split tails

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Dan, if you like your tail out a ways, you could use a bridge of some type.

 

[treeclimber165]

Unfortunately with the setup in your pic, Mike, you lose any benefit from the slack tender. With a 6" bridge you end up with 12" of slop to overcome before the slack tender advances your knot. So you end up pushing it up with your hand, which negates any need for a tender.

Home for lunch now, got halfway through 3 pine removals. One down, one brushed out and block set in top, and a third yet to be roped out of the second. I'm liking the action on the distal hitch but need to get used to hooking and unhooking the biners. Dang things are ALWAYS pointing the wrong way for my hands!

 

[treeclimber165]

Dan,
I'm finding that a tender is mandatory for air humping with this setup. I'm using one hand above the knot and one hand below to pull myself up and letting the tender advance my knot. Doing it this way, the shorter your tail is the better. If you use both hands above the knot, it helps if a groundie pulls the slack out of the rope.

 

[rbtree]

Go get 'em Brian! sounds like you're hooked already!

Dan, for normal body thrusting, you ned a longer bridge,and the slack tender is best taken off. But it is better to just hand over hand up a bit, then reach down and pull slack,or have a groundie do it. Footlocking the tail also works nicely, and it is best with a short bridge for self advancement. you can quickly slide up your knot to capture full progress.

There is a real slick self advancing adjustable bridge set up that really allows fast and easy progress. I rarely bother with it thought, as it requires extra gear. I prefer using ascenders for longer ascents.

 

[lync]

Brian,

My two cents. Tape the middle d rings together with a few wraps of electrical tape, this makes taking working end on and off easier, since its like having 1 d ring. Use a snap on the working end, not a ******, imho snap is a little easier to work with one hand. A piece 0f 3mm accesory cord tied in a loop, girth hitched , to a dog snap can be attached with a prussic to the working end of your line about a foot above the snap, attach micro pully below distell and attach to dog snap, this will self advance distel as you pull down on climbing line.

change is good
Corey

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Brian,
Regarding the bridge, because the pulley is right against the hitch all the slack can be pulled out by lifting up on the tail of the rope.
I like to add the bridge when I do a limb walk and I need to pull a couple feet of slack out at a time. Although it's a neater set up without it, so I use it on and off, as needed.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Instead of bodythrust, try footlocking with one hand under the tender of closed loop hitch. When feet are all the way down, gently push the hitch all the way up. The take another lock. Real smooth operation.

 

[Rob Murphy]

Originally posted by TreeCo
.

I have a question. How do you do minor hip thrusting in the tree with such a short distance between your saddle and climbing hitch? I'm use to having about 16 inches or so of distance in this area so I can get a good hip thrust. I don't use a slack tending pulley but will start in the next week.

If you would please lead me through advancing up the trunk a few feet. I've got the gear right here and am going to attach a photo for you guys to check out. I'm ready to make the leap! (pun intended)

Dan
Atlanta [/B]

You could (see pic) thats originally why I reversed and the second biner then I found that the CMI pulley and prussick knots fit neatly there. I rarely do this now, extend hitch, as you have to clip in before resetting.

Normal climbing procedure:To start I sit back in Harness pull line through pantim,stand,push up handled ascender(petzl) with left hand repeat till pantim starts to self feed..Ascender is only used for access and is removed when at desired heigh. Tim Walsh had a good article on Ascenders in TCI mag.These toothed ascenders(hand and foot) shouldnt be exposed to shock loads and are desinged for keamantle so are harder wearing on Arb rope. Friction hitch rides along slack and can be reset as desired.This leaves one hand and foot free to push of trunk.push foliage aside etc.

 

[Rob Murphy]

PIc

Hers the pic

 

[treeclimber165]

That makes a lot of sense, Rob. I never could see using an ascender without some sort of backup, and most everyone will agree that ascenders should not touch anything other than the rope they are ascending. I like the way you use your friction hitch but clip it advanced on your line so it isn't in the way of the ascender. Even 'pre-cleans' the line going into the ascender, too!


I climbed on the Distal hitch all day yesterday. It is like driving an expensive German sportscar after owning an 8 yr old econobox all your life. I'm still not used to finding the shifter or clutch pedal, but it is capable of a lot more performance than my old setup.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Rob, I didn't see a warning about putting that hitch so it ends up just out of your reach.

 

[treeclimber165]

Here is a pic of my old setup. I'm currently trying a setup very similar to what Rob Murphy posted earlier in this thread except I'm using the distal hitch as illustrated in the Sherrill catalog on the page with the split tails.

 

[Rob Murphy]

DOH!!

THanks Mike ..like mike said don't put it out off your reach..its just something that I used for a while ..rarely will I extend that way anymore.

 

[rbtree]

Rob, Brian,and all.

I really like the extended method that you showed in your pic. It is great for short ascents. It is self advancing, all you have to do is body thrust or footlock the tail. and if you have your line set in an overhead pulley, a bombproof crotch and a strong groundie, you can fly up faster than any other way.

 

[DDM]

Well it hasnt come in the mail yet so i Figure he must be using it

 

[treeclimber165]

Originally posted by treeclimber165
Thanks, Rog.
My atitude is mellowing about the whole deal. I played for an hour or so in my oak tree today using the distal hitch with both ends of the STail attached to the second biner. I think I need a longer STail to use the VT. I'm realizing that all the extra complexity and expense of a split system is simply so you can use better friction hitches. All the other arguments are kinda like 'Ford vs. Chevy' to me.

Who knows, in 3 months I might have a dozen biners and 3-4 Ultra Tech double spliced STails, with slings and pulleys hanging off of every conceivable point of my body.

It's only been 2 months, yet I feel like I've been climbing this way forever. I tried to tie my old hitch yesterday to show someone, couldn't remember it! I now have 4 T-900 ST's in my truck, 7 rigging biners,3-4 slings, 6 alum. biners,3 ascenders and 7 pulleys! Looking for a ditty bag to haul my toys in.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Go to a dime store and look for those cheep 12 dollar packs kisd use for school.

Or donte to Sierra club for thier signature balck pack. I think it goes wll with my Parks Assoc. butt pack. Though I've finnaly had to retire that and have not gotten around reordering it. The WWF tote bag did not have much application so my Mom got it as a handmeup.