Mini lanyard add on option

[Ax-Man]

Just thought I would toss this out on the climbing gear table and see what reactions I'll get.

I have had this on my saddle for the last four months and found it to be handy. It does get in the way at times with my handsaw so close to it but I hardly notice it most of the time.

One of the things that irritate me when climbing out on limbs and your rope angle is getting bad and have to lanyard in for balance and good positioning is you can't always clip in good on the off side and have to fight to find the dee and get the snap locked in because the body is twisted and the dee is off to one side.

Decided I would give this a try to see if I could solve this little problem. Works good as when I do need it all I have to do is reach down for ring and clip my snap into it. The added length is nice and having the ability to adjust from both sides is a nice feature.

This started out with a fixed length of cord tied directly to the dee. That didn't ride to good on the dee and made clipping the snap a pain. The shackle soved that problem and I just carried it a step further with Distel and dog snap to adjust it.

I know my dee's are kind of old school and this may not work for everyone but I would still like some input.

If I have stolen someones idea and not given credit. I apoligise. I honestly don't remember seeing this anywhere.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Interesting.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Funny you should just post this, I have been looking for a solution myself as I often like to climb with two lanyards... This might be a solution I can expand on as well... hmmmm

 

[MasterBlaster]

Wait... TWO lanyards? Did I miss something?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I was just saying... sometimes for sweet positioning I will use two lanyards... I used to use only two lanyards when I was just starting to climb.. No climb line. Now I use climb line .. But I still like my two lanyard way of locking in a sweet spot... Weird I know. But.... I can really get into some interesting places and positions using two to three lines..
He's just giving me an idea with his idea...

 

[Altissimus]

My rig ... On my left Dee sits a Gibbs with a 12 ft. 3-strand eye spliced to an old school non locking rope snap , on my right Dee sits on old High-Vee split tail girth hitched rigt to the Dee .... this is Blake hitched to a 10 foot 3-strand again eye spliced to an old school snap

 

[CurSedVoyce]

SO it ain't just me
Two 18 footers here.
left with prussik and right with mechanical adjust.
Right is cable core and left is now Samson Static Black Kermantle

 

[wcmccon]

It seems to me that just at the most precarious moments I have difficulty clipping in the snap. The "mini-lanyard" is a good idea and I plan to start using it immediately. Thank you for the post.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Welcome to the TreeHouse wcmccon!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

It seems to me that just at the most precarious moments I have difficulty clipping in the snap. The "mini-lanyard" is a good idea and I plan to start using it immediately. Thank you for the post.

That's why I liked his idea. Sometimes hard to catch the D and then you have to either let more line out on the lanyard or move up further and sometimes both.. So the adjustable would solve that quick I think with out repositioning.
And welcome wcmccon.

 

[Mr. Sir]

Very innovative idea! I've been in that situation and this setup seems to be a good solution. One thing to watch for is the pin on your shackle unscrewing as it rides on that D-ring. A longshot, but still something to keep an eye on.

 

[Altissimus]

..... PRECISELY Why I Use "old school rope snaps" , non lockers here ... OSHA will kill someone someday ... why not triple locks ... or quadruple locks , while hanging onto a branch at heights ... (just an opinion)

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I use the locking rope snap, I love em.. Just have to squeeze both sides and click... NP.. Just cant get any sticks, dirt or leaves in them .. LOL
I do agree when they get more complex, there is a lag time in hooking up, but that's also why I make sure I am ALWAYS tied in on one line before I disconnect another. I guess why I also like two lanyards.. I can advance up the tree never untied and can flip it up to 7-8 feet to get hooked up ahead of my ascent.

 

[Bounce]

I am experimenting with something similiar to this myself right now. Only it's for my climbing line, not my flipline. I saw the idea on Gerry's new Working Climber video series. I use it to set my friction hitch on my climbing line at a slight distance from my saddle for ascending. That way I can pull on the line below the knot a little easier (with hands up by my shoulders instead of down by my hips) and slack is tended at the same time.

 

[SkwerI]

Sean-
With a properly tuned VT hitch, you can simply grab the rope above the hitch. Once you have 20'-30' of rope under you then the weight of the rope will pull it through the hitch. It self-tends as you pull yourself up. Or if you're using a Pantin then that pulls the rope through as well.

 

[gf beranek]

That's a very interesting solution to an old problem, Axe man. Kudos to you for coming up with the idea.

 

[Ax-Man]

Thanks for the kind words guys.

I hope who ever uses this little set-up has good luck with it.

I know when I first tried it. The Distel didn't catch that great but once things got broke in a little it has not failed. This was just a little experiment to get some use out of some unused cord like that black cord that was a little too stiff for my taste to be used as a VT cord because it wouldn't grab that good on a climbing line.

 

[top hopper]

I dont understand the need for 2 lanyards. I have one lanyard, and if I ascend and need a second lanyard to pass branches without unclipping i just use my climbing line which is already tied. It is just the same as a second lanyard only much longer.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I also do it with my climb line. buttttt.. I have had times when the second lanyard is faster than a redirect and also I have run three lines to get a sweet tie in for that branch that just is a pain other wise...

 

[top hopper]

I dont understand. What does a redirect have to do with anything and I have no idea what you mean with the 3 rope thing.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

imagine a triangle... and add a pendulum you can swing to any angle along the base... that's three ropes Of course having 4 d's on your saddle helps
And I should have said redirect the climb line as you would with a lowering line..
ie: take a biner and a say web sling and move your climb line further out a branch per say to repell to a further point out from the center of the tree to reach a limb that would be other wise hard to limb walk or just plain dangerous to be on ... That make sense?... Maybe I am using the wrong terms..

 

[MasterBlaster]

Who has four dees, lol!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Weaver.. has two fixed on side and two floating on the bridge..
As a double D saddle.. Am I using the wrong terms saying it has 4 d's ?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ahh, sorry. I was referring to the old style four dee saddle. However,I don't think I'd call your saddle a "true" four dee saddle.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Guess I should have just said double D... But I do use them all to my full advantage...