Friction hitches

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Hi

I haven't got around to ordering my Tree Climbers compainon yet, not even sure if these knots are in there. I'm interested in learning to tie these friction hitches:VT,Distel and Icircle. I've got some prussic loops about 24" across and a 1.5m yale split tail, they be suitable for tying them-i'm guessing i'll be using the split tail. Or will i have to go and by a new bit of rope or will 1.5m or 13mm rope be ok?

I normally use a Blakes hitch or a 4 or 6 coil prussic. I've looked at my tree lessons but i could work out how to tie them from the finnished picture. Well i think i got the Distel which is kind of like a blakes yes? looked right but small changes make big diffrences in knots so i'd like to ask the experts.

Thanks

Andy

 

[jamie]

when i used a distel (i used 12mm tenex) i found that it worked ok when moving around but was hard to advance when loaded fully, thrusting up a tree.

ive used a knut recently which i found ok, and i'm now trying a vt with a pully. im using the edelrid adline from proclimber its 10mm. so far so good, ive even spliced a dog lead and saw strop off of it. i reckon you should buy a length of cord and play play play, go about 10mm


jamie

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There are several descriptions of Distal/Swabish here and elsewhere online.

One is a closed-loop veriant of the taughtline the other a prussic.

8-9mm cord is best (IMnsHO), and you size it up as needed to "tune" the "tresscord" to your rope.

Start with about 14 inches and put fishermans hitch in each end. To look like the pic below.

You size it by adjusting the tail on one of the fishermen.

here is a site search on "distal" hope it works with a link.

http://www.arboristsite.com/search.php?searchid=249632

I think Kenny's site has diagrams of hitches, is Xian's site still up?

Here is a link to Sergio's site in Italia. He has some pics on different hitches http://www.treeclimbing.it/

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

when i used a distel (i used 12mm tenex) i found that it worked ok when moving around but was hard to advance when loaded fully, thrusting up a tree.

ive used a knut recently which i found ok, and i'm now trying a vt with a pully. im using the edelrid adline from proclimber its 10mm. so far so good, ive even spliced a dog lead and saw strop off of it. i reckon you should buy a length of cord and play play play, go about 10mm


jamie

Ok i'll get some 10mm prussic cord - how long in meters would i need? What about thoses eye to eye prussics that proclimber do, any good? Also for adding a pully into the system will that £10 prussic pully that proclimber do the job?

 

[Stumper]

Mr. B, If you are going to tie your own cords usingDouble fisherman's loops/Scaffold knots/ double overhand nooses(all the same knot it just has multiple names yu will need approximately 1.15 meters.> a liittle more for some hitch configurations. My goal with tress cords is to set up the hitch with the number of coils that works best for me on a particular host line and with the absolute minimun ammount of excess-enough to tie the hitch but without long tails to add slack into the tending system. My reccomendation would be to buy several meters of your intended cord , figure out the hitch starting with a piece about 1.5 metres long. Trim down until you have it all 'tuned' and then cut your future pieces to the predetermined length. I use 9mm Yacht braids and cut 44 inch pieces to construct cords for a 4/1 Distel on 13mm host line.- I can also get a 3/3 VT out of the same cord but it works better if it is an inch longer. On smaller host line I wind up with extra cord. If this sounds compex-don't be intimidated-it really isn't. You probably climb on the same line every day. An evening spent toying with the cord will get yuo dialed in and you can use that combination forever. -Lots of guys use long eye to eye length cord and without tuning anything but the number of coils. -That is safe but doesn't give you the full benefit of minimum slack

 

[PRUNER 1]

mr b, i used the blakes for a few years, then tried the distel and icicle. i found that wen on the tips, it wouldnt release as i liked and would be constantly letting fiddly little amounts of rope out, constantly working the knot to achieve a good work position. also changing anchor when climbing was a pain. went back to the blakes and never looked back. much more comfortable with it and i know exactly how its going to react. youll find your preferred method in time but you are right to give everything a go and try new stuff.

 

[Pilsnaman]

Is it me or do very few people use the Swabish hitch for climbing? I have been using the knot for over a year now and can't find a fault with it. Currently I am using the Ultra Tech 8mm from sherrill on High-Vee 1/2". I am about 190 lbs and it doesn't slip or lock up, seems to know what I want it to do. Maybe I am just lucky with my weight and style of climbing but who knows.

 

[Pilsnaman]

Sorry, XTC...last climbing rope was the High-Vee

 

[jamie]

adline

ive been using the adline, seems ok so far steve reckons marlow double braid is good, (the adline is a double braid and i've spliced a saw strop out of it, very pretty if a bit long.....takes 3 pulls to get the saw up, work takes 2.)

get a length of it, i got 7 meters and regetted getting so little the saw strop and dog lead used a fair whack, got a few hitch cords out of it, tie it with long tails on the fishermans and play then cut the ends to size afterwards. i leave 1.5 inches sticking out.....tape it down if need be.

i cut and seal my ropes with a knife stuck in the gas on the cooker hob or at work i heat it with the oxy acetylene torch....same effect just quicker.

jamie

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Does that look right for a distel? Still nees setting properly but i opened it up a bit so you could see it properly.

 

[notahacker]

No. That is not a Distel Hitch. See link for Distel, Icicle, Gripping Hitch, and Schwabish Hitches.

http://www.proclimber.co.uk/knottin...tting-shed--arborist-treeclimbing-hitches.htm

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Ah i see 4 coils and each of the tails exits on oppisite sides of the bridge.

 

[Pilsnaman]

I will have to try a few of these hitches but must say I like the ease of inspection with the schwabish, very little going on and really easy to tie.

 

[046]

internet is a really bad place to learn critical knots!

find an experienced local climber to shown you....

you'd be surprised, most will stop and help you out. if you simply ask.

 

[Jim1NZ]

I agree, unless you are very competent its way easier to get someone to show you!

Not impossible by any stretch. Go low and slow bro...

 

[BoesTreeService]

Another idea for learning your knots...contact a local Vermeer dealer and find out when their next climbing siminar is. I attended one and thier very knowledgable instructors helped me clean up my climbing system quite a bit. Another thing I like to do, especially when changing my ropes around or redirecting, or needing to pull or lean , is to use my webbing loops, by girth hitching and clicking on a biner to my harness. Just a back up for safety if i need to redirect or retie or relocate my system. Also works great to give you a mutidirectional pull to stop you from swinging in certain situations.

 

[knudeNoggin]

... using Double fisherman's loops/Scaffold knots/ double overhand nooses(all the same knot it just has multiple names ...

Ya, true, but the problem's aggravated in that some of those names now denote (wrongly)
multiple knots.
Try to kill "Fisherman's/Dble.Fish" for the noose; "Scaffold" & "Dbl.Oh.Noose" work.
"Arborcicle" might be worth giving currency to distinguish this both-ends-loaded
hitch from the Icicle, originated with one end unloaded (like Blake's); and there
is a difference in behavior, thus.

here is a site search on "distal" hope it works

Though in a way one should hope NOT (the seach, i.e.)--correctly 'Distel", a fellow,
not the adjective (which complements "proximal", in e.g. medical lingo).
Also 'Prusik' is the guy's name who made the early advance of such a knot.

internet is a really bad place to learn critical knots!
find an experienced local climber to shown you....

Hmmm, on the Net, in a discussion group such as this, one can often get a fair overview,
with a reasonable laying out of considerations; that one person you might find could
be the sort who have used the {Clove, Tautline, Blake's} hitch forever, and not have
any experience comparing others. A combination of reading & hands-on/firsthand
instruction works best. We've had the advantage here of learning from many users
w/experience which combinations of rope/cord, and for what purposes, and with
what body weights, in various hitches have behaved. And these are definitely
"YMMV" type of knots.

(-;

 

[NickfromWI]

Boe- do you use a flipline/lanyard or anything like that? It's more versatile and faster, too.

love
nick

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

That looking better?
I'll ask around the local guys see if they can help. They seem to use prussic or blakes but might know some others.

 

[jamie]

Mr B

my boss uses prussics and prussics only made from 3 strand on multiplait.

i turned up one day, took down the sweet chestnut, came down, there was one largeish peg on the back, got out my xtc (had a Knut with pully on it) and he was impressed, need to take it back (it now has a VT on it)

all my new knots are tied at home looking at a book then tested on a jacket hook in the hall clipped to my belt then taken outside to a small / low crotch. on a proper climb. at first with a hitch i know and trust as a backup


jamie