What knot to use.

[treeclimber101]

This is the 101 site, it is for those that want to share what they learn, what they use, what they see out there. To try different styles, equipment, and techniques. Personally I am new at this (climbing on ropes) and I am ok with that. I don't need to prove anything to anyone and especially some of you guys that want to pick at every comment that is not your own or somehow feel their "macho" is challenged. This is not my day job, I do it part time and for fun. In the past most of my tree work was without rope using a 5/8 inch chain, my Bobcat with a backhoe attachment, digging around the stump and pushing the damn thing over, cutting it up for the wood yard and taking the rest to a mulching company for grinding in my dump trailer. I don't even own a chipper. So don't you worry, I won't be talking about all the cool things and added attachments you can put on your chipper. There is no need for me to "embellish" anything, there is nothing to benefit here from doing that. I have not and will not say I have done something or know something that I do not or have not done. I tend to be passionate about whatever I do and I will read, study and participate in anything that helps me master that passion. True, I need my F350 to carry all of the gear I have purchased, but for me I am enjoying every minute of it. If you want to laugh at a guy jingling like a sleigh ride as he walks to the tree, enjoy that, but let me enjoy my sleigh ride. I want to learn and try all of it........but that is me and that is what works for me, obviously not for you.
I know most of you could climb on a 120' piece of rope and a carabiner, foot locking up the tree and then swing from branch to branch and tree to tree. That is impressive, I give you that but then what are you going to discuss, what are you going to share? Probably not much but even then I am sure you could find something to bicker about and make personal attacks hiding behind the anonymity provided by the internet.
So, what is an 80' motion lanyard. It is what I have used and what I have leaned from the folks at Cornell and it is something I haul into the tree at times. By the way, hauling all that #*%# into the tree is great exercise and part of the great benefit of climbing.
So, now let me go play with my Stiffy and new Singing Tree rope wrench ZK-2 that arrived yesterday to replace the ZK-1 that I have. Then we can talk about all the cool knots that are available and how you can use them, but it won't be very interesting to you if you only use a Bowline and a Timber hitch with your one rope and carabiner but that is ok because that is you.

My day job.........
[video=youtube;KfbJyb2vyOk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfbJyb2vyOk[/video]

Oh settle down Howard Hughes I was teasing , I thought you were just some drunk hillbilly with that rope saw thread ! But now I realize that your more then that , your a pilot with a heavy murse needing to lighten it up on every tree apparatus made . Soooooooo carry on riding a tree sleigh or drinking a beer on a totem pole ! BTW that was an awful landing I would have surely spilled my Bloody Mary and been pissed !

 

[Gologit]

Teach me to fly a 747 and i will teach you to climb like a squirrel:msp_biggrin:

You don't really fly a 747...you just push the right buttons in the right sequence, say the right things on the radio, and try not to break anything expensive. :msp_biggrin:

Come on out here...I'll teach you to fly a Stearman. That's real flying. And you don't have to wear a necktie and one of those goofy looking hats, either.

 

[treeclimber101]

Oh boy we may have to start a thread about flying to contain the tree squirrel when he reads that LOL

 

[Zale]

This is the 101 site, it is for those that want to share what they learn, what they use, what they see out there. To try different styles, equipment, and techniques. Personally I am new at this (climbing on ropes) and I am ok with that. I don't need to prove anything to anyone and especially some of you guys that want to pick at every comment that is not your own or somehow feel their "macho" is challenged. This is not my day job, I do it part time and for fun. In the past most of my tree work was without rope using a 5/8 inch chain, my Bobcat with a backhoe attachment, digging around the stump and pushing the damn thing over, cutting it up for the wood yard and taking the rest to a mulching company for grinding in my dump trailer. I don't even own a chipper. So don't you worry, I won't be talking about all the cool things and added attachments you can put on your chipper. There is no need for me to "embellish" anything, there is nothing to benefit here from doing that. I have not and will not say I have done something or know something that I do not or have not done. I tend to be passionate about whatever I do and I will read, study and participate in anything that helps me master that passion. True, I need my F350 to carry all of the gear I have purchased, but for me I am enjoying every minute of it. If you want to laugh at a guy jingling like a sleigh ride as he walks to the tree, enjoy that, but let me enjoy my sleigh ride. I want to learn and try all of it........but that is me and that is what works for me, obviously not for you.
I know most of you could climb on a 120' piece of rope and a carabiner, foot locking up the tree and then swing from branch to branch and tree to tree. That is impressive, I give you that but then what are you going to discuss, what are you going to share? Probably not much but even then I am sure you could find something to bicker about and make personal attacks hiding behind the anonymity provided by the internet.
So, what is an 80' motion lanyard. It is what I have used and what I have leaned from the folks at Cornell and it is something I haul into the tree at times. By the way, hauling all that #*%# into the tree is great exercise and part of the great benefit of climbing.
So, now let me go play with my Stiffy and new Singing Tree rope wrench ZK-2 that arrived yesterday to replace the ZK-1 that I have. Then we can talk about all the cool knots that are available and how you can use them, but it won't be very interesting to you if you only use a Bowline and a Timber hitch with your one rope and carabiner but that is ok because that is you.

My day job.........
[video=youtube;KfbJyb2vyOk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfbJyb2vyOk[/video]

As a recovering "gear junky", I now find the simpler the better. Its a expensive addiction to feed. I'm not knocking you. If you did this type of work full time, you might look at it differently.

You also might want to inspect the base of your "pole chair". I wouldn't sit in that thing unless I was tied into another tree. Stay safe.

 

[smokey01]

You don't really fly a 747...you just push the right buttons in the right sequence, say the right things on the radio, and try not to break anything expensive. :msp_biggrin:

Come on out here...I'll teach you to fly a Stearman. That's real flying. And you don't have to wear a necktie and one of those goofy looking hats, either.

Seriously, I'm all over learning to fly a Stearman. I use to teach aerobatics in a Bellanca Decathlon and flew a Taylorcraft on floats up and down the rivers in Portland Oregon, went OVER one bridge, all the rest of the 13+ hours was spend going UNDER and I loved it. Had to hand prop it standing on the floats as it had no electric starter. You are right, that is some real flying. Would love to see pics and hear about your Stearman.
Actually, I am currently flying 767ER and after 34 years of doing it still love it enough that I hand fly everything to cruise altitude and from top of descent to landing.
BTW, I don't wear that goofy looking hat because they are so goofy looking, would you please come explain that to our management!!!

So, to stay on subject, what knots do you use to tie down your Stearman! Maybe a Tautline Hitch to snug up the tie downs?

 

[smokey01]

As a recovering "gear junky", I now find the simpler the better. Its a expensive addiction to feed. I'm not knocking you. If you did this type of work full time, you might look at it differently.

You also might want to inspect the base of your "pole chair". I wouldn't sit in that thing unless I was tied into another tree. Stay safe.

Thanks for the suggestion, I stripped all of the bark off so I could inspect it well and it is difficult to see in the picture, but the tree to the right is my anchor and I have a line high in that tree as my safety. In fact I access my chair in two ways, one is to practice with my spurs going straight up the pole to my chair with a safety line on the adjacent tree, all the time tending the slack. Or I rope up the other tree and pull myself over to the chair. Just for practice I go up the pole, un-clipping from my lanyard and swinging out as if the pole (dead tree) were to fail. I started at a foot above the ground and continued practicing foot by foot until I now swing out and away from the top. Good practice to be able to un-clip that lanyard in a rush, I might add. Maybe it will help me with the real deal one day. I always learned that those things have to come from muscle memory and instinct as you will never have time or composure to figure it out at the moment. You may notice that the tree to the right that I tie into is also leaning to the right a little. For this I have a rigged line, very high in the tree that goes off to the left at about a 45 degree angle for support and anti sway. I use an In-Line Figure 8 to tighten that rigging line down to another tree and give it a moderate amount of pull to again control any sway from the tree. That line is anchored just slightly above my TIP for my safety line but not high enough past it to add further stress to the tree.

Thanks for the suggestion, and others are appreciated.
I think I need to carve something fancy on my pole though.

 

[smokey01]

That is a sheet bend.

It's not a modified bowline or a sheet bend modification.


A bowline that is used to tie together the ends of two different ropes is called a sheet bend. If the ropes are of different sizes the larger rope should do the 90 degree bend back onto itself and the smaller one should do the wrap or wraps, not like you have it. A double sheet bend is better.

There is the difference, I'm not tying the "ends" so it is not a sheet bend. This is tied on the the running rope. A true sheet bend is tied on a bight, a bowline is tied on a loop with the same piece of rope. Here we have a bowline tied on a loop with a separate rope.
I think the whole diferance that I'm talking about is that I'm using this inline and not at the end line.
Does that make sense?

 

[2treeornot2tree]

There is the difference, I'm not tying the "ends" so it is not a sheet bend. This is tied on the the running rope. A true sheet bend is tied on a bight, a bowline is tied on a loop with the same piece of rope. Here we have a bowline tied on a loop with a separate rope.
I think the whole diferance that I'm talking about is that I'm using this inline and not at the end line.
Does that make sense?

Maybe the discription of the knot in the book, was writen before it gain popularity as being used as a midline knot. Its the same knot. Sometimes you just have to use common sense.

 

[smokey01]

Maybe the discription of the knot in the book, was writen before it gain popularity as being used as a midline knot. Its the same knot. Sometimes you just have to use common sense.

So you use it a lot? When and what conditions?

 

[smokey01]

Maybe the discription of the knot in the book, was writen before it gain popularity as being used as a midline knot. Its the same knot. Sometimes you just have to use common sense.

So think about this, it is tied differently and used differently; tied on a loop not on a bight and midline not end line. Sounds like you just came up with a new name for a great knot. It's a Midline Sheet Bend. Well done! Do you like it?

 

[2treeornot2tree]

So think about this, it is tied differently and used differently; tied on a loop not on a bight and midline not end line. Sounds like you just came up with a new name for a great knot. It's a Midline Sheet Bend. Well done! Do you like it?

Its a sheet bend no matter where you tie it. If it makes you happier to say midline sheet bend then so be it. I use it to alot when i have to haul a rigging line up to a climber using the tail of his climb line. Also works great when hoisting up rigging blocks too. I just put the sling on the block, thread the rigging line threw the block and tie a stoppper knot. Then i tie the sling onto the climb line with a sheet bend.

 

[smokey01]

Its a sheet bend no matter where you tie it. If it makes you happier to say midline sheet bend then so be it. I use it to alot when i have to haul a rigging line up to a climber using the tail of his climb line. Also works great when hoisting ……

So that what I'm wondering about. Say you have a climber that has reached his TIP 50 feet DdRT. He has a 150 climbing line so there is 100 feet of line laying on the ground. I suspect if you told him to tie your block and sling with a sheet bend he would find the end and tie it on. Now you have to pull 100 feet of line before you get to the real 50 feet to get your sling.
If you said tie it on with a midline sheetbend you would save yourself pulling that 100 extra feet for nothing.
I hear communication is really important with a crew for safety and efficiency and this may be one example.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

So that what I'm wondering about. Say you have a climber that has reached his TIP 50 feet DdRT. He has a 150 climbing line so there is 100 feet of line laying on the ground. I suspect if you told him to tie your block and sling with a sheet bend he would find the end and tie it on. Now you have to pull 100 feet of line before you get to the real 50 feet to get your sling.
If you said tie it on with a midline sheetbend you would save yourself pulling that 100 extra feet for nothing.
I hear communication is really important with a crew for safety and efficiency and this may be one example.

If they were that dum, they most likely wouldn't be working for me after that day. Your just like "AA"

 

[smokey01]

If they were that dum, they most likely wouldn't be working for me after that day. Your just like "AA"

I was just thinking all yur guys a sharp.

 

[smokey01]

I was just thinking all yur guys a sharp.

But remember, I'm in the 101 club here ok. And I'm not the only one reading 101 threads.

 

[smokey01]

……Your just like "AA"

No, I'm an original.

 

[smokey01]

If they were that dum, they most likely wouldn't be working for me after that day. Your just like "AA"

You mean they're not that "dumb"? Hey don't get all pissed off because I'm not a spelling bee expert either, And I think we have to be able to laugh at ourselves, But you just really cracked me up on That one.

 

[smokey01]

If they were that dum, they most likely wouldn't be working for me after that day. Your just like "AA"

And don't get me wrong because I can do dumb things just like the next guy. And excuse the pun but I'm trying to learn the ropes here. And as a new guy if someone asked me to tie a sheetbend I would look for the end of the rope. If you asked me to try something with a Clovehitch I would go for the midline.

 

[newsawtooth]

No, I'm an original.

That is exactly what he said.

 

[smokey01]

That is exactly what he said.

:msp_unsure:

"that's what she said"