climbing on two friction hitches

[pantheraba]

OK...Carl told on me and it is true...I did climb on 2 hitches for awhile. I learned on manila with a taut line in the 70's; I didn't know about Blake's or Knuts until mid 90's when I found out treeclimbing existed on the internet...I climbed in a vacuum until that time [I was like a lost aborigine in a foreign isolated jungle, just out there on my own doing what I had always done...tedious, hard to manipulate(tautlines are a PITA I finally realized once I moved on to the eye-eye hitches) and stagnant].

When I was transitioning from tautline to Blake's to a distel (I think) and finally to a Knut (which I use now) I was not really convinced some of the knots would work. I had read about needing to match the hitch knot and type of hitch rope to the type of climbing line and didn't like the idea of a knot not grabbing like it should. I had read how finicky some of the VT's were. So, I ran a swivel and a tried and trusted hitch close and low on my saddle for awhile as I tried a new knot.

Here are some picts of some of that process. I don't remember what the black link and green webbing were doing at the time. The PAW helped keep all the visual clutter sorted out...the cross loaded biner was part of what I was working to eliminate as I learned to use the different hitches.

I seem to remember that Frans was incredulous and mortified, hoping that OSHA wouldn't start requiring backups for hitches. They haven't picked up on it yet, so we are OK.

Y'all take it and run...I am just gonna sit back and watch.

For your viewing pleasure, your guffawing and my ribbing.

 

[stehansen]

I wouldn't be able to keep it all straight.

 

[arborworks1]

That is alot of gear to be clicking all the time. Better safe I always Say.

 

[Old Monkey]

My head would explode and splatter on the tree if I tried that.

 

[pantheraba]

My head would explode and splatter on the tree if I tried that.

I finally had to give it up...thank goodness the hitches did what they were supposed to. Carl was pretty instrumental in convincing (shaming?!) me to "just stop it" and use one.

I'm tellin' ya, he is a meanie.

 

[pantheraba]

I also seem to remember that Burnham saw the 2nd picture and suggested I rotate that pear link so the knurl didn't rub on the two webbing attachments...I do it his way now.

 

[treetx]

wow, that last pic! cross load!

Dang Gary, 55? Sheesh and I thought Darin was old

 

[pantheraba]

That is alot of gear to be clicking all the time. Better safe I always Say.

It's not that way anymore...it was a "phase". Though when I run two TIP's it can get pretty busy with gear.

So far, Nate, "old" is mostly a number. I still workout and do a fair amount of several types of yoga so's I can keep up with you young whippersnappers.

 

[SkwerI]

Yup, the cross loading carabiner is a MUCH bigger issue than worrying about trying to use two hitches. I'd take about half that crap off your saddle so you wouldn't have quite so many possibilities for failure and maybe you'd finish some of your jobs before dark.

 

[MasterBlaster]

This is all I have.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Nice photo, MB.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just for you, a close-up.

 

[woodworkingboy]

The first photo is zen.

 

[pantheraba]

Yup, the cross loading carabiner is a MUCH bigger issue than worrying about trying to use two hitches. I'd take about half that crap off your saddle so you wouldn't have quite so many possibilities for failure and maybe you'd finish some of your jobs before dark.

Hahaha...darkness is my friend...we get along just fine.

But, I'll say it ONE more time...it AIN't that way NOW. I am beginning to regret that I just even showed the picts.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Sometimes Skwerl must post and then read the previous posts backwards, that's all.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ain't no biggie, Gary.

 

[Banned by Squirrels]

And be the first to call a spade a jack ass.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

But, I'll say it ONE more time...it AIN't that way NOW. I am beginning to regret that I just even showed the picts.

Don't regret it G. I for one, am glad you posted these. I remember some pics you posted before doing a removal and I looked at your rigging, and I thought to myself WTF is this guy doing

Of course I didn't say anything 'cuz I didn't want you using your ninja powers to take me out

 

[sothere]

I don't know JS(Jack SH-T) about climbing with ropes or knots,but I saw that and LOL.I'm sorry I mean no disrespect and I'm as facinated by this stuff as I was watching my cousin pack and repair "Chutes" in Eagle River,AK.

 

[FJR]

Thanks for sharing Gary

 

[lumberjack]

Cross loading should be avoided, but I think it's overplayed in climbing. If you can make it avoidable without much fuss, I don't see why you wouldn't but...

The biner is rated to 7kn across the gate. Normally it sees rougly 1/2 the load, maybe slightly less, perhaps slightly more. So in that configuration, it'd be good for 14kn. But as you can see, it's loaded on the gate, and the hitch is still on the very edge of the spine, so assuming it doesn't move inline with the gate, there will be some leverage. Let's call it 3:1 (simplification), reducing the 14kn to 4.66kn.

Looking at me, that'd be a 4:1 safety factor. Certainly not great, but it's not going to instantly frag either. With Gary's trimness sitting in the saddle it's a 7.8:1. If there is only a 2:1 advantage, that'd be 6:1 for me and 10.8:1 for Gary.

I'd climb on a 10:1 any day.

And still, even if that hitch failed, he has a spare!

 

[moray]

Awesome! It all looks so sparkling clean--you must have had another set of that stuff you actually used...

 

[lumberjack]

Seeing as how he works full time in an office profession, working for himself, and those pictures are a couple years old, I'd cut him some slack.

 

[Treeslayer]

This is all I have.

Ah, the old tried and true geezer knot!

I'm a high tech redneck, split tail with a blakes, and 2 biners is all I wanna manage @ 45.

 

[gf beranek]

I've known a few climbers to use double tie-ins. It makes them feel safe and when feeling safe they get their work done. It's no big deal.

When working primarily out of the safety I'll use two at times. Depending on the situation. Mostly though I preset a line in the tree and use a safety for work positioning.