This article describes equipment and techniques for self-rescue after a tree landing. Two scenarios are described, the first in which the tree is within reach and offers branches to grab or stand on, and the second in which you are hanging free and can't secure yourself to the tree. With these techniques you can escape from a tree with no assistance. If you decide to follow these instructions, practice them in a safe setting first. If you have any comments or contrary advice, please let me know.

Preparing the Kit

The tree self-rescue kit weighs about 2 lbs. and contains the following:

• 120 feet (35m) of 5mm Perlon (climber's static rope).
  Or you can use 9/16" tubular webbing, which is more compact.
• One long climber's sling (12 to 15 feet of webbing, tied into a loop).
• Two short climber's slings, tied or sewn (1-foot loops).
• Two locking carabiners (round aluminum stock is best).
• Small pliers or wrench (for loosening quick links).
• Pocket knife (for unforeseen problems).
  Or one multi-tool instead of pliers and knife.
• One stuff bag (to carry the above).

1. Tie one end of the rope to the drawstring of the stuff bag (or sew a loop in the bottom of the bag and tie the rope there). Starting at this end, stuff the rope into the bag. Small diameter ropes are notoriously prone to tangling. If you stuff the rope in the bag, then extract it the same way (last in, first out) you can avoid tangles.

2. At the loose end of the rope, tie a 1-foot loop, using an overhand or figure-eight knot. Make the loop big enough to pass the full stuff bag through. Using one of your carabiners, clip the loop to the drawstring of the bag.

3. Clip the long sling and the two short slings to the other carabiner and put them in the bag.

4. Finally put any tools in the bag. You may want to tie a lanyard to them and clip it to one of the carabiners so you can't drop them. Close the bag.

5. Put the stuff bag in a pocket of your paragliding harness where you can easily reach it. Consider using a lanyard or quick link to attach the bag to your harness so you can't drop it.

Securing Yourself to the Tree

If the tree is within reach, you must first secure yourself to it. Use the following steps:

1. Open the rescue bag and pull out the long sling. Girth hitch the sling around a stout branch or the tree trunk, if it is narrow enough. (I recommend carrying a tied, rather than sewn, sling so you can untie it to wrap it around the trunk if necessary.)

2. Locate the two short slings and locking carabiner. Girth hitch a short sling to each riser carabiner. Then clip the slings together with the locking carabiner.

3. Clip the locking carabiner to the long sling and lock it. With these initial steps, you have secured yourself to the tree without unclipping your risers.

4. Now transfer your weight to the tree and, one side at a time, unclip your risers from your harness, taking care not to unclip the short slings that you girth hitched to your harness carabiners. When you're done, you'll be detached from the glider and your harness carabiners will be girth hitched to the short slings, which in turn are clipped to the locking carabiner and the long safety sling in an upside-down Y arrangement. (See diagram at right.) Make sure all the carabiners are locked.

5. Once you are securely attached to the tree and detached from your glider, you can consider retrieving the canopy. The pliers or wrench may be useful for loosening the quick links to free your lines. Don't risk your own safety to retrieve the glider. If you are able to free it, roll it into a ball and drop it to the ground. If you can't free it safely, leave it for later.

6. After dealing with the glider, pass the free end of your rescue rope over your stout branch and pass the stuff bag through the loop you previously prepared in the end of the rope. This creates a girth hitch, which you should cinch tightly around the branch. Now drop the stuff bag to the ground. (If you use a brightly colored stuff bag it will be easier to see after you drop it.) If properly stuffed, the rope will pay out cleanly.

7. If the rope doesn't reach the ground, you have a problem. You must decide whether to climb down to a lower branch, make several rappels, or wait for outside help. For the sake of this article, I'll assume that the rope reaches the ground or you can climb down to a lower branch safely.

Practice the following techniques in a safe setting first. Start small--for example tie your rope to a beam somewhere around your house and stand on a chair to try your first rappel. Then move to a higher practice structure as appropriate.

1. Using your second locking carabiner, wrap the rescue rope around the straight side of the carabiner, opposite the gate, five times. (See diagram below.)

2. Clip this rappel carabiner into your two short slings, alongside the carabiner clipped to the safety sling. Make sure that the tree end of the rope feeds into the rappel carabiner from the top and the ground end emerges from the bottom. Lock the carabiner.

3. Now snug up the rappel rope so there is no slack between the rappel carabiner and the tree. Hold the ground end of the rope securely in one hand and don't let go.

4. Test your braking friction by pulling in some more rope--until the safety sling goes slack--and holding yourself on rappel. If you don't have enough friction, take more wraps. If you have too much friction, take fewer wraps. It's best to determine how many wraps you need during practice sessions, not in a tree.

5. Now unclip from the safety sling. Always keeping hold of the rappel line, lower yourself slowly. Descend no faster than one foot a second to prevent the carabiner from getting too hot and damaging the thin rope.

6. Once you're on the ground, you'll have to unclip from the rope and abandon it. Unlike the rappel method used by mountain climbers, the technique described here offers no way to retrieve the descent line.

Free-Hanging Rescue

If you can't reach the tree, you must secure the rescue rope to the glider itself:

1. Open the rescue bag and pull out the long sling, which should already be tied in a loop. Thread one end of the loop through all the quick links connected to your lines (both risers). Pass the other end of the loop through the threaded end, creating a girth hitch. Pull the hitch tight, cinching all your lines into a tight bundle.

2. Put one foot in the long sling like a stirrup and push hard enough to keep the lines bundled together. (It's important that the sling be long enough that you can use it as a stirrup. Fifteen feet tied in a loop is long enough for a six-foot-plus pilot.)

3. Locate the two short slings and locking carabiner. Girth hitch a short sling to each riser carabiner. Then clip the slings together with the locking carabiner.

4. Thread the loop at the free end of your rescue rope through the same quick links the long sling has been threaded through. Pass the stuff bag through the loop, creating a girth hitch. Cinch it tight. Drop the stuff bag to the ground.

5. Wrap the rescue rope around the locking carabiner that you clipped to the two short slings (as illustrated above). Lock the carabiner.

6. Now snug up the rappel rope so there is no slack between the rappel carabiner and the anchor point. Take the free end of the rappel rope and wrap it several times around your thigh on the leg that's not in the stirrup. This ensures that the rappel rope won't slip during the following critical steps.

7. Stand up in the stirrup, unweighting your risers. One side at a time, unclip your risers from your harness, taking care not to unclip the short slings that you girth hitched to your harness carabiners.

8. Slowly lower yourself in the stirrup until your weight comes onto the rappel carabiner. Make sure that the carabiner is straight and neatly wrapped. Remove your foot from the stirrup.

9. Keeping hold of the rappel line, unwrap the line from your other leg. Lower yourself slowly to the ground.