SCAM Mechanical Advantage for LIMB WALKS for Arborists & Tree Climbers! 

It's pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it. I can totally see how it might confuse someone at first. Especially since it's difficult to keep everything in the video frame at once. But I'm glad you understand it now! It's definitely worth looking into and practicing because, currently, it's one of only two retrievable methods for mechanical advantage on a limb walk that I am aware of...and I am aware of a lot haha Thanks for commenting! I really appreciate it. If you have any questions, let me know. EDIT: One of three methods. But the other two aren't nearly as reliable.

I've been climbing for 7 years, but mostly at this level for the last 2 years as I took some breaks. A climber should NEVER feel as thought he/she has mastered techniques. There are so many ways out there to learn. I would encourage you to always learn more and more! I neve carry the same equipment on a climb. I always climb with different equipment based on different climbs! Sometimes I bring slings for redirects and hard ware for redirects. Sometimes I keep it really light. I change my multicenders (Rope Runner versus RRP versus Hitch Climber) depending upon the style of climb and the less on I intend to teach. I find that a 20' lanyard is most useful with a hitch based system. A slack tending pulley with a friction hitch is best for lanyards. Diameter of rope does play a role in it. What's great about a hitch based system is that you can run it on any diameter rope without much fuss. If you run a mechanical on a different rope, you'll have to calibrate it to function properly. I use 11-1.8mm ropes predominantly. I never use anything below 11mm or above 12mm. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions! Sorry for the delay in response. I'm moving from AZ to MA!

@@Knot-orious Thank you for the helpful information. I took your advice and bought a Petzl hand ascender (used) off Ebay for $50. The $30 Chinese knock offs that I researched had no rating/certification from any European or American agency, and I don't fully trust Chinese manufacturers to use quality materials, so I figured my safety is worth spending a few bucks more for a well respected manufacturer. I also saved up and purchased the DMM Revolver Rig, and just like everybody else, I removed that annoying captive bar. I'm going to practice the S.C.A.M. technique you demonstrated. I'll practice on the ground until I feel comfortable with it. Best of luck to you on your move to Massachusetts; that's a long haul. I moved to Wyoming two years ago from the People's Republic of California; one of the best days of my life was seeing Cali in my rear view! It was so damned expensive to live there, I just wasn't able to get ahead, and the homeless problem is out of control. In Cali, I lived in a tiny 750 sq. ft. 2 BR apartment for $1100/mo. Now I live in a 1700 sq. ft. 5 bedroom 2 bath house for $1800/mo. I'm looking forward to buying a home in a few years after the real estate crash that's coming.

​@@neitzsche5150 Hey! Thanks for your comment and for the update! I'm glad you invested in a legitimate hand ascender. Yes, those Chinese knockoffs are sketchy. You got a good deal on that Petzl used one! I usually try to avoid used, but a hand ascender is easy to inspect, and I'm sure it'll work beautifully! Good on you for getting a Revolver RIg. As you've probably noticed, I use mine A LOT, and I should have a brand deal with DMM by now with all the free adverts I've done for them! Sheesh! Recently actually got offered my first brand deal with a company, but their products weren't great so I declined. I simply couldn't align myself with them. But it was exciting to finally get noticed! They were gonna pay me to show off their products in my videos, but I'm not a sellout and have stands. Don't wanna name drop, but their a massive online marketplace, but they were Chinese owned. You get the picture. My move has been successful! I now live in a studio, but it ain't cheap. It's $1800, but it's big! I just bought a new bed and mattress (high quality for a steal), have a 65" flat screen with a table I'm about to setup and I'm about to buy a new "tying table." The table that you see me tying knots and hitches on in half of my videos needs to be replaced. It needs space for lighting and a tripod. Found a good one that folds out, 6 foot diameter. Just like my old one, but les heavy and it can fold in half and easily be stowed away! Probably going to buy that today! I really need a project table. Currently know of two places where I can go film new outdoor content as well once the heat wave subsides. There's a local wooded area that's about a 30 min walk away that might be promising, and there's a wildlife preserve that's about an hour away by train and bus that I know has killer trees once it cools down! It's weird to not be in Arizona anymore. Mostly the humidity has me sweating like crazy! But we are in a heat wave and everything is starting to cool down! Great to hear from you! Let me know how your Rig and hand ascender perform! I'm happy for it!

What do you mean by extra load? I like it a lot as well! Great for limb walks.

Backpack related

Oh, I gotcha. That makes perfect sense.

I'm glad you enjoyed the video and the method. It's easier to do with mechanical devices versus a rope wrench, because they are smoother at tending! When I do this with my Rope Runner Pro, it's incredible.

@Knot-orious I tested a small setup inside. The RRPro is my daily. I haven't bought any pulley-biners, but usually have a couple of spare micro pulleys.

@TimberTrainer The RRP is amazing. It's way better for the SCAM than a rope wrench because it tends as smooth as silk! Just use a carabiner and a micropulley! And you can always use just a carabiner on your bridge instead of a carabiner and a pulley. It still will work quite well! What did you think of it when you tested it?

I get this question a lot. I have a vitamin B deficiency that is supplement resistant. As a result, I shake a lot. I honestly don't really even notice it very often (unless it's bad). Thanks for asking me about it politely. So many people assume I'm either scared or on drugs/drinking. Probably going to need injections. But I'm in the middle of a move across the US, so I have to find all new doctors. So don't worry. I'm not dying or anything. 🙂

@@Knot-orious I thought you were that way cause you just climbed up into the tree prior to filming what you wanted to document. I didnt mean any insult. I hope your move is swift and stress free. Thanks for sharing the video. Scam is awesome to use.

@devondunkle1063 No worries, my friend. When people see something that's "off" with someone else, it's natural to be curious. You were polite about it, so it's all good. I just flew to Boston yesterday and I'm in my new apartment in Massachusetts. It's going to be a lot harder to go travel to public land and to make climbing content now, but the trees will be soooo much bigger and better; and I'm up for the challenge in the name of making educational videos. I have a lot to sort out, so this may be my last climbing related video for awhile. But things can change. I'll probably make a community post about it. And, yes, the SCAM is pretty awesome! Thanks for the follow up comment!

@@Knot-orious From where to Boston? You will find a way to make content, if your heart desires. Im a certified arborist who owns a company in the desert. Trust me, you will do what passion you crave. Good luck. I will check back for more content.

@@devondunkle1063 From Arizona to Massachusetts. The weather right now is 81% average humidity during a heat wave; around 90 degrees F every day. There's almost no public land around me that I'm aware of, so I'll have to travel an hour to a bird sanctuary if I want to create more content. Ugh. Moving is so stressful. We'll see how it goes.

Everyone should learn how to do a straightforward, regular limbwalk before experimenting with adding mechanical advantage. There are at least three other ways that I know of for accomplishing MA on a limb walk, and it can be really helpful if you've been climbing all day and are tired or if you're older and need some extra help. Also, why expend more energy than you have to? I use this method sometimes on very long limbs where I have to be very careful not to break them toward the tips by keeping as much of my body weight on the rope as possible. The MA really helps when it comes time to pull yourself back in and it only takes me less than a minute to setup a SCAM. I don't think it's too much equipment either. But to each their own. Thanks for commenting.

@@JasonMitchellofcompsci Returning from a limb walk is a struggle for a lot of climbers. Gear isn't a replacement for experience, but mechanical advantages can make a big difference.

I get what you're saying. I'd be lying if I said limb walks don't scare me. But honestly I've just found the best way to avoid all this crap is use DRT instead of SRT. That along with being in good shape and not being a sissy tends to help. This video was just a really convoluted way of turning a SRT system into a DRT system. Makes no sense. Isn't efficient or time savvy.

What's so inefficient about it? It can be assembled in one minute and disassembled just as quickly. Here you are saying that we should all be using DRT/MRS and yet you take issue with me teaching people how to turn an SRS into an MRS. I hate climbing DRT/MRS unless I'm climbing conifers because redirecting DRT/MRS is so inefficient, impractical and/or time consuming. You can also move up and down a rope much faster climbing SRS (by rope walking or using a sit and stand method) versus hip thrusting DRT/MRS, and expend way less energy doing so. But, again, everyone's preferences are different. Thanks for commenting!

Idk man. I hear you, usually I'm the guy who just goes for it whatever it is, I pride myself on being fit and using strength to burn through. I've had a few limb walks that I wish I would have thrown a 3:1 on, easier, faster = more $. All just tools in the belt, I feel the hard thing is knowing when going for it or setting up this system is better.