Any Rope Wrench or Hitch Hiker users here?

[Tim_B.]

O.K., folks! Here is a link to a YouTube video of me using the Hitch Hiker with triple attachment pulley on the ground only. Shaky video in some spots, as I was holding the camera in one hand while trying to work with the system with the other hand. I had a couple of hang ups in what I was doing; I guess I was just rushing for no good reason.

The thing to watch for in the video is that, even though at times I allowed a lot of slack to develop in the system, the steel Hitch Hiker carabiner never slipped out of position or jammed up on me, in spite of the lack of corner traps or keepers, or whatever you call them. The tending loop at the top of the Hitch Hiker carabiner is loose, and in no way prevents the carabiner from slipping around in the Hitch Hiker's lower slot. In my opinion, it is the size and shape of the pulley that prevents the carabiner from slipping out of position, along with the fact that I've used the bottom hole on the triple attachment pulley for the steel Hitch Hiker carabiner.

I took the time to upload this in 1080P fidelity, so it's available for you if you want it. Here is the link, thanks for watching.

http://youtu.be/aBQWMYkQ3ck

Tim

 

[pantheraba]

embedded:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aBQWMYkQ3ck" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Tim_B.]

This is how I've had my HH set up for over a year:
View attachment 59603

And having been given the idea earlier on this thread, this is how I'll try it next week: ( I like the idea but not the extra length)
View attachment 59604

Hey, Oldmill! I just wanted to ask you for the name of the little red things in your photographs that you're using to prevent the biner from slipping around on you. The name of the company that makes them would be nice, too. A link to a place that sells them would be helpful, too, if it were possible.

Thanks in advance for any answer you can come up with.

Tim

 

[Raj]

I'd like to see the setup actually asscending the tree and going out on a limb walk.

 

[Tim_B.]

Yeah, me too. The same day I shot the video that Gary so kindly embedded for me, (Thanks, Gary!) I tried to shoot video of an ascent up that short tree in the video. Unfortunately, my camera got bumped out of position and the footage was useless. I'm still pretty new at the video stuff and good results are sporadic, at best.

I don't climb for a living, so I tend to be a fair weather climber. We're about to get a real cold snap where I am, so I'm not sure when the next opportunity will be for me to climb. I do have a little bit of usable video (maybe 30 seconds worth or so) that shows me using my arrangement to come back in a few feet from a limb walk. It was set up with a 3 to 1 mechanical advantage. It is rather underwhelming footage, but I have it.

Again, I'd have to use the video editing software to edit it and render it in a format usable to YouTube. I know you're looking for a complete, end to end video that clearly shows me climbing a tall tree and then taking a nice long limb walk and then coming back in from it. Unfortunately, that is something I do not yet possess, and I'm not sure at this point when I will have it. It seems like I fairly frequently have technical problems that prevent me from acquiring the footage in question, but I'll keep trying. It could be quite a while before that happens though. If you think it worthwhile, give it a try low and slow sometime when you have the time, just to see what you think. In the meantime, I'll keep trying on my end to acquire the video you're asking for.

In the video I just posted, I guess I mainly wanted you to see how the hardware was arranged, and how the biner stayed straight throughout, and how the pulley was acting. Just so you or anyone else could copy it if they felt like giving it a try. I'll keep plugging, though. Like I said, it just may take a while.

Tim

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

Hey, Oldmill! I just wanted to ask you for the name of the little red things in your photographs that you're using to prevent the biner from slipping around on you. The name of the company that makes them would be nice, too. A link to a place that sells them would be helpful, too, if it were possible.

Thanks in advance for any answer you can come up with.

Tim

Hi Tim
I got them from Honey Brothers, a UK retailer. They're cheap and effective although I'm not using them as they're intended but they do the job.
I'll try to remember to take a photo of one tomorrow for you.
Al.

 

[Tim_B.]

Thank you very much for the response, Al. Do you know the name of the product? Maybe they have a distributer here in the states from which I could buy them. Thanks again for your time and attention.

Tim

 

[Tim_B.]

OK, this is for RajElectric. This is a short video up in the tree with the Hitch Hiker used with the Hitch Climber pulley in a 3 to 1 mechanical advantage, coming back in (very slowly, I might add) from a short limbwalk. I know it's not everything you're looking for. I'll post more at a future date when it becomes available to me.

I'm going to have to post a link to the video. I Know Butch has gone over the embedding process repeatedly, but I just spent 15 minutes trying to find the instructions again, with no luck. So here's the link. Available in 1080P high definition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-...38260&v=cRrk69rIAZM&feature=player_detailpage

Tim

 

[Reddog]

Might be these, Beal Pinch.

https://honeybros.com/Item/Beal_Pinch

 

[Tim_B.]

Thanks a lot, Reddog! Much appreciated!

Tim

P.S. I just found out that TreeStuff sells these, so thanks again, Reddog. Here's the link.

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=2155

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Tim, open the youtube video. Find the Share button. LEFT CLICK it. Look for the EMBED button. LEFT CLICK it. The blue highlighted text appears. RIGHT CLICK on the highlighted area. LEFT CLICK on COPY. Come to the Treehouse, open the thread you want. RIGHT CLICK in the Quick Reply box (here), LEFT CLICK on PASTE.


Voila.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cRrk69rIAZM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


You should remember to clip the standing leg/ tail of your 3:1 to yourself before descending, as shown. Would suck to anticipate 3:1, and end up 1:1.

A benefit of the three to one is that you can keep pulling in and balancing without conflict with the HH. As well, you can pull out of line with your bridge ring for balance. Helps with some situations.

 

[Tim_B.]

Sean, thanks for taking the time to instruct me about the embedding process. I've saved this page as a favorite place that sits just under my TreeHouse forum favorite place, so I'll have ready access to it in the future. Much appreciated.

Thanks for the tip about keeping my tail with me. Important, and I'll remember it. Thanks for the hint about pulling out of line with the bridge ring for balance. I'll keep it in mind. All of your advice is much appreciated.

Tim

 

[Altissimus]

...cool that Paul keeps an eye here , amazing how versatile the HH is .... System in vid looked easy and safe yet gear intensive as I'm on the other end of spectrum trying to keep it simple. If I ever go back to Ski Patrol their "Ropewalker" setup is crying out for an upgrade. Could easily integrate HH into something MUCH better.

 

[Raj]

Interesting set up, I like the simplicity of the stock HH, I do agree a tending pulley seems like a good idea and is something I'm contemplating, but I like to keep those life support connections as simple as possible. My initial thoughts are that if something get crossed or angled the wrong way, the rope gets pinched or covered with some pine pitch and there is a need to bail out or even move to another work position, you might be stuck.

 

[rskybiz]

I like it short and un cluttered as well, have yet to try it with the hcp. Still love it in stock form.

All things heavenly rarify to air. Trèès pŕoduce that heavenly air. Breathe air and take care.

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

So I tried this today and hated it.
As I suspected I was unnerved by the number of component links in the system and although I set corner traps/ keepers wherever possible, it flopped around too much when my line was slack and didn't advance as well as I like.
It's a nice idea and great to to try these things but unnecessary clutter.

 

[Tim_B.]

Hey, Al!

I know I sound like a broken record. (What's a record? OK, so I'm dating myself here.) Anyway, before you give up on it entirely, at least try it once on the ground with the Hitch Hiker's carabiner in the bottom hole of the Hitch Climber pulley, and the biner for the connection to your bridge ring in the middle hole. Reserve the top hole for a tending biner. You may still feel that there is too much hardware involved for your liking, but I feel like I can guarantee that a whole lot of the "flop" you are experiencing will disappear when it is set up in the way I described.

I played with the Hitch Hiker just inside the house the other day, not connected to a harness or rope or anything. I tried again changing the arrangement of the carabiners to what you are showing in the pictures, just to see what I thought, and it was obvious to me that this alternative arrangement allowed way too much movement of the two biners, especially the Hitch Hiker biner.

Putting the Hitch Hiker biner in the bottom hole, so that it basically "traps" the Hitch Hiker pulley, greatly reduces the unwanted movement you are talking about. With an over the shoulder webbing strap to tend the system, the Hitch Hiker tends effortlessly. You'd have to try tending it by hand in this configuration to see what you think of that aspect of its operation. I cannot know if it would be better or worse than what you now experience, as only you can answer that question. Thanks for listening, sorry for the long post.

Tim

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Toooooooo busy for this climber. Simple is better. It will tend just fine if dialed in well. If you need a rads, attach a pulley on an ascender. I use my double handled ascender I use for SRT any way. Or my old single handle in a pinch. Hell.. any rope grab you can diddy bag or hang on the saddle. Lean and mean.... Keep it simple.

 

[Tim_B.]

...cool that Paul keeps an eye here , amazing how versatile the HH is .... System in vid looked easy and safe yet gear intensive as I'm on the other end of spectrum trying to keep it simple. If I ever go back to Ski Patrol their "Ropewalker" setup is crying out for an upgrade. Could easily integrate HH into something MUCH better.

Thanks for the positive comments, Altissimus. I just watched August Hunicke's interview with Gerry Beranek, in which he laments the loss of the basic ability of newer climber's to climb with a rope and nothing more. I guess I fall into that group, bigtime. I intend to take his words to heart, though, and when the weather gets nicer, attempt to learn to climb using basic techniques, for emergencies. For right now, with the cold weather (relatively speaking) that is here now, I'm going to stick with the systems that work for me and that I feel I can rely on. I would not feel comfortable trying a technique that is so far removed from what I'm currently using while I'm already feeling challenged by the weather.

Thanks for giving your opinion.

Tim

 

[MasterBlaster]

Here's a rope and a saddle! Get up that tree!!!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Lol!

 

[Tim_B.]

Toooooooo busy for this climber. Simple is better. It will tend just fine if dialed in well. If you need a rads, attach a pulley on an ascender. I use my double handled ascender I use for SRT any way. Or my old single handle in a pinch. Hell.. any rope grab you can diddy bag or hang on the saddle. Lean and mean.... Keep it simple.

Yeah, Stephen, the pulley on an ascender for a 3 to 1 is just what I had in the short limbwalk video, but it was just off camera. It was a CMI Ropewalker ascender, which is similar to what I think is called a Gibbs ascender. I regret not having picked my head up to show the entire arrangement.

Using the triple attachment pulley adds only one more item to the list that is used by those who use a Pinto pulley instead. That item is the extra carabiner that attaches the triple attachment pulley to the bridge ring. That extra carabiner is also the thing that allows you to disconnect the entire system and pass it around a limb, without having to take the system apart while you are in the tree. This is what can prevent the dropping of parts of the system. In my opinion, it seems easier and quicker, too. For me, anyway.

You have a vast amount of experience more than I, so maybe in time I'll end up coming to the same conclusions as you in this regard. All I've been trying to show people with this setup is an arrangement that might not have occurred to them, and that may present a couple of advantages. Namely, the quick on and off of the entire system along with a steel Hitch Hiker biner that stays straight and requires no Beal Pinch's or something similar to keep it from shifting around.

Thanks for your comments.

Tim

 

[Raj]

Here's a rope and a saddle! Get up that tree!!!

Saddle?!?!?! Swiss seat here!

 

[GemCutter]

This is the most perfect climbing system I have ever used.

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/s...ker-users-here&p=651125&viewfull=1#post651125
https://www.masterblasterhome.com/s...ker-users-here&p=658462&viewfull=1#post658462

It only took me 9 months to get 'a round tuit' and I suspect the labeled weight ratings are toast...but thanks....this is soooo much better.

 

[DMc]

Nice job! Have you tried that with a knee ascender also? By the way, I have used other newly developed multi-senders since that time and have not changed my opinion of the HH and the setup being used. It rocks!