Leather or Caterpillar or Rings?

For home/rec, which would be better for a friction saver.

leather $24 , caterpillar $40 , arbor rings $60

I use works rings on the days they let me train in the trees.

Safe and best bang for buck. Gotta keep costs down too.

buswrappervern wrote: For home/rec, which would be better for a friction saver.

leather $24 , caterpillar $40 , arbor rings $60

I use works rings on the days they let me train in the trees.

Safe and best bang for buck. Gotta keep costs down too.

It all depends on what you like to do when you're rec climbing. If you're training to improve your work skills then it makes sense to use the ring/ring. I like the conduit sleeves, aka Dan House Sleeve or Caterpillar (as named by SherrilTree more recently). I make them myself for approx. $15 per sleeve. But I climb in the woods a lot, the ring/ring can be tricky to install remotely and can give you lots of trouble taking them out when you have the obstructed views common in woods climbing. When I take my rope out of a tree I don't let it fly, I've had too many weird things happen dropping cambium savers from high places in dense crown trees (hang-ups). I tie a throwline on to the end and lower it. That's very easy to do with a sleeve, a pain with a ring/ring. I choose the conduit sleeve over leather because of the lower friction and it's easier to install over a range of different limb diameters and configurations.
-AJ

Everyone says just get a rope wrench and eliminate the fs. Which makes total sense to me BUT it is not approved yet therefore not allowed on the job yet.

so toss RW $80 old if avail and $130 new version.

Will probably just borrow the rings time to time.

Contact Dan House and he can get you a good deal on the friction savers he makes. The so called Caterpillar ones from Sherrill are the same thing but more expensive!

Just ordered a arborist ring/ring. Lots of discussion with the climbers I work with.