tubing on flat ground?

[Greenthumb]

Diclaimer im typing this on a smart phone and my thumbs are fat. I apoligize if it doesnt make a lot of sense.

Could a person use tubbing in a area that is flat and just start the taps high on the backside working lower to the gathering point letting gravity help. I have area of woods that would yeild me about 40-50 more taps but stays wet and is a pain to walk in. The trail goes by it so I could gather from the trail. There would be know vacuum so did not know if this is possible. I have never used tubing only buckets

Thanks for any advice

[BlueberryHill]

I do this in a swampy area. I did just what you wrote. Furthest tree away I tap real high and then work my way down to my collection drums. I tap these early when the swamp is frozen. Got 12-15 taps running to each drum. Is this ideal? Probably not, but I get sap out of them. Definitely no real vacuum at all. I don't keep records for sap yield but I can tell you that I get much less sap from these 30 trees than I do from 30 trees on a hill using 3/16 natural vacuum. But it's still more sap, and definitely worth the effort for me. Pulling the taps in the spring can be interesting, haha.

[BreezyHill]

It would work if you could get a little bit of slope and keep the lateral lines tight.

To get the slope you could tap as high as possible and run the lines to a collection point that is lower. If you keep the lines tight with out sag you could get away with as little as 1%..I like 2%. So if the tank was 3' off the ground and the last tap was 200' from the tank you will need to tap at not less than 5' and closer to 7 would be better.

I would suggest getting or making a slope measuring tool. I had two guys from U Albany surveying our farm for a weather station for the NYS. They had a $500GpS, $400 range finder and a clip board with a string tied to a washer and a piece of paper in a page protector for a slope meter. I sent my son after my professional unit and they were amazed at it.
10131

These are what I use for main lines. I have a laser unit that I got of ebay last week on its way for $30 since the yellow unit on the left takes two people to run. The center unit tells % slope and angle of slope. The right unit is adjustable and uses only % slope. These can all be bought on ebay and a month ago there was one like the right unit for $20.

The laser unit I have coming will do % slope and shoots a distance of 400' On a cloudy day it is visible further. I am thinking of doing a dusk run of the unit with a helper to setup 1000' lateral line that will be at 1% slope to reduce the ladder height.

As with most things..it can be done but will take a little planning and work to get it to work well.

[wishlist]

Start with the collection tank, find one that is low as possible or can you bury something a foot or 2? Depending on your tap count you could use what I do on some of my bunched up yard trees . Big coolers , 120 quart plus can be had cheap on Craigslist. I use the white coolers and run tubing into a hole drilled on top. You'll keep sap cool and real clean as well.

Don't tee a bunch of 5/16" lats into one another. It doesn't work, one side will back up and reduce the flow. Should have listened to Dr Tim , lesson learned . Lol