Fell 30 Feet Out of The Tree Today...

[treemandan]

Dam! Glad you are fine. I know people who have stopped climbing after that.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I retie mine every time i go up a tree, the hitch is too finicky to just leave on the rope. The characteristics will change with ware.

Glad you are still hale and whole.

Kinda like my near death experiance with my fisherman creaping apart with the high-tech cord. I went back to StableBraid and have had no problems since.

 

[TimberJack_7]

Well, like everyone else, glad to hear that you are ok. I took a 25ft fall last year and landed hard. Fortunately nothing broken and no long term bad effects but sore for a good three months. All that the result of me being a dumba$$ and taking a stupid chance.

Like someone has said, we play a man's game here. Every great now and then we get a second chance when we shouldn't have. Play safe bro, enjoy the iced down beer, and save a horse and ride a cowgirl !

As for me, yeah I know it is ancient but I am still running the old tautline hitch. Works for me. Life always taste a little better when you realize how fleeting it is!

 

[Blakesmaster]

Md. Glad to hear you made it out safe. Won't comment on the VT as I've had both good and bad luck with it. I'll chill and listen to what comes out of this thread but mainly just happy you didn't bite it. That's what's important.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Thats a pretty good fall, 30 feet. Can't say anything that hasn't been said so take care bro and you know God was watching out for ya.

I still climb on a VT, but as we all know it's a bit more maintenance for a bit more performance.

 

[Tree Pig]

Back when I was still jumping out of plains, everyone was just REALLY getting in to high speed canopies and in turn low fast hook turns were the big rage. Though they were the bomb for fun they were very dangerous (results being burning in to the ground at 80-90 mph) .

VT is the Hook turn of treeclimbing, everyone loves it cause its slick and the latest and greatest. I lost 3 good friends to low hook turns. Someone dying while under a perfectly good canopy just for a little extra fun is really stupid.

I know you guys that climb every day, all day easier climbing and time saving is key to production but getting hurt while climbing on a questionable, temperamental friction hitch when there are so many safer options is almost as senseless as the hook turn is. Be careful folks.

MD... I am really glad I didnt lose one to the VT.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Back when I was still jumping out of plains, everyone was just REALLY getting in to high speed canopies and in turn low fast hook turns were the big rage. Though they were the bomb for fun they were very dangerous (results being burning in to the ground at 80-90 mph) .

VT is the Hook turn of treeclimbing, everyone loves it cause its slick and the latest and greatest. I lost 3 good friends to low hook turns. Someone dying while under a perfectly good canopy just for a little extra fun is really stupid.

I know you guys that climb every day, all day easier climbing and time saving is key to production but getting hurt while climbing on a questionable, temperamental friction hitch when there are so many safer options is almost as senseless as the hook turn is. Be careful folks.

MD... I am really glad I didnt lose one to the VT.

Big ole guy, cares!
Jeff

 

[burntslap]

Played with the VT a little. Ought to call it DRT. Old skool Blakes and home every day. Glad your alright.

 

[derwoodii]

Thanks for the post and your courage for sharing for others. Could VT users enlighten me about VT hitches eg whats the advantages over others eg Prusik or Tautline.

I,m very old school circa 1981 never strayed far from a 4 loop prusik so a little fear full of new ideas but very happy to see innovation.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/friction hitch-work in progress.htm

 

[tree md]

I think the VT is taking an undeserved beating in this thread. Almost any climbing hitch that is not tightened every now and then on a long ascent is likely to fail to grab if suddenly loaded.

Nothing I'm hearing is steering me away from the VT thus far.

Glad you made out OK MD!

X2

I don't plan on giving up on it. Just going to pay more attention tending it from now on. My prussic cord and climbing line are getting old and worn out. I'm buying new of both this upcoming week. Like John said, Maybe the characteristics are just changing with wear.

Really, it is the most responsive, high preformance knot I have used. Like I said, I love climbing on it.

I'm not advising not to use it, just be careful with it is all.

 

[BuddhaKat]

Falling ain't so bad. It's the landing that sucks.

I'd have died of fright before I crossed the 15' mark.

 

[RedlineIt]

Got to agree with JohnPaul:

1. Glad you came out with just a WakeUp.

2. Retie your hitch every time you climb, VT, Knut, Distel, Blakes what have you.

It's not just glazing that can set in undetected, but general crustiness from yesterdays sap, sawdust, honeydew, get in to the fibres and if left tied overnight, night after night, cause the hitch to "freeze" in a relaxed or open state.

Remove the eye2eye and retie each time, (and even then you can feel the way it was on your last rap, tie it opposite) and a lot of these issues go away. For the VT to work, the cordadge MUST be flexible.

Washing your Eye2eyes once in a while helps as well.

RedlineIt

 

[tree md]

Thanks for the post and your courage for sharing for others. Could VT users enlighten me about VT hitches eg whats the advantages over others eg Prusik or Tautline.

I,m very old school circa 1981 never strayed far from a 4 loop prusik so a little fear full of new ideas but very happy to see innovation.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/friction hitch-work in progress.htm

I started out on a 4 loop prussic and climbed on it for years. When I got a little heavier I had to go with a 5 loop prussic. Works very well.

The advantage with the VT in my opinion is the braids below the coils. This allows the hitch to be so much more responsive. It runs well when you need it to and has always bitten really well for me until today. if you do a lot of limb walking and getting out there in no man's land it really runs smooth. Sure, if you are still hanging on to everything you can get your hands on for security and want the security of a hitch that is going to be very solid but harder to work up and down then the blakes hitch is for you. If you are advanced to the point that you just walk right out on the limbs then the VT makes it much easier and smoother to do so.

 

[ropensaddle]

X2

I don't plan on giving up on it. Just going to pay more attention tending it from now on. My prussic cord and climbing line are getting old and worn out. I'm buying new of both this upcoming week. Like John said, Maybe the characteristics are just changing with wear.

Really, it is the most responsive, high preformance knot I have used. Like I said, I love climbing on it.

I'm not advising not to use it, just be careful with it is all.

I think my old ass stick with the taught line and blakes, distel. I have climbed on taught line 28 years and the only problem is with it sticking not falling. I am very glad your ok md

 

[derwoodii]

I started out on a 4 loop prussic and climbed on it for years. When I got a little heavier I had to go with a 5 loop prussic. Works very well.

The advantage with the VT in my opinion is the braids below the coils. This allows the hitch to be so much more responsive. It runs well when you need it to and has always bitten really well for me until today. if you do a lot of limb walking and getting out there in no man's land it really runs smooth. Sure, if you are still hanging on to everything you can get your hands on for security and want the security of a hitch that is going to be very solid but harder to work up and down then the blakes hitch is for you. If you are advanced to the point that you just walk right out on the limbs then the VT makes it much easier and smoother to do so.

Ok ta your so right about walkin limbs with prusik they jam n pinch just when you need em to slide. My big limb walkin days are passing or past so I,ve sadly missed out on a better way.

How about on the way up body thrustin is it better here?

 

[tree md]

My hip and body thrusting days are over but this knot really shines when going up on ascenders. Like I said, normally it slides and bites like a mechanical ascendder. I just got in a funny position with mine today. Plus, again, My rope and prussic are worn out. I've got one more to do on them tomorrow then my next climb will be on new rope.

 

[derwoodii]

Thanks again. You youngster with your new fangle gear leaves me feelin so old. Often I help at OZ itcc comps and envy the gear in used today its so trick your so lucky. I fear its gettin a bit over the top with so many bits n pieces hanging off you belt mistakes are easyer. Take care.

 

[pdqdl]

I retie mine every time i go up a tree, the hitch is too finicky to just leave on the rope. The characteristics will change with ware.
...

That's odd. I use home spliced beeline i2i and my VT gets more reliable the longer I leave it on the rope. It only needs tending carefully when it has been recently re-tied.

I use 8mm beeline on 10mm velocity. I like it for the ease that it slides up, but I really prefer the more traditional knots (on 1/2" climbline) for sliding down. I think the VT binds up a bit too tight, and only slides down with quite a bit of resistance. This thread reminds me that it didn't use to be so tight on the down-direction, so maybe it's time to put on a new i2i.

Perhaps some ropes & i2i combinations are not well suited to using with a VT?

 

[beowulf343]

That's scary, glad to see you're ok, md.

The i2i blakes (Michoacán) grabs better (imo), takes up less space, and has less play than the vt. If you're gonna change it up, give it a try.

Agreed, three years without a problem yet.

 

[vaclimber]

Vt?

Hey guys. My knowledge of friction hitches doesnt run very deep. Is there an online resource (illustrated) I can check out? I started with the tautline, then used the Blake's, then used my own knot-3 wraps up then underneath the "bridge" with the tail and tucked it under the middle wrap. I tied a figure8 at the end but after it was dressed and set good it didnt creep. After I was told I couldnt use it in the jamboree I changed to the split-tail system. Anyway, I think it is a French prussik I use now where I simmply wrap around my climbing line 4 times with my split tail and return to the biner (using a smaller diameter tail). Im very pleased with it performance. I read alot of bad stuff about the VT and am curious. Any input?