Greetings,
Well I got out and tried my first ever rope tether. It works great while climbing with my tree spikes/gaffs and the L belt. Then setting my platform, and tethering off with my new rope/prussik/carabiner tether.
BUT...then I tired no stick climbing with just my 5 step etrier (aider) girthed with rope to the tree and my rope tether for a climbing anchor. IT WAS SCAREY! My tether kept sliding down the tree to me allowing a lot of slack in the tether line. And in static climbing, as I said recently, the imperative rule in static climbing is to never let slack develop in your main anchor.
So I got to thinking and rummaging around in my sewing bin I have for my outdoor gear. I found a piece of small shock cord (bungee cord) about 18" long.
So I went back out and tied one end of the shock cord to my figure 8 loop knot with a Taught Line hitch knot then I stretched it about 6" over to the line that goes around the tree and tied it on there with another Taught Line hitch (which is adjustable similar to a prussic.)
PRESTO! the little shock cord kept the girthed loop snug on the tree. It never even tried to slip back down. And moving it up the tree was no trouble, just pull up on the rope and the shock cord stretches out and lets the loop slide up the tree. Win Win and extra SAFE. In fact, as I climbed up the tree I was able to easily move up the tether at a constant rate that I was moving up keeping the tether snug, with no slack, constantly which is the best scenario in static climbing.,
Have a good day Y'all!
Well I got out and tried my first ever rope tether. It works great while climbing with my tree spikes/gaffs and the L belt. Then setting my platform, and tethering off with my new rope/prussik/carabiner tether.
BUT...then I tired no stick climbing with just my 5 step etrier (aider) girthed with rope to the tree and my rope tether for a climbing anchor. IT WAS SCAREY! My tether kept sliding down the tree to me allowing a lot of slack in the tether line. And in static climbing, as I said recently, the imperative rule in static climbing is to never let slack develop in your main anchor.
So I got to thinking and rummaging around in my sewing bin I have for my outdoor gear. I found a piece of small shock cord (bungee cord) about 18" long.
So I went back out and tied one end of the shock cord to my figure 8 loop knot with a Taught Line hitch knot then I stretched it about 6" over to the line that goes around the tree and tied it on there with another Taught Line hitch (which is adjustable similar to a prussic.)
PRESTO! the little shock cord kept the girthed loop snug on the tree. It never even tried to slip back down. And moving it up the tree was no trouble, just pull up on the rope and the shock cord stretches out and lets the loop slide up the tree. Win Win and extra SAFE. In fact, as I climbed up the tree I was able to easily move up the tether at a constant rate that I was moving up keeping the tether snug, with no slack, constantly which is the best scenario in static climbing.,
Have a good day Y'all!
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