Climbing Knots

[Tom Dunlap]

ouch! Next time how about tweaking my shoulder and not my nose

Tom

 

[murphy4trees]

JPS,
Heard you say a couple of times now you didn't like/ weren't happy with (mechanics of) the VT/french prussic...
Could you be more specific... and what kind of line and wraps/twists were you using... and what about it you don't like....
I Am wondering how anyone could not like the french prussic..
Thanks and God Bless,
Daniel

 

[Top it]

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I used the mt/vt in a number of configurations for around 2 months. I needed a lot of wraps to make them hold and they would come unstacked from time to time, 'secialy in brushy canopies.

the dees-tel sawabish worked much better for me. am using 3:2 theese days.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i prefer a 1 down, 3 up distel for the same reasons JP sites, plus less slack before knot tender grabs in my setup.

 

[murphy4trees]

"I needed a lot of wraps to make them hold and they would come unstacked from time to time,"

What kind of line were you using?
Daniel

 

[rbtree]

I've been climbing on a Vt since the hitch was first publicized at least five years ago. I love it. Recently I have been experimenting with different cords, lengths, tying variations, as well as the distel/schwabisch. The d/s are certainly not that much more bombproof than the Vt, as I have found them to occasionally slide a bit. If the Vt is tied just right, it is almost impossible to have it slide. It takes a slow weighting after being bunched from self tailing up, such as with a hand on the line above it taking some of your weight, for it to run.

And if it is dressed a bit, it absolutely will NOT run, until you want it to.

 

[FBerkel]

I had the problem of the mt/vt running on me after tending slack (with four wraps on top, 2 below). Recently switched to 6 up, 2 down, and that held, tried 5 over two, and it also seems to work for me. It definitely releases better than the distel/swabisch, whether moving it up with slack tender or pulling it down.

J.P: Your posts are somewhat clearer when you spell wrong on purpose.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I'm with Rob here. The vt releases much better than the distel, and that's the whole idea of the high performance hitch. If it's not working for you, it just needs tuning.
I don't see any advantage in performance from a distel to a blakes. The distel became popular when used for two ended lanyards, and I can see it for this, but for a climbing hitch it doesn't perform any better than the blakes.
If the vt runs on you, you've tied it wrong. I pulled on different configurations and always got at least 1000 lb.s of holding, usually more. In other words, you shouldn't need a lot of wraps, your loop may be too long.
I will say the vt is for experienced climbers, actually I should say good climbers, beginers need not apply. In fact, if I need to tell you how to make the hitch work, you shouldn't be using it, so forget I even posted this.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

 

[FBerkel]

Appreciate the info, Mike. Didn't appreciate the shot, though.

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by Tom Dunlap
ouch! Next time how about tweaking my shoulder and not my nose

Tom

We love you, Tom D. :angel:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

FBerkel, I didn't mean for it to be a shot, not at you anyway.
The vt's ability to break so easily is what makes it a lousy beginers knot. If it hangs while unloaded it may not grab once loaded. What you took as a shot was a tounge in cheek warning to new climbers, about using advanced techniques. In your post you said you had worked the bugs out and got it working, that shows that you have the knowledge and confidence to work through a problem and become a better climber for it. The guys who don't, just need more time in the saddle.
The next step in the learning progression, I suppose is to mess around with the mechanicals like the lock jack. That's one of the cool things about climbing, there's always more to learn.
One last thing, feel free to take a shot at me anytime.

 

[FBerkel]

Taking aim.