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Just realized my foot slip on a cedar climb made me rethink safety checks
I was up in a big cedar tree last week when my boot slid off a limb. I swung hard and banged my knee on a branch, and my helmet tipped over my eyes. For a second, I was just dangling there, pretty shaken up. After I got my grip back, I finished the job but kept thinking about it. The next day, I went through all my climbing gear piece by piece and found a worn strap I had missed. Now I do a full gear check before every single climb, no shortcuts. It was a dumb mistake, but it pushed me to be more careful, which feels like a win.
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joel_martinez6mo ago
Hawked over @drew55 giving a demo one time and saw him mark his own gear mid-story.
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the_laura8mo ago
Last week on a tree climbing forum, I read that 60% of gear failures come from straps people meant to replace. Your story reminded me of that, lol. My cousin does utility line work and he showed me his check routine after a harness tore mid-climb. He now colors his gear with marker to track wear spots. It's scary how a close call can push you to be more careful, but it's a good lesson.
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