Backing Up TLH????????????

[Guy Meilleur]

Tom Dunlap wrote: "a tautline needs to be backed up ALL OF THE TIME. "

What does this mean--a second knot is needed? I never heard this before--maybe I haven't been paying attention. TLH has never raveled on me. Does this also go for the ultracool modification I just learned, the tautline with top two hitches going left?

Or does this just mean to tie a knot in the end of the rope? I usually do that. I'm confused (again)

 

[MasterBlaster]

I think a figure eight stopper knot is what Toms talking 'bout.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

OK that's the one in the end of the rope, right?
I'm down with that, on my way to being a progressive climber!!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Yup, just a stoppper.

The TLH is based on a Rolling Hitch like Joe H says, so its not a mystery that it rolls out.

Tom

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Hey Guy, instead of a stopper, just make your tail a little longer and secure the end to your snap, now you have a distal or swabish!
Man you are progressive!

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
just make your tail a little longer and secure the end to your snap, now you have a distal or swabish!

Wow--that sounds almost doable! I'll try it today--ok to use a little biner on the tail huh?

Progress sounds like fun when it's done in bitesize bits.

 

[Lumberjack]

To reatach the tail you would use a regular biner or the same if you use a split tail. The tail would hold around half your weight, so the biner would need to be up to ANSI IMO.


Carl

 

[Ax-man]

Guy,

If all you want is a little extra insurance to keep the tail in place, you don't need to use a rated biner, the small one will work just fine for this.

 

[NickfromWI]

NO! Yikes, Guy, if you want this to be a "real" distel, use a rated carabiner. You're not gonna tie that thing down just as a backup. We're trying to get you closer to "progressive."

love
nick

 

[Ax-man]

Nick, Guy is using what Tom calls an open prusik, everyone else calls it a tautline variation. He is not using a real Distel because he is not using a split tail climbing system. Mike is throwing a curve ball in there to make Guy feel like he is really progressing forward and coming out of the dark ages.

Larry

 

[NickfromWI]

I know, I know, Ax. That's why I was joking suggesting he use a real carabiner. So he could really pretend he was very modern.

Guy, let us know how it goes!

love
nick

 

[Ax-man]

Let's not confuse the poor guy any more than we have to, after all we have weaned him off that tautline. Now that's progress.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ummm, I wouldn't say Guys been weaned off the TH, as yet.

Nor me.

 

[Ax-man]

MB,

What is it going to take to move this mountain of stubborness you an Guy seem to have with some of these new hitches.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Whats so bad about being a happy camper?

 

[Ax-man]

Nothing at all, I myself have always enjoyed trying out new things, to see if it really is an improvement over the old, some times it is, some times not.

You posted a picture of your homemade porty a while back, this tool sure beats the heck out of taking wraps around a stem. I see no difference between this step forward as opposed to at least trying a different hitch, to see if it doesn't make a difference in your climbing.

Larry

 

[NeTree]

Tautline WHAT?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

To gain an advantage, Guy will need to tie the tail so both ends are taking the load equally, so the attachment point should be load rated, at least to 2500 lbs.

See a picture of Distel or Swabish at http://community-2.webtv.net/acutabovetree/RopesSplicingKnots/

I'd just bring the tail down and tie it to the rope snap.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
I'd just bring the tail down and tie it to the rope snap.

Thanks guys but tying the tail down seems to limit the amount the knot will slide as it pulls the knot down toward me where I can't see and work with it as well, even before lunch. If I add enough slack to prevent this then I've got a loose loop of rope in my working space, which does not seem to enhance safety or security.

I'm going to take "backup" to mean the tail needs a knot in the end, which makes it more useful as an emergency-brake pull cord.
Making this knot a figure-8 is about as much extra twists and turns in my lifeline as I can handle:blush:

Mike thanks for the link but all those knots look like so much spaghetti to me; I get indigestion just looking at them. :blob6:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Looks like we lost him.