Pros and Cos of various friction hitches in the trees

[gumboot]

I do have a foot

I leave my HH installed. I slide my HH to where I need it.

I use the untie/retie/ adjustment time instead as time for inspecting the rope.






I SRT almost always. Safest self- rescue scenario to my way of thinking.


Way easier for me, as well.


Do you have a foot ascender or rope walker? Very useful around here, maybe less so in AK.

ascender . I think it's a CMI . I used to do all my climbing in my corks (Viberg 105T ) then in my White Smoke Jumpers . Now I wear Scarpa Fuego's a Lot . Extremely comfortable in the spurs . And I think they will work great with the foot ascender . Im going to give it a shot anyway.
I also leave my HH on the rope .

 

[SeanKroll]

Try loosening your hitch with the extra wrap.

The knut-h hitchhiker hitch

Hitch Hiker Hitch

Here's a friction hitch that seems to function better than the standard French Prusik, that the instructions show, and many people use. It checks all the boxes, easy descent, tending, grabs reliably, compact, and easy to tie. It usually doesn't have to be retightened after weighting it. Some...

www.masterblasterhome.com

 

[gumboot]

Try loosening your hitch with the extra wrap.

The knut-h hitchhiker hitch

Hitch Hiker Hitch

Here's a friction hitch that seems to function better than the standard French Prusik, that the instructions show, and many people use. It checks all the boxes, easy descent, tending, grabs reliably, compact, and easy to tie. It usually doesn't have to be retightened after weighting it. Some...

www.masterblasterhome.com

I will definately try that hitch . Ive heard of Brocky . Seems he has come up with some great hitches . I keyed in on his comment about twisting (loosening ) the hitch for easing into descent . Will definately give that a try also .

 

[cory]

I used a knut in MRS/drt, I liked it alot

 

[Mick!]

Mickey, you should post up a pic of your set up.

So for your prussic, you use a prussic loop?

To take up slack one handed in your climb line do you step on the rope to hold it tight and then slide the prussic?

There ya geaux Cory.
As for advancing, I just hip thrust if needed.

 

[SeanKroll]

Hip thrusting is so much work compared to a foot ascender

 

[Mick!]

Hip thrusting is so much work compared to a foot ascender

I don’t do much of it, I’m mostly in spikes.

 

[SeanKroll]

Taking the 'stairs' (ladder) helps a lot if the tree is bulbous at large, low crotches

 

[Mick!]

Oh yeah, big ladder fan here.

 

[levi r]

I gotta get some more ladders. I have a 10' Stokes right now that I love. Any recommendations? I know it's very market specific but what kind of ladders are you all using? I'm thinking of getting big extension ladder like roofers use. A guy I knew had one of those cool telescoping ladders, they are really expensive!

 

[Burnham]

For maximum stability, an orchard ladder. But probably not the best tree climbing aid .

 

[levi r]

the 10' Stokes that I have is an aluminum orchard ladder. Very handy. But yeah, not the best for tree access.

 

[cory]

I have one of those. When using on hard surfaces I tie a cord from the leg to a step and adjust with a taut line hitch. Back in the day, one of my guys was using one on flag stone and he went down like a ton of bricks when the leg slipped out. Miraculously he wasn't hurt tho the force generated was enough to bend one of the steps

 

[gumboot]

I gotta get some more ladders. I have a 10' Stokes right now that I love. Any recommendations? I know it's very market specific but what kind of ladders are you all using? I'm thinking of getting big extension ladder like roofers use. A guy I knew had one of those cool telescoping ladders, they are really expensive!

I have used my 24' fiberglass extension ladded . 300 lb rated . Worked great even tho it was on a bit of a sideways angle . But the top was nestled into some limvs so it couldnt go anywhere and I was roped in and took up slack as I cl8mbed the tree . A sorta Fern Gully lookin Birch .
If I get better at SRT/DRT . Actually get efficent at getting up in the tree just on rope . I will probably ditch the ladder .

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You build up toit. Also get past the mind fug of the ascent up a single leg of line.

 

[levi r]

I have one of those. When using on hard surfaces I tie a cord from the leg to a step and adjust with a taut line hitch. Back in the day, one of my guys was using one on flag stone and he went down like a ton of bricks when the leg slipped out. Miraculously he wasn't hurt tho the force generated was enough to bend one of the steps

Same thing happened to my brother once. He rode it down without incident, like a 3 stooges skit lol.

The one I have now came with the 'hard surface kit.' It's got rubber feet and a built in adjustable cable between the leg and steps. Love me an orchard ladder. I read a book about Niwaki pruning once, the guys in the book had a bunch of awesome custom ladders made from bamboo. I'd like to try making my own one day.

 

[SeanKroll]

I tie mine with a prussic on the pole that slides up and down the pole to adjust the length.



Pre-ropewalker, Is use an extension ladder

I have used my 24' fiberglass extension ladded . 300 lb rated . Worked great even tho it was on a bit of a sideways angle . But the top was nestled into some limvs so it couldnt go anywhere and I was roped in and took up slack as I cl8mbed the tree . A sorta Fern Gully lookin Birch .
If I get better at SRT/DRT . Actually get efficent at getting up in the tree just on rope . I will probably ditch the ladder .

Very worthwhile.


There is a Beginner Tree Climber Tips thread or similar. Full of info beyond beginner. There are a few rope walker videos that are likely in there. Throw line tips, etc.


I'm happy to make any video tutorial you want for spurless climbing, etc.

 

[gumboot]

I tie mine with a prussic on the pole that slides up and down the pole to adjust the length.



Pre-ropewalker, Is use an extension ladder

Very worthwhile.


There is a Beginner Tree Climber Tips thread or similar. Full of info beyond beginner. There are a few rope walker videos that are likely in there. Throw line tips, etc.


I'm happy to make any video tutorial you want for spurless climbing, etc.

Ive used my Big Shot ALot . At the moment the rubber bands have mostly gave up the ghost and I need to get new bands and basket set . In the mean time I throw the bag . Just started with the 2 hand throw from between my legs . It works for like 30' up for me so far . I just set up a practice rope in a tree on the homestead this afternoon after work . (Making steel parts for installing a flat bed on my F550)
Not in a very big tree as there arent any big trees on my place but , big enough I think. Especially considering , base tying to another tree forms a type of guyline for the tree I will be climbing . I have an idea I will try . If it works Ill try to video it and upload to my yt channel and post a link here someplace .

 

[biggun]

I used a ladder today. Wasn’t long enough and was bitchin’ that I should have used my throwline.

We use these ones at a few co tractors over the years. Triple extension ladder that also convert to an A frame.

Similar.

Skymaster X

Convertible to take on challenging tasks with greater safety.

www.zarges.com

 

[treetx]

3-2 VT por vida

Hard to look at one of your own youtube videos and see "20yr ago"

 

[levi r]

I used a ladder today. Wasn’t long enough and was bitchin’ that I should have used my throwline.

We use these ones at a few co tractors over the years. Triple extension ladder that also convert to an A frame.

Similar.

Skymaster X

Convertible to take on challenging tasks with greater safety.

www.zarges.com

That's a quite the ladder. I wonder if they can be had on this o the pond.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

3-2 VT por vida

Hard to look at one of your own youtube videos and see "20yr ago"

I feel ya mang.

 

[Brocky]

Ive been climbing with an original Hitch Hiker since they first came out . Or close to then .
Its ny idiot pruf go to as my bail out line when spur climbing and for all other things where I need life/safety support like roofing , chimney sweeping /snow shoveling on roofs . I've been thinking I would like to try just a friction hitch like a Distal , Schwabish, VT ect , but , I dont know the pluses and m8nuses of them and would like to avoid any serious minuses at a time when the hitch Needs to work 100% . Like a 1 handed bail out .
Something I love about the Hitch Hiker is its surety of 1 handed descent .
Also . At this time Im climbing on a 7/16 Sterling kernmantal rope . Have only used it in 3 trees so far .
I had hoped to f8nd lots of yt vids on cl8mbing hitch vids . But all they seem to show is how to tie them . Cant find my copy of The Tree Cl8mber's Companion by Jeff Jepson so I need to order another one .
Thank you for any assistance .
Glen

Sounds like you want a multiscender friction hitch, most friction hitches are only able to grab for use while ascending. The Sticht, WLR, and the Synergy X are the multiscenders I know, some others will work for awhile, but bind up with use. One handed slack tending binds up faster than sliding it up using two hands, with less distortion of the hitch.
A slow descent is possible on a multiscender hitch, but the rope on rope friction doesn’t let you bomb out. Having a device for rappelling, that’s easy to attach the rope to, allows the load and friction to be taken up, and the hitch not used to descend.

 

[SeanKroll]

I helped Roger B with a sequoia about 15 years ago. The 40'er was a help for taking the stairs. I think it didn't turn into regular flipping up on spurs for a long while. Easier to strand on branches fir a while,, maybe the first 100'.