the best rope to use to tie your french prusic, Vt or distle hitch

[rbtree]

Wow, I've never seen nice steel rigging biners that cheap!!!

Aw, I got 7 steel ones now, I'm set, I reckon.

Ordering some stuff from Sherril tommorrow- another Zubat to replace the one I traded for a table saw, some Silky Hayauchi replacement pole parts, another Kong pear shaped biner, my favorite, some Cobra stuff...

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by rbtree
Yep, nick, and the same size works equally well for the Vt or Schw. pr, /Dis. hitches. Mark Chisholm uses the same stuff as me. It is super cheap, plenty strong, and stiffer than the tenex. Tom D uses it also, methinx. I do want some of the new 24 strand ultratech tho....

Interesting. I'll talk to Mark when I see him again in a couple hours. Tom couldn't make it, but I can understand.

Nickrosis

PS: Tom, if you're reading this, Tim and Don are splicing with the SSA in the Mid-State climbing lab right now. Looks like a marathon session. We'll have Gopher (Dave Ryan) out here shortly, too. JPS - will you be here?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

No, I refuse to come.

 

[Nickrosis]

Too late, you already did. I have witnesses! Very productive session where I learned about new techniques and watch a crane removal. I did get roped into being a volunteer for the crane because I happened to be sleeping in my treeboat in the classroom that morning.

Nickrosis

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

What, I can't refuse after the fact?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Brian, I got that short hank of UT packed up, I'll be up to a UPS depot tomorrow an send it off.

 

[treeclimber165]

You're OK, JPS.
Since I finished work before noon today, I went over to Vermeer to drool over the toys. Ended up buying a $22 Tenex eye & eye prussic loop. The Blue Streak split-tail I've been using for 2 weeks is fairly stiff, I just tied a fisherman's knot on the unspliced end and hooked both ends on my belt with a biner. They didn't have any UT in stock.

 

[Stumper]

JPS, You can only refuse after the fact in New Jersey.

 

[treeclimber165]

I know this is kinda late to respond on this thread, but I wanted to share my opinion of the $22 Tenex eye & eye prusik cord sold by Sherrill. I just bought one Wednesday and got to use it yesterday and today. After climbing 6 trees with it, it is already showing signs of wear. I am not convinced it will hold up for more than a couple weeks, a month tops.

After over 12 years of using a tail tied from my climbing line, I am not impressed with the products being sold for split-tails. If it weren't for the distal hitch, I'd go back to using my lifeline tail for my hitch and give up on a split system. The distal hitch is the ONLY reason I am going to keep looking for suitable hitch line.

 

[rbtree]

I agree, Brian. But the tenex is really strong, and after splicing, it is essentially a 1/2 inch doublebraid. I dont like that sling's characteristics for a split tail, and now use it as a friction saver/ false crotch, so wear is reduced. Go to a boat store and get some 3/8 double braid. it is cheap, so you can get enough for multiple slings and experiment with different lengths- works equally well for Vt, or distel/schwabisch.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I kinda skipped right over the distel thing, but if you like the old way, why not tie the distel with a tail made of climbing line? I suppose thesplices would be problematic. The little bit of work I've done on a distel made of 5/16" cord was unpleasent because it locked down tighter than a... well let's just say too tight. I bet the distel works best with ropes of equal size, but don't quote me.

I also found tennex to wear quickly, and as rb noted, once spliced it's a 1/2" anyway. I tried to use it for a lanyard once and that failed do to fast wear also. I doesn't hold up well for slings either. It is cheap and easy to splice but I would perfer to spend a little more and get quality that lasts, rather than buying throw away equipment over and over.

 

[Kevin]

I bet the distel works best with ropes of equal size, but don't quote me.

It`s ok, you can quote him.
That`s the way it works.
The smaller stuff using the Distel works good on lanyards.

 

[treeclimber165]

Mike,
With the couple different ropes I've used in the last 3 weeks, I'm finding the 4/1 distal (identical to the picture on page 18 in the Sherrill catalog) is by far the best friction hitch I've ever used. With the ultra soft 3/8" Tenex, it can tighten up sometimes, but nothing like an open prusik or tautline. It grabs faster and releases easier than anything I've ever seen. With a tender pulley, it is virtually hands-free when ascending.

I'm hoping the Ultra-Tech will be a little stiffer and wear better also. With the right rope, this could possibly be the perfect hitch.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Just ordered some Samson Stable Braid 3/8 coated from SeaMar @ .41 per foot. See how that works. It is 5600# test.

 

[treeclimber165]

Thanks again for the piece of Ultra Tech, JPS. It's a lot firmer than the Tenex, so it is working much better. It seems like the somewhat stiffer ropes work better for the distal than the soft ropes, they don't lock down as easily. If a stiffer rope slips on you, you can always add another wrap on top.

I'm thinking that the worst issue with the advanced type hitches is wear on the hitch rope. Using a rope with poor wear characteristics like Tenex or even Stable Braid doesn't make sense to me. I'm thinking about rock climbing rope, which is designed to withstand dirt and wear better due to it's extremely tight outer layer. My neighbor used to do a lot of indoor rock climbing, so I'm going to ask him if he has an old rope that I can get 3' from. Most rock climbing stores only sell prepackaged lengths, usually 60' I think. But I've seen online places that sell it by the foot.

Anyone else tried something like 3/8" rock climbing static line and care to share what you discovered?

 

[Wilson_tree]

I posted a question about the sheath of my rope milking a lot with the distel hitch a while ago. I was using a 9mm kernmantle cord intended for rock climbing for my hitch. The sheath is very hard and really bites into the climbing line. I am planning to try some 10 or 11mm diameters to see if they grab and release a little smoother than the 9mm. I also tied it with 1/2 arborist rope and the 4up 1 down was a little slippery.

 

[Rob Murphy]

Spectra speed

Brian
We at Treemenders Tree Care are using spectra speed ( thats its brand name).Iam using 8mm the others are using 10mm. It has is very hard wearing rope very very strong.
I have been using the same hitch for some mths constant climbing and its showing some wear.

Positives/Negatives

1) This is definatly the strongest link in my rig and it has no give apart from the knot characteristics.

2) This is slippery rope, good for knot release but your end knots can come undone ( I use double fishermans). I had it come undone on my flipline. I now stich my prussick.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I was using a VT the other dayand had climbed through the rope, ie had a line on each side running back.

Did not set the hitch before I leaned forward onto the rope, and since the hitch was hard up against my body, it did not catch.

I felt it run so I cought myself befor I went face firts between the laterals I was out on.

had my flipline for secondary tie-in, so it would have just been embarasing.