ARBCLIMBER's lead technical contributor.

[ED: Not Again...how much are Rock Exotica paying us!? Not
enough, and this is purely on merit although the way they
managed to drag out the whole production process, as Petzl
are currently doing with the Maestro/Mystro has given more
bites of the cherry than they should have had! We looked at
the Akimbo in issue 10 with a Spotlight' article rather than full
Review because it was still a prototype. We then featured it on
last issue's front cover but it only just arrived in time to get a
hurried cover shot. No time for a full review of its qualities or
failings, so we put in an 'instructional' article to cover our asses
for having it on the front cover. Now, after a few months of use
and abuse it has seen plenty of action and the finished item has
since arrived in the shops. Well, almost arrived. Those in the EU,
including the UK until the BREXIT fiasco is finalised and we have
come to terms with having no national standard
adherence, can't yet get their hands on a CE-
marked Akimbo but we're assured that this
is in hand so watch this space. At the time
of writing there were only 3, maybe 4
in the whole of the UK so Adam had to
keep his attached to one of those
tracking devices in case it was
nicked during a lunch break.]

COST: $350
WEIGHT: 261g / 9.2oz
ROPE: 11.5-13mm*
*named ropes only
www.rockexotica.com

50 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

Pwww.rescuemagazines.com GEAR REVIEW
rusiks are so last year, but they still work and always
will so don’t forget them! In truth, prusiks will remain a 51
necessary tool for the climber/rigger indefinitely due to
their versatility, simplicity and adaptability to survival situations
when you can make one out of a bootlace. We do however,
continue to evolve!
We will not dwell on the many steps of evolution from
the ladder, to the three knot system, to the prusik looped DdRT
to SRT and all of the hybridised systems in between, but we will
jump straight to the latest mechanical aid to give the Petzl Zig-
Zag a run for its money : the Rock Exotica Akimbo.
The Akimbo is actually the brainchild of Jaime Merritt
from Santa Cruz, California. He is an arborist climber and self-
confessed compulsive tinkerer from an industry positively
alive with such garage-inventors. His aim was to produce a
self/contained multiscender which had no loose parts and
required no tools to adjust the variable settings. Helped off the
ground with a GoFundMe boost, which exceeded the target by
over 300% the project was up and running. Hooking up with
a company with Rock Exotica's pedigree was probably a no-
brainer whoever made the first approach so pre-production
and testing was implemented and the finished article is now
here. When we say 'pedigree', Rock Exotica was born in a
garage in Utah in 1987, from the early days of small production
runs of hardware, maybe 50 pieces at a time and assisted by
a USAF engineer who took leave to help, Rock Thompson has
continued to innovate to this day. An internationally recognised
brand that had something of a 'second coming' when the
rights to its iconic Rescuecender models were bought up by
Petzl and we all assumed that was the end of the Rock Exotica
name. What followed was a reinvention, a whole new range of
highly respected gear and a first foray into the arb market with
the Unicender invented by Rock's namesake. As with Petzl's
Zig-Zag, the introduction of the Akimbo brings to arborism
the benefits of solid research, refinement and testing from
a commercially viable perspective instead of the traditional
garage development. Although, ironically, that still seems to be
where most innovation first takes place.
The Akimbo is a midline attachable mechanical friction
device which allows for the controlled ascent and descent of
either a stationary or moving rope system. Like the Unicender
before it, the Akimbo is a stand-alone piece of gear which
requires no supplementary kit to add friction when being used
for SRT/ stationary rope climbing, such as the rope wrench or
Petzl’s Chicane. But unlike the Unicender, the level of control for
the climber has been greatly refined and is significantly more
controllable.
Constructed from high grade alloy and finished with
anodised colours, the Akimbo has adjustable settings to allow
for a range of rope sizes to be used, from 11.1mm to 12.5mm
but specifically limited by Rock Exotica’s directive to use only
certain ropes from a handful of manufacturers. These are the
only ropes that will meet the certified parameters quoted in the
specifications for Akimbo – you use something else and you're
on your own if anything goes wrong. As well as considering this
list of ropes it is important to note that the choice of rope will
influence the Working Load Limit of the Akimbo (100kg-130kg),

ISSUE 15 ARBCLIMBER

GEAR REVIEW www.rescuemagazines.com

a factor which may govern the choices open to
larger climbers!
To attach the Akimbo to your rope is
very simple, and equally impressive from both an
engineering and aesthetics point of view because you
can appreciate the origami-like, process and smooth action.
While in the open position (pic right) , the adjustment of the
upper and lower bollards can be made. This adjustment
permits the user to tweak the friction imparted on
the rope to that which works best. This will be
dictated initially by the diameter of the rope
and latterly by body weight, environmental
conditions and potentially by the amount of
wear sustained by the bollards themselves
(presumably after many, many hours of
use?). To allow adjustment, the lock arms
are rotated away from the bollard centre
which allows for the whole bollard to drop away from the left-
side control arms, either top or bottom, and then the eccentric
bollard can be rotated to the optimum position. Once this is
done it can be relocated, using the locating pins to maintain
position and the locking arm returned to the locked position.

In respect of setting up the akimbo, get your chosen rope
roved correctly around the bollards whilst the whole device
lays open in front of you, feeding your rope in a left to right
manner, around the top bollard then the bottom before
closing the mechanism. The engineers thankfully haven’t
overlooked their end users’ abilities, kindly including a

RE Approved Ropes

52 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

www.rescuemagazines.com GEAR REVIEW

diagrammatic arrow across the outer face of the device to carrying out the adjustments with the gear that you expect to
remind us of the route that the rope should be taking. be climbing with as the additional loading can result in a need
Officially, your choice of rope is limited by Rock Exotica to change the set up. On one occasion, cutting and holding a
themselves, with one of 10 different ropes from 5 different branch during a job increased the overall weight sufficiently to
manufacturers to choose from (see inset opposite). This is cause an unplanned descent, albeit slowly.
presumably due to the potentially massive range of testing When setting the bollards, excess friction can be
that would be needed to satisfy the standards of the various easily applied and if your adjustment is close to the tolerances,
national bodies worldwide although you wonder why that the impact of resin contamination on your rope can have an
wouldn't be the case for every rope device? Incidentally, this immediate effect. This was noticed early on while working
has (at the time of writing) prevented the import and sale of in pine trees, although the amount of resin was small, the
the Akimbo in the UK and potentially the whole of Europe, friction was exacerbated by the extra tackiness of the rope and
until it meets the requirements for CE certification. This is although the upper and lower control arms were close together,
probably due to the multiple settings, with the potential for 490 movement was restricted.
variations! And that is just with the ten ropes currently listed, When ascending using foot/knee ascenders and a chest rig,
not to mention any updates which can be found on the Rock movement was smooth and consistent. As with numerous
Exotica web site.
Once installed on the rope, devices the self-tending was
operation is extremely simple, applying good once sufficient rope hung
pressure to the top arm to descend or freely below to provide adequate
pulling slack line from beneath to take weight. The wire gate attachment
in, or by clipping to a chest harness for connecting to chest rigs or
or tether when ascending, to allow/ similar works well, sufficiently
facilitate self-tending. sized for a small carabiner or cord
loop. It is important to ensure
IN ACTION that you do not inadvertently
You can use the Akimbo for MRS or connect through the spring clip as
DdRT but it's not as efficient as the this may cause the unintentional
ZigZag and this might be the only part and uncontrolled descent with
of the market that the Akimbo fails to the Akimbo not releasing when
impact because there are still a great loaded, as it is designed. You must
many DdRTists. For the growing number also take care not to side load the
of SRTists though, the Akimbo is smooth small sprung gate while moving to
and compact, unlike the Zig-Zag's new avoid damaging it. When tension
Chicane which enables it to perform the is applied the gate releases as
SRS role but requires up to 400mm/16" required with slight additional
of space above your harness force, freeing you easily from the
attachment while the Akimbo occupies set up.
a mere 190mm/7.5". This makes Without getting hung up on the
manoeuvring around denser canopies a legalities of certification in certain
little easier, although there is the same countries, there is little negative
issue of uncontrolled sudden descent to say about the Akimbo. It has
fulfilled all of the goals set out to
if downward pressure is applied when be attained, it is small, compact in
you contact the underside of a branch while working. This is use and self-contained (think Chicane). It is simple to use from
no different to kit such as the Unicender or Zigzag and will, of the get go, so much so that my 11 year old daughter was using
course, self-correct the second contact is removed. A greater it like a pro in one afternoon! It requires no additional tools to
problem is if you make that contact while using the chainsaw. maintain or adjust it and it can be easily attached or removed
This is why hard-locking of descent devices is standard in rope from a rope ‘mid-line’, another point it wins in comparison
access, not so much in arb work and I'm not sure we want it to the ZigZag. Once in place it cannot be accidentally opened
to be? Just something to be aware of. If you feel specific work due to the way that the mechanism operates, and when setup
position exposes you to accidental activation and want to try a correctly for the individual it provides a highly controllable
hard lock there's no obvious means with the Akimbo but you climbing aid. Precise adjustment of the cams to suit the rope
could use the cover-all option of tying a half hitch in a bite of can either be very good or a royal pain in the butt depending on
the tail rope as shown above. your work methods.
Taking the time to set up the bollards before you begin With the UK and possibly the wider population of
and whenever you change rope type is essential. Insufficient European climbers unable to officially use the Akimbo yet we
friction will result in a steady descent any time that you rest can only hope for an expedient resolution to the certification
on the Akimbo and conversely the tending of slack during and rest assured it will be worth the wait but we're not
ascent will be arduous with excess friction applied. It is worth reviewing it again just because it gets European certification!

ISSUE 15 ARBCLIMBER 53

Swiss start-up MycoSolutions offers
product innovations for tree care with products containing
the beneficial fungus Trichoderma harzianum

MycoSolutions, a Swiss based start-up company, foun- The Avengelus product range offers several product
ded by the internationally known trained arborist and innovations and is environmentally friendly, contai-
researcher Prof. Dr. Francis Schwarze, offers new pro- ning the biologically active ingredient, Trichoderma
ducts for tree care, especially for previously incura- harzianum. Trichoderma harzianum uses natural and
ble decay-causing diseases. MycoSolutions is the first sophisticated mechanisms, protects beneficial orga-
company worldwide to offer conditioned antagonists nisms and can also be applied in locations where the
for several pathogenic wood-decay fungi on trees. use of chemical synthetic agents may not be allowed.

Advantages for tree nurseries the tree tries to isolate itself from bacteria and fungi. This
active defence in trees includes the production of secon-
Among the products of the Avengelus range is Avenge- dary metabolites which act as an antibiotic, e.g. phenolic
lus BASIC. It contains Trichoderma harzianum in its natural compounds. The synthesis of these defense compounds
form. This product is used in tree nurseries as a soil ad- is in part triggered by salicylic and jasmonic acid. Tri-
ditive to promote a healthy soil biology, reduce the risk choderma harzianum significantly increases the amount
of plant transplant shock and help avoid infections of root of salicylic acid already synthesized around the infected
pruning wounds (related to undercutting). Open wounds area. When Avengelus BASIC is applied to fresh pruning
are potential entrance sites for harmful fungi, which can wounds, it acts as a „protector“ against incoming spores
be directly prevented or controlled by the application of from decay fungi when they germinate.
the BASIC product. Avengelus BASIC also facilitates nu-
trient uptake and promotes general tree health by means Supporting new tree plantings
of pre-immunization against pathogens. Trichoderma har-
zianum co-exists with mycorrhizal and contributes to a he- Also, when planting new trees, Avengelus BASIC is recom-
althy soil ecosystem. mended for treatment of wounds of the transplanted root
ball and for supporting fine root growth. Avengelus BASIC
Treating pruning wounds or other injuries achieves good results when used in combination with car-
bon-enriched biochar. Carbon-enriched biochar prevents
The treatment of wounds is of particular importance for soil compaction and stores moisture in the soil. This sup-
the long term preservation of trees. When wounds occur, ports the growth of Trichoderma harzianum and ensures a
better water supply to the tree.

Replanting of trees infested with pathogenic wood

decay fungi - treatment of contaminated soil

Trees infected by wood decay fungi often become unsta-
ble and must be felled. Replanting is usually a requirement
in such cases. To avoid the newly planted tree succumbing
to the same diseases (e.g. Armillaria) the replacement of
the affected soil and a treatment with one of the Aven-
gelus PRO products is recommended. Avengelus PRO is

a customized product where the active ingredient, Tricho- wood decay fungi. The hyphae of Trichoderma harzianum
derma harzianum, is specifically conditioned for individual coil around the hyphae of the host. Through the secretion
cases of a range of pathogenic decay fungi. of lytic enzymes, the cell walls of the host fungus degrade,
while Trichoderma harzianum feeds on the cell contents.

Treat common pathogenic wood decay fungi Rare or unidentified pathogenic wood decay fungi

The Avengelus PRO product family offers treatment If the fungus cannot be determined on site or is not part
for common decay fungi. Since harmful fungi grow and of the PRO family, isolation and identification of the wood
spread over a period of years before symptoms become decay fungus in the laboratory is provided. For this, sam-
visible in the form of fruiting bodies, a continual treatment ples of the fruiting body or rhizomorph are required by the
for a duration of at least four years is recommended. The client. Following the analysis, depending on the identifica-
tion result (fungus is covered with PRO products or not),
the customer might apply a PRO product or a tailor made
Avengelus LAB product can be produced.

specially conditioned Trichoderma harzianum prefers to inspired by nature
remain in the upper 20-30 cm of the soil and litter layer,
where sufficient nutrients are available. It feeds on dead Contact details:
organic matter, on substances secreted from roots and www.mycosolutions.ch
obtains carbohydrates through parasitism of pathogenic [email protected]

+41 71 244 62 62

TRAINING www.rescuemagazines.com

Photos by TC Mazar

ANNUAL CRANE

Crane TRAINING,
WAYNE. PA, USA

SCSlacihfmoebtoeylr byTCMazar

56 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

Wwww.rescuemagazines.com TRAINING
hat Pete Nieves-Sosa, owner of The Crane Man, Inc.
and his people have created with the Crane Safety that’s actually one of the perks of the class.
Climber School (CSCS) isn’t just an annual hands
on training event. It’s a community of climbers, operators, “There’s a lot of time spent just for banter…And because
mentors, friends and colleagues that maintain, evolve and the guys in the tree aren’t being rushed through their thing,
advance the safety culture and knowledge base of crane everybody is involved, everybody is engaged.”
assisted arboriculture operations for the current and future
generations of practicing arborists. There is a personal touch and highly critical process of
analyzing the application of things like rigging and job-site
And anyone that knows Pete realizes very quickly that he is a layout under the real time pressure that a live jobsite offers.
master of putting the right people in the right positions so that With each application of the rigging hardware, chain saw
everyone succeeds. cut and crane pick, students, operators and instructors can
discuss what worked and what didn’t. And most importantly,
The pool of instructors includes the likes of Rob Thigpen, Jim what could be done better.
Roach, Mike Teti, Derrick Martin, Daniel Lawton, Michael
Livingston, Dave Swirdsding, Shawn Rowley, Rick Yoos, Frazier I watched with other students a twenty five hundred pound
Lay, Chris Girard, Alex Gulledge and Stephen Connally to piece of Tulip Poplar lowering down out of the sky on the
name a few. Each instructor brings a wealth of accolades and cable of Dave Swirdsding’s fifty-ton crane. Our break-out group
knowledge from years of experience in the tree care industry, as included myself, Lawrence Shultz, Tony Martinez, Carlos Pulido,
climbers, crane operators and business owners. This specialized Jim Roach, Rob Thigpen and Chris Girard and we discussed in
pool of experience offers some of the best coaching climbing detail the rigging of each piece, searching for any imperfec-
arborists can receive for crane assisted tree work operations. tions to point towards, hash out and possibly re-engineer. This
constructive criticism throughout the groups workshops the
At this year’s 2019 event, students gathered from all over North potential to create perfect static crane pick.
America at the site of The Inn at Villanova in Wayne, PA.
Classroom time is combined with the fieldwork to establish
Longtime instructor Mike Teti admits that there is a significant and solidify different core concepts specific to working with
amount of down time to take advantage of during the field cranes and trees. Hardware and its proper configurations and
operations and in between each climbing student turn. But ratings are well explored in a relaxed, interactive classroom
atmosphere. Job Site Analysis briefings, work positioning,

ISSUE 15 ARBCLIMBER 57

TRAINING www.rescuemagazines.com

Photos by TC Mazar

measuring and setting up a work zone properly for a crane, as crane climber’s most essential tools: dead-eye rope slings,
well as the applied physics and capabilities of the crane itself half hitches, cow hitches, and one rope sling extended on the
are all topics covered against the backdrop of an engaging fly with a traditional round sling and shackle. Over the Sena
PowerPoint presentation. Bluetooth connection, Livingston and Martin communicated
directly. After Martin placed a loud shelf cut and stored his saw,
Climbing arborist Tony Martinez from CP and Sons Tree Service Livingston hoisted his cable and the large trident of Ash came
travelled all the way from Los Angeles. That’s a long distance, off the cut silent and smooth.
but the means certainly justifies the ends.
Instructor Chris Girard from New Hampshire has plenty to
“Crane removals for me are new,” Martinez said. “I’m definitely say about his positive experiences with Crane Safety Climber
getting more experience for myself as well as operators over School.“I could go on for hours,” Girard boasted with pride.
there. There’s not many experienced
operators where I come from. So I “One of the best things about
can hopefully take the knowledge I this particular workshop are the
learn here back to L.A.” instructors that are here. You get
them up in the tree, you get them
Carlos Pulido, owner of CP and Sons on the ground and everything is
Tree Service in Los Angeles, also always gone over…everything is
made the trip with his apprentice explained clearly.”
Tony. “In LA we don’t have a lot of
crane companies that work with Arborist and volunteer Kevin
trees. We came to learn how to Lay, son of Instructor Frasier
use the crane slings, to figure out Lay, explained how powerful the
different techniques like the V-cut community of arborists is for the
and shelf cut.” student experience in general.

There was an array of worksites setup throughout the property. “It’s just the wealth of knowledge
A mix of mobile hydraulic cranes and articulated knuckleboom between everyone,” Lay said. “You have so many guys from so
cranes dotted the property of the Inn working on Ash, Beech many different areas, and you really get a chance to talk with
and Tulip poplar trees to name a few. everyone; not even just the crane stuff, just climbing in general.
You get tons of different knowledge.”

For the first rigging demonstration on day one students stood Instructor Shawn Rowley from New Jersey admitted about CSCS
just outside the work zone of legendary operator Michael that it’s “the furthering of our knowledge and the furthering of
Livingston’s worksite as he lifted climbing instructor Derrick our industry and trade and its such a safer way to do things and
Martin into the spreading crown of a large Ash tree. Martin that’s what keeps you coming back. You’re preventing injuries,
rigged the piece with a balanced application of some of the you’re preventing hazards.”

58 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

MEET THE BRAND NEW

HELMETS

MAXIMUM IMPACT LIGHT AND COMFY HIGH VOLTAGE
RESISTANCE PROTECTION
AIR-GO
IMPACT E-GO

For all your vertical needs

WWW.PMIROPE.COM

TRAINING www.rescuemagazines.com

“This is a game-changer,” Rowley said. Knucklebooms, and especially the knucklebooms with the
grapple saw. It’s such a tight-knit community.”
At 64 years old, CSCS student Pat Lewis is absolute proof that
you can still teach an old dog new tricks. Gulledge came to the CSCS several years ago in preparation
to learn the ins and outs of knuckleboom operation before his
Lewis admitted that learning how to climb safer was his main newly ordered unit arrived to his company.
objective for this year’s class.
“My first experience here
“This is the first time I’ve definitely changed my
been on a knuckleboom outlook on the industry for
crane and it’s pretty the better,” Gulledge said.
interesting,” Lewis said.
“Since 1979 I’ve been Stephen Connally from
working cranes…and I Adaptable Aerial Solutions
came here to also learn in Virginia, is no newcomer
some of this spider- to the arborist industry,
leg rigging that they’re but like Gulledge, he
getting into with multiple is the new owner of a
attachments.” knuckleboom crane which
he drove to PA all the way
Lewis laughingly quoted from Virginia to volunteer
the Beatles as he left his time and equipment as
me, “will you still need an instructor and operator
me, will you still feed me this year.
when I’m 64.”
“The first year I came up to crane school I saw Rick Yoos’
Absolutely, Pat. knuckleboom,” Connally said. Although not initially very
impressed, Connally admitted his perspective changed by his
Arborist and class instructor Alex Gulledge from Colorado said second course enrolment.
that “It’s a great industry and niche that we’re in with these
ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15
60

www.rescuemagazines.com TRAINING

“The second year I came back I really looked at it long and At the close of the first night I watched as dusk settled in
hard and I started to see the applicability of it and how maybe against large cumulous clouds brilliantly haloed by the setting
if I can make it work this would be a source for me to be an late-April sun, groups of arborists chatting, analyzing, joking
independent contractor
with no employees... and reminiscing. A
I figured I’d take a chance long, twelve-hour day is
and it worked out great. nothing new to this group
I’ve been booked solid of students, operators
since I bought it.” and instructors, not even
with bad weather on the
Connally did admit that horizon. The loud roar of
just like any great tool a diesel engine throttles
though, his truck does up and the whine of a
have it’s limits. Growth is loaded hoisting cable
on his horizon so that he brings the last of the days
can siphon through his wood up, over and down
market and retain quality to be sent through the
clients. Most importantly, rolling feeder wheels of
he feels deeply indebted a dual axle chipper. It is
to CSCS for the doors it a heavy steel symphony.
opened in his own life. You look around and
everyone really is engaged
“This class made such a difference in my career. I feel so deeply with something or
passionately about this program I just had to give something someone. No one can really get enough of this stuff.
back…I’m pretty lucky they let me bring the truck up here and
participate in this class.” “This sucks we have to wait another year to do this again,”
Teti said.

ISSUE 15 ARBCLIMBER 61





MARKET GUIDE www.rescuemagazines.com

64 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

www.rescuemagazines.com TOOL CLIPS & HOOKS

Harness
TOOL
Petzl's PRO version
CLIPS& hooks of the CARITOOL has
a nylon anti-snag
shroud to the gate and
includes an eye at the
top for safety cord/
lanyard to make sure
you don't drop your kit
just as you unhook it.

As the name suggests, these are supplementary hooks You sometimes hear comments
that are designed to clip onto your harness in a semi- that a Caritool or similar clip
permanent fashion and then easily stow
your equipment. This is either as a general storage has broken – this
option for carabiners, hardware, slings etc. or, will almost certainly
in the case of heavier duty hooks, for attaching be due to overloading
a chainsaw and continually switching between and/or torquing – in other words, user-error! Of
being stowed and being used. We should be course, you could use practically any inverted
calling this Guide ‘CARITOOLS’ since that’s what carabiner as a tool attachment and especially
most people know them as but in contrast to a a bent-gate snap carabiner but what sets ALL
time when Hoover cornered the vacuum market of these models apart is an adaptation to be
so completely that they turned a noun into a used on webbing which will be some form of
verb, Petzl didn't stand unopposed for quite captive eye or just a stabilisation bar as with the
long enough. You have to be quick these days Treeup hook model (left) which pushes through
and although it may seem to arborists that Petzl had things a narrow sewn eye with the T-bar sitting on
their own way for many years, there were always competitors top. Most models have a maximum webbing size they will fit
on the sport side with Camp, CT, Singing Rock, Kong, Black and therefore harnesses that they won't fit. Some stockists
Diamond and the now discontinued Mammut IceBreaker and actually list the harnesses their hook WILL fit but that's a bit
even this tandem hook (right) from Simond. too exhaustive for us and liable to change every few months so
There have also always been more industrial we've listed the maximum web size it will fit (in orange) in the
options. Early arborist harnesses like the dimensions column.
Whillans had (and have) steel, offset tool clips
incorporated into their design and later, add- The Petzl Caritool is plastic (or more accurately, glass-
on steel hooks appeared like the French Komet reinforced plastic) and all black with the PRO plastic model
and German Treerunner. Protekt of Poland, better known to having a yellow anti-snag cover. Courant's Honos (opposite)
arborists as 'TreeUp' have the simplest of designs – something comes in a fetching blue, red or yellow and is unusual in having
akin to a blunt, steel, meat-hook but they also have a more
conventional plastic carabiner-style hook. More recently a retaining hook on the webbing hook. The latest metal
has seen the Shembiner chainsaw hook and two of the tool-holding incarnations are alloy and becoming quite
alloy wizards – DMM and Rock Exotica introducing more complex with locking gates and screw-on belt attachment
complex carabiner-style models. All of these companies
would probably moan about using Petzl’s product name as (Left). Some of the older
a generic term so we've diplomatically referred to them all models can still hold their
as Tool Clips & Hooks. Don’t forget, the plastic hooks are own though and this
only rated to about 5kg/11 lb so you can’t generally hang, Treerunner folding model
for instance, a chainsaw off them. That normally requires (right) overcomes the
the metal versions although Petzl's larger Caritool is sold problem of taking up
by Husqvarna as a saw holder so presumably some others space unnecessarily
will also cope. CMI took Shem Kendrick's idea for a chainsaw and unwanted hang-
hook and ran with the Shembiner, slightly different to most of ups by folding flat
the models here because it's an open hook. More on this later. to the harness
when not in use.
ISSUE 15 ARBCLIMBER Some of the plastic models
have ‘Not Load Bearing’

65

MARKET GUIDE www.rescuemagazines.com

emblazoned on them. Not surprising since they’re Security Cord attachment eye.
plastic but so do the latest generation of metal Note that the holes in the
carriers. This warning refers to the possibility of Shembiner are actually for
someone hooking their fadass directly onto one
and trying to hang on it. Non-living loads like your machining purposes but could
equally function as cord
tools are absolutely fine.
attachment eyes for securing
In their original, modified carabiner form, lose items.
you have the sport climbing fraternity and
ice climbers in particular to thank for this This Treehog model has a web
handy genre of tool clips intended to keep securing clip and an open web
your rack lighter (and cheaper) and clip and slot so it could fit a wider belt
unclip ice screws or chocks and cams (pro) than the recommended 45mm.
quickly and easily. Consequently, a number of
the models here are aimed at mountaineering Be wary of larger metal
but we’ve included them because they do the hooks (in particular) standing
same job. You’ll notice that a number of designs proud of webbing with narrow
have a broad, top surface with a prominent lip
above the gate, while others have a heavily waist bands. This Singing
ribbed top surface. This is for stacking Rock harness has extra wide
items safely out of the way so that you can padding. Also ensure that you
extract another item while still attached do NOT clip into load bearing
within the hook. This evolved from the sport webbing and cause personal
requirement for racking multiple sizes of
ice-screws and pro but it works for any multiple injury in a fall.
items like spare carabiners.
Ultimately, the highest strength and Lanyard/Carabiner
toughest items are the chainsaw hooks from attachment eye.
Treerunner, Protekt and Krok and the latest
generation of all-alloy models like Grivel's Amazingly, CMI does not
Carryabiner (not included), CMI's Shembiners, quote a WLL for either
DMM's Vault and Rock Exotica's Transporter. (NB: Shembiner model but
the Husqvarna metal hook still sold while stocks expect a minimum of
last, is now discontinued but expect a replacement
next year). They’re undoubtedly the most robust options, it’s 20kg/44lb
just a question of whether the extra cost, weight and bulk on
your harness is preferable to the cheap and light plastic models. plastic barbs on its web clip, the Camp
Many harnesses have sewn tabs specifically to take a Caritool Hub has a profiled and ribbed spine, the
or other suitably sized carabiner and the iconic Teufelburger new Courant Honos has a retaining clip
TreeMotion harness is basically one big Caritool carrier. But to 'lock' the webbing into the retainer as
as we've mentioned, the big difference between a standard does the Treehog TH1035 (top right)
carabiner and the models in this guide is that they are purpose- and the new Edelrid SML3 (right)
designed tool carriers with a stabilising element that keeps due out later in 2019. Some of the
them firm and correctly oriented on ANY suitably sized harness metal carriers are actually screwed
accessory webbing. Most models have an integral keeper along onto your harness so they ain’t going
the spine that clips over the webbing but others like the Singing anywhere, actually, two plates are
Rock Porter (above middle) , CT Truck and Camp Hub have a screwed together onto the accessory
simple straight, often flattened, spine with an add-on rubber webbing rather than actually screwing
‘keeper’ that weighs about 4g if you’re counting and enables into life-support webbing but you knew
the hook to fit most harness webbing more firmly. Be aware what we meant. This immobility is particularly
that no tool clip will fit ALL webbing, some will fit the now important when you’re hanging on with one hand while trying
standard 45mm but not the older standard 50mm/2" webbing. to clip or unclip vital equipment including your chainsaw. The
One model, the Petzl Caritool Evo (top left) has a wire web clip best carriers need to be unobtrusive on the harness, easy to
that runs the entire length of the spine to fit the widest range clip and unclip but also be absolutely secure both in terms of
of webbing in our guide. All of these dedicated tool hooks are the attachment to the harness and keeping the equipment
designed to firmly grasp webbing and limit rotation of the safe when it’s clipped in, no matter what mystical or vigorous
hook when clipping or unclipping gear. The original Caritool has manoeuvring you undertake on the rope. A lighter-duty plastic
model will break more readily when overloaded so is less of
66 a hang-up risk than the heavier-duty models which can carry
a small elephant. With this in mind, the very strong Russian
Krok model (top of next page) has had the keeper on the nose
removed. The gate will still close to keep your carried items
safe but if loaded over 110kg or 150kg respectively for the two
models will bend and release you. They must grow 'em big in
Russia because most decent climber's weigh a bit less than
150kg! On the other hand, if you've just cut your rope and are
about to hurtle through the canopy to certain death, you might

ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

TOOL CLIPS & HOOKS Most Compact Rope Termination

be glad of the open hook and strength of WEBLINK
something like a Shembiner snagging a
branch on the way down. The Weblink is the most compact rope termination on the market.
If you look at the Petzl A removable abrasion protector protects the seam against wear and
Caritool and the Courant Honos holds the carabiner in perfect position. A small inspection window
in the title pictures you'll notice indicates whether the carabiner has been attached correctly. To subject
an eye in the top left corner and the termination to a full visual inspection the abrasion protector
at the bottom, respectively and can be removed.
you'll also find this or some form of “Aborists will love this termination especially when the
end of the rope is fed through the rings of a cambium saver.”
captive eye on other models like the Treehog opposite and Philippe Westenberger (EDELRID Produktmanager)
the Krok (above) next to those manicured nails which many www.edelrid.de
arborists would aspire to. The eye is for attaching a cord or full
size lanyard to your gear so that you don't 67
immediately drop it as soon as you've taken it
off the hook. In the case of the Shembiner XL
left you have the best of all worlds because it
has eyes you can tie cord into, a large eye at
the bottom for clipping a chainsaw lanyard
into and the hook itself with a large
opening, therefore easy to drop your saw
onto but it has a slight 'barb' to stop your
saw falling off if you invert. The other steel
chainsaw hooks are easier to clip into than
to unclip, as is the case with all tool clips
with a sprung gate, but that's on the valid
assumption that you'll need to stow the
saw faster, having made a cut, than prior
to the cut when you have the time to go
through the fiddlier process of unhooking.
CT's Truck (above right) has a little plastic
clip to hold the gate open should you
prefer and the nose of the hook is nicely
rounded so as not to snag anything on
the way in or out. In contrast, the DMM
Vault (right) and RE Transporter can
lock closed if you prefer so that you
won't lose kit regardless of the aerial
gymnastics you perform. Note that the
Vault hinges in the middle of the spine
to fit webbing in from the top.

IN THE FOLLOWING TABLES:
COSTS: include local Tax/VAT and are
approximate and usually rounded up.
MATERIALS: Some manufacturers use
the word 'nylon' instead of 'Plastic'. While
they are outwardly the same, nylon is a DuPont
product with strict manufacturing procedures.
MBS Minimum Breaking Strength is shown in orange but
only quoted by a few and since these are non-live-load clips.
WLL is Working Load Limit shown in black but it is often the
case that this figure is decidedly lower than the figure that
some quote as a SWL or Safe Working Load. We tend to use
only WLL these days and we always thought that was the same
as SWL but maybe not so it's best to err on the side of caution
when it comes to load limits.

ISSUE 15 ARBCLIMBER

TOOL CLIPS & HOOKS www.rescuemagazines.com

timoNIaMsOtcgoATaeGSlseECSALNEOT MODEL COMPANY ORIGIN MATERIAL DIMENSIONS MBS/ LOCKING WWW.
COST FRAME FIT WEB WLL
inc tax GATE
WEIGHT
GATE
CLEARANCE

BLACK £9 35g 65mm Plastic 105x50mm n/a blackdiamond.com
Ice Clipper DIAMOND $10 1.2oz 2.6" Stainless 4.1 x 2"
€8
Steel

Hub CAMP £6 36g 23mm Plastic 116 x 58mm 5kg climbingtechnology.com climbingtechnology.com camp.it
$5 1.3oz 0.9" Stainless 4.6 x 2.3" 11lb
€5
Steel 45mm
1.77"

Hammer CLIMBING 101x463mm 5kg
Lodge TECHNOLOGY £8 19g 25mm Nylon 4 x 1.8" 11lb
€12 0.7oz 1" Nylon 45mm

1.77"

Truck CLIMBING £6 20g 25mm Nylon 108x55mm 5kg
TECHNOLOGY €8 0.7oz 1" Stainless 4.25 x 2.16" 11lb

Steel 45mm
1.77"

Shembiner CMI £24 47g 14mm Alloy 104x55mm n/a cmi-gear.com
Std €23 1.6oz 0.55" 4.08 x 2.2"
$24
50mm
2"

Shembiner CMI £30 60g 31mm Alloy 127x76mm n/a cmi-gear.com
XL €35 2.15oz 1.22" 5 x 3"
$37 50mm
2"

Honos Courant £6 35g 20mm StPGFSalitailbneasrlesteeislcss 112x65mm 5kg mycourant.com
Small €8 1.2 oz 0.8" 4.4 x 2.6" 11lb

45mm
1.77"

Glass 150x92mm dmmprofessional.com dmmprofessional.com mycourant.com
Honos £14 82g 37mm StPFaliaibnsrlteeicss 6 x 3.6" 15kg
Large Courant €16 2.9 oz 1.5" 45mm 33 lb

Steel 1.77"

Vault DMM £35 72g 20mm Alloy 111x56mm 3kN n
Locking $60 2.5oz 0.8" Alloy 4.37 x 2.2" 674 lbf
€50 23kg
45mm 30 lb
1.77"

Vault DMM £27 61g 23mm Alloy 111x56mm 3kN
Wiregate $45 2.15oz 0.9" Stainless 4.37 x 2.2" 674 lbf
€40 23kg
Steel 45mm 30 lb
1.77"

SM Clip EDELRID £6 24g 25mm Plastic 85x58mm 5kg edelrid.de
€7 0.85oz 1" Stainless 3.35 x 2.3" 11lb

Steel 50mm

2"

NOTES: COST: Approx & inc local tax/VAT MBS: None of these are rated for PPE - ONLY tool stowage. n/a=not available/not given

68 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

Introduce up to 80% positive productivity to your inspections!*

NEW Integration Intelligence loaded tags to make your
inspections quicker, easier and more
The task of inspecting PPE and Work at Height Equipment flexible
can be painful. Inspections absorb many human hours and
the repetitive task inevitably leads to human error. This Identify Assets
constant repetition can have a devastating effect on your
company’s most valuable resource – your team. Easily & quickly identifies your assets
Decreasing the inspection time for your equipment and
assets correctly, is now easy – with EZYiDtm! Productivity
Using state-of-the-art RFID Tag Technology, EZYiDtm uses
power-packed micro-chipped tags, which are integrated Saves time & eliminates inspection fatigue
into ISC Hardware, Ropes and Webbing products.
Portable System
How EZYiDtm Works
1. Sync your EZYiDtm Reader to the Bluetooth of your PC/ Out in the field, out in the warehouse, or the
Laptop, or mobile device. office
2. Simply point the EZYiDtm Reader at your ISC EZYiDtm
integrated product & press the Customised
button.
3. The data will upload to your existing software! Adaptable & flexible– works with your existing
asset software (including MS Excel)
... flexible, mobile and easy to integrate into
your existing software! Grows With You

For further information, please contact us: The solution for your asset tracking needs
+44 (0) 1248 363 110
[email protected]
*depending on your asset management system

TOOL CLIPS & HOOKS www.rescuemagazines.com

timoNIaMsOtcgoATaeGSlseECSALNEOT MODEL COMPANY ORIGIN MATERIAL DIMENSIONS MBS/ LOCKING WWW.
COST FRAME FIT WEB WLL
inc tax GATE
WEIGHT
GATE
CLEARANCE

SM Clip L3R EDELRID £8 41g 33mm Nylon 118x56mm 5kg honeywellsafety.comhoneywellsafety.comedelrid.de
$12 1.45oz 1.3" Stainless 4.6 x 2.2" 11lb
€9
Steel 95mm 20kg
3.7" 44 lb

Chainsaw HONEYWELL £51 260g 50mm Alloy 160x67mm
Hook (KOMET/ $50 2" Alloy 6.3 x 2.6"
MILLER) €49
45mm
1.77"

Special HONEYWELL £24 Alloy 192x110mm 20kg
$26 Alloy 7.5 x 4.3" 44 lb
Chainsaw (KOMET/ €26 190g 54mm

Hook MILLER)

Owl KONG £20 68g 17mm Alloy 172x92mm 10kg
$33 2.4oz 0.7" Alloy 6.8 x 3.6" 22 lb
€25 kong.it

Stainless 71x41mm 190kg
80g 16mm StSSattineeleeellss 2.8 x 1.6" 419 lb
Transporter6 KROK €7 2.8oz 0.6" 70kg krok.biz
45mm 154 lb
1.77"

Transporter8 KROK €14 160g 28mm SSttSSaattiinneelleeeellssss 106x61mm 360kg krok.biz
5.6oz 1.1" 4.2 x 2.4" 794 lb
200kg
45mm 440 lb
1.77"

Caritool PETZL £6 25g 20mm StPGFSalitailbneasrlesteeislcss 114x54mm 5kg petzl.com
$9 0.9oz 0.8" 4.5 x 2.13" 11lb
SPORT P42 €7
45mm
1.77"

Caritool PETZL £12 60g 45mm StPGFaliailbnasrlsteeiscss 142x80mm 5kg petzl.com
$19 2.1oz 1.77" 5.6 x 3.15" 11lb
SPORT L €13 Steel
45mm 5kg
(Discontinued) 1.77" 11 lb

Caritool PETZL £6 31g 20mm StPGFSGalitailFbneasPrlestee/islcss 114x54mm 15kg petzl.com
€6 1oz 0.8" 4.5 x 2.13" 33 lb
PRO $9
45mm 5kg
P042AA00 1.77" 11 lb

Caritool PETZL £14 74g 45mm StPGFSGalitailFbneasPrlestee/islcss 142x80mm petzl.com
€15 2.6oz 1.77" 5.6 x 3.15"
PRO L $19
45mm
PO42AA01 1.77"

Caritool £11 Glass 146x74mm
$15 50g 45mm StPFaliaibnsrlteeicss 5.75 x2.9"
EVO PETZL €11 1.76oz 1.77" petzl.com
120mm
P42M Steel 4.73"

NOTES: COST: Approx & inc local tax/VAT MBS: None of these are rated for PPE - ONLY tool stowage.

70 ARBCLIMBER ISSUE 15

dmmwales.com

Work with
the Captain

A ‘self-locating’ high strength (18kN)
throwing hook for work positioning
and traversing.

Keep the Captain by your side with
its snag-free racking capability. A hot
forged shackle allows the hook to
locate onto any anchor up to 90mm
in diameter.

› Captain › Captain Kit

TOOL CLIPS & HOOKS www.rescuemagazines.com

timoNIaMsOtcgoATaeGSlseECSALNEOT MODEL COMPANY ORIGIN MATERIAL DIMENSIONS MBS/ LOCKING WWW.
COST FRAME FIT WEB WLL
inc tax GATE
WEIGHT
GATE
CLEARANCE

TU300 PROTEKT/ £5 80g 27mm Steel 112x50mm 500kg treepruopt.eplkt.pl
TREEUP $6 2.8 oz 1" 4.4 x 2" 1102 lb
€5
35mm wide 50kg
110 lb

AY100 PROTEKT/ £5 31g 23mm Plastic 110x50mm 90kg treepruopt.eplkt.pl
TREEUP $6 1 oz 0.9" Stainless 4.3 x 2" 198 lb
€5 60mm 25kg
Steel 2.4" 55 lb

Transporter ROCK £53 95g 32mm Alloy 142x80mm 180kg n rockexotica.com
EXOTICA $65 3.4oz 1.25" Alloy 5.6 x 3.15" 397 lb
€79 23kg
50mm 50 lb
2"

Porter SINGING £7 32g 23mm Plastic 112x53mm 5kg singingrock.cz
ROCK $9 1.13oz 0.9" Stainless 4.4 x 2.1" 11 lb
€8
Steel 75mm
3"

Tool Carrier TREEHOG £9 31g 23mm Plastic 110x50mm 5kg treehog.co.uk
$11 1oz 0.9" Stainless 4.3 x 2" 11 lb
TH1035 €10 50mm
Steel 2"

Folding €39 130g 30mm Alloy 126x70mm 20kg grube.de
Chainsaw TREERUNNER 4.6oz 1.2" Alloy 5 x 2.75" 44 lb

Hook 80mm
3.15"

Chainsaw 220g 50mm Alloy 190x120mm 20kg
Hook 7.8oz 2" Steel 7.5 x 4.7" 44 lb
TREERUNNER €35 80mm grube.de

3.15"

Chainsaw €37 200g 30mm Stainless 96 x 58mm >20kg grube.de
Hook TREERUNNER 7oz 1.2" Steel 3.78 x 2.3" 44 lb
Steel
Stainless 50mm
Steel 2"

“Vega is a firm, TECHNICALLY BETTER
smooth-profiled 11.7mm. The
Take thweitBhOthUeNVCEcEGlimoAub1tin1o.gf7SmliRnmTe
skinny, firm line will suit any
mechanical positioning or access SEARCH FOR STOCKISTS AT WWW.MARLOWROPES.COM
device, and it will also work as an #equippedwithmarlow

access line.” ARBCLIMBER25/0I9S/2S01U8 E111:051
Joe Harris, Arborist

Into Trees

72Arb climber advert sept 2018.indd 1

5 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®´
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
3,500 TREES Maintained.
45 METRES OF
CLIMBING ROPE.
21 DOUBLE PULLEYS.
3 PICKUP TRUCKS.
1 CHAINSAW.

Chris Pratt
Arborist and Stihl
TIMBERSPORTS® athlete.

STIHL understands the needs of arb professionals, like Chris. NEW
The new MSA 161 T boasts 40% higher chainspeed and 15% more
power than the MSA 160 T and is the evolution of many years The New STIHL MSA 161 T chainsaw. A lightweight and now
of research and development, combining innovative technology, even more powerful cordless arborist saw from STIHL.
optimum ergonomics and low weight to deliver exceptional
cutting performance and comfort. So whether it’s a crown lift,
reduction or complete removal, trust STIHL to take care of every
requirement and set the standard for power and reliability.

Find out more at your local
STIHL Approved Dealer or visit

www.stihl.co.uk/pro

Photo © www.kalice.fr STRATO ® HI-VIZ

Head protection is more than just a helmet.

The STRATO HI-VIZ helmet is very lightweight and comfortable, thanks to its
CENTERFIT and FLIP&FIT systems. Integrable with Petzl vision protection,
hearing protection and multiple accessories, it is an entirely modular helmet.
The high visibility version features a fluorescent outer shell with phosphorescent
clips and reflective bands, for optimal visibility of the wearer, in a tree or on the
ground. Personalized versions available on demand. www.petzl.com