Best Resources for Learning SRT?

[flushcut]

Tbf, rope walking in any device that is correctly setup should have zero drag.

I never understand the comment you made, Lanyard over the shoulder as there is less stuff aloft.

Question: what do you do when you have ropewalked to a specific point, angles are awkward or it is particularly sketchy positioning, you need a lanyard to secure your self. What do you use?

The addition of a light weight chest harness hardly clutters things up and can make it infinitely safer in the scenario I mentioned above.

Don’t mean to single you out. I have seen a number of people make the same comments in forums and on climbing groups on Facebook over the years and always thought it was not the smartest idea.

Maybe people don’t climb as rough as I do LOL, but the one or two times I forgot the chest harness I tried the LOTS technique and instantly regretted it.

I made that comment because I have never cared for a chest harness. When I was climbing I made it up to my tip and switched to drt to work the tree. Get up to the tip unclip the lanyard, lanyard in, switch to drt, easy. It worked for me maybe not to others.

 

[lxskllr]

If I were to buy one, I like the way the Chester looks. Has multiple loops to choose from.

 

[SeanKroll]

Dave McN swore by the minimalist adjustable Petzl chest Harness that I can't find with the HH, with the Fixe pulley as a fairlead on a larger diameter opening DMM ring. I've use it some.

@Bermy has added a second biner to the bridge ring to fairlead the rope in better. I've used that some, too.


Search leather chest harness. You'll see a bunch.

 

[SeanKroll]

hahaha

 

[pantheraba]

Ref: Jonny's Wesspur post...That's what I have...works great. Mine is sewn at the center point...no rivet or whatever that is.

From Paul Didier I think

 

[biggun]

I made that comment because I have never cared for a chest harness. When I was climbing I made it up to my tip and switched to drt to work the tree. Get up to the tip unclip the lanyard, lanyard in, switch to drt, easy. It worked for me maybe not to others.

But what did you do if you got to an awkward point and for example was on the underside of a leaning stem. I would have thrown the lanyard around and pulled myself in. Clip in and then set my double line.

I can’t do that if my tether is over my shoulder.

 

[biggun]

Chest harnesses don't work for me, so far. Too binding. Extra stuff to get grabbed. I have 2. Lanyard over the shoulder comes off when I'm ready to tie-in-twice, or finished ascending.

I have mine set tight enough not to constrict but tight enough to capture as much ascent as I can.

They might not be for everyone but the Chester has multiple holes for connecting your device.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Hitch Hiker with a "Holster" (sold at WesSpur) with my lanyard/flipline over the shoulder for tending as Flushcut mentioned.
Its on this page. Hitch Hiker 2 Arborist Friction Device by RopeTek || WesSpur Tree Equipment - https://www.wesspur.com/items/asc184.html
This vid shows my lanyard tending the HH with a sewn spliced loop they also sell. Tend point is added at the carabiner. The "holster" is a kydex attatchment point goes in the same spot.

 

[lxskllr]

For a more macro look, you might want to go cheap to start, and get an idea of what you like. Whatever you get will probably be wrong, so you might as well spend a little money before you spend a lot. If there's 10 different devices, you have a 1 in 10 chance of getting the one that's "perfect" for you. A ropewrench and hitchclimber system would be a good inexpensive first go. Relatively cheap, and it'll let you know if you even want to work with hitches rather than going fully mechanical, and everything can be used in other applications if you don't like it.

edit:
Disregard the above. My head was up my ass, and I recommended what you already said. I got lost somewhere :^/

 

[TINYHULK]

You make great points lxskllr. My original was a rope wrench cause I already climb on the hitch climber. By the time I buy the rope wrench and a tether I’ve spent $200 and a HH is $300. I have ALOT of hitch cords of varying types so investing the extra $100 seems minuscule and a lot of you like it. I want to begin studying srt first and in a month or so I’ll buy the gear and begin practicing. My main reason for wanting that specific hand ascender is that it has a pulley on it so that can be my 3:1 return on a rope walk

 

[flushcut]

But what did you do if you got to an awkward point and for example was on the underside of a leaning stem. I would have thrown the lanyard around and pulled myself in. Clip in and then set my double line.

I can’t do that if my tether is over my shoulder.

Unclip the lanyard throw it around the stem. You are just hanging there anyways not really advancing up the line so no need for tending.

 

[cory]

TinyH, check out the posts by @kevin bingham , there's a ton of stuff on the art and science of srt. I think it's safe to say that he invented srt as it applies to tree climbing.

 

[Jonny]

Ref: Jonny's Wesspur post...That's what I have...works great. Mine is sewn at the center point...no rivet or whatever that is.

From Paul Didier I think

Mine has a little sewn tab too, not the grommet one Wesspur has.

After the fight in court between between Weaver and Climbing Innovations, I tend to not give Weaver my money anymore, but their basic chest harness is fine and really inexpensive.

 

[Bermy]

I have a Paul Didier chest harness with a tiny keychain biner for my Hitch Hiker, works fine, fairly minimalist.
I have a homemade tether attachment, it does have a tendency to move so the biner on the HH is not always aligned properly, have to keep an eye on it, just too lazy to fix it for something better!
The bentgate biner I used to have to fairlead my climbing line became redundant when I switched to Tachyon 11.5 away from the XTC. The smaller diameter rope feeds just fine now, no need for a fairlead any more.

 

[TINYHULK]

Thanks to Mr. @Burnham i think this is going to be my srt set up with the hitch Hiker Holster (from Wesspur). I like the idea of being able to swap between srt and ddrt with absolutely no equipment change. Will purchase the Schultz effect soon. Has anyone experienced the TCIA SRT book?

 

[ruel]

Tcia has good info usually, haven't read that one but they are definitely a trustworthy source.

The pulley below the Hitchhiker was unnecessary in my experience. HH is absolutely the best for removals, but a bit awkward for hardwood pruning. Great tool to start on, and once You see it's limitations you can decide if Another tool will work better.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

The pulley is unecessary when the line goes down verticaly like when you tend the slack with a Pantin, either drt or srt. I found it even counterproductive on the HH as the rope has to find its way in the pulley (more friction because the pulley tilts).
But when you tend the slack by hand, like in the above pic (return from a limbwalk, feet busy elsewhere) you really need the pulley or a carabiner to play the role of a fairlead and introduce the rope in line in the HH. If not, the rope makes the HH tends to rotate around it's biner insteed of sliding up the rope. That stops directly your momentum !

You can tend the rope verticaly by hand, that works well too, but it's less ergonomic.

 

[TINYHULK]

I like the idea of learning how to do all work even prunings in srt. Ofcourse drt will always have its place but when I’m in a drt prune I tend to see more obstacles that would be a non issue in srt. Main things are redirects and friction as the doubled lines rub against a branch that’s in the way of my limb walk. It’s super rare to see a tree higher than 90ft in my area so most jobs are large limb walks with a TIP that isn’t much higher than my limb walk (maybe 20ft higher than the limb but got a 40ft limb walk to go out on) going over houses or working down a pine tree. So having consistent friction and easier redirects would make a would of difference in my canopy work

 

[TINYHULK]

Currently looking at kneee ascenders and I want the haas velox but should I go with the snap version (either with climber boots or using the footie) or just go with there foot loop? Which is going to be easier in multiple removals?

 

[Bermy]

I reeved a loop into the eyelets on my boots using some throw line. Saved the cost of more expensive arbclimb boots.
As I use a Ska, I can clip right into it. I keep the saka footloop in the truck for just in case.

 

[ruel]

Imo 100% don't get a knee ascender with the foot loop attached. Royal PITA. Separate foot Loop stays on boot easy on easy off. Or like Bermy says direct boot Attach. I'm about 210 lbs with gear and broke some boots Trying that, but worth a shot.

Ive got 2 spare foot ascenders, pick one and it's yours if you Want it.

Isc Stryder, well used but still working
Knock off petzl style brand New.

 

[TINYHULK]

I was feeling the same way about having the loop attached to my foot and clipping it off. Thank y’all for the experienced recommendations 😁 I messaged you ruel, ps your awesome 😎 gonna order the Schultz effect this week and start studying that as well as studying to gain my cdl. Boss is buying a grapple truck 🛻

 

[cory]

grapple truck is a game changer

 

[TINYHULK]

I’m excited to see how it changes the work flow. Never used one before

 

[ruel]

They are awesome if you have a material forwarder!