Former pro mountain biker and mountain bike adventure cinematographer Joey Schusler always has his Silky Bigboy on hand, whether he’s on a shoot, headed to a trailhead, or volunteering with his local fire department.

“When you live in the mountains and drive around on forest service roads, it’s prudent to have a way to clear the path ahead,” says Schusler.

Scheduler encountered his first Silky in the hands of pro mountain biker Nate Hills. “Nate Hills had a Bigboy and I was like, ‘I need that!’” said Schusler, who has had one ever since.

Schusler is known for his cable cam skills. But setting up a camera on a cable high up in the trees isn’t typically straightforward. “When you’re trying to find a 300 to 400-foot clear path through the woods, you often have to nick a limb or two to keep the camera from getting smashed and the footage good. I usually have to do some subtle clearing of branches, and the Bigboy is the perfect tool for the job. I am always looking for the most dynamic shot, and speed, wanting to create a line so that the camera passes close to trees, branches, and leaves. That’s what makes the shot feel like it has energy, life, and speed and why cable cam footage looks different from drone footage. I need a path for the camera to fly through. And I have to get as close as I can without hitting things with the camera. The Bigboy lets me fine-tune that path almost imperceptibly. There are plenty of times when I thought a line would go and I spent three hours setting up the camera, and there is a high branch in the way. That’s when the panic and the Silky come out and hopefully, we get the shot before the light fades and the riders tire of the shenanigans. Having all the tools on hand to get a shot set up before the talent comes in is key. The more you work, the more you value efficiency and preparedness. I haven’t ever set up a cable cam where I haven’t made some adjustments with the Bigboy.

Schusler has used his Silky in New Mexico flying his camera over a dirt car race track, in Los Angeles over Venice Skate Park, in British Columbia, Montana, Vermont, and all over Colorado. As a new recruit with the Gold Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Schusler takes his Silky on brush patrol and mitigation missions, which includes thinning trees. He says the Bigboy is especially nice to have on hand when the department is working in a residential area. A hand saw is a lot less noisy than a chainsaw.

And it has personal applications as well. Schusler just cut down his Christmas tree with his Bigboy. He uses it on high-country trails in spring, he throws it in his pack to clear blowdown on the first couple of mountain bike rides of the season. “And there have been instances where I’m driving down to Boulder on county roads and a tree is blocking my way. I have chains and two straps so I can cut a tree and drag it to the side if I need to,” says Schusler. “It’s rural living. It’s on you to be prepared.”

Follow Joey on Instagram @joeyschusler or visit his website joeyschusler.com