Mechanical or au natural

[Pancake]

Please describe the icicle hitch

 

[letigre]

icicle hitch

Please describe the icicle hitch

this is yet another knot originally used in yachting. sailors found it was the best knot to tie on a tapered surface, hence the 'icicle hitch'. its action is very smooth, it releases easy and binds tight when weight is applied. i use it with a cmi micro pulley to tend the slack.

 

[masiman]

I'm still a newb. I just progressed to split tail this Spring.

I'm on Arbormaster Gold Streak, using 1/2" 16 strand tail with Blakes.

When I get some confidence with tying a VT and Icicle, I'll try both. They are sharp looking setups from others who have posted pics of their setups. JPS an others who have pix of these setups, could you repost? I assume both eyes go to the same biner? These hitches are self-tending, i.e. no pulley? I'll probably be on a Blake's until this Fall. I like the Gold Streak well enough. I don't feel a need to change to a lighter line yet, but maybe with more experience.

I do like my Petzl Fixe. I don't like that I have to detach the whole thing (something else to accidentally drop) when changing to a running bowline for bringing down the spar, but it works quite well for tending.

Thanks all for your posts on what you are using and why.

 

[letigre]

sorry guys just looking at those photos and i realised they dont make any sense! dont drink and tie prussik knots kids!:monkey: the loop goes behind the rope and both ends of the prussik go through the opening together to get the girth hitch action.

heres the proper sequence.

 

[nytreeman]

Climbed many hundreds of trees on a taughtline and never had a problem,sometimes I have used a pulley to tend it but usually not.The knot will slowly creep away from you but it takes no time to reset it.I don't know about you but I can go up a rope with a taughtline and maybe a lil footlocking,if I'm not wearing gaffs,pretty damn quick,and a tautline I can tie in my sleep, I like to keep it it simple.

 

[newguy18]

Climbed many hundreds of trees on a taughtline and never had a problem,sometimes I have used a pulley to tend it but usually not.The knot will slowly creep away from you but it takes no time to reset it.I don't know about you but I can go up a rope with a taughtline and maybe a lil footlocking,if I'm not wearing gaffs,pretty damn quick,and a tautline I can tie in my sleep, I like to keep it it simple.

I'm with you I learned on a taut line and tried the blake's once but I perfer the taut line.

 

[woodchux]

Tautline is the absolute worst knot that that i can think of... please try some other knots guys.

 

[nytreeman]

Tautline is the absolute worst knot that that i can think of... please try some other knots guys.

and you would suggest?

 

[Slvrmple72]

I use a split tail and a blakes on arborplex. Works for me. Keeping it simple.

+1

 

[Slvrmple72]

I had a really good training day today with some friends. My choice today was the 10mm Bee line with a Vt- 3 wraps and 3 tresses. I spliced it up an inch shorter than the pre spliced ultratech cord from Sherrill. I am trying the Ice tail next week Vt and Distel.

About what length of 10mm Beeline do you need for Vt?

 

[woodchux]

I mostly just use a blakes hitch myself. If you have some 3/8 cord try a VT or distel. Anything would be better that a tautline IMO. Ive seen guys let the tail get down to less than 1/2" with no stopper knot. Why even use a hitch that creeps? What a pain. They say that the blakes can creep, but i've never seen it happen.

 

[beowulf343]

I mostly just use a blakes hitch myself. If you have some 3/8 cord try a VT or distel. Anything would be better that a tautline IMO. Ive seen guys let the tail get down to less than 1/2" with no stopper knot. Why even use a hitch that creeps? What a pain. They say that the blakes can creep, but i've never seen it happen.

I don't know-i quit using the tautline many years ago but still think it's a good friction hitch. The best hitch out there? Of course not. But i'll bet more climbers have descended safely out of a tree with a tautline than all the other hitches put together. It's still the first hitch i'll teach to new climbers-easy to tie, hard to screw up. As to the creep issue, climbed a couple years with a blakes and had more creep issues with that than i ever did with a tautline. Never put a stop knot on the tautline but always needed one for the blakes. Why i went to a closed hitch.

 

[beowulf343]

I'm with you I learned on a taut line and tried the blake's once but I perfer the taut line.

Oh great, that's a ringing endorsement.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I'm with you I learned on a taut line and tried the blake's once but I perfer the taut line.

Total :newbie: there!!!

 

[newguy18]

Total :newbie: there!!!

You didn't learn on the taut line? I always stuck with what I learned first in anything I do,I am not saying that I use the best of anything I just perfer it.Use what you like and I will say this I sure don't trust that lock jack.

 

[DDM]

I use the Distel. A Fine fellow from Fla showed it to me several yrs ago. Glad he did!

 

[nytreeman]

I'm with you I learned on a taut line and tried the blake's once but I perfer the taut line.

ok newguy quoted me AND agreed with me guess it's time to give it up,maybe I'll go join the circus they use alot of knots there

 

[nytreeman]

I use the Distel. A Fine fellow from Fla showed it to me several yrs ago. Glad he did!

I think the distel is a good hitch,tried it climbing cpl times but never have tied it enough to remember since then,lol,I def liked it more than a blakes though I've had blakes creep,loosen
and melt the rope descending fast for that matter

 

[Stumpcutter1]

Im 50 and tired ,lol but can still climb I use the blakes now,but climbed on a taughtline way more and still would rather descend on it

 

[Pancake]

The 10mm Bee Line I spliced was about an inch shorter than the pre spliced Ultra tech cord from (Samsom) Sherrill Tree. I am 5'6" with a short wingspan. I tried the Arborplex rope once a long time ago- way to stiff and fat for me.