hitch cords

onepaw

TreeHouser
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missouri
Good morning. I have a question about hitch cords. I've been climbing on 1/2 inch blue streak rope and using beeline and armour prus 8mm hitch cord with a hitch climber pulley. All of them are pretty well broke in but my hitch grabs really tight,sometimes I have to go up to get it to release. My friend had the same setup but no issues. He was also about 60 pounds lighter than me. I'm 6'2 and 210 pounds. I was wondering if a 10mm cord would be a better choice for me. Or maybe a different brand of 8mm. I'm trying to research it before spending the money and figured this is the best place to start. Oh and are the in between sizes like 9.3 worth trying? Thanks
 
You should be able to control it with another wrap/different leg configuration. I used to weigh 265 and climbed on the 8mm beeline, down to 200ish now and still using the same hitch cord - just have had to fiddle with the hitch a bit.
 
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  • #4
I'm using what I was taught as a x.t. hitch 4 wraps then three braids with the top leg of the hitch going under and then over and then under again. Pitch isn't a problem with the trees I've been climbing. I haven't tried fewer wraps or braids.
 
Yes I would try 10mm. More surface area less grabby. Treestuff do a sample pack, I got it recently... 8mm defo tightens more. Try it out.
 
The 8mm would be a bit small on half inch which is equivalent to 13mm.
I think the recommendation is 2-3mm less in diameter than your climb line.
 
A derail from the subject at hand, and probably old news, but I was experimenting with a set up and had my climb line anchor knotted to a carabiner attached to my pulley. The knot interfered with the hitch and there was no grab at all. I know the cautionary has been publicised, but just wanted to affirm the major risk without a spliced eye attachment in close proximity to the hitch, as opposed to something that could interfere.
 
I'm a bit lighter (160) but with the hitch climber set up I use a 10 mm armorprus. Since it's less grabby I have to put a twist in the eyes when I hook it all up or I slip.

Jed trading sharpening for splicing is awesome. Well if he's good at it and knows how to keep a saw good
 
consider tying the ends instead of spliced eyes, a lot cheaper and you have length adjustment. Hitchcord length is everything with a VT/XT.
 
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  • #15
Thanks for the replies. I looked thru my friends gear I have packed away tonight and realized he was climbing on blaze 11mm rope. That probably explains why he wasn't having any problems. I looked up eye to eyes and they seem to run around 25 dollars. So I'll be sending in an order for a couple and some carabiners and maybe some loop runners etc. Ha!
 
Thanks for the replies. I looked thru my friends gear I have packed away tonight and realized he was climbing on blaze 11mm rope. That probably explains why he wasn't having any problems. I looked up eye to eyes and they seem to run around 25 dollars. So I'll be sending in an order for a couple and some carabiners and maybe some loop runners etc. Ha!

Did you ever answer the question about whether you are climbing DdRT (Doubled dynamic Rope Technique) or SRT (Single Rope Technique)? As woodworkingboy said, a tied termination knot can interfere with a hitch. If you are climbing SRT, however, it is not an issue, I don't think.

Tim
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6BKe3HNCueQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

this but the number of wraps can be adjusted
also orientation of hitch in relation to the pulley.

and yes. 10mm armor prus here with a half inch line.
she graps up when it's wet but functions well otherwise.
 
Good morning. I have a question about hitch cords. I've been climbing on 1/2 inch blue streak rope and using beeline and armour prus 8mm hitch cord with a hitch climber pulley. All of them are pretty well broke in but my hitch grabs really tight,sometimes I have to go up to get it to release. My friend had the same setup but no issues. He was also about 60 pounds lighter than me. I'm 6'2 and 210 pounds. I was wondering if a 10mm cord would be a better choice for me. Or maybe a different brand of 8mm. I'm trying to research it before spending the money and figured this is the best place to start. Oh and are the in between sizes like 9.3 worth trying? Thanks

Ok, I was over on the other forum a little while ago, and Reg Coates started a thread called something like "Rope Wrench, without incident" or something close to that. It was really good reading, as Reg's viewpoints on things are often unique and insightful.

Within this thread, I inquired about the same issue that you are dealing with. As a result, moss started a dedicated thread on the subject of hitch tightening, and various people gave some solutions to the problem, many of which I'd never seen expressed before.

It is not a long thread, but what information it contains seems nearly priceless to me, and this thread is getting buried already. I wish they'd make it a sticky.

Here is a link to the thread.

http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threa...inding-with-the-rope-wrench-on-descent.32350/

Here also is a link to the thread that started it all, with what I feel are must-read sentiments written by Reg Coates.

http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threads/rope-wrench-without-incident.32334/

Thanks for allowing links to other forums, Butch. I'm just trying to share information that seems really important, to me.

Tim
 
A derail from the subject at hand, and probably old news, but I was experimenting with a set up and had my climb line anchor knotted to a carabiner attached to my pulley. The knot interfered with the hitch and there was no grab at all. I know the cautionary has been publicised, but just wanted to affirm the major risk without a spliced eye attachment in close proximity to the hitch, as opposed to something that could interfere.

Probably better to just get a tight eye spliced climb line, but I saw a youtube video someplace where someone had rigged up their hitch climber at a remove from their saddle bridge - I think the standing end of their climb line came down, through their bridge ring, and back up and was anchor hitched to a carabiner attached to the bottom hole of the hitch climber about a foot or 18" from the bridge. The top of the hitch climber was held upright by a little prussic cord run through the top hole of the hitch climber and cinched even higher up on the standing end of the climb line. The running end came down through their climbing hitch and the pulley as normal. Wish I could find the video to give you a link since it was much clearer there than I'm making it here, but it seemed like a very useful workaround for the anchor hitch interfering with the climbing hitch on a hitch climber.
 
Several years of climbing with a Anchor termination and VT with Carabiner through top hole in HC pulley, never had an issue if its oriented right. Guess its better to be safe than sorry. Here is a pic of the "loop" system that I think BeaverMonkey is referring to: IMGP0012.jpg IMGP0011.jpg
 
I used to climb DdRT with a Hitch Climber and a tied termination.
I moved the carabiner holding my knot to the middle hole and from then on never had a problem with the knot interfering with my hitch.
I used an eye/eye 28" (IIRC) piece of icetail, then OP, then HRC for hitch cord and the knot sat just below the vulnerable part of the wraps down by the crossovers.
Of course a splice is better, but a knot can be managed by using the other hole.
 
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Thanks for the links Tim I enjoyed reading them. Trying to get as much information as I can before I try anything. The loop system is interesting. I'll have to try different ropes with a tied termination. I bought a box of rope a few months back and ended up with three climb lines. Always something more to try and learn.
 
Thanks for the links Tim I enjoyed reading them. Trying to get as much information as I can before I try anything. The loop system is interesting. I'll have to try different ropes with a tied termination. I bought a box of rope a few months back and ended up with three climb lines. Always something more to try and learn.

You are quite welcome, onepaw. I hope you find a climbing system that works really well for you.

Tim
 
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