Any Rope Wrench or Hitch Hiker users here?

[Bermy]

Once my bee-line wore in I didn't get any 'drops', also tying the VT short and tight helped too, I had too much slack.
If you want, put your free hand on your rope down by your bum somewhere to hold it while you release with the other hand, just to avoid that little 'drop' when you first start descending...as if you were abseiling.
I'm sure once it all wears in and you get the knot tension just right you'll be golden!

 

[Grendel]

I'm getting her. . . I think it is a combination of several factors, as you all have mentioned. The dog bone was binding up a little at the top, to the point that if I got too grabby with my hitch I could make it clank around in it's slot while the krab held most of my weight. I made an effort to tie the hitch tight, as I think I too had it a little loose. I'll continue to work on it.

Thanks again for all your advice PCTREE and all. I really appreciate it.

These are with my full weight.





Honestly I think the "oh shit" moments I was experiencing were mostly just me being too rough with my hitch.

~cheers.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I bend my rope to get it the finished hitch to dress very tightly when straightened. This may be going overboard, but I think I started doing it for a reason. 7 wraps on Poison Hyvee and HTP.

 

[Bermy]

Me too Sean...putting your weight on it after straightens it all out.
5 wraps 1 braid, bee-line and XTC fire.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Wraps and a braid, huh?

 

[Levi]

I was also tying mine tight like that sean/bermy. 5 wraps 1 braid with 8mm armorprus on imori or cougar. Tied the knot super tight to get the good feel. It may have been because of my weight (150) that I never felt very quick on the HH. Also the slack tending was a pain for me with the HH.

The sequence of engagement/dis-engagment with a WR seems more efficient and streamlined to me.

I enjoyed my time with the HH although it's WR all the time for me at the moment.

Paul- are there plans/designs for a second gen HH? Maybe with a slack tending solution?

Thanks
Levi

 

[Grendel]

I'd like to see one with a clip in point on the spine for DbRT. I haven't had any trouble with slack tending, but that would be cool too.

 

[PCTREE]

We have been kicking around some ideas but no time soon on V2. It is not possible to put a Ddrt TIP on the spine, it simply does not work.

 

[bowleggedgoat]

I've been using a rope wrench for my SRT and I've occasionally been having trouble with my VT seizing up if I've been weighting it and then lowering. Any tips?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You have a stiffy on it?

 

[SouthSoundTree]

We have been kicking around some ideas but no time soon on V2. It is not possible to put a Ddrt TIP on the spine, it simply does not work.

My advancing tether on the biner is Tech Cord. It doubles as a DdRT TIP, a la a Hitch Climber pulley. it needs to be long enough for the termination biner to not affect the hitch.

 

[bowleggedgoat]

yes, a homemade one

 

[Porkbrick]

I've been using a rope wrench for my SRT and I've occasionally been having trouble with my VT seizing up if I've been weighting it and then lowering. Any tips?

the thing about the rope wrench is that the wrench will not engage unless it is pulled down (on the tether side), so if you are advancing up the rope and then weight your system your hitch grabs before the wrench is pulled down far enough to engage the rope properly. you may have to manually "set" the wrench after ascents buy simply pushing the rope side of the wrench upwards before weighting your system. or get a stiffer stiffie

 

[ClimbMIT]

Check out this link and video
http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/srt-single-rope-technique/57255-flex-tether-rw.html

 

[kevin bingham]

Make sure you have a good "bumper" on your wrench. Something on your tether that keeps the wrench from falling into neutral. You shouldn't have to manually set your wrench if you have a little bumper.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Picture, Kevin, please?

 

[Jack]

 

[kevin bingham]

thanks Jack

 

[bowleggedgoat]

Make sure you have a good "bumper" on your wrench. Something on your tether that keeps the wrench from falling into neutral. You shouldn't have to manually set your wrench if you have a little bumper.

a bumper i shall get

 

[Bermy]

I was climbing with the Hitch Hiker today, a large old oak, deadwooding.
SO up and out and back and over, repeat...

I employed the basic and revolver for a 3:1 for coming back from the branch tips, in the past I have wondered how to keep the tail of the last leg of the 3:1 close enough to grab it, otherwise it swings away out of reach

Read on, two for one solution follows!

So this time I clipped a bentgate biner onto the ring of my brdge, right next to the HH biner, it worked a treat to keep the tail close, BUT I also discovered, that leaving it there for normal use of the HH, it acted to increase the radius of the rope coming out of the bottom of the HH, so singlehand, single line tending was WAY, WAY easier...I have found trying to single hand tend the HH before to have too much friction, this has cured it.

Made me happy.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Nice, Fiona.

When working with a Base-tie that has the leg of rope going down along the trunk, frequently there is a point where you need to pull the rope away from the branch being cut. If you just pull the down-strand away from the tree, it will easily clip into that bent gate biner. It is almost the same as the way the ropes lay in DdRT. Easy to get out of the way, and back into its resting space.

Sometimes I will just keep it clipped to me if I'm doing a canopy raise on a conifer.

 

[NHlocal]

I was climbing with the Hitch Hiker today, a large old oak, deadwooding.
SO up and out and back and over, repeat...

I employed the basic and revolver for a 3:1 for coming back from the branch tips, in the past I have wondered how to keep the tail of the last leg of the 3:1 close enough to grab it, otherwise it swings away out of reach

Read on, two for one solution follows!

So this time I clipped a bentgate biner onto the ring of my brdge, right next to the HH biner, it worked a treat to keep the tail close, BUT I also discovered, that leaving it there for normal use of the HH, it acted to increase the radius of the rope coming out of the bottom of the HH, so singlehand, single line tending was WAY, WAY easier...I have found trying to single hand tend the HH before to have too much friction, this has cured it.

Made me happy.

 

[treewhisperer]

My first SRT Climb with HH, The Haas, and CT FA. LOVE IT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2xspkehHxc

 

[treewhisperer]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/A2xspkehHxc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[rumination]

Nice, Fiona.

When working with a Base-tie that has the leg of rope going down along the trunk, frequently there is a point where you need to pull the rope away from the branch being cut. If you just pull the down-strand away from the tree, it will easily clip into that bent gate biner. It is almost the same as the way the ropes lay in DdRT. Easy to get out of the way, and back into its resting space.

Sometimes I will just keep it clipped to me if I'm doing a canopy raise on a conifer.

That's a great tip Sean, thanks!