Peter "Treeman" Jenkins

Slow, the Virtues of

Recreational tree climbing is geared mostly to the virtue of “slow.” Everything seems to work more for the tree climber when things are intentional and thought out, rather than made through hasty decisions. Here are a few examples of slow.

1. Carefully check out the tree before climbing. Even if it is your favorite and most familiar tree, conditions change. Trees, after all, live outdoors where environmental conditions can change on a daily if not hourly basis. Safety rules.
2. Test your tree-climbing knots and climbing setup before ascending. Make sure everything is working before you start up.
3. Take a close look at your next tie-in point before committing your full weight to the new anchor point. It’s always wise to remain tied to your original anchor point until you know for sure everything is safely set up.
4. Slow down before starting your descent to the ground. Experienced mountain climbers know that coming down (rappelling, or abseiling as it’s known in some parts of the world) is the most dangerous part of their climb. The same holds true for climbers descending from the treetops.

Tree climbing techniques support the notion of “slow.” Friction knots hold you in place by simply letting go of the rope. You can pause in your climb any time. You can rest and take a look around, even enjoy the shaded breeze while listening to the birds. Slow is the way to go.

Tree Collides with Dunkin’ Donuts

I live in a quiet part of town. Today something is different. Outside my door is bumper-to-bumper traffic. Something has happened. The lights are still on but my cable TV is out.

A brief wind has passed through my neighborhood. The traffic is coming from the direction of a major road a few blocks away. It’s time to investigate. I put on my shoes and start walking. Sure enough the road is blocked off. I peer around the corner to see a tree resting against the Dunkin’ Donuts sign. The treetop is also resting against major power lines. I’ve discovered the problem.

The cars are stacked up. I smugly smile to myself. These people do not know the neighborhood. Otherwise they would take the first turn so they would not have to wait. I felt a pride of knowing what these people don’t know. But wait! What if I were one of “them,” waiting in line?

I positioned myself at the corner and started pointing. Cars turned. My smugness turned to something different. I felt helpful. More cars went straight. I pointed again and more cars went the shorter way. Now I felt useful. Neighbors came out to see what was going on and I made new friends. I pointed again and dozens of cars went the shorter route. Now I felt competent.

I’ll probably never see this kind of traffic on my street again. I won’t forget how a simple act of pointing a finger to save someone time while in my neighborhood can reflect back and change my own attitude.

Good and Bad Throw Days

If you are going to go tree climbing with a rope, you’ve got to throw a line into the tree so you can pull a climbing rope up and over a branch. This means you’ve got to throw a throw weight into the tree most of the time. You’ve heard of good and bad hair days, right? There are also good and bad throw days.

On a good throw day, you can do no wrong. You hit your target branch on your third throw or less. You might even get it on your first throw. This takes some practice and a bit of luck. There’s good reason to jump up and down when you get what you want. I sure do! But what about a bad throw day? What does that look like?

A bad throw day sees you throwing over and over again. It might be a high throw or even a low throw. Your throw weight seems to have a mind of its own as it careens through the tree causing a lot of aggravation. After about my fifteenth throw, I start to wonder if I have a friendly tree in front of me or I need to go take a nap. Is it me or the tree?

Your short falls might be either one or a combination of the two. There are some days I just can’t seem to get it together as far as hitting the branch I am aiming at. It might even be a low throw, not requiring great height. If it is about me, I can surely find a lot of reasons why I’m not doing well; bad luck, lack of sleep, anxiety, who knows. But if it is the tree I can feel a bit better about myself because I don’t have to spotlight my shortcomings. I try of opt out for blaming the tree whenever possible.

Here are some good reasons for blaming the tree you can’t get your line into: The branches were too dense. There was too much undergrowth. Too much twig growth deflected your throws.

Whether it is the trees or you, it’s either a good throw day or a bad throw day. It’s about throwing and a bit of luck.

Overheating Precautions for Tree Climbers

Tree climbing enthusiasts aren’t going to get stopped just because it is hot and sticky. The smart tree climber will do a little planning and adapt to the high heat. You will also have a better adventure if you climb trees with the elements, not against them. Here are some things you can do.

1. Drink plenty of water BEFORE YOU ARE THIRSTY. Don’t wait for a convenient time because bodily harm might already be in process. Drink at least a quart an hour during periods of high physical exertion.

2. Maintain a regular salt intake. Six to eight grams per day is enough. Most prepared foods will supply the recommended amount. Forget salt tablets. They irritate the stomach and can cause vomiting.

3. Protect the skin. Use a sun screen above a 15 rating and wear protective clothing if you are going to be out in the sun for long periods. Use sun screen that is designed for wetness so perspiration won’t wash it off so quickly. Apply more than once if you are out in the sun. This is especially true if you are climbing a tree with thinner leaf coverage, like pines.

4. Protect the head and eyes. Wear a hat and use sunglasses, even on overcast days. Get an add-on brim for helmets.

5. Take regular sponge baths. Bring a thick face cloth up with you and keep it damp and ready for frequent use. Hang it off your saddle your side with a shower curtain clip.

6. Wear tinted glasses. It eases eye strain, especially while looking up. The glasses serve double duty as safety protection as well.

Make sure your climbing partner is prepared too. You don’t want to end up the only one who has a good climb. You certainly don’t want to be the one to rescue a partner if they get stricken by heat sickness. Always climb as a well prepared team. It’s safer and loads more fun!

Heat Sickness Can Make Tree Climbing Dangerous

Overheating (hyperthermia) can turn an adventure into a bad tree climbing day. Tree climbers need to be keenly aware of this problem when they go out on a tree climb during the summer months. The body can experience damage or even fail if the heat can not be overcome. High exterior heat accompanied with high humidity worsens the situation. The body responds to heat stress in two ways.

• Radiation, or passive heat loss. The body sends blood close to the skin so the heat can be transferred to the outside environment. That’s why folks get red or flushed during overheating. Removing clothing and sponge baths helps this process.
• Evaporation, or active heat loss. The body actively sacrifices water to pass the heat to the environment. This is when you sweat. Drinking water helps restore the water lost through this process.

It takes some acclimation to high temperatures before you can safely spend extended periods of time in the heat. The process of acclimation takes around two weeks. Each period of exercise should last no longer than two hours. From then on, a maintenance level should consist of two hours of exercise in the heat per week. Not too bad.

You might want to save those hard climbs with high difficulty ratings for another time of year. Think about timing your climb too by arriving at your desired position before noonday heat. Get your hammock set up with the water bottles hanging off the side for that “kick-backed climber” attitude around midday.

What to Do If You Get Stung

Are you allergic to stings? This is important for a tree climber to know because you can get seriously sick or even die if attacked while climbing trees. You also need to know if your tree climbing partners are allergic to stings so you can prepare appropriately before going out to climb trees.

You will know in a few minutes whether you are seriously allergic to stings. Here are some symptoms to look out for that indicate an extreme reaction.

1. The feet or hands swell up.
2. The skin becomes itchy with rashes and hives.
3. The eyes swell and get teary.
4. Nausea and vomiting can occur.
5. A breathing obstruction could occur along with shock symptoms. These last two symptoms are the most dangerous and should be closely monitored.

There are special kits obtainable only by prescription that can counteract extreme reactions. They should be carried by those who know they are extremely allergic to stings. The treatment (epinephrine) is applied with an injection. Get the stricken person immediately to a hospital if no injection is available.

Multiple stings are more dangerous than single hits. Much will depend on your allergic reaction. Most people will experience sudden pain and some swelling. I have been told by some that the immediate application of tobacco will help draw out the poison. Do clean the wound with an antiseptic soap to guard against infection. Avoid scratching the inflamed area. Ice or cold packs also help alleviate the pain.

A stinging insect injects its venom in two different ways. This is important for a tree climber to know. A bee loses its stinger as it is impaled into the skin and continues to pump after the bee falls away. If you panic and swat down on the stinger sack, you pump more poison into your body. Gently scrape the stinger off using a stiff card like a credit card or the edge of a knife.

A wasp or hornet does not leave a poison sack. They pump in venom without losing their stinger. This means you can get stung many times by the same insect. Gently brush them off. This can be hard to do if you are still being attacked. It really takes nerves of steel to keep calm.

Get away from the scene as soon as possible. You can come back later to get your gear. The best protection against attack is to see them first and avoid them. They attack only to protect their colony.

When Insects Attack Tree Climbers

Tree climbers sometimes get stung. It might happen only once in your tree climbing history or many times if you live in a region that has lots of varieties of stinging insects. This is especially true if you climb trees in the warmer regions or tropical forests. Here are some things you can do if you are attacked.

• Know that flying insects attack the face first. Carry a portable mosquito hood to slip over your helmet if you are a lead climber in uncharted territory.
• Bees, wasps, and hornets attack movement. You will attract more attacks if you thrash around. Retreat as fast as you can.
• Make sure you have enough rope length to touch the ground before descending. Do a “down check” by holding the end of your rope in your hand and looking down to make sure the loop touches the ground. You can go off the end of your rope and fall if you are not careful.
• Be extra careful if you are using a descending device because you can lose control. You can let go of the device or crash against branches on your way down.
• Know they will chase you for a distance. Unclip off your rope and drop your saddle to make your retreat timely. If a car or building is nearby, go inside and close the windows.
• Jumping in a body of water is sometimes helpful but not always. Some bees will wait for you to come up.
• Gently brush bees and wasps off rather than smashing them. Smashing them creates a scent that serves as a marker for other attackers.
• Tell others in your climbing team you are getting attacked. They may be able to escape before you bring them down with you while retreating from aloft.

Getting attacked is really scary! It hurts too. The best protection is to see them first and avoid them.

Spot Stinging Insects BEFORE Tree Climbing

Tree climbers can avoid a lot of trouble if they can spot stinging insects before arousing them. You can get stung before you even start to climb trees. It takes a watchful eye to spot these insects. Here are some things you can do before putting on your tree climbing gear.

• Watch the ground as you approach the tree. Yellow jackets typically fly in vertical flight patterns; either going straight up or dropping down. Stop immediately if you see this pattern and wait to see if you see another yellow jacket appear. Then slowly retreat. Bumble bees fly horizontal to the ground and are much easier to see because of their size. Don’t step on, or worse, stand on an active fire ant mound.
• Look at the bushes that you will pass by on the approach to your climbing tree. Paper wasps and hornets often build nests near or low to the ground.
• Spend a few minutes looking up the trunk. Look for black specks coming in and out. Cloudy days are best because of the better contrast of black against white. Bees will have regular traffic, while yellow jackets are less numerous in numbers. Bees often congregate near the hive opening in large numbers.
• Look for hornet nests hanging from branches. They are sometimes low to the ground but are usually higher up and out on the branches. They are difficult to see on large-leafed trees, like magnolias.
• Listen to the tree. You can sometimes hear them inside the tree if you climb close enough.
• Stinging insects often fly around you before attacking. Stop all movement if something is flying around you. Look around slowly and be ready to retreat.

Getting attacked by stinging insects is uncommon. Don’t let your fears stop you from climbing a good tree. Just have your wits and observant eyes with you. You’ll be fine.