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Climbing while tethered

bigjoe

bigjoe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2015
Messages
2,618
Location
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Who climbs using sticks or steps while using both their lineman belt for positioning, while being tethered to prevent a fall?
Just curious.

I think I may opt for that using the WE Stepps. (Having fallen once, from my caribener not being clipped in properly.) I think this will allow me to climb with self assurance. I figure the worst thing that can happen is that it takes me an extra minute or so to get up a tree.
 
If i ever get nervous while climbing a tree, mostly on windy days because we can get ridiculously high gusts here in OK, i will throw my tether on and move it up as i go. It might take you like 3 extra minutes to climb the tree having to move it up with you. Worth it.
 
I throw mine on when I'm not feeling confident about things on a gnarly tree, it's wet or whatever. Straightforward climbing I accept the risk and maintain 3 points of contact. Lineman's belts are sort of a newer development in the hunting world and while absolutely better than nothing I think there is some false confidence/lack of knowledge in what they are intended to do and not do.
 
elk yinzer said:
I throw mine on when I'm not feeling confident about things on a gnarly tree, it's wet or whatever. Straightforward climbing I accept the risk and maintain 3 points of contact. Lineman's belts are sort of a newer development in the hunting world and while absolutely better than nothing I think there is some false confidence/lack of knowledge in what they are intended to do and not do.
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I think a linesman will slow you down and plant your body in to the tree if you are falling. The step or stick below you will stop you and its going to hurt. IMHO I've been wearing a lines man for 15 yrs I got one with a old API lock on I bought years ago
 
ImThere said:
I think a linesman will slow you down and plant your body in to the tree if you are falling. The step or stick below you will stop you and its going to hurt. IMHO I've been wearing a lines man for 15 yrs I got one with a old API lock on I bought years ago
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Agree with this, that's what I am saying. Falling 3 or 4 or 5 feet and slamming into an aluminum stick or step is going to do some damage probably broken ribs, potentially more. Obviously not saying it's better than falling 15 or 20 feet untethered, just that it is going to inflict some serious pain and probably do some structural damage. I am all for this being a personal decision and I just use a lineman's, unless things get sketchy then I am going to the tether. But if one's goal is OSHA level safety it is worth investigating a choking lanyard or girth hitched tether both of which better suit those needs. Just pointing out what a lineman's is, it is more of a balancing device that aids in fall prevention and a fall restraint of last resort.
 
If you climb attached to your tether, are you attaching via your bridge or something else?
 
Nope, I’m not dealing with double ropes while climbing. Heck, I just recently (last few years) convinced myself to use ropes at all.

I’m not looking for OSHA level anything, because that organization has many regulations that just defy common sense. They regulate safety down for the below 80IQ crowd, where a small amount of common sense would have worked better than their regulation.

I have had 2 falls arrested with a linesman belt, one was a stick failure and the other was moving too fast and getting clumsy. Neither event had me fall more than 2 feet. Of course it wasn’t comfortable, and I lost skin on my knuckles, but it did the job.

If I had to fight a linesman belt AND a tether on every climb, I’d just get a pop up blind.

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Dragsmack said:
If you climb attached to your tether, are you attaching via your bridge or something else?
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Yes I plan on climbing with tether attached to the bridge. I have not done so yet. Some will, some won’t. Too me it is a common sense thing. Yes it will slow you down climbing, but you are always tied in.
 
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If you want to consider using a tether for fall restraint, you should consider a tether made of dynamic, not static rope. Depends on how far you expect to fall.

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The most important thing to remember is always keep 3 points of contact when climbing. Your lineman belt gives you and additional POC, so you can use your hands more easily.

Sent from my Galaxy S8.
 
I think maybe @essdub talked about climbing with a lineman's belt crossed in an x pattern. Or maybe it was someone else. I am sure that would be almost as good as using a tether.. .. Where in the world did essdub go.
 
Ontariofarmer said:
I think maybe @essdub talked about climbing with a lineman's belt crossed in an x pattern. Or maybe it was someone else. I am sure that would be almost as good as using a tether.. .. Where in the world did essdub go.
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That was flinginairos....the flingin-X!

Tree huggers work awesome too.

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A tree hugger is an easy DIY, even on the fly. They give a nice piece of mind when climbing very high.

An easy DIY option is pass your standard linemans belt (or adjustable bridge) through the loops of a cam strap (eg lone wolf strap). The lone wolf strap goes around the back side of the tree like you would typically position the linemans belt. The linemans belt (or adjustable bridge) is between you and the tree, threaded through the cam strap loops. Adjust the length of the lone wolf strap so the strap hugs the tree when you load the strap with the linemans belt (or adjustable bridge).

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BassBoysLLP said:
A tree hugger is an easy DIY, even on the fly. They give a nice piece of mind when climbing very high.

An easy DIY option is pass your standard linemans belt (or adjustable bridge) through the loops of a cam strap (eg lone wolf strap). The lone wolf strap goes around the back side of the tree like you would typically position the linemans belt. The linemans belt (or adjustable bridge) is between you and the tree, threaded through the cam strap loops. Adjust the length of the lone wolf strap so the strap hugs the tree when you load the strap with the linemans belt (or adjustable bridge).

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Click to expand...

So basically you have made a tree squeeze/huggy . I like it.
 
Ontariofarmer said:
I think maybe @essdub talked about climbing with a lineman's belt crossed in an x pattern. Or maybe it was someone else. I am sure that would be almost as good as using a tether.. .. Where in the world did essdub go.
Click to expand...

I’m still around sometimes.
I also sometimes use the lineman in an “x”, depending on tree. I do think that flinginairos was the one talking about that a while back though.
Went scouting/climbing yesterday.
My “almost-son-in-law “ shot this hog this morning. Stubborn kid won’t use sling/saddle though.

cacb35a8d2d61b392c2b6267639daad9.jpeg



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