by A R o bert Tb ompmn

Forester

N d ream 'P a rk S ervi ce

R
T EE PR ESE R V ATION B ULLETI N N O
'

. 7 R E V IS ED 1 95 5
U N ITED STATE S DE P A RTM EN T O F THE I N TE R IO R

DO UG LAS Mc KAY , S ecret ary

NATIO N A L P A K SE V ICE R R
CO N AD LR . WIRTH Di , r ect or

Fo r sl
a e by t h e S u pe ri n t e n den t of Do c u me n t s
U 8 G
. . o ve rn me n t Pi
r nt in g Offi ce

Was hi g o
n t n 25 , D . C
. Pi
r ce 15 ce n t s
FOR E W ORD

O ver 20 yea s ago the National Park S ervice was confronted with the p rob
r

lem of imp roving and maintaining in good condition thousands of valuable

shade ornamental or historically si gnifi cant trees w ithin a variety of area
, ,
s .

In order to guide those w h were responsible for this w ork in p ark areas a o ,

most comp lete and useful series f nine Tree Preservation B ulletins w o as

prepared between 19 3 5 and 1940 by the late A Robe t Thomp son forester . r ,

in the B ranch of Forestry National P ark S ervice The original bulletin ,

'

No 7 R p K t d Clim b i g w one of this series

.
,
o e, n o s, a n n ,
as .

A lthough the bulletins w ere ori ginally intended for park emp loyees they
‘

received wide by arborists and this demand has continued They are
u se .

being reissued from time to time to meet this need .

The revised series will total seven in number The original B ulletins 1 and '

2 P p
,
ur d P l i y w hich referred to National P ark S ervice p ractices
o se an o c ,

only are being rep laced by the earlier bull etin No 9 w No 1 T

, .
,
no .
,
ra ns

p l ti g T
an n d O th W dy P l t and bulletin No 8
re e s a n er w No 2 oo a n s, .
,
no .
,

S f ty f T
a e W rk
o r B ulletin No 6 G
re e o l S p yi g
e rs . d O th P .
,
e n e ra ra n an er ra e

ti
c e s,w revised and reissued in 1 95 3 and the w bulletin No 1 i 1954
as ne . n .

T his b l l i R op
u K o s
e t n, d C l im b i ge, m i s No 7 i
n h s i s
t , E p an n , re a n . n t e er e . xc e t

f
o r ve ry mi o isio s i is ss i ll
n r rev h
n
g d f om h
,
o igi l s i g
t e ent a y u nc an e r t e r na ,
a t te t n to

B b T h om p so s o m p l p k owl d g f h s b j
’
o dn c e te a n ex ert n e e o t e u ect .

CO N A
R D L . W I RT H ,
D i r e c to r .
CO N T EN T S

Introd uction
Rope M anufacture
WorkingL oads for M anila Ro p e
Im p ortant K nots and H itches
Im p ortant S plices
Throw ing a Rop e
S purs or C limbing Irons
Rope C limbing
S afety S ling
U se o f S afety Ro p e in a Tree
Insp ction of Ro p e
e

C oiling the Rope

Rop ing and C limbing S tandards
A cknowledgments
B ibliography
I NT RO D U CT I ON
A lthough technicians in many varied fi elds must be skilled in the use f o

rope knots and methods of rigging few have more daily need f r such
, , ,
o

skills than the tree worker H uses r pe to get into a tree ; as an aid in
. e o

working around in a tree ; as a means of lowering and raising tools ma ,

t i l
e r a s, and lowering tree limbs ;and most imp ortant f all as a safety ,
o ,

measure which p revents him from f alling .

L adders often are useful in connection with tree p reservat i on activities ,

but they are awkward to transp ort and use and so usually are not available
when needed A nd even when ladders are used the intelligent worker
.
, ,

alway s will avail himself of a rope safety sling to p revent p ossible accidents .

It may be truthfully said that the ability to perform effi cient work in a
tree is based fi rmly upon a thorough working knowledge of rope knots , ,

splices hitches and climbing technique No tree worker be considered

, ,
. c an

skilled unless he possesses such basic knowledge and knows how to ap ply
it p roperly .

Real skill with rope comes only with proper instruction and constant prae
tice and cannot be obtai ed merely through reading It is hoped however
n .
, ,

that this bulletin will serve a useful purp ose in exp laining some of the funda
m t l
en a s o f rope knots and climbing and that it may b eh el p ful u p to a
, , ,

certain p oint in actual p ractice .

ROP E M A N U FA CT U R E
Rope is made from several materials among which are manila hemp
coir fl cotton and nylon E ach of these typ es of rope has its p rop er
, , ,

,
ax, ,
.

purpose but it is with manila rope that we are immediately concerned

, ,

since this has been found t be the most effi cient type and prob ably the o

most generally used for tree preservation w ork .

M anila rop e usually is made from the fi ber f the stalk f the wild banana o o

and is obtained principally from the Philippines In the manufacture of .

the raw material into rope the fibers are twisted into yarns which in turn
, , ,

are twisted into strands Three or four strands are laid u p into a ro p e
.
,

and sometimes several ropes are combined into a cable .

T counteract the tendency to unlay the successive twists are taken in

o ,

opp osite direction Y arns usually are made right handed strands left
.
-
,

handed and ro p es right handed This twisting weakens the rope mate
,
-
.

i lly at least
r a , third f the original strength of the fibers being lost
o ne- o .
 P S VA I N T IN
’

2 TR E E RE ER T O B U LLE NO . 7

The twisting adds considerably to the elasticity of the rope however and , ,

it is necessary f or usability .

It should be clearly understood that rop e does not have a p ermanent

elastic limit but due to the tendency of the fibers to slip u p on one another
,
-

rope gradually loses its cohesion under the rep etition f even moderate
'

strains and it may be seriously weakened by constant working I f the rope

,
.

i subjected to anything a p proaching a breaking stress its strength is reduced

s ,

permanently and it may be expected to break under a ve y moderate load

, r .

W O RK I N G L O A D S FO R M A N I LA ROP E
nder average conditions the working load p laced on a rop e should not
U .

exceed sixth of the breaking stress but under the best conditions if the
o ne- , ,

rope is new th w orking load may be one fourth of the bre aking stress
, e -
.

U nder unfa rabl e conditions where ro p e is used frequently and for an

-'

v
o

inde fi nite period as in the case of a climbing rop e the working load shoul d
.
, ,

t exc ed one eighth of the breaking stress

e The best rope for general -
no -
.

tree wo rk is 3 strand long fi ber tightly twisted ma ila in V and inch

-
, , n , 2
-

diameters which has been treated to m k i t resist rot and wear longer a e .

Normally 4 strand rop e has about 95 p ercent of the breaking strength of

,
-

3 strand ro p and hence not so desirable

-
e Is .

Federal specifi cations for new manila ro p e ( Ii strand ) include the follow -

ing standards This table should be used in esti mati ng safe loads for
.

manila rope used for tree work

Ap p r
?
Xi '
A p p r OXi
g oss
'
M i n i ’‘ m
jfi M in im u m S a fe l a od
m a e

gh
m a te
gh f
r le n g
b re ak i n g ( V8 m a x i
le n t
o f c il o
we i
oi l
c
t o
pop e r

un d
s tr e n gh t m um )

P o unds
RO P E, K N OTS ,
AN D C LI M I B NG 3

IM PORTA NT K NO TS A N D H I T C H E S
A ltho gh there are many knots and hitches w hich are useful in conn ection
u

with tree preservation activities those illustrated in Plate I represent the ,

usual knots for w hich a tree worker will have constant need If careful .

attention is p aid to the illustrations it may be possible f one to learn to or

tie the knots shown without p ersonal instruction The assistance of another .

person who is skilled in knot tying however is invaluable to the beginner , , .

B efore learning to tie knots the novice should clearly understand th e names ,

of parts f a rop e Figure 8 ill strates te s in common usage The

O . u nu .

follow ing comments may be of value in suggesting some of the ways in

which the illustrated knots may be sed u '

B wlio b ig h t ( fig 1 and 5 ) is used in place of a i gl b w l i

n e-o n -a - s where
. s n e o ne

greater stren gth or increased bodily comfort is needed as in a safety sling .

It may be tied in the bight f a ro p e without using the rop e ends O .

T aut li h i t h ( fi g 2 ) is used b y tree climbers as a safety knot for a body

-
ne c .

sling It should be snu gged tig ht before being used ( S description

. . ee

under S afety S ling ) .

R i g b wli
unn n ( g )
fi o3 is a convenient
ne f orm of runnin g .loo p It is .

useful for attaching rop e to a high p oint in a tree after rop e has been slung
over a limb when w orking on the grou d n .

C t p w ( fi g 4 ) is used for hooking a tackle to a ro p e

a s a . It may be tied .

in the bight of a ro p e without using the ro p e ends .

S f ty li g ( fi g 5 ) is a bowline
a e s n bight tied into a safety line or a
.
-
o n -a-
'

standard tree worker s safety belt or saddle in combination with a taut line
’ -

hitch A suitable safety sling should always be used while w orking in a tree
. .

( S ee section on S afet y S ling ) .

B wli
o ( fig 6 ) is one of the most useful knots It forms a loo p which
ne . .

cannot slip the harder the p ull the tighter the knot and it does not jam
— —
,

easily .

B l k w ll h i t h ( fig 7 ) i used for hooking a tackle to an end of a ro p e

ac a c . s .

Fi g f g ( g )
i h
u re - ot fi -
9
e is used as a safety sto p in the end
. of a safety rope .

Sq ku a re t ( fi g 10 ) is the simplest and most useful f knots for tyin g

no . O

two ropes of the same size together It will not sli p if ro p e is dry . .

S h t b d ( fig 1 1 ) is used for ty ing together two ropes of different sizes

ee en .
.

T w h lf h i t ho a
( g
fi-
1 2 ) arec used to
es tie the end Of a rope. around its
standing p art after passing around a limb or spar .

T im b h i t h ( fi g 13 ) is used for lowering limbs from trees

er c .
M y be . a

loosened easily .

Cl h i t h ( fi g 14 ) is a g enerally useful knot to tie a rope to a lim b or

o ve c .

spar or to raise tools into a tree It may be tied on the end f a rope or a
,
. O

bight .
 T RE E P S VATI
RE ER ON B U LLE TI N NO .

PLAT E 1

COMMON KNOT S AND HIT CHE S

FI G I FIG 3
LI I HT I LI
. .

BOW NE ON A B G ( I) R UNN NG BOW NE

(2 I
\

FIG 5
SA T I
.

FE Y S L NG

S T ANDIN G P AT
R

m m
FI G 7 FI G 9
I I I HT
.
.

B L A CKWALI . H T CH F G URE - OF - E G

FI G
PA T S P
.

R O F A RO E

FI G IO FI G II
SQ A T SH T
. .

U R E KNO EE B E ND

FI G I2 FI G IS FI G I4
HA H IT H TI M H IT H L H IT H
. . .

T WO LF C ES B ER C C OVE C
RO P E, KNO TS ,
AN D C LI M I B NG

PLAT E E

C OMMON R O P E S P L ICE S

FIG (5 FI G I6 F IG I7
SPL I I SPLI SPL I
. . .

EYE CE ( ) E YE CE (2 ) E YE CE (3 )

FI G 2 3 FI G 24
ST L MA LI SPI HI
. .

6
'G '9
EE R N KE
SH T SPL I
OR CE ( I)
C KORY FI D

FI G IS FI G 20
SH T SPL I SH T PL I
. .

OR CE (2 ) OR S CE ( 3 )

FI G 2I
L SPL I
.

ON G CE

FI G 22
L SPLI
.

ON G CE (2)

3 3 1 161 0 55 z
6 T RE E P S VAT N
RE ER IO B U LLE TIN NO . 7

I M PORTA NT S PLI CE S
The ability to splice two rop es together is a useful one to the tree worker .

S ch skill often is inv aluable when no available rope is long enough to

u

certain purpose When the diameter of th e fi nished splice is f

'

f l fi ll
u a .
O

n o consequence the simplest union i the short splice but when the diameter
,
s ,

O f the fi nished union cannot be greater than that Of the ro p e itself the long ,

splice must be used The latter is necessary when the splice must pass
.

through a tackle block The eye sp lice i useful when a permanent loop
. s

is needed in the end f a rope such as in the attachment f a rope to ring

O , O a .

These sp lices are shown Plate I and are form ed follows on as

Th e e y p l i e s( see
ce fi g 1 5 1 6 and 1 7 ) is used
s for
. forming a p e manent
, ,
r

loop in the end of a rope The rope strands are unwound and separated .

( unlaid ) f a length
or f about 1 foot from the
o end The end is then brou g ht .

back against the body of the rope to form an eye of the size desired The .

loop must be formed entirely of tight rope and the sep arated ( splicing )
’

strands should extend beyond the point f juncture The s p lice is then o .

formed by placing each splicing strand alternately over and under succes
sive tight strands along the body f the rope away from the point of juncture o

and the eye itself The splicing strands should be worked int the ro p e as
. o

described in the short sp lice .

Th eh t p li
s or s( S fi g 1
ce 8 1 9 and 20
ee ) i d t join t w rosp es
.
, ,
s
'

u se o o

together w hen an increase in diameter at the splice is t important The no .

rope is unlaid f a short distance and the ends are brought together with
or

the sp licing strands meshed alternately ( ma ried ) as shown E ach o r r .

splicing strand is worked back through the body of the adjoining rop e end .

This is done by p lacing it alternately over and under tw tight strands o

adjacent to it in the adjoinin g end When the s p licing strands have been .

w orked back past tw tight strands they are trimmed t tw thirds their
o o o -

original diameter The p rocess is repeated and the strands are trimmed to
.

o ne- third their original diameter The tucking p rocess i repeated f the . s or

third and last time and the sp lice is completed

,
.

The spike fid ( see fig 23 and 24 ) are used t open tight strands thus
or s . o

simplifying the s p licing p rocess .

In making a long sp lice the ropes are unlaid for a longer distance than ,

in the short eye sp lice before the strands are married ( fig

or The se e .

strand Of rope A is l id f about a foot and b is laid into the opening

al un a
'

or , l ,

thus working a strand f B into A ( fig 22 ) F co ven i ence th O se e . a . or n e

strands and b should be tw isted together as shown Follow this same

al l .

procedure by unlaying b and l y into the o p ened lay f B and twist 2 a a2 O

together as before Then and b should merely be twisted together

. a, 3
.

We w have three pairs of strands together at diff erent points f the ro p e

no o .
RO P E, TK NO MB S ,
AN D CLI ING

Then starting w ith b and sep arate each strand i tw parts and taking
2 az n o , ,

one half of each strand overhand knot these together as in Figure 22k and
-
,

tuck them in a short splice as shown in Figure 22m The other pairs f . o

strands ( and b ) ( b ) are similarly reduced knotted and tucked

al l a3 s , ,
.

Then the spare half of each strand is trimmed ff smooth after halves f o o

each pair of strands have been tucked thus com p letingthe splice , .

A fter any s p lice is made it is a good p ractice to lay it on a hard surface

, ,

such a floor or sidewalk and roll it back and forth under the foot This
as ,
.

tends to make the splice smaller in diameter and also tends to equalize the
tension on the various strands thus making a stronger and firmer splice ,
.

A ny loose yarns should be trimmed ff so that they will not bind while the O

splice is passing through a block .

T HR O W I N G A ROP E
A fter the vari o s knots shown in Plate I are mastered the next imp ortant
u ,

step to effi cient work in a tree is a thor ugh knowledge Of the u f o se O a

safety rope First the tree worker must know how it should be used to get
.
,

into the tree ; and second he must b able to manipulate it so he is both

,
e

effi cient and safe all the time he is IT the ground A safety rope should be C .

on e half inch in diameter

-
.

The f ollowing descri p tions app ly to right handed pe sons Those who -
r .

are left handed sh uld reverse the directions as they read and follow them
-
o .

When the rop e is uncoiled checked and laid out on the ground a throw , , ,

ing knot is formed as shown in Figures 26 and 27 This knot is for the .

purpose of forming a weight on the end of the rope so that the rope can be
sl ng through a crotch and the end returned to the ground The knot i
u . s

formed by making 8 or 10 loop s about 8 or l o inches long in the hand then -

wrapping the loo p s with about 8 turns and pulling the bight f the rope ,
O

through the upp er portion of the l ps The knot should be kept tight and oo .

compact th at there will be no loose loop to catch on branches or twigs

so s .

In throwing the rop e the bight held in the left hand is adjusted so that
,

it just reaches the ground when the arm is straight ( see fig Then 5 or .

6 loops are made the same len gth The knot and 1 or 2 loops f held in . a e

the right hand and the balance f the loop s are held in the left hand
, O as

shown in Figure 28 .

A w ell p laced wide crotch free Of obstructing twigs or branches is then

-

selected If possible the crotch should be near the trunk and one branch
.
,
‘

above the one where the climber desires to stop S afety ro p es should never .

be slung over dead or badly decayed limbs .

When throwing the rope the climber should stand faci ng the tree at a ,

point which will allow a free throw Of the rop e through the crotch With .
8 TR E E P RE S E R VA I NT O BU LL T I
E N NO . 7

Fi g u r e 2 5 —I n sp e ct in g
. r op e. i
F gure 26 —T b r o w i n g
. kn o t, fir s p osi io
t t n.

i
F gure 2 7 .
—Th r o w i g k o s o d p osi io
n n t, ec n t n . Fi g ur e .
— d
2 8 4 R e a y t o th r w o .
RO P E, K NO TS ,
AN D C L MB
I IN G 9

the right knee bent and the weight carried the right leg the arms should on ,

swing fo ward and back together to get momentum O the last swing
r . n ,

the right hand should release the throwing knot and the rop e in the left ,

hand should be released loop by loop If the rop e a imed p ro p erly it w ill . Is ,

go through the crotch and the throwing knot will fall the other side on .

The knot should then releas itself and the rope end fall toward the ground e .

S ometimes the end will reach the ground If not it w ill be necessary to .
,

throw running coils up the rop e to whip it over the bra ch or a pole p runer n ,

used to hook down the short end f the rop e C are must be exercis d to
. O . e

prevent pulling the rop e back through the crotch .

If the lo w est crotch possible to reach is t high to sling a 7 inch diameter oo 2

-

rope a smaller rope may b thrown with a weight on the end When the
,
e .

small rop e is in position the inch rop e may then be tied on and pulled
,
-

through the crotch .

SP U R S O R CLI M B I N G I R ON S

As a general rule,climbing irons or sp urs should not be used in climbing

live trees S killed shade tree workers gave up the use of such imp lements
.

years ago .

The actual mechanical i j y t trees caused by spu s is p robably of n ur o r

minor importance com p ared with what may be termed the seconda y eff ct r e .

The holes left by the sharp p oint d s purs are ideal op en doors for fungus
-
e
' '

infectio in thin barked trees and as harbors for injurious insects

n -
,
.

C limbing irons are doubtless a necessity to the utility linemen who climb
bare p oles but they are defi nitely hazardous w hen used on trees since the
, ,

spurs are diffi cult to imbed in certain typ es o f bark and may slip thus ,

causing a fall .

R O P E C LI M B I N G

Us e o f Le g s Ar o u n d Tr u n k

After the rop e is p rop erly crotched there are several ways f using it in ,
O

climbing the tree The simplest i to use the hands and arms hand over
. s ,

hand and wrap the legs around the trunk as a f l m d sup p ort
, u c ru
'

an .

To use this method of climbing the double rop is brought t gether and , e o

the climber reaches as high as p ossible grasping both ropes as shown in ,

Figure 29 Then with the w eight supported by the hands the legs are
.
, ,

lifted as high as p ossible and wrapped around the trunk as shown in Figure
3 0 The rope is then climbed hand over hand still keeping the legs wrapped
.

tightly around the trunk When the position shown in Figure 3 1 is reached
.
,
10 T REE P S VA I N
RE ER T O B U LLE TIN NO . 7

Fi g ure 2 9 —R
. ea dy t l im b
o c . Fi g ure 30 —L e g s u p
. .

Fi g u r e 3 1 —H. an do ver b an d .
Fi g ure 32 —U p
. o n to i
l mb .
RO P E, TSK NO LI M ,
AN D C BIN G 11

the legs are l d d again lifted as high as possible to a w p osition

r e e a se an ne

on the trunk This p rocess i continued until the crotch is reached

'

. s .

If a limb is encountered before the rope crotch is reached the climber ,

can easily transfer himself to such a limb If it is necessary how ever to .

, ,

climb directly onto the limb where the ro p e is crotched the limb my be ,
a

approached shown in Figure 3 2 In this position the right leg is swung

as .

up and hooked over the limb which is gras p ed by both hands and the left ,

leg is used as a brace against the trunk The body is then swung up and
,

over the limb .

If necessa y to climb higher by Using the ro p e one rop e end is recoiled

r ,

into a throwing knot and again thrown through a favorable Crotch nd the a

climbing p rocess repeated . U sually however there will b suffi cient limb s , ,
e

to serve as foot and handhold so that the tree can be climbed as a ladder .

The rope end should be knotted over the shoulder through the belt and or -

carried up as the tree is climbed .

U se o f Fo o t l o c k

It is often necessary to climb a ro p e when the tree trunk cannot be used

to assist In this case the rop e should never be climbed hand over hand
.

without using the footlock E xperienced climbers will have their w .

'

o n

preferred form of footlock but for others the following footlock is s ggested
,
u

as an acceptabl e and proven standard '

With th double rope hanging free the climber should grasp the tw
e ,
o

ropes as high as possible d raise the body with the m Th en the right
an ar ' .

knee should be raised with the rop es p assing outside the right thigh back ,

of the right leg over the right instep and over the left instep S hown
, ,
as In

Fig re 3 3 Then the left foot i raised and placed on the right instep lock
u . s ,

ing the ope between th l ft a ch and the right instep as in Figure 3 4 In

r e e r .

this p osition the entire weight f the climber should be borne by the feet O .

Then the arms are raised as shown in Figure 3 5 to a new grasp Of the ropes ,

the footlock released and the legs raised and locked as before This
,
.

process may be repeated as Often s ecessary When the limb i reached a n . s ,

one leg is thrown over it and th e body swung over and onto the limb .

The rope is then carried higher in the tree s described previously until a

th e fi nal crotch for the safety S ling is reached .

In order to w ork freely anywhere in t h tree the highest safe central e ,

crotch should be selected thro gh which to sling the safety rope A crotch u .

consisting of a sound 5 inch u p right branch and a 3 inch side branch i

- -
s

suffi cient to hold the heaviest climber if the limbs are alive and undecayed .

Tight crotches shou ld be avoided as they may bind the rope and ca se u

considerable diffi culty when it is necessary to change the adjustment f the o

s fety ling
a s .
12 T REE P S VAT
RE ER IO N B LL T
U E IN NO . 7

i
F g ur e 3 3 — Fo o tl o c k fir
, s p osi io
t t n . Fi g u r e 3 4 —F oo tl o c k
.
, s o d p osi io
ec n t n.

Fi g u r e 3 5 — F oo t l o c k
.
.
, th i d p osi io
r t n . Fi gur e 36 .
—S a fe ty s l in g .
RO P E, TS K NO L MB ,
AN D C I 13
IN G

C ramps and strains sho ld be avoided when sing the footlock well
u u as

as in other types Of climbing The climber should sto p and rest if he feels .

tired The careful climber will t

. the footlock method f a climb no u se or

greater than 20 t 3 0 feet F higher climbs he may tie a bowline

o . or ,
-
o n -a

bight in end f the rope and raise himself b y ha ling the othe r end
o ne o u on .

The assistance f tw fellow workers will be found helpf l in such

o o ne o r o u

cases This procedure may sound cumbe some t the trained tree worker
. r o ,

but it is felt t be a necessary safety precaution f high climbs especially

o or ,

in the case Of relatively inexperienced men .

SA FE T Y S LI N G
There are several safety belts and specially made safety slings available
for use by tree workers A bowline bight tied into a safety line
.
-
o n -a- , ,
or

a s
.

p i l made safety belt saddle in combi ation with a taut line hitch
ec a -
,
or n -

make up the safety sling .

S ince this bulletin i concerned primarily with the s Of rope only the u se ,

rope type sling the bowline

-
,
bight covered in detail here -
o n - a- ,
15 .

In forming this sling end Of the rope i do bled back about 8 feet
,
o ne s u

to form a bight A bowline bight is then tied in this loop leaving

.
-
o n -a-

free about 2 feet Of the S ho t end The exact size Of the bowline i deter r . s

mined by the size f the person t it and it should O o u se ,

fi t snugly around the hips After the knot i tied the . s ,

loops are placed aro nd the body as shown in Figure u

36 .

The short end Of ro p e protruding from the bowline

bight i then tied into a taut line hitch around
o u -a- s -

the ground rope shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 7 as as

follows About 6 inches from the bowline knot wrap

' ,

the short end counterclockwise twice around the

ground rope making the secondary wrap below the ,

fi rst Then continuing in the same direction around

\

.
,

the rope make 2 turns above the fi rst 2 fe ding the

, ,
e

end under the short cross rop e When completed the .

,

wraps should be with reference t the time f w rap o o

ping— NO 3 t p N 4 next N 1 next and N 2 . on o ,

O .
,
O .
,
O .

at the bottom With the knot tied and tightened the .

,

sling should be tested before swinging free A lways .

tie a fi g eight knot in the ground end f the

f— u re - o o

safety rope t prevent the end from being pulled o ac

cid t l ly th ough the taut line h itch

en a r -
.

S ome cl i mbers when pr n i ng the rope end

i g ure '
S w i n g bo a r d .
,
u ,
u se
 T P S VAT I LL IN RE E RE ER ON BU ET NO . 7

which protrudes from the taut line hitch for holding a can f w ound dress -
O

ing In this case the rope should be doubled back for bout 15 feet before
.
, a

tying the bowlin e bight This will allow 4 t 6 feet f the rope t hang
'

-
o n -a- . o o o

below the knot which the paint can may be hooked

on .

If the climber exp ects t sp end a long time in p osition in the tree o o ne ,

the substit tion f a swing board ( e fi g 3 7 ) f the bowline

u o bight s e . or -
o n-a-

will be fo nd more comfortable When a swing board i used it i held in

u . s ,
s

place by a single bowline st ung through the holes at the ends Of the board r

and the bowline knot S hould be as close to the body as practical The .

bowline and swing b ard are f course supported by the ta t line hitch o ,
o ,
u -

as in a standard safety sling In order t prevent splitting f the swing . o o

b o ard i t should be made w ith tw cross cleats underneath

,
, o .

U S E O F SA FE TY ROP E I N A T R EE
A safety rope h three major uses t the climber It i the most
as o . s co n

i t way t get around in a tree ;

ve n e n it is a vital safety device ;and the
o

ground end f the rope may be used t haul up light tools and equip ment
o o .

In getting around in the tree an effi cient climber will allow h i weight ,
s

to be supported by the rope most Of the time and the limbs Of the u se

tree merely as guides In this manner he can g t t the very ends f . o ou o o

lateral b anches since his weight is carried by h i rope and the stress
r ,
s ,
on

the branch is endwise and t downward no .

A the climber moves about in the tree it will be necessary t readjust

s ,
o

the tau t line hitch in order t reach the desired points T lower the body
-
o . o ,

the knot should be jerked downward and released when y want t stop ou o .

When it i desired t shorten the safety rope to take u p slack the taut
s o or ,

line hitch can be worked upward by transferring th weight Of the body e

from the hitch t a point above it B y holding the weight by a hand above
o .

the hitch and by the feet below the hitch using a footlock the hitch can , ,

be slipp ed p ward U .

The safety rop e i the climber s guarantee against falling from the tree
’
s .

The safety sling must be kept tied and in until the climber i again u se s on

the ground T release the taut line hitch before coming t f a tree i
. O -
ou o s

an unsafe and ill advised p ractice -

.

In p ulling to ls up into the tree in low erin g th m t m care must

o or e ,
'

e x re e

be used with sharp edged tools that they will not cut the rope injure
-
so o r

the climber The best knot with which t attach a pole pruner pole w
. o ,
sa ,

o r other handled tool i the clove hitch This knot is easily tied is safe s .
, ,

and i readil y ntied A common cause Of injury t safety ropes is the

s u . o

raising Of pole pruners by inserting a hook in a loop in th e ro p e T h . e

handle Often catches a limb thus closing the cutter the rope with on ,
on
RO P E, TS K NO LI M B ,
AN D C 15IN G

consequent damage C are should be exercised constantly against p ersons

.

standing under the tree when tools are being raised or lowered .
'

I N S P E CT I ON O F ROP E
Rop e S hould be kep t coiled when not in use and should be thoroughly
insp ected f wear cuts and abrasions befo re being used again If one
or , ,
.

strand more i t or badly worn the rope should be discarded the

o r s cu ,
o r

abrased portion cut H O .

S ince th exterior a p pearance of a rope does

e t always reveal its true no

condition it is well to open the strands of the rope at inte vals t Observe
, r o

the condition Of the inside fi bers If these are b k p p i b ly if dust . ro en a re c a or

is found in quanti ty the rope is probably materially weakened and should

,

be discarded .

CO I LI N G T H E ROP E
A rope must always be kep t coiled whe t in use It i a S ign Of n no . s

ignorance and carelessness to allow a rop e to be put away w i th t ili g

'

ou co n

it properly .

A n effi cient method of coiling a rope is illustrated in Figures 3 8 t 40 o .

The rope may be lo ped over the left arm shown in Figure 3 8 until about
o ,
as ,

1 5 feet are left C areful watch should be ke p t f

. kinks which should be or

straightened Then starting ab out a foot from the t p f the coil the end
.
,
o O ,

Should be wrapped abo t 6 times around the loops by rolling them in the
u .

left hand as shown in Figu e 3 9 Then the left hand is extended through as
r .

shown in Figure 40 and the bight i pulled back through the loops T w
, s . o

half hitches are then tied around the bight l aving a short end f car ying
-
,
e or r

or tying t a peg supp ort bar ( fig 4 1 )

o or se e .

ROP I NG A N D CLI M B I NG STA N D A RD S

The following standards and restrictions created solely as a means a re

Of protecting tree workers from injury E ach one i im p rtant and must be . s o

thoroughly understood and followed .

1 The standard safety rope i a fi t grade 3 strand

. t treated / inch s rs -
,
-
,
ro -
,
I
2
-

diameter manila rop e t less than 1 20 feet and preferably 1 5 0 feet in

, no

length The V inch nylon rope is coming into wider use and i acceptable
.
g
-
s
 T REE P S VAT N
RE
B
ER
LL T IN IO U E NO . 7

16

Fig ur e 3 8 —C oi li g o p n r e

fi
r st p osi ti o n .

Fi —Coil i op
Fi g —Coi l i op
e
41 n g r
ure 40
d p osi i o
.
n g r e gure
fo u r th p os io
it n.
th i r t n .
RO P E, TS L MB
K NO ,
AN D C 17 I IN G

as a standard ope if preferred Inexpensive s bstandard rop should be

r . u e

avoided .

2 The safety sling should always be used while working i a tree even
. n

if a ladder is also sed M any men have b en badly inj red killed by u . e u or

no t obse rving this cardinal rule .

3 E ve y rope m t b thoroughly inspected f cuts before

’
. r bus e o r or a r a sI o ns

D on t hesitate t cut ff a weak end or t discard questionable rope

’
u se . o O o .

D on t burn a rop by lo wering it t rapidly and care against

’ ' '
'
e oo ,
u se

dropping cig rettes on rop es a .

4 The ground end Of a safety rop e should

. t be left dangling over no

roadways and it must be kept free f rom Obstructions

, .

5 A rop e m st
. t be climbed hand over hand witho t using a footlock
u no u

or using the legs around the tree S hinning more than 15 feet up a tree .
' '

is an unsafe practice C limbs over 3 0 feet should be made by using a .

safety sling A void fatigue or cram p s . .

6 A ll slack must be ke p t
. t Of the safet y rope If it becomes necessary ou .

to change the supporting crotch Of a safety Sling the climber should use ,

great care while changing crotches T be absol tely safe the climber . O u ,

should tie himself t a convenient limb while making the change o .

7 A ll rope must be kept coiled when

. t in use Rope dete iorates no . r

rapidly when it is Saturated with water and improperly dried unnecessary ,

SO ,

wetting should be avoided Ro p e should t be allowed t freeze after . no o

wetting as frozen rop e breaks easily Rope should t be left in tree

,
. no a

overnight when there is reason t exp ect rain where it might be damaged o ,
or

or stolen .

8 Ro pe should t be dragged along the ground over ro gh su f ces

'

. no ,
u r a ,

or across itself and sharp bends over unyielding surfaces should be avoided
, .

Rope should never be stored transported where sharp tools may cut it or .

9 K inking is f the main causes Of injury t manila rope and should

'

. o ne o o

be avoided especially when the rope wet T avoid kinks in new rope
,
15 .
o

when uncoiling uncoil from the inside f the coil never from the outside
—
,
o .

1 0 A ll knots should be removed from a ro p e at the end Of a working

.

day T leave knots tied f a p rolonged p eriod will cause kinking and
. O or

Undue wear .

1 1 E xcept under exceptional circumstances trees sho ld

. t be climbed ,
u no

or worked in when wet It is impossible t get a good foothold hand . o or

hold slipp ery bark and knots are apt t slip if the rop e is wet
on ,
o .

1 2 Remember A good safety rope i the tree worker s most important

’
. ' s

accident insurance policy— it u se .

18 T REE P S VAT N
RE ER IO BUL L T IN
E NO .

5
m m
m m S
m m m m m
8 m e m a 3
m
5 2 3 m
N
5 5 mi
S

m m N m m . m s m m m m m m ? a n 3
5
.
. .

m m m v m h m h
J o
m w
N h
m
a
3 2 m
o
3 m m S 2
N
m m 2
0

' t 2
o
E
N ~ H fl fi ; L ' fi f ; ' fi N ' fl ;

m m m R m m m E S
8 R
R S
S m m N N m . N m m m N N . 5

h o m m a v m o O v a o m c
m w e m v . m v m m w 3 m m v m

C
o
u
p
8 m
u
9
m g
g 4 5 E
—
o
M
o ? 2 C 3 m
mw
a

'
8 m o m .
' m a
e 0 z
n b 3
—25
. a 0
o
' '

C o O
6 o c
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5 m 3
a m5 z E E 2
20 T RE E P S VAT RE ER IO N BU LL T E IN NO . 7

A CK NO W LE D G M E NTS
The references listed in the bibliography have been consulted in the prepara
tion f this b lletin S ggestions and criticisms received from A W D dge
o u . u . . o ,

Norman A rmstrong T H R m and C harles Irish arborists have also ,

. . eu an , , ,

been Of great value and are gratefully acknowledged

-

B I B LI O G RA P H Y
AU S IN, W T F ( C hm A P io C cc r e ve n t n o m ) M l of A id P a n ua io i cc ent r e ve n t n n

A sso i dG l Co o s f Am i 1 9 3 0 pp 1 25—26
. . . . .

C o n s tr u c t i o n . c a te e n e ra n tr a c t r o er ca, . . .

Fi ld M W shi o G
-

CO R P S OF E NG IN E E R S , U S A rm y E n g in e e r e l an ua a n gt n, o ve rn

Pi i pp
. . . .

m ent r nt ng O ffi c e , 1 9 1 7 . . 16 5 , 16 6 , an d 1 7 4 —8 5 .

A A
D N R T Han b d oo k of s
C o n tr u c t i on Pl ant M c G r a w H il l -
B ook Com p an y,

pp
. . .
,

1 9 18 . . 5 6 5—69 .

DU T CH A O A N I AT I N
E L M DI S E S E RG ' O
'
T he Cl m b i i ng R peo an d I ts U ss e New
( Mi m o g p h d i s
.

Yo k 1 93 4 io s )
.

r ,
. e ra e n tr u c t n .

K NI T A M
GH M d S m s h ip
,
. . o e rn ea an . D . V an Nos t ra n d C om p an y, 19 18 . pp .

24 —4 4 .

M A A T L J d W I N T R C S g h d R l d P op i s of
RK W RD an LSO tr e n t an e a te r e rt e

Woods G w i U i d S U S D p f Ag i l
. . . .
,
.
, ,

h ro m n 19 3 5 n t e n te ta te s . . e art ent o r cu tu r e , .

( T h i l B ll i No
.

ec n ca u et n .

O VI
V E R H O L T, I Th U of p
R o F m O
RGhio S A g i l L l C o l l g e se e on a ar ta te r cu tu r a e e,

4 8 pp ( B l l i N
. .

193 6 . . u et n O .

RI H W R B B B
LEY, F G Hi h s K o s d S p li s
OB B N w E H RA N DS tc e n t an ce e

7 6 pp ( E
.
,

Yo k S C o ll g f Ag i l sio B l l i N
. .
, ,
. .
, , . .
,

r 1 9 23
t a te e e o r cu tu r e , . . xte n n u et n O .

T N A R
H OMP S O T S h d T P i g W shi o N i o l P k S i OB ER a e re e run n a n gt n, at na ar e rv c e ,

is d 1 9 5 5 25 p p ( T P s i o B ll i N
,
. .
,

R
'

ev e ,
.
l re e re er v a t n u et n O .

S f y f T wo k s W sh i g o N io l P k S i a et or re e r er a n t n, at na ar e rv c e

1 9 3 7 29 pp
,

P s i o B ll i N o
,

(T ,
. re e r e e rv a t n u et n .

V D
AN V N R T h B l j k M l Mil i y P b lishi g C om p y
ER EER, e ue ac e ts anua ta r u n an

1 9 1 8 pp 25 9—6 9
. . .
,

. .
,

U 5 . . GOVERNMEN T T PRIN ING OFFICE ' 1 9 5 5 0 — 3 3 1 16 1