Lanyards & Fliplines

The Importance of Lanyards/Fliplines in Tree Climbing Gear

When you're talking about arborist equipment, you'll find that a lanyard is one of the 7 pieces of essential equipment in every climber's kit. They're called by a few different names, but you'll hear them referred to as fliplines or polestraps from time to time. If you're new to climbing trees, you may be wondering what a lanyard does, though.

Lanyards are used in combination with the harness. Arborist harnesses have a D-ring on each side, specifically for the lanyard. The climber attaches one end of the lanyard to one side, then wraps it around the tree, buckling it to the opposite side. The rope grabs the tree, allowing the climber to be locked in to their position safely.

As you can see, these are essential tools of the trade. Lanyards are able do be adjusted to change the tension, keeping arborist's close to the trunk when necessary, or allowing them to stretch out to reach limbs when need be.

It doesn't matter if you're just getting started with climbing, or if you're an experienced user, a lanyard is a mandatory part in anyone's kit.