Tauntline Hitch Appreciation Thread

[xander9727]

A lot of the mechanical devices were specifically designed for rock climbing and caving. In tree care there is a lot more debris, weather extremes and chances for abuse than in the recreational arena. I do use mechanical devices both in rock climbing and in tree work. There are some that I feel are best left to recreational climbing, but that is only my opinion. I like using rope on rope on my climbing line to secure me in the tree. This easy to teach and works well. For work positioning lanyards mechanical devices are far superior. You are usually the most productive with what you are comfortable with. This really reduces the mental strain during the job.

 

[MasterBlaster]

MB its 12:40am here 'i'm on my sixth beer - and i mean proper beer none of your weak a$$ american pi$$ my mind aint up to much - i aint gonna go and buy sh!t taht i havn't been shown how to use or had a go on before hand - even if it is simple to use - there's always a knack to stuff

Hahaha. And you have a good one, my brother!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ya'll have WAY better tv 'cross the pond!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Xander,

Which tools make the crossover to treework and why?

"For work positioning lanyards mechanical devices are far superior."

Do you really think so? Unless you use the Grillon or Positioner you have to unweight any mechanical. With a hitch and any slack tender the climber's weight can be fully on and still be adjusted. Am I missing something? Lanyard adjusters is one place that I think hitches work MUCH better.

Wilson,

Skip the pulley for a slack tender. Just get yourself a swivel snap, they cost less than a pound and work just as well. One less thing to drop and more beer money in your pocket.

 

[Tom D. Wilson]

i like the sounds of that; beer 12 - as you can gues - day off tommmorw!! -can you make that work with a blakes?? i'v heard you can use Biners for the same purpose- where abouts do you attch em for them to work bes

 

[treeclimber jul]

I'm not seeing too much appreciation here.

Since I'm the only one that uses this hitch, I feel it is my responsibility to keep using it.

I use the blakes or a special French knot that incorperates a micro pulley and biner

 

[pantheraba]

Met a redneck climber in VA. and asked him "what kind of hitch do you use... have you ever tried a french prussic or do you just use a tautline?"... He had that look like "WHAT'S A TAUTLINE" so I added 2 under and 2 over...
He replied..."OH NO... I'm a speed climber 2 under...1 OVER..

MB, I just discovered this thread...a REAL long one.

I was taught the "2 under, 1 over" way back and have used it lots. For an ornery rope, I would go 2 over 2...so you can count me as a "taut line appreciater". My teacher, Mike McCue, taught it to me when I was about 40 feet up and ready to come down one day. He was tired of me rappelling down (on a biner wrap the way the Rangers taught me) and talked me into tying and trying the TL...man, was it hard to let go of that knot in order to stop!!

That being said, this forum has got my head spinning with Blakes, Distels, VTs, knutes, blah, blah. I am still trying to sort it all out. I plan to try some of them, especially for a lanyard. My current lanyard with "built-in prusick" is a real pain to adjust...sometimes it gets super tight and almost impossible to adjust until I loosen the wraps.

But, I promise you this...if I do find another favorite the TL will always have a special place in my heart...I doos appreciate it.

 

[a_lopa]

you shouldnt be aloud to climb a tree unless you can tie it IMO

 

[jamie]

never

never tied it, never really plan to, if needs be i can tie a 4 wrap prussic.

jamie

 

[clearance]

I climb with a mechanical adjustable steelcore that can be tightened by pulling one end but has to be squeezed to release. Works awesome, all I have ever used, guys older tell me it beats everthing they used before. I rappel down with a two down-one up taughtline. I feel very stable and secure when I have my steelcore around the tree and am tied in with a tautline hitch, standing in my spurs of course. You have to be planted good to push off branches that are overhanging the primary, or tops that could hit the primary. Tautline with an 8 in the tail, always.

 

[Ax-man]

never tied it, never really plan to, if needs be i can tie a 4 wrap prussic.

jamie

_________________________________________________________________

You are not missing out on anything, by not using this old climbing knot. Trust me, there are no fond memories attached to using this hitch. OOPS, I forgot MB told me to keep out of this thread.

Larry

 

[MasterBlaster]

Don't be hating!

 

[jamie]

ok

from looking at them a distel looks like a taughtline with the tail tied off and a few more wraps above?

or am i just tying it really wrong?

jamie

 

[Ax-man]

I'm not hating, Butch, kinda of being a burr under your saddle, stirring the pot up a little. LOL. I just don't see why climbers stick with the Tautline, when there are other smoother working hitches, that perform better. To each his own, right.

Larry

 

[Ax-man]

Your right Jamie, it is a closed Tautline and it is also upside down from the way you would normally tie it on a climbing line with a tail and an eight for a stopper.

Larry

 

[JODY MESSICK]

I Used The 2 Under 1 Over Speed Knot My First Year Climbing Because Thats All I Was Taught Then Switched To The 2 And 2 Because I Would Always Have To Tightin It .i Use A Blakes Hitch Now It Is Much Better , The Guys At Work Have Never Heard Of It .

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've had this one client for several years now and I just ralized today that he is climbing on a taughtline with a bo'lin tiler directly to his saddle.

I've been razzing him about oldschool, but when he had to untile everything when I shifted his TIP for him ....

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ha! We don't need no stinking snaps!

 

[pantheraba]

Ha! We don't need no stinking snaps!

I only recently discovered the split tail thru youse guys. Until recently, I used a double butterfly on the end of my climbing line...the loose leg (tail rope) of the b-fly was what I used to tie my tautline.

The split tail is so obvious now...thanks to this site and TB. I made my first one with a biner and bowline...I have 2 proper ones on the way from Wespur now. I'll start playing with something besides the tautline now.

 

[Jim1NZ]

I have tried them all and use a mix of most.
Klemheist - footlocking
Distil - lanyard
French - climbing, the best i have found. Best when using a solid pulley and tying one end if the prussic to the pulley, dam i need a digital camera!