I have been trimming trees with a bucket truck for about 8 years now. had a hyd line go and left me stuck up there. I want to keep a rope with me up there for emergency use to get down. I bought some 5/8 rope at Home Depot but I think is incorrect. I tested using a Blakes hitch and about 5 feet down the rope locked up due to friction heat. What is the best rope and size to use? or other method? again hopefully a one time only usage, thanks for any info you can provide.
what is the correct rope to repel down
- Thread starter birdboy
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1/2 climbing line from an Arborist supply.
get some buzzz line or similar and a figure 8, 16 strand is a good cheap rope as well, just make sure its a rated climbing line (Bluestreak, trueblue, buzzz line, etc)
Blake's only works on a ddrt setup, it will grab on a single line. Don't you have a climber who can teach you?
thejollylogger , I think I am using a drt setup, 1 rope up to a pully on my boom, back down tied to my harness then I tie the blake hitch to line coming down. it seemed to work ok on the ground, so I raised the boom up about 10 ft in the air, it held my weight (230lb) but after a few releases it got stuck I think from heat. I am not looking to use this on a daily or weekly basis, hopefully never but want something that will work to get me down in a emergency, and want to practice it, thanks all, keep it coming
If you are just looking for a bailout rig, a good 1/2" climbing line and a figure 8 is about as good as it gets, seconds to set up and seconds to the ground.
As a side note, I always carried an 8 on my saddle for light lowering duties from the tree.
Bango Skank
ArboristSite Operative
Scrap that Home Depot rope.
Check Wesspur for their clearance rope section or R&W Rope usually has sales. They had a bunch of Safety Blue High Vee shorties for really cheap last time I was browsing. It’s a good rope if you like 16 strand. Really dynamic, especially when new, but it’ll serve for a rappel rope. Also fine price on short Poison Ivy and other Yale 24 11.7mm.
https://rwrope.com/collections/closeouts-surplus/Discount-Arborist-Rope-&-Gear
Check Wesspur for their clearance rope section or R&W Rope usually has sales. They had a bunch of Safety Blue High Vee shorties for really cheap last time I was browsing. It’s a good rope if you like 16 strand. Really dynamic, especially when new, but it’ll serve for a rappel rope. Also fine price on short Poison Ivy and other Yale 24 11.7mm.
https://rwrope.com/collections/closeouts-surplus/Discount-Arborist-Rope-&-Gear
Oldtoolsnewproblems
ArboristSite Operative
sampson is the cheapest real climbing rope i've seen, i'd splurge on a set of that and a figure 8 and learn how to use it. I imagine having an 8 on hand might be useful for other things up there from time to time.
Oldtoolsnewproblems
ArboristSite Operative
figure 8 is a super basic descent device, heres a video
here is a great video on bucket rescue, you can easily replace the descender he uses with a figure 8, and just use some cheap 16 strand climb line (I use bluestreak, its an awesome line)
I often tied into the bucket boom 100% of the time with an adjustable lanyard which was a VT and 120ft. of New England High Vee 1/2 line in a doubled rope system. So if by chance I were to fall out of the bucket I wouldn't have to climb back in to get to my lowering system.
I often climbed out of the bucket to remote areas of the tree or to do the side the bucket truck could not reach.
When using this system just a lanyard I'd tie a stopper knot a couple of feet below the VT.
Only once did I have to self rescue. I was doing some trimming solo and the dead man stop operating so I was stuck 40ft. up with a running truck motor and no hydraulics to the boom. It was an air pressure mini line that had failed right at the bucket but I did not know it at the time.
I've also climbed off of the boom with this system hundreds of times.
I'm not suggesting that anyone do any of this.
But I did.
I often climbed out of the bucket to remote areas of the tree or to do the side the bucket truck could not reach.
When using this system just a lanyard I'd tie a stopper knot a couple of feet below the VT.
Only once did I have to self rescue. I was doing some trimming solo and the dead man stop operating so I was stuck 40ft. up with a running truck motor and no hydraulics to the boom. It was an air pressure mini line that had failed right at the bucket but I did not know it at the time.
I've also climbed off of the boom with this system hundreds of times.
I'm not suggesting that anyone do any of this.
But I did.
vernonbain
New Member
A nice 1/2" climbing line and a figure 8 are about as good as it gets for a bailout rig, taking seconds to set up and seconds to get to the ground.
iceclimber
ArboristSite Lurker
I don’t know squat about tree climbing, but I have been a mountain climber and ice climber for years. Buy you a good climbing rope. Static rope if you never plan to fall on it. I would buy dynamic. You can still repel on it, and it won’t hurt you in a fall. A figure 8 is old school. A Black Diamond ATC is good. A BD or Petzl ascender are great.
I think arborists call them descenders, Sparrow comes to mind.
Get some training. Lots of people get hurt on the repel. Good Luck.
I think arborists call them descenders, Sparrow comes to mind.
Get some training. Lots of people get hurt on the repel. Good Luck.
Mindriot
New Member
1/2" Aborplex True Blue
gumneck
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'd go with the Rescue 8 figure eight, its got ears, I like it anyway.
+1 to the 1/2" climbing rope and a figure 8
Will be a lot quicker to setup than a Blakes, especially under duress.
Will be a lot quicker to setup than a Blakes, especially under duress.
