MICHOACAN hitch

Oaks can be very bad. I have seen oaks with a lot of green, looked perfectly healthy and they fall over...on a calm day...roots are toast.

Be careful.
 
Ditto.

The thing i have always kept in mind my whole time climbing (not nary as long as some here) is that every person/climber is unique. Thus one thing that works for one, may not another. Different ropes, hitch cord, pulleys, knots, climber style, weight and comfort levels play into the equation. Find what works for you, through patience and practice, and work in parameters that feel safe and comfy for you.
Next thing i kept in mind, there is always probably a better safer way to do the job. Some of tgat depends on your own comfort level. Just dont get too distracted by every shiny new piece of kit that is the new bees knees. Stay patient, watch how it may or may not work for others and move into kit based on those facts. Try it with open mind safely, and see how it fits you. Remember this may include changing climbing techniques and styles to work with the kit. Like, my climbing style SRT is different than Ddrt, but they meld nice for me with a hybrid devise. But i will tie a blakes in an open or closed system in my tail or another rope sent up to suit my needs in double croching shoukd the need to rise.
Be like the blade of grass that can bend with the wind, but remains rooted in fertile soil. The climbers here in this forum, help keep that soil fertile as does your diligence in climbing technique and research.
Just thoughts..

This is a smart post, y'all. Read it close and remember it well.

It so closely reminds me of my own opinions, one might think Stephen has been reading my stuff here for a lot of years now ;).

Not to detract...he is a talented treeman of deep experience all on his own. Absolutely worth paying attention to.

To the hitch in question from the OP...I tried it and found it too grippy for my weight. I'm a little scooch of a climber, compared to most. It IS good for eating up length in an otherwise too long eye2eye hitch cord. Better to tie your own to your specifically needed length, imo...as has been said before by many.
 
Variety is the splice of life! No has mentioned that the Michoacan is a two eyed Blake's with only one slight modification. A friction hitch's performance is sometimes dependent on the length of the eye legs/tails. Too short and it's hard to move. Too long and it might not grab reliably. You can't always get a fixed length hitch cord to work for every hitch.
 
Don't let the VT brigade talk you out of a hitch you're liking though. If the security is working for you, run it! Might also like the diestel and knut.

Vt is a great hitch too tho. Good tip for getting a VT to grab better is to tie the hitch, then twist the eyes 180/360 degrees before clipping the carabinier. One direction of twist tightens the hitch, other loosens
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #33
I'm sticking with this hitch.
I've been up 6-8 times with it and it's performed well for me.
Now I just need a bucket truck! This Oak is miserably tight up in the canopy and I don't trust the tie in points available.
All of the limbs I've removed, regardless of diameter have had about 1/4" outer ring of rot. Does that make sense?
I'm certified with aerial lifts, gonna look a renting and see how expensive.
This tree has side a heavy back lean.
Falling is not an option for me. Even with a 10-1, just to many targets to deal with if it rolls.
 
After using a taught-line hitch for 30 years I switched to a VT and minding pulley. The way I seen it setup and used in some demos at a TCI show. It was revolutionary and made climbing so much easier, and it was at the same time when the new mechanical devices were first making their debut in the industry. I swear, it was a candy store.
 
Michoacan is great. I usually tie it with 4/1 wraps or 3/2 depending on the rope and hitch cord. Tends super easy, fast, secure, easy to tie. Mine usually self tends with some rope weight under it when pulling a tie in from the crane. It will also hold your weight and release on a single line.
 
After using a taught-line hitch for 30 years I switched to a VT and minding pulley. The way I seen it setup and used in some demos at a TCI show. It was revolutionary and made climbing so much easier, and it was at the same time when the new mechanical devices were first making their debut in the industry. I swear, it was a candy store.

I was the same way Jerry. Tautline 25 years or so then an eye eye hitch and knut with minding pulley ... It was like I discovered a new universe
 
Yes modern upgrade ... But I still believe everyone should have the Taut Line Hitch completely blind memorized as it it will save the day many times and never fail you , and as Gerry said can even be tied with one hand. ( When I rig for a pull w spikes I often descend on the pull line with a small piece of rope Taut Line)
 
I always preferred using a prussic. All the same attributes but easier to adjust with one hand.
 
Ditto that -- our guys use a Rope Logic prussic and toss them after a year or so once they form "rope memory" and don't offer enough grab.
 
Taut line would be the last hitch I would use, here are some more options:
IMG_1991.jpg
Tautline -Tarbuck -Midshipman - Blake's

Helical - Release-bottom loaded - Simple Buttonhole - Simple Buttonhole variation

Prohaska -Series -Shannon,Cowboy Up,Michigan, or MI - Helical var. by Bob Thrun
 
Good point, Butch. I think not.

But otherwise, I am with Brocky and the rest...on no other front does the tautline perform better than any of these...just saying.
 
After using a taught-line hitch for 30 years I switched to a VT and minding pulley. The way I seen it setup and used in some demos at a TCI show. It was revolutionary and made climbing so much easier, and it was at the same time when the new mechanical devices were first making their debut in the industry. I swear, it was a candy store.

Yup.

Same thing happened to me.

New world all of a sudden, and now I'm having a hard time even keeping up with the new stuff.

Getting a big head start on the Akimbo helped some with that, though.:lol:
 
One more single eye friction hitch, called the Snap Hitch, but I made a better option than the dog snap originally used.
IMG_2038.jpg
 
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