Hitch Hiker Hitch

[Brocky]

Here's a friction hitch that seems to function better than the standard French Prusik, that the instructions show, and many people use. It checks all the boxes, easy descent, tending, grabs reliably, compact, and easy to tie. It usually doesn't have to be retightened after weighting it.

Some initial testing with the Rope Wrench were also good.

 

[DMc]

Thanks for posting that, Brocky. I have been using the standard HH hitch with no complaints. Fast, easy to tie and adjust; very good performance.
The knot you show, though, looks good; and if I can remember, will give it a try today and see how it does.

 

[Brocky]

The hitch above is called the Knut H, and also works if the bight that changes the wrap direction, is tied on the back of the rope.

Another hitch the Catalan also works very good.

 

[Burnham]

I'm sure you are correct, Brocky...but like many of us are wont to do with many of our climbing tools, your trials for better performance with the HH don't really need doing . I'm with DMc...Paul's hitch works pretty darn well. But also like Dave...I'll probably play with yours, too .

Thanks.

 

[DMc]

Had 3 big pines today and gave it a try. Not for me. For me to switch anything that I climb with there must be a discernible improvement or benefit. It might just be that my setup is working perfectly as is but this knot gave me nothing that the HH hitch didn't already do.
Oh well, I still think it looks good and was worth a try.

 

[Burnham]

As I suspected. But agreed, definitely worth a try.

 

[SeanKroll]

Brocky, what do you weigh, geared up?

Dave, you're a lean, mean fighting machine. You might not lock a hitch as hard as someone heavier. Hitches are finicky with different weights.

I had to have a discussion with a pitchy dead grand-fir today, so no experimenting. I'll try some tomorrow...some cedar climb time after the fir cleaned things up a bit.

 

[Burnham]

You make a good point, Sean. Dave and I are both on the little side of the scale, fwiw.

But it takes next to nothing to ease or tighten the HH hitch, or add another wrap. Wet weather comes to mind, climber weight aside.

 

[Brocky]

That's puzzling that you didn't notice a bigger difference in the amount of friction. Perhaps you tied it too tight. This hitch seems to have a little bit wider range on how tight it has to be. The regular HH hitch seems to have to be tied just up to the point of being too tight, and creating drag.

 

[DMc]

It is possible that I had it too tight. The problem I have experienced when using other hitch configurations is not the grip or the ease of release but the amount of setback.
If you break down a friction hitch, wraps control the amount of available grip, and every other part controls how that grip is applied. Most people seem to use too many wraps. That necessitates lots of twists and turns to control and modulate, adding length and the potential for increased setback.
As Sean pointed out, I am a lightweight so what works for me may not work for others. For me, the HH hitch tied with the fewest wraps needed and the shortest legs, that can also be adjusted for full-release, has produced a consistently great handling hitch.

 

[Brocky]

A fun concept I found when testing hitches, is when first starting to descend, compress it lightly until you start to drop. Stop and then turn the hitch counter clockwise to cause it to descend. Twist back clockwise to stop. The amount of twisting can regulate your speed.

 

[Brocky]

New England Rope's Regatta Braid works great with the Hitch Hiker, because it grabs much better than most cords. The picture shows the standard HH hitch extended as far as the 44" cord would allow. It grabbed each time, no matter how much it was compressed.The Regatta is a polyester, 12 strand hollow braid, that can be made with some heat resistance by adding a small Vectran core.


Hitch cord, or device wear can be reduced using a brake bar on a carabiner. The one I'm testing is just hickory, but a metal one would be better.

 

[Burnham]

First off, waaaay to much set back with a longlegged hitch like that.

Second, and WAAAY more important...carabiners are not made to take loading in that direction, carabiner brake bars have long ago been proven hazardous. I'd advise against that, myself.

 

[Brocky]

Yes, forgot to add that that length was only to demonstrate how well it holds, even stretched out, wouldn't use it like that, but you could. The point being, unlike other cords, the Regatta is doesn't have to be tied to the point of being too tight.

The bar is trying to bent both sides of the carabiner when being used, not trying to force them apart. With no rigid connections, and on rope, the carabiner and bar don't bear against each other with much force, but work more as a unit. This idea was used by rock climbers for rappelling, but the aluminum, non locking carabiners were only around 2500 lbs break strength, and that's all they used, no back up. This has a hitch, or device for back up.

 

[Burnham]

No, sir. You are misinformed. Sorry, not buying that one at all, Brocky. You say "The bar is trying to bent both sides of the carabiner when being used, not trying to force them apart." I say, EXACTLY! No carabiner is designed nor tested to take loading in that direction.

Please understand, I have no wish to come across as an ass. But I have been working in, studying and learning about, vertical rope technology for about 45 years now. This arrangement is not wise, and has been shown to be risky by virtue of accidents due to it's use.

We tree climbers have time and again and again and again tried to reinvent the wheel long ago refined by cavers and rock climbers. We love to ignore the lessons learned there. I'm as bad to do it as anyone...almost. .

I only wish to help us all avoid the pitfalls already plumbed, brother.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Wot the hail do you know!!!

 

[Burnham]

Fair question, my friend .

 

[MasterBlaster]

Any questions, just axe me.

 

[Burnham]

It's the answers that are harder to come by .

 

[Marc-Antoine]

The Regatta is a polyester, 12 strand hollow braid, that can be made with some heat resistance by adding a small Vectran core.

You can't change the heat resistance like that. What matters in this application is the friction between the rope and the hitch. This hollow braid is in polyester, so the fibers taking the bitting are all polyester. If they began to fail due to a too high temp, no matter what's in the core, the working surface of the hitch chord is destroyed and that leads to the lost of the holding capability of your hitch. Not a full fail, but still, you come down fast.
At least, you have to mix the fibers to enhance the actual heat resistance of the hitch.
You have some room with the polyester though, it isn't like polypropylene or polyethylene.

 

[Bermy]

You might find icetail hitchcord similar to that boat cord, soft and grabby, but already designed with heat resistance. Marc is on the money with his post

 

[Brocky]

What's the break strength of this steel carabiner if it is bent over a small diameter of 3/4"? I don't know, haven't tested them this way. But looking at the strengths that are printed on the carabiner may give an idea. Pulling strength across the long axis is 30 kN, crossways, between the gate and spline is 15kN, with the gate open, a long axis pull is 10kN, which is probably the break strength of the frame. Using that 10 kN as a possible breaking point if the carabiner is side loaded, how could a climber, descending, generate enough force to break 2 tons. The brake bar doesn't lock up, if you let go, the rope slides through it. The limiting factor on how much of a load the bar and biner see will depend on how much force you can hold with one hand.

 

[Brocky]

The vectran core would come into play only if the polyester were to melt through.
Good suggestion on the Icetail, thanks Bermy.

 

[Burnham]

What's the break strength of this steel carabiner if it is bent over a small diameter of 3/4"? I don't know, haven't tested them this way. But looking at the strengths that are printed on the carabiner may give an idea. Pulling strength across the long axis is 30 kN, crossways, between the gate and spline is 15kN, with the gate open, a long axis pull is 10kN, which is probably the break strength of the frame. Using that 10 kN as a possible breaking point if the carabiner is side loaded, how could a climber, descending, generate enough force to break 2 tons. The brake bar doesn't lock up, if you let go, the rope slides through it. The limiting factor on how much of a load the bar and biner see will depend on how much force you can hold with one hand.

All of your supposition on the breaking strength of the biner loaded the way you propose is just that...supposition. You may be right, you may be wrong. If you want to know, you'd have to have it tested.

It's your choice, obviously. I don't know any better than you do what it would break at. I may be very far wrong...though I do stand by my earlier post regarding factors well investigated on this issue in the past. Feel free to ignore me, my friend. Carry on.

 

[Brocky]

From some researching, looks like I'm close to what has been tested. Petzl says side loaded carabiner break strength is 30 percent of the long axis strength. Some YouTube videos show higher results. All the tests are of a choked lanyard around a small branch type, where the carabiner and rope can't move. When used for descending, the force will only be as much as the climber can hold with one hand.
Thanks for the replies, Burnham. I'm now thinking about how to make a bar that is breakaway, to cover any shock loading scenarios that I haven't thought of.