Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
I couldn't agree more. The meanest climbers I know are all in their 50's.
Pros Cons - When and When Not To
- Thread starter bonner1040
- Start date
- Replies 96
- Views 10K
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Hey, I'm a nice guy!
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
I still dig it when you can NC most of a TD and just burn through it.
Don't get me wrong.. love all my other rigging toys... But love it when old school just burns one down.
Don't get me wrong.. love all my other rigging toys... But love it when old school just burns one down.
Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
Ive said before, and shall say again, I natural crotch the great majority of my work. My ropes last too. Groundman dictates how fast they burn out. I prefer a cloud of smoke not puff out of the rigging crotch.
NHlocal
TreeHouser
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Most efficient for Rob and I is when I self lower NC as he chips. He unties and I set up the next set... Chipper rarely stops.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
HAHAHAHA!
I need a bigger chipper for TD's
I need a bigger chipper for TD's
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Oh... And I have an incentive program... Whom ever feeds the chipper gets the chips for their garden 
ClimbMIT
TreeHouser
Welcome back Imagineero, I have chatted with you before on AS. I use all the same knots when possible except for Marl and Caribe. I might be using the same knot when tying the throw bag. It is a figure 8 with finished off with a bight through it. When it's time to untie I just pull the end and knot comes right out. If that makes sense?
Mark
Mark
rumination
Migratory Hippie Arbolist
The running bowline does the vast majority of my lowering work. Pretty much the only time I use the clove is when I'm balancing a horizontal limb with a single rope, or lowering multiple limbs at one time. And for attaching throwline to throwbag. And attaching throwline to climbing line. And sending up tools. 
Alpine butterfly is a great midline knot for a z-rig, etc., but don't load it too heavily or you'll be getting out a screwdriver to get it undone. One of the midline bowline variants is good for heavy loading.
Zeppelin bend is my favorite for joining two ropes that will be bearing a load, and will untie quite easily. Grapevine knot for permanent joins. Slippery sheet bend for sending ropes up to the climber. Jon (treesandsurf) once showed me one called a quick hitch that was super awesome for this, but I immediately forgot it.
And when I'm working the ground and the climber is being annoying then I make sure to use about 14 half hitches in the bight of the line to send up the chainsaw.
Alpine butterfly is a great midline knot for a z-rig, etc., but don't load it too heavily or you'll be getting out a screwdriver to get it undone. One of the midline bowline variants is good for heavy loading.
Zeppelin bend is my favorite for joining two ropes that will be bearing a load, and will untie quite easily. Grapevine knot for permanent joins. Slippery sheet bend for sending ropes up to the climber. Jon (treesandsurf) once showed me one called a quick hitch that was super awesome for this, but I immediately forgot it.
And when I'm working the ground and the climber is being annoying then I make sure to use about 14 half hitches in the bight of the line to send up the chainsaw.
Page
TreeHouser
a zepplin is good for heavy loads? cool I just learned it the other day but haven't used it yet.
I use running bowlin for just about every thing. sometimes add half hitches or clove hitch along a rotten branch if I think it's gonna break into pieces while rigging it out.
I use running bowlin for just about every thing. sometimes add half hitches or clove hitch along a rotten branch if I think it's gonna break into pieces while rigging it out.
murphy4trees
TreeHouser
Clove hitch will lock if not loader in proper direction.. anytime balance of piece is in question use RB.. anything over 150-200 lbs, including pull lines, and I use a second loop to make it a double bowline.. much less loss of strength and easier to untie.. almost make it a habit. I have to remind myself to not add the second loop on light stuff.. I have had a RB fail.. stiff rope not properly TDS.. not enough tail, big pine top.. no harm done.. actually have it on video somewhere.. camera man was trying not to laugh.. I smiled and he let it go...
The just the other week I had a clove hitch, backed up w 2 half hitches fail... couple big pieces of bark rolled up away from wood, leaving just a little too much play in a line that was tied just a little too close to the cut... held long enough to swing the piece into the DZ, then bombed away... that's cryptonite.. gotta be carefull
Might be worth noting that the rescue community looks at the RB the way we look at a square knot... very unreliable.. especially when loaded repeatedly, which is not the case in tree work...
The just the other week I had a clove hitch, backed up w 2 half hitches fail... couple big pieces of bark rolled up away from wood, leaving just a little too much play in a line that was tied just a little too close to the cut... held long enough to swing the piece into the DZ, then bombed away... that's cryptonite.. gotta be carefull
Might be worth noting that the rescue community looks at the RB the way we look at a square knot... very unreliable.. especially when loaded repeatedly, which is not the case in tree work...
Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
I locked a clove hitch BAD last year. Used a punch and hammer to get it undone. Must have loaded it wrong.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Seized-up a clove hitch? Never in all my years have I heard of such a thing. But I'll grant, names of knots are so often ambiguous.
Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
Boss man, the same clove hitch you've described in your book to a T, I have ONCE locked up tighter then fort knox. Now, in all fairness, I was doing something odd with it. It wasn't rigging. Ill have to think what it is I was doing that caused this.
Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
I got it. I had a stub of a limb deep into a lawn. I had some 3/4 bull line handy. Threw a clove hitch around it and tied it to the truck and pulled it out of the ground. LOCKED.
NHlocal
TreeHouser
I don't have near the experience most of you have but, I've used both the Clove hitch and the Running bowline
on limbs and chunks from less than 50lbs to several hundred pounds. Never had a Clove hitch seize up. I use the
Clove hitch a lot for just that reason 'cause at times my wife will "lend a hand" and she sure ain't too strong,
but she can always untie the Clove hitch(as long as the wood isn't layin' on the rope
)..... 
on limbs and chunks from less than 50lbs to several hundred pounds. Never had a Clove hitch seize up. I use the
Clove hitch a lot for just that reason 'cause at times my wife will "lend a hand" and she sure ain't too strong,
but she can always untie the Clove hitch(as long as the wood isn't layin' on the rope
)..... murphy4trees
TreeHouser
Its directional... pull must come from the side of the first wrap, or she locks up... any question about direction use a RB
ps I prefer the doublED bowline, (different from the double BL) for tying to trucks and making an inline loop for a rope come a long system.. Never locks.. just make sure you catch all three loops
pete mctree
Treehouser
I'm using the clove hitch more & more for rigging, including large pieces.
I like the way it ties - rope only needs to go one direction around a branch, which in awkward spots can be very advantageous. It also cinches tight well.
In conjunction with a running bowline, do people use a half-hitch or a marl? I prefer the half - hitch, what I was taught ( used with a timber hitch) & easier to untie
I like the way it ties - rope only needs to go one direction around a branch, which in awkward spots can be very advantageous. It also cinches tight well.
In conjunction with a running bowline, do people use a half-hitch or a marl? I prefer the half - hitch, what I was taught ( used with a timber hitch) & easier to untie
Similar threads
