Any Rope Wrench or Hitch Hiker users here?

[rskybiz]

Sure is!

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

 

[Bermy]

You won't look back...it all adds to your variety of climbing methods for different trees.
I tried a few things as suggested on here, took on some of them ,left others and modified some, its fun!

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Just started with a pulley. Nice! Needs keeper rubber tubing.

The next generation should have a DdRT clip-in point, which doubles as a slack tender attachment point, imo.

 

[PCTREE]

That is a tough nut to crack, don't hold your breath.

I could show you guys a dozen different versions of the HH. That original design is pretty hard to improve on, I got fixated on making an aluminum version for a long time, thought I had it but NO.....

 

[NHlocal]

The progression right now is so exciting! So glad I started climbing when i did, to at least be good enough to
be able to get up into the trees with "relative" ease and enjoy a completely different point of view that most
people can't even imagine.

When I bought my Hitch Hiker 2 years ago I had no idea what was happening, I'm only beginning to understand now.....

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

I had to stop. I was starting to turn blue


Is anyone making a good life supporting sewn tether for the HH? I believe there are non-life support ones. I clip in and out too much to go for the knot on bridge ring method much.

 

[DMc]

Just started with a pulley. Nice! Needs keeper rubber tubing.

The next generation should have a DdRT clip-in point, which doubles as a slack tender attachment point, imo.

Sean, if you are using a pulley under the HH that is your slack tending point. For single line rope walking just clip a chest or shoulder harness into the bridge ring. Used with a foot and knee ascender this works great.

For DdRT same thing, just clip the other end of your climbing line into the bridge ring. This also works great. You do need a corner trap on the HH/ carabiner interface to keep everything aligned properly but with that the hole setup works as well as the Hitchclimber pulley.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Yes, David, pulley beneath to tend slack, SRT/ddrt.

Maybe the tubing will work out the kinks, and make it work as a hitch climber pulley, alleviating any desire for a top clip point.

I know Paul is very busy, and as he said can lose interest in refining already great products. I would say that a video/ picture guide, and OEM tether would be great advances for people to understand and buy hitch hikers.

The top life support connector hole idea might make it more versatile for anchor bridge/ o-ring styles of ddrt. I suspect an extendable bridge could allow SRT foot locking, too. Another style I don't use. Foot ascender, thank you.



Do other people's hitch cord last forever with a hitch hiker? I suspect SRT keeps more grit off and out of ropes/ cord.

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

Yes, David, pulley beneath to tend slack, SRT/ddrt.

Do other people's hitch cord last forever with a hitch hiker? I suspect SRT keeps more grit off and out of ropes/ cord.

Yes it seems to, although I'm only comparing to Doubled Rope Hitch Climber users that I work with.

 

[DMc]

...Maybe the tubing will work out the kinks, and make it work as a hitch climber pulley, alleviating any desire for a top clip point...

I use short pieces of bigshot tubing for trapping carabiners on many things. I have not found them to work for the HH carabiner. There is not much space left around the sides of the HH after the carabiner is installed. If you try to force too much material in that space things will not slide well and get jammed in the HHs lower slots. I have not tried the commercialy available corner traps for carabiners but what I use looks real similar to the blue leather ones sold by Sherrill, just longer and made of plastic. Leather should work well.

 

[Jake Andrews]

Sean, if you have a pinto for your slack tending pulley, you can clip into the becket for ddrt

 

[Jake Andrews]

Basically this

 

[Joezilla11]

What's the purpose of the ring on the hitch cord? Never seen that before.
Ddrt on the HH I pass the rope behind the tether then clip in to my bridge. Helps keep the hh from flopping over and u can pull slack straight down instead of up

 

[Jake Andrews]

Ummmm I assume it's a heat sink to relieve some heat off the cord. Not my pic I found it on the Internet, was just showing how it could be done with a pinto, there's so many ways you can go back to Ddrt but means you need a termination knot or splice with a krab if you do it regularly. Me, I use a hydra pulley on my bridge so I have another 2 holes to play with.

 

[Jake Andrews]

What's the purpose of the ring on the hitch cord? Never seen that before.
Ddrt on the HH I pass the rope behind the tether then clip in to my bridge. Helps keep the hh from flopping over and u can pull slack straight down instead of up

That's a great way stop the HH inverting

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

What's the purpose of the ring on the hitch cord? Never seen that before.
Ddrt on the HH I pass the rope behind the tether then clip in to my bridge. Helps keep the hh from flopping over and u can pull slack straight down instead of up

Huh, Joezilla?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I am in the same HUH? My HH never inverts. I clip it right into my ring on the bridge. Keeps it straight in orientation. Yous guys using swivels?
The ring in the picture captures the legs of the VT to mitigate any movement in the braid. Also helps tend some. This is a recollection from an old post. And I really do not see how that would work on a HH

 

[Raj]

I'm thinkin' the rope is captured, passed through the tether on the HH, and when there is slack when standing free the HH doesn't flop over downward as easily.

I've yet to use the HH in DdRT, I'm havin' way too much fun SRT.

 

[Joezilla11]

Yes, what raj said! I've also done away with a pulley and any other accessory I've thought of and just run it stock now and a tether

 

[Joezilla11]

Here's my new favorite hitch. It's the same HH hitch except instead of running the last leg over the first, u run it under. Less fighting of the hitch to get off the ground, doesn't bind on descent, and grabs well since both legs are now captured it doesn't have to be tied super tight which makes slack tending easier. It's tied loose for the pic. When weighted the top wrap will fold down into a braid.

 

[Jake Andrews]

That looks cool think I'll try that

 

[Raj]

+1 here on that set up, really smooth and grabs instantly. I've broken off a few rotten branches on some limb walks and that hitch saved me from any noticeable drop. Only problem I have had is taking down a spruce, where the biner pinching the rope glued it's self to the rope and the body of the HH, but it left the beeline clean!

 

[PCTREE]

Wow that HH is immaculate!! Do you actually climb trees or just go out for photo ops. ??

 

[climbernz]

you can also add another system to keep everything streamlined

 

[DMc]

I know that those pinto pulleys are strong and all but anyone using them for life support off the bottom of the HH carabiner needs to be aware that it is like side loading a carabiner. Because when force is applied the outward slope on the carabiner at that angle is forcing the pulley sides out at an angle it was definitely not tested for.