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"   Will Koomjian Portland, Ore. Age: 28 Years on Job: 6     Will Koomjian is totally comfortable halfway up a Douglas fir that&amp;#039;s swaying 10 feet off center. &amp;quot;It gets you in the gut, but you learn to enjoy it,&amp;quot; he says. Koomjian&amp;#039;s day job is pruning trees for Peacock Tree Preservation, but in 2007, he co-founded Ascending the Giants, a nonprofit that documents the world&amp;#039;s biggest trees of each species. Koomjian has climbed such record holders as a 144-foot, 800-year-old Sitka spruce in Oregon&amp;#039;s Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge. &amp;quot;If you want to understand a tree, you have to go into the canopy,&amp;quot; Koomjian says. &amp;quot;People think it&amp;#039;s simple, but in fact, it&amp;#039;s extremely complex structurally. It&amp;#039;s kind of like a secret world.&amp;quot;   1. Rigging To climb a tree, Koomjian launches a throw line and hoists himself up using tree-climbing rope and, if the tree is tall, a cammed ascender. He uses rope for balance and positioning within the canopy. &amp;quot;A skilled tree climber can stand on branches much too small to support his weight,&amp;quot; he says.  2. Saddle Koomjian sits in a German-made climbing saddle. &amp;quot;The treeMotion is a sports car of a saddle,&amp;quot; he says. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s light, snug and extremely responsive.&amp;quot; A cord called a bridge connects independent, adjustable loops around the thighs, allowing Koomjian to shift his weight easily. &amp;quot;The bridge is long and low on the body, so it gives you greater range of motion than traditional saddles,&amp;quot; he says.  3. Clothing Koomjian&amp;#039;s canvas pants have pockets that sit below the saddle&amp;#039;s straps so he can reach them. A lightweight (0.84 pounds), sturdy helmet\u2014designed to withstand significant top and side impacts\u2014\u00ADprotects his head.  4. Chain Saw To trim branches, Koomjian uses a Stihl MS 200 T chain saw. At 7.9 pounds, the 2.1-hp machine is the best he&amp;#039;s found for his job. &amp;quot;For power per ounce, it&amp;#039;s very efficient,&amp;quot; Koomjian says. A breakaway attachment allows the saw to fall free of its lanyard if the tool gets snagged. &amp;quot;Better to drop a saw than have a big piece of falling wood throw you off balance,&amp;quot; he says. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/a6684/arborist-this-is-my-job/>