I (Think/Hope) I Developed A New Hitch Design

[Knotorious]

I'm honestly disappointed. I thought you all would find value in my video, but to no avail. Alas...! I know this video is of high quality and I guess I don't know why people don't appreciate it. I'm equally as baffled by the YouTube algorithm. It's difficult enough to please living, breathing people...but it's even harder to appease a computer program. Surprisingly, thus far, this video has not been a success on YouTube...and that is simply because I have such low viewership, not because the content is shit. Please, if you get a chance, watch this video above this message and let me know if it truly is garbage. I worked my ass off on that video and even though a lot it was evergreen (copied), a large portion (40%) was completely original. If you have a YouTube account and find this video to be helpful, please hit that like button and subscribe if you haven't already. Similarly, if you see me making any mistakes, let me know about them. I doubt you will, but my point is that I'm not afraid of criticism. Thanks so much.

 

[Knotorious]

If you've ever found yourself needing to connect to a spar, please watch my video. You may learn something or you might find your own techniques reinforced.

 

[Burnham]

TBH @Knotorious , it's too long, the background noise from traffic is quite distracting, your delivery is wooden and halting, and it covers nothing new to most of us. I didn't find it to be of high quality, from where I sit.

And you give no notice of the adjustable friction saver, which is better at this task than any of the systems you present (that I saw anyway; but must admit I skipped over lots of the vid because I found it not very compelling to watch).

 

[lxskllr]

I'm very bandwidth constrained. I don't watch much video for that reason, and because I'm not that fond of video. I need a huge payout for a ~45 minute video, and canopy anchors aren't it :shrugs: I reluctantly have a google acct, and it's solely for legacy mail in case there's something/one I forgot. Otherwise, I don't patronize google services unless it's anonymous; eg, I don't login to accounts, and scripts/trackers are blocked.

 

[Knotorious]

TBH @Knotorious , it's too long, the background noise from traffic is quite distracting, your delivery is wooden and halting, and it covers nothing new to most of us. I didn't find it to be of high quality, from where I sit.

And you give no notice of the adjustable friction saver, which is better at this task than any of the systems you present (that I saw anyway; but must admit I skipped over lots of the vid because I found it not very compelling to watch).

I did showcase the adjustable friction saver in the very last sequence. Thanks for your input. Some people, to be fair, did love it (check out comments). I think a lot of newcomers would find it useful. Perhaps a forum filled with professionals is not the best audience. I admit the street noise was annoying.

I'm very bandwidth constrained. I don't watch much video for that reason, and because I'm not that fond of video. I need a huge payout for a ~45 minute video, and canopy anchors aren't it :shrugs: I reluctantly have a google acct, and it's solely for legacy mail in case there's something/one I forgot. Otherwise, I don't patronize google services unless it's anonymous; eg, I don't login to accounts, and scripts/trackers are blocked.

Yes, definitely the length is a deterrent. I can't speak to your boycott of Google offerings. That's your own perogative.



Thanks everyone for your honest feedback. I'm still really proud of this video because, considering all of your criticisms were focused on relatively minor flaws like background noise, delivery, not learning anything new and the overwhelming length of the video, I'm delighted to discover that nobody took issue with the actual immense amount of knowledge I shared throughout the video. No errors insofar as my understanding of choking canopy anchors and, if someone were truly wanting to learn about such anchors, they could do so via my video if they are willing to overlook the lesser deficits you all brought up.

Bottom line: I need to condense my material more, work on my delivery, and not ask @lxskllr to "like" any of my videos! Finally, I would be better off asking the opinions of people who are still learning how to climb to better assess the helpfulness of my content. However, your input has been helpful!

 

[Burnham]

I went back to your vid and watched that last segment re the AFS. I'm glad you included it.

It also was made yet more abundantly clear why I didn't persevere in my first viewing and see that portion; you may consider my criticisms to concern "lesser deficits", but I must disagree...the vid is just too poorly done for me to watch long enough to gather any benefit.

If you can't make your presentation of content compelling enough to get people to continue to watch, then you have failed, no matter how worthwhile that content is.

Just my opinion; others will not agree, no doubt.

 

[lxskllr]

With the caveat that I didn't watch the video, and don't know what's in it, perhaps a playlist of related videos would be a better strategy. First, an introductory video explaining what canopy anchors are, and why/when you'd want to use them. Then devote an individual video to each one. End with a concluding video summarizing the video series.

That way, each would be provided in small bites, favorites can be easily revisited, and it would be easier on you keeping everything manageable.

 

[Burnham]

Sounds like wise advice.

 

[Knotorious]

I went back to your vid and watched that last segment re the AFS. I'm glad you included it.

It also was made yet more abundantly clear why I didn't persevere in my first viewing and see that portion; you may consider my criticisms to concern "lesser deficits", but I must disagree...the vid is just too poorly done for me to watch long enough to gather any benefit.

If you can't make your presentation of content compelling enough to get people to continue to watch, then you have failed, no matter how worthwhile that content is.

Just my opinion; others will not agree, no doubt.

I'm not saying that your suggestions constitute bad advice by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just saying that if I had to organize "sharing correct and accurate information," "road noise," "poor delivery," "overly lengthy video," etc. in order of importance, I would say that, unequivocally, creating content that relays correct and accurate information is paramount relative to these other issues. That isn't to say that an entire video cannot be ruined by having any of the other things present during a video. So don't think I'm discrediting you and your assessment. I most certainly am not.

With the caveat that I didn't watch the video, and don't know what's in it, perhaps a playlist of related videos would be a better strategy. First, an introductory video explaining what canopy anchors are, and why/when you'd want to use them. Then devote an individual video to each one. End with a concluding video summarizing the video series.

That way, each would be provided in small bites, favorites can be easily revisited, and it would be easier on you keeping everything manageable.

That's great advice. Maybe I should take down the video and start anew, sharing it all as a series. Unfortunately, now that it's been up already, I'll have to fill the void with other content while I reproduce all of these other videos into a series. I'm giving it serious consideration.

_____________

As for delivery, that's just my style. I'm really not sure how to change that, sadly. Some days are better than others. I have a lot of social anxiety, even when I'm just speaking to a camera. Any thoughts on how to better deliver the message? I've also never been good at making things brief. Brevity is not something I excel at. I do everything thoroughly and at length; always have. I think, honestly, a lot of people appreciate it. That's been my experience so far. It may be a niche style, but it's already for a niche audience.

Anyways, I really do appreciate everyone being so honest. It wasn't fun to hear your criticisms, but I'm an adult and I literally asked for you to critique my work, so I got what I asked for. I wasn't trying to sound sassy in my initial response. If you thought I was giving an attitude, I wasn't. I was just expressing my own thoughts and feelings directly.

Even though I had hoped for a different response, I'm extremely grateful to all three of you (and @CurSedVoyce; I saw you adding your vote! haha) for helping me to improve my technique and my content and my videos.

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes...you get what you need." -- Rolling Stones

 

[Burnham]

Perhaps consider attending a Toastmasters club for some sessions to refine your delivery. I know this is old school, but they really can help with developing public speaking and idea expression skills.

Toastmasters International -Home

Where Leaders Are Made

www.toastmasters.org

 

[lxskllr]

Only thing I can say about delivery is "practice". I'm not a good teacher, and I don't do public speaking. When teaching, I tend to be scattershot, and jump back and forth between advanced material, prerequisites, and theory as they occur to me. I don't have a cohesive plan formed for presentation.

I guess if I were doing videos, I'd write down an outline of what I want to convey, then speak out loud for practice on presentation, and completeness. Something may occur to you in the process that should be added/deleted. Refine the presentation til you know exactly what/when/how you want to say it.

 

[Burnham]

That's pretty much exactly the approach I took when developing lesson plans for my climbing instructor work. Then bullet items as reminders written on 4x6 index cards, and don't be afraid to review them as you go if need be.

 

[Knotorious]

That's all great advice. I'm notoriously disorganized. I sort of did those videos off the top of my head, so I can see how my presentation would benefit from significant more forethought. I sort of just ad lib'ed my knowledge in front of the camera. Howver, I did organize the segments. In other words, the videography was pretty scripted, however, the monologues were not. I should definitely work on that. I've written scripts for other videos in the past. I've decided I'm going to make this video only available on here so that anyone else who wants to can offer their insights and criticisms and so, once I produce the new videos (which will be a series), you all can compare it. But on YouTube, this video is officially dead. Thanks again, guys.

 

[Knotorious]

Introducing, the KOKOPELLI hitch! With a little imagination, you can see a kokopelli dancing and playing his flute in both sides of the hitch. You have to be imaginative to see it, so fi you don't see it, no worries.

Kokopelli (/ˌkoʊkoʊˈpɛliː/[1]) is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the spirit of music.

Kokopelli - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here is what Kokopelli looks like...


Here is the hitch I am naming after this deity...



I certainly don't worship any ancient deities, however, Kokopelli is a local cultural icon in the southwest and he is associated with having a good time, celebrating life, playing and enjoying music...with plenty of practical humor.

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Eric H-L]

Introducing, the KOKOPELLI hitch! With a little imagination, you can see a kokopelli dancing and playing his flute in both sides of the hitch. You have to be imaginative to see it, so fi you don't see it, no worries.

Kokopelli (/ˌkoʊkoʊˈpɛliː/[1]) is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the spirit of music.

Kokopelli - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here is what Kokopelli looks like...
View attachment 132456

Here is the hitch I am naming after this deity...

View attachment 132457

I certainly don't worship any ancient deities, however, Kokopelli is a local cultural icon in the southwest and he is associated with having a good time, celebrating life, playing and enjoying music...with plenty of practical humor.

Let me know your thoughts.

I see the resemblance! Have you tried the hitch?

 

[Knotorious]

I see the resemblance! Have you tried the hitch?

Yes, I have tried this hitch quite some time ago. I'm just getting around to sharing it. Because of the complicated knotting below the coil, it doesn't bind up easily at all and functions beautifully with a Rope Wrench. It also hand tends with ease. I like it a lot, but there are better options that are easier to tie, but they all work efficiently and effectively.

 

[Knotorious]

Introducing the NO NAME hitch...

This beautiful hitch contains three wraps at the top, then a full braid (like what you would see in a VT) and then the resulting left leg does a full wrap around the host rope, and the resulting right leg goes around and under the resulting left leg, arounf the left side of the host rope and outwards from the right side of the host rope, through the hitch cord's bight.

This hitch works quite well and it is reliable. The reason there are only three wraps at the top is because the resulting left leg makes a full wrap and the resulting right leg adds one more wrap. This hitch is easier to break under load relative to more compact hitches that do no incorporate a braid. Additional wraps can be added or removed from the lower section and the upper section. So you could have two wraps on that top section and two twists on the resulting left leg (2:2) instead of the 3:1 setup shown in the picture. It would potentially be less grabby, but definitely grab differently. This hitch also looks beautiful. It is uniform, simple, effective, and it hand tends easily. Put a slack tending pulley on it and it's gravy.

This hitch requires a wee bit more dressing and setting than other, easier to tie hitches. However, once you've actually prepared this hitch for use even once time, you will quickly understand that the amount of effort is minimal and that you may even prefer it to use the NO NAME hitch.

 

[Knotorious]

Introducing the SPLIT TAIL SPECIALIST hitch...

This hitch is best tied using a split tail versus the end of one's rope. While it can be done using the tail of a rope, it is much easier to use a split tail. This hitch works phenomenally! It grabs readily, allows for controlled descents and readily hand tends by pulling up on the standing end of the rope or split tail. This hitch can be used with an eye to eye (by using the leg with the stopper knot as a connection point), however, it performs much better when used with a split tail or rope tail. It is a bit of a hassle to tie at first, but once you get the hand of it, you may prefer it over the more popular options that exist today. It isn't more convenient than, say, a Blake's hitch or a Tautline, but you might find the performance to be superior, or preferable in some ways...or you might not. Let me know what you think.

 

[Knotorious]

Because I know you all really, really wanted a new hitch, I've developed one just for you!

Please take some time to admire what I am calling the Fahrenheit hitch. Why call it that? Well, it's because it's a couple of small maneuvers away from the Celsius hitch that I previously created.

This hitch hand tends readily (it is easy to advance up a rope without a pulley), and even moreso with a hitch tending pulley. Furthermore, it is of simple design and easy-to-remember construction, making it simplistic in nature and making it suitable for anyone from expert to advanced climbers. It grabs quickly and swiftly and I would trust my life to this hitch. Based on my experiments, this hitch works best with anywhere from three to four wraps in the top section. Always begin with more wraps and work your way down to less! The adjustability section (aka secondary section) involves a braid, with the hitch legs making a crossover until finally settling at the final stage (tertiary section), where one leg loops around the other, finishing back on the side it started on.

This hitch definitely shares some similarities with the Valdotain Tresse. However, the comparisons stop there as the rest of this hitch is completely novel and original as far as I can ascertain. I've never seen another hitch finish by wrapping around the other leg the way this one does and so I am hopeful that I have developed something completely new and unique.

Here are front and back pictures of the Fahrenheit hitch.




I know, I know, I'm clever as frig. Don't let my self-issued applause stop you from letting me know how awesome this hitch is. You may not have guessed, but I actually suffer from low self-esteem. So, if you like this hitch (or any of my hitches), please don't hesitate to show your appreciation for what I am contributing on this forum! Not trying to sound needy or anything either. Don't hate; appreciate! Let's git 'er done! =-D

 

[lxskllr]

Looks like it might grab quicker than the VT. Do you find that the case?

 

[Knotorious]

Looks like it might grab quicker than the VT. Do you find that the case?

That last twist around the rope versus a normal braid provides twice as much friction because two strands rub against the host rope instead of just one at the top. On the sides it remains two strands just like a VT. I'm going to make a version of this hitch where both braids are tied that way. Should be interesting. Do I find it grabs better? Maybe a little. Hard to tell. I bet if I tied both braids the same as the bottom it would grab noticeably harder. Good question. It also possible to tend this hitch without a pulley more easily than a regular VT because you're tending over more surface area. So this is just a bit of a small project. We'll see what happens.

 

[Knotorious]

The moment has finally come...!

For many month now, I have regularly received requests from subscribers asking me to make a video that showcases my top ten friction hitches! Because the video concept has always felt kind of boring to me, I never actually pursued it. However, after hearing yet another subscriber make this same request last night, I decided that I had to give the people what they wanted...and that's exactly what I did.

On and off over the last 12 hours, I have made an exceptionally thorough video outlining my top ten hitches, entitled "Top 10 Friction Hitches for Production/Recreational Tree Climbers." It honestly didn't take me very long at all to decide on which hitches would make the cut, and when it came time to film, it was absolutely effortless to thoroughly discuss each hitch, explain pros and cons, etc. I decided that it would make the video way too long if I were to have demonstrated how each is tied, so instead of doing that, I included a list of all of my "how to tie" videos for each hitch in the description for the video, which many people will find undoubtedly extremely helpful. As a result, this video is somewhat of a masterpiece because it serves to direct any tree climber straight toward the best choices for hitches, it helps them understand what each hitch is best used for, it gives them swift and easy access to tying demonstrations, and it advertises approximately twenty of my other videos which should hopefully bump up viewership.

Anyways, enough talk. Watch the video for yourself and let me know what you think. Do you agree with my list? If not, what would be your top ten friction hitches and how would you rank them? The video is roughly 45 min long (like I said, very comprehensive), and I know many of you won't watch any of my videos unless they're under 15 min, so I would suggest that you perhaps try watching as much as you can sit still for, then doing something else, and then returning to the video to watch me, on repeat, until you've finished the video! That might make it a little more digestible. Just a thought. That's usually what I do. I'm never deterred by long videos unless they're over two hours. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm searching for a topic and I discover a video about that topic which is, say, 45-60 min long, I get super stoked and pumped because that means I get to sit at my laptop and watch super interesting content for much longer. Usually you can tell if a video is going to suck or if it's not what you're looking for within the first 30 seconds (according to data published by YouTube). Fun fact. So, please, I'd be delighted if you'd at least give my video 30 seconds. Thanks.

 

[lxskllr]

I'll try to give it a watch at work if the time presents itself. I hope you included the classic prusik loop. Dead simple, and reliable when you need a hitch as quickly as possible.

 

[Knotorious]

I'll try to give it a watch at work if the time presents itself. I hope you included the classic prusik loop. Dead simple, and reliable when you need a hitch as quickly as possible.

I did not include the prusik loop because it's typically the first hitch people learn and it's already well established to be quintessential and so it seemed like a waste of a spot on my list. It's just too obvious. I wanted to let lesser known hitches have a chance to see some lime light. I get where you're head is at and you're not wrong...but I hope you understand why I didn't include it. Also this is for climbing hitches.

@Brocky Your Sticht hitch made number four on my list by the way.

 

[Knotorious]

@lxskllr I just edited the title of the video to include the word "...friction hitches for CLIMBING for production/recreational..." Thanks for helping me discover a need for that distinction.