On May 9 there is going to be a get together in Austin, TX at Eastwood Park:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/parkma ... twoods.jpg

Anyone who would like to come and try out SRT systems and show what they use is welcome.

The plan is to be there from around 9-3. Get there early, the local arbos tell me that parking can be a challenge. You may have to scout for us since we can't really stake out a tree the night before. We shouldn't be hard to find.

Any climbers are invited. This isn't intended to be an intro to climbing day though. It's more of an intro to SRT day. I should have 2-3 Unicenders and my buckets of other SRT tools so that we can try lots of different systems.

Let anyone know about the picnic. If you want to put this up on other forums or social networking sites feel free to. It's hard to imagine that we would have too many people.

For more information check this thread:

http://tinyurl.com/cfesa4

Bring helmets, safety glasses, gloves, etc. ...and lots of enthusiasm!

Tom, if I could find a ticket for under $200 I'd be there. Best I can find is $300 right now.

Try pricing a Friday afternoon flight into DFW or Love Field---try SW there. I'm driving down after work on Friday. Or maybe into San Antonio .

How did this event go? Will we get a report?

Desi started a thread with a report too.

There were 12 climbers there. We had SIX Unicenders...and people were stoked about how well it worked. A caver was there and he tried out the Uni but didn't have time to use a decent harness so he was uncomfortable. Even so, he could see how well the Uni would work.

There was talk about showing a RADS setup but the people who were interested had an idea of how RADS worked and after seeing how well the UNI worked they decided that the Uni was much more efficient so I didn't even bother setting up a RADS.

After a great lunch of cooked sausages, slaw, potato salad and cookies we got in some more climbing. After a while a few of the people had to leave. The five of us who were left set up a zipline from the upper canopy of the 110' live oak that we climbed. The LO had a huge trunk, probably 6.5" DBH and the main trunk was about 30' before the limbs started branching out.

There would have been a few more climbers but there was a funeral service for a fellow from the Austin tree community who died a few days ago.

Sounds like a great time. I had to be in TN anyway so it didn't work out for me on multiple levels.

I'd like to try a UNI sometime to give a report with a pure Rec climber perspective. Are you still loaning them out Tom? I'd pay the shipping.

A friend in Austin is using my loaner for a couple of weeks.

PM me your mailing info and I'll see about getting it to you when he's done with the test drive.

That's the spirit!

What spirit?

Perhaps I was mistaken, but what I meant was that it is a kind gesture of you to lend Hunabku your tool.

Oh...I've sent the Uni to just about anyone who has asked. Since Morgan gave me them as a gift I like to share my gifts. The only gain I had was to share the joy of a new innovation that has made mine, and other's, cilmbing so much easier and more fun!

There aren't many things that can be given away and still possessed. Knowledge, love and gear are just a few. Besides, the loaner Uni is painted pink, I know that i'll get it back from anyone hahahaha