wrapping trees - urban legend or fact?

I am hoping there are some arborists online who can answer this question for me.

I constantly hear/read how wrapping a tree (i.e. when building anchors) with either webbing or rope is better for the tree than just tying around the tree.

However, I had someone suggest that just tying around the tree is actually better. His reasoning was that wrapping the tree tends to tighten (i.e. strangle) the tree and crushes the phloem. His question to me "if you had to hang with a rope tied around you would you prefer a tied loop or wrapped rope that constricted your breathing?"

Can anyone offer any references/facts to support either practice?

Thanks.

Bark is hard, skin is soft. Tree trunk is solid, internal organs are pliable.

I'd be worried about constricting the tree's breathing too. Their diaphragm must be made out of wood, so probably not that pliable to begin with...

Wrapping trees is about increasing surface area distribution of the load, simple math of forces. With a single tied loop you are distributing the load (you rapping, or you x2 TRing) on an area of the width of rop x 1/2 circ of tree. Not good news for the bark there. When your "wrap 2" you end up with the load being applied on 3x the surface area formerly mentioned. Wrap 2 and tied loop is best because you're then also loading the line equally as opposed to the case where you wrap and then biner the strand back upon its start. This scenario also releases better allowing the tree to breathe. Especially important in the case of treep apnea cases.

Tom Sherman wrote:I'd be worried about constricting the tree's breathing too. Their diaphragm must be made out of wood, so probably not that pliable to begin with...

nothing beetle kill and a good forest fire can't solve for the idiot tree-hugger in you

^^^ Yes.... completely disregard what I said above in the case of PermaGear. I was speaking about TRing scenarios. In the case of leaving fixed gear. Either wrap 2 and clip 2 or 2 big tied loops. Both will have the effect of increasing the bearing area on the tree's bark and limiting damage.

It has to do with stripping the bark from the tree which is really bad, not so much with constriction. The correct answer, as usual, is it depends.

If it is in an area with a lot of use it is better to put in something a little more permanent and leave it. Wrap 3, pull 2 and thread a steel rap wring or a quicklink. If the anchor only needs to be unidirectional, put an overhand in the 2 pulled strands. This provides some isolation and also a step for some fancier rope work if you need it later. (mostly self-rescue scenarios)

If you do a lot of top roping, you will probably just buy some static cord which sets up faster and tears down faster than webbing. If you're top roping don't get alpine thickness for cord, just get something burly like 10+ mm and you'll have less worry running it over edges.

Dynamic cord tied directly around a tree is probably OK for both the tree and you (in this scenario you are rapping out of there and leaving your rope) or you are top-rope solo-ing. My reasoning here is that you have from your knot to the tree 2 strands and that there will be minimum extension of the rope as you load it sawing at the tree. However, there might be some sawing at the tree and I don't think this is your best setup.

The absolute worst thing you could do is hang the rope on either side of the tree and climb on it using the rope as a saw. Back and forth as you top-rope. You'll get sap in your rope and you'll kill that tree. Second worst thing you can do is hang the rope either side of a tree, rap down, and pull your rope. It's not sawing with weight like the first scenario but it will still kill that tree.

Try to be sustainable. Our trees are great anchors for our ropes as well as the dirt and rock above the climb. They also provide nice shade and are nice to look at.

I've also heard that wrapping the tree slowly kills it but I'd love to know why/ if this is actually true from somebody who's qualified.

To answer the theoretical question of "if you were hanging from a rope...?" I would rather be tied in with more than one loop, such as the bowline on a coil. To the best of my knowledge it was the standard before the invention of the swami belt, and eventually the harness.
-Mackley

Craig Childre wrote:Bark is hard, skin is soft. Tree trunk is solid, internal organs are pliable.