# Distel Hitch



## Ryan Willock (May 13, 2003)

Ok, after hearing everyone talking about advanced hitches I just had to try them as well as a micro pully..... and I love the Distel!! I tried the swabbish and while a good one I prefer the distel but the micro pully makes all the differance!!! My confidance level has also gone WAY up since I've been using this system So thanks to all those who have helped me to progress and aid in shorting my learning curve over the past year!!! :angel:


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## jblimbwalker (May 14, 2003)

*Distel*

Ditto Ryan! I also started using the distel recently and it is one amazing hitch. Combined with micro pulley and tied with ultra tech....WOW! And to think, I had been missing out on all of these progressive climbing techniques for years, until I found this site. I would also like to thank the guys here who are constanly enlightening us on the newest and safest techniques/strategies in climbing.....I'm experiencing a new level of motivation and confidence that I never thought possible. This site is like 'off the job training' and I am thankful that it is here.


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## mikecross23 (May 14, 2003)

What they said. I want to set a lanyard up w/ a distel and tender pulley also. That should be nice!


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## Ryan Willock (May 14, 2003)

Did another pruning job to day where I constantly had to disconnect and go around limbs and recrotch and the split tail system works SO much better than a regular system!!


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## Tom Dunlap (May 14, 2003)

Try using a brass, swivel head snap for a slack tender. This shortens the length of the lsack tender making it more responsive. Before I got my Rope Guides, I used a setup with snaps.

Cheap too!

Tom


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## kevinz (May 14, 2003)

*Problems ans questions on Distel*

I'm very new to climbing in general, and just tried a Distel for the first time this past weekend. I'm having some problems and questions.

I tried 8mm and 10mm prussic cord for the hitch on some 7/16ths StaSet, because I don't have a climbing rope yet. I just wanted to try things out. I tied 3/1, 4/1 and 4/2 hitches. I noticed that the hitch seemed to grab and release abruptly when decending. It also got hot sometimes, hot enough to burn my fingers. I wasn't burning out of trees; I was less than 10 ft up, decending to a sitting position.

While ascending, only once did my climbing line feed down through the Distel smoothly, then lock on as I eased back down on the rope. Most of the time, it slumped over, so that I had to hold my position on the rope with one hand, and pull the slack out through the micropulley with the other. I tried pulling it out with my feet, not really foot-locking, but I couldn't get this to work either. A number of times, the hitch didn't slump over, but it wouldn't grab on the rope as I slowly released it.

I suspect that this is mostly a) lack of experience, and b) not exactly the right cord for the hitch and the climbing rope.

Any tips and suggestions? Thanks.

-Kevin


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## kevinz (May 14, 2003)

*Set up for Distel on and off rope?*

Another question: what do you all do with the Distel at the end of the day on your rope? Do you untie it and re-tie it the next day? Just unsnap it from your saddle and leave it set up on the rope? Pull the climbing rope out, but replace it with a piece of rope or a 'biner, so that you can just re-thread it the next day?

I wonder, because a few folks have mentioned tightening the fisherman's knots with pliers, which might make it tough to open up and slide off the 'biner.

Thanks.

-Kevin


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## mikecross23 (May 14, 2003)

My distel needs to be reset every so often b/c it tries to lock up on me. I just take a second to loosen the wraps and get back to work. It's not a very big problem b/c even when it tries to lock up it still advances fairly easily. I've only tried the distel w/ 8mm sta-set on 1/2" 16 strand climbing lines so I don't know how it would react to a slightly smaller diameter life line. If you want the rope to tend w/ out having to use your hand to pull slack through the hitch, learn to footlock the tail of your climbing rope, or get a petzl pantin. I untie my distel after each descent and then retie for the next ascent. Two simple reasons, one I don't want to have to feed the entire rope throught the hitch so it will be positioned on the rope where it needs to be for the ascent (I can tie it faster than I could do that), two I like to descend as fast as possible for the sheer thrill and I need to check how the cord is holding up and make sure it doen't need replacing. Tied w/ a double fisherman's knot, it should slide off a biner w/ ease. Get a good climbing rope. You can pick a 1/2" 120' line up for about 80 bucks. There's my thoughts, lets here some more.  

-Mike-


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## mikecross23 (May 14, 2003)

*Re: Set up for Distel on and off rope?*



> _Originally posted by kevinz _
> *I wonder, because a few folks have mentioned tightening the fisherman's knots with pliers, which might make it tough to open up and slide off the 'biner. *



Kevin,
They mean tighten the tail of the fisherman's knot w/ pliers so it doesn't slip, or creep or just come undone. I like to leave the tails about as long as the width of elecrical tape, cut the tail off at that lenght and then melt the end to a buldging ball of crap so that if the knot did try to slip and come undone it would catch.

-Mike-


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## Tom Dunlap (May 14, 2003)

Rather than relying on a gob of melted rope to secure the end of the hitch, consider stitching or seizing the end to the standing part of the rope.

Tom


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 14, 2003)

I think the reason you have so much heat is that all your ropes are small diameter, thus small surface ares to pass the heat of friction.

I untie my hitch on almost every tree, since I footlock DdRT with ascenders most of the time (being my weight, I don't want to SRT on crotches that I feel are high enough. And why run a bo'lin up to something I don't have to climb all the way up too. to digress a bit). 

At .35 a foot i don't measure my cords, just tie them and trim one end down. i want them as shotr as possible to reduce the inherent slop some do not like.


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## Ryan Willock (May 14, 2003)

With other hitches I always had in the back of my mind _what if this hitch rolls out on me??!!!_ with both ends of the distel secured I don't have to worry about that so I can focus more on my work than watching my knot


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## mikecross23 (May 15, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Tom Dunlap _
> *Rather than relying on a gob of melted rope to secure the end of the hitch, consider stitching or seizing the end to the standing part of the rope.
> 
> Tom *



Never thought of that  but I think I'll do it  !!!


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## TheTreeSpyder (May 15, 2003)

i'd think the tail of the barrel/fisherman's etc. should be longer than 1 tape width. Especially for this purpose. 4x diameter?

i think that a distel is like a 3/1 clove/tautline with both ends in use.

i leave my barrels tied in, and get about zero bridge by having enough slack to barely lace, then pulling that slack into the final barrel's loop and girth onto the karab. Leaving minimum bridge.

Presently playing with knut.


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 15, 2003)

Does he play fair?


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## Dan Flinn (May 15, 2003)

I recently set up an 8' and a 15' lanyard with a distel and slack tender. Why did I wait so long? I love having one handed adjustment. 

I made a new cord, recently, and I think I might have gotten it a bit short. It doesn't seem to release and feed as well as the first one I tried. Also, it seems to twist my blue streak.

Oh, well, small price to pay for having fun climbing again! I'm going to try making the cord just a tad longer.

Dan


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## lync (May 18, 2003)

*don't write off the swabish*

I think i,ve tried every concievable hitch/cord combo posible. I was set on the distel, and used it for 3 months. I liked it however it did bind up occasionally. I went back to the 4/1 swabish and i think it performs better. it may not be as pretty. its great to have choices!!!
corey


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## Rob Murphy (May 21, 2003)

*Swabbish*

Swabbish is our prefered Knot for rigging 3:1 whinching lines.Tried it briefly climbing...its ok....it really is getting the balance right between the knot and rope types/sizes..
Be carefull expirementing....


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## climbing kiwi (May 26, 2003)

*climbing hitch*

just to add to this topic iv been useing the distil for about 12 months with a micropully and found it to work best with a 10mm climbing line and the distil it self out of 8mm as well as spliceing eyes in your distil line its a lot faster to remove and re tie plus i was looking at rockys attchment ( pic of distil ) and only saw 5 wraps ? i find it work better with 6 and doesnt heat up at all plus with this system it plays to wash your 8mm at least once a week.
.
well thats my two cents 
kiwi


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## G.I. tree guy (May 26, 2003)

Climbing kiwi you said you use 6 wraps for your distel is that 5 over 1 or 4 over 2?


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## climbing kiwi (May 26, 2003)

Thats 5 over 1.....iv also found that this hitch is excellent for arial rescues as long as you use a fig 8 for extra fricton 

cheers


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## Stumper (May 27, 2003)

Yes. Better slack tending (less "slop" in the hitch).


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## climbing kiwi (May 27, 2003)

well dan i started out on the french prussic and it worked well but after seeing the distel in action my whole system changed ...for the better and so did my climbing . it runs smoother it allows you to set your system higher just by pulling up on your climbing line ( the pully forces the hitch to losen and slide up the climbing line ) with only one hand which allows you to hold on with the onther one . i see it as the french prussic as the beatles (the 1960s rock group ) and the distel as cold play ( a 2003 rock group ) its the way forword and it makes for better climbers . Please dont get me wrong the french prussic is still a very good friction knot 

my two cents 
raymond (kiwi )


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## Rob Murphy (May 27, 2003)

Less slop , eaiser to set, probably doesnt release as smooth as the french....I think Kiwi is thinking of the English prussick.


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