Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
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- #51
This is my version of the Chinook Hitch, which uses two rings instead of wraps as main grabbing force. Keeping the rings together is important, and a couple of crossed turns/ braids, is all that’s needed, I added the Sticht finish for Single Rope use.
Your Macrame is another type of Series hitch, there are multiple variations, interesting to explore. Another option for a single eye hitch cord, or the end of rope is the Knut H hitch, it self tends.
Thanks for the new information! I had never heard of the Chinook hitch nor the Series hitch! I'm especially interested in the former as I'm curious to see how well a hitch dependent upon two rings for its nip works. One immediate benefit is that I can imagine that it wouldn't jam as easily and, because the rings cannot distort their shape, they likely provide a more consistent performance than rope on rope. I'd imagine the friction isn't as strong, though. I could be wrong.
In other news, I've been testing hitches, both new and old, as well as the same hitches using various diameters of hitch cord, hoping to identify which work best and what it is that allows them to do so. In order to better do this, while currently unable to climb, I have been using mechanical advantage to replicate the forces a hitch would see aloft while on the ground. I recently bought a pair of double pulleys and built a typical 4:1 system and then added three more pulleys, two prusik "bridges" and one prusik for progress capture. I'm not absolutely sure about this, but I believe that the finished result gives me a 13:1 mechanical advantage.
I tried it out today and it's extremely effective. It allows me to take almost all of the stretch out of the Rope with relative ease. Unfortunately, I don't have any devices, such as a load cell, to measure the force I'm able to generate, and I would definitely buy one if they weren't so expensive. Hopefully, some day. Anyways, as far as I can tell, I'm able to apply more force than a climber would unless perhaps they fell. It's been very interesting to see how the hitches react to such force. They all eventually reach a point where they lock up, which isn't surprising. The most fascinating aspect of doing these tests is to witness how each hitch distorts from its original shape so that it can stretch out and grip the rope.
My research is far from ground breaking, but I'm gaining insights as I continue testing. I've also gained invaluable knowledge and practice with pulley systems. I absolutely cannot wait to start climbing again. Hopefully by Christmas time.