Carabiner

[Frans]

Two times that little biner opened itself up on me and once attached to my flip line, and the other time it grabbed the load line. The load line was close to me as I cut the limb free, then when it swung away with the branch attached, I was pulled off my perch and took a good swing.
I had to wrestle with it while hanging there to get free. all the while the load line was whizzing down with the load.

Damm micky mouse biners are downright dangerous.

I hit mine with a hammer after that so no one could use it anymore. Still have it hanging in the shop as a reminder tho.

 

[Blinky]

Bodean, no liquid lubes and compressed air. When mine get slow to close I wash'em in water with dish soap and once they're dry I spritz a little graphite powder or silicone lube on the actions.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

Burnham- try clipping the spliced eye to the middle hole. I think it holds the carabiners a 1/4" apart rather than right on top of eachother.

That's the way I hook it up, anyways...

love
nick

me too.

I used to use the same set up as Brenden, but the hitchclimber is waaaaay better IMO. It just takes some messing around with to get dialed in.

 

[DMc]

This has turned into a super interesting read, thanks for starting it, Greg.

I love seeing everyone's different setups with what is felt to be the pros and cons. I'm posting a few of my own and I apologise if they give some of you old timers the weebie jeebies. I base what I use on my experiences and what works for me.

These are some of the systems I have used. The last setup works very well for keeping the carabiners in proper alignment and no clanking. Its very simple to use and low cost.

The Uni is very versatile and my current favorite.

Dave

 

[Burnham]

Agreed Gerry.

Burnham, do you think the Hitchclimber works so smoothly because it's lifting the hitch straight inline with the rope? I havn't tried one yet, but it's got me curious.

That may well be it, Greg. I don't really have a real good explaination. Besides that, perhaps the side plates are a little closer together than the mico pulley I was using before, and that means the hitch is advanced with a more uniformly applied push.

Burnham- try clipping the spliced eye to the middle hole. I think it holds the carabiners a 1/4" apart rather than right on top of eachother.

That's the way I hook it up, anyways...

love
nick

See my post above, Nick. Do you find that your hookup method advances smoothly, too? I will try it in the middle hole next time around, just to compare.

 

[Burnham]

Hey Burnham, what kind of friction hitch is that you're using? Looks like a Klemheist? Does it self-tend very well?

Icicle hitch. I like it because I never need to set it for it to grab, totally trustworthy in that regard, but it breaks and advances easily after a good loading or rappel. It doesn't self tend all that well, but it does advance easily.

Self tending is overated for me personally...When I worked with a VT that did, half the time I would end up finding myself with too little slack as I tried to adjust body position and would have to slack off the hitch to get where I wanted to be.

There are times when it's a wonderful trait, don't get me wrong...I just don't mind that much tending slack myself, making my own decisions about it rather than giving gravity that power .

 

[Burnham]

I love the boa's and the jake's by dmm.

I work around alot of sand.
Seems alot of crud can get in there.
I've sprayed penetrating oil and compressed air. alittle comes out for the most part.

Pete McTree looked at my kit and said by uk standards a few of my karabiners wouldn't pass.

They didn't snap back all the way and seat.

So I started trying to clean them.

I'd like to see some kind of Carabiner that's easily cleaned.

We shouldn't have to ditch good biners if they're alittle dirty.

Compressed air and a good nozzle will do it.

Pete found the same thing with most of the kits he inspected at the USFS climbing instructor's workshop he attended with me after the WCGTG. His suggested method of cleaning them was to put them in a pot of water and heat them on the stovetop...not boil them hard, but leave there to simmer a bit and stir them around now and then. He reports that you can see the crud wash out of the hinges and gates.

After you pull them out of the water, THEN blow the heck out of them with compressed air. Dry graphite afterwards should really smooth the action out.

Pete uses a light lubricant like WD-40 instead of the graphite, which he acknowleges will attract more crud, but he does the hot water bath regularly and retreats with the lube.

 

[SkwerI]

This has turned into a super interesting read, thanks for starting it, Greg.

I love seeing everyone's different setups with what is felt to be the pros and cons. I'm posting a few of my own and I apologise if they give some of you old timers the weebie jeebies. I base what I use on my experiences and what works for me.

These are some of the systems I have used. The last setup works very well for keeping the carabiners in proper alignment and no clanking. Its very simple to use and low cost.

The Uni is very versatile and my current favorite.

Dave

Great stuff, Dave. Interesting how you attached the carabiner on your VT. As far as the Uni, I saw Jerry demonstrate that piece of kit in his 'Working Climber' DVD set. Very sweet looking piece of gear.

I wasn't happy with the Lockjack Sport, sold it less than a year after buying it. I found it frightening how easily it would release when I was working my way around a tree. Every single time I took my weight off the rope, it would drop. After a few scares I went back to a VT and haven't ever considered using one again.

 

[Frans]

The Uni is very versatile and my current favorite.

Uh, much of what skwerl said in the previous post I agree with.
I used Hubi's stuff (art) when he just created it, and through the several evolutions he made.

One of my main complaints is that it self tends to the point where it will cinch up on a limb tightly. A total pain when advancing past the limb and you need slack. The weight of a climb line hanging free below is alot of weight and made getting slack difficult.

My question to you is, does the Uni do the same thing?
thanks
-frans

 

[Bodean]

Burnham, You Rip.


I'm going to try that cleaning method on company time.

Thank you.

 

[Frans]

I'm going to try that cleaning method on company time.

Thank you.

I have a vision of you standing there watching the pot to see when it boils... on company time.

Go man go!

 

[Bodean]

We have a full kitchen, and plenty of pots.

Maybe I'll photocument it.

ha

 

[DMc]

My question to you is, does the Uni do the same thing?
thanks
-frans

No Frans, it doesn't self tend slack as radically as the Lockjack. I know exactly what you mean when you say the Lockjack can be annoying when there is a lot of rope hanging through it. But it also makes me wonder about Skwerl's comment of the Lockjack falling loose or loosening during the climb. I don't recall ever experiencing this. Wonder what we are doing different.

Back to the Uni, it is a different animal. Works really well with 13 mm rope, such as ArborMaster Gold Streak which is a good, tough tree working rope.

For some reason the Uni's look really big in pictures, but as you can see they are not that much different in size than the Lockjack.

You can also get an idea of its multiple contact points for the friction metering.

Dave

 

[MasterBlaster]

Too much metal for me.

 

[Frans]

Dave, how does it compare with the LockJack in releasing? Sudden, or more gradual?
I checked out the titanium model at the last TCIA show but in the show they had it hanging from a tripod for demo'ing but way too many people around for me to really check it out.
Hard to talk to Tom D. about it as he is a raving fanatic in regards to it and simply keeps saying it is the 'best' without any real answers to questions

Thanks again

 

[DMc]

Too much metal for me.

And that's why I like threads like this. Showing and discussing what other people use and like to use. I think no matter how good a system works for somebody, somebody else is going to have a different feel or desire that will require a different system.

Frans. LOL Tom is Tom.

The Uni does have a more gradual release but it is still capable of that scary full release "feel" when you are learning how to use it. I can easily see how some people will never fully accept that.

It does have two descend modes which gives you options. But it is still a tool that requires learning. It is NOT the same as a hitch. But it will do more things than a hitch can.

Apologies to Greg for this derail on the thread. I haven't give much information on carabiners but I prefer the Petzl OK oval carabiners. I tend to pick one style of carabiner to use throughout. I find it helps me to become more adept with the opening characteristics.

Dave

 

[wiley_p]

I watched Brian French work a large Maple using the Uni in single rope mode. He opened my eyes in the proper utilization of this device. A guy can work a tree on a single rope smoothly.

 

[pete mctree]

Sorry folk's no pictures but I use a hitchclimber with a pair of DMM oval krabs (recently replacing petzl ovals) . The shape helps load each leg of my vt evenly, which, when the hitch is dressed well helps free tending and reduces twisting on long or quicker descents.

 

[stehansen]

I use the aluminum double lock snaps. Sometimes I will put a pulley on the standing end of the line to advance the blakes, bur not unless I have to body thrust a bunch.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Metal snaps are my fav for ALT and on my flip lines for advancing... I use double lock. Triacts for the VT on my climb line. This was my set up I was playing with to get familiar with the hitch climber principal... Now I just need the hitch climber pulley. And since I have two D's on my bridge I often just clip each biner into each separate D. I prefer a lot of options for work positioning as I do a lot of mistletoe pruning.

 

[klimbinfool]

DMc, dont worry about any derail....I'm enjoying the posts and different ideas and methods. Its giving me different ideas.

 

[pete mctree]

Metal snaps are my fav for ALT and on my flip lines for advancing... I use double lock. Triacts for the VT on my climb line. This was my set up I was playing with to get familiar with the hitch climber principal... Now I just need the hitch climber pulley. And since I have two D's on my bridge I often just clip each biner into each separate D. I prefer a lot of options for work positioning as I do a lot of mistletoe pruning.

Altough probably a smooth set-up there, I have issues with it. As with the hitchclimber set-up, there is the potential for the termination knot to rest upon the top of the hitch ( I would use a spliced eye). This can cause interesting situations when loading the hitch

 

[SkwerI]

Stephen, I agree with Pete. Gear is good, but too much gear can slow you down and create more problems than it fixes. I see two potential problems with your setup and both can be fixed by removing the goofy pulley and just using a standard single eye mini pulley and attaching both carabiners directly to the saddle. The termination knot in your lifeline laying against the friction hitch will end up hurting you one day when you are not expecting it, not to mention the constant interference every time you move in the tree.

 

[Blinky]

CV,
What rope is that?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Here we go on the rope again... It is a static kernmantle that I often use for SRT. I will sometimes use it for Ddrt for positioning( in a pinch) but I mostly just hooked this up quick for a pic one day for Brian when I was working on sumptin.. I also use it for rocky slopes I repel down for clearing as it is some stout tough shat. Stiff hand. Works well in nasty. I use the Arbor Master for the Hitch Climber set up for the most part as I do the True Blue. But I only use the hitch climber for work positioning now. Easy with one hand.. I pretty much stick with my biners on two diffy attachment points on my two D's on the bridge for the very reason you stated... The knots can interfere with the friction hitch. Now I am going to buy a Hitch Climber pulley to play with as I also see different applications for it just like the Mickey Mouse pulley.. Sumtin to try and play with .... Find my preferred application and use it in others it will lend itself too. BTW.. I still use my blakes split tail and my kleimheist.. and and and.. But when I see fit in the right situation..

Did I mention I actually foot locked today for a minute?... LOL...
Then I put my pantin back on for the next position
Everything we use has it's place.