UKC

Hi i'm looking at attaching some holds onto trees in our garden, could anyone please advise us on what sort of holds I should be looking for and where it is possible to buy a bulk loads of cheap holds?
These are for me and my little boy just to start out and play with hence the cheap, they don't need to be too serious or even matching.

Any ideas or guidance would be great thank you.

In reply to alex.youngman:

Screw-on holds are likely to be your best bet, bought or just blocks of cut/sanded wood, bolt-on holds will probably just spin and crack plus coach bolts will do a fair bit of damage to your trees and will need modification at the head end to fit into the holds. Whatever you do you'll need to ensure the holds sit against a flat surface or they'll crack as the screws pull in. Easiest way is to cast something like P38 car body filler between hold and bark (parcel tape the tree/hold to prevent filler sticking while it cures). Even once you've done that the screws may harm the tree and the holds will almost certainly harm the bark. All in all it seems like a pretty poor idea, you'd be better building a simple board.

jk

In reply to jkarran:

MDF Board? I did think that but liked the idea of them on the tree, didn't realise theyd crack.

Ta

In reply to alex.youngman:

thast very interesting ideas

In reply to alex.youngman:

Board is really just slang for a small climbing wall, exactly how you make it and what doesn't matter too much so long as it is strong enough and remains so. MDF is a little on the soft side and falls apart when wet so it's no good outdoors. 15 or 19mm outdoor/marine ply or waterproof OSB under paint and a little rain screen (or stored under tarp) would be my choice. There are lots of other good surface options but they can be pricey.

jk