Top-Line Hitch

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If'n, ya never ride a Cadillac; ya will never really be able to truly judge it against your 30 year olde Pinto. Yes, Tom, the one with the 8-track as OEM package!!

Though, the cost of upgrade here is really nothing; to drive several different Cadillacs all day, to make work a nicer place to be.

The Icicle also has self tending properties, like a Knut and TK; as does a VT with a Knut or TK finish (half hitch or marl respectively). Favoring the 'finish' coming fronmthe top coil, as is also the differance of the self tending class. The Icicle finish on the VT din't werk for me to (s)well for self tending properties (no pulley/ carabiner/snap needed below hitch to advance it one handed).

i've seen some referance to not being able to try 'advanced' friction hitch; until ya can buys a micro pulley etc. Any of the hitches (even ye olde taut line) can be used with or without a 'knot tender'; that is a seperate issue. Many of those that go forward with the more 'Cadillac' hitches, also are tweaking enough to make everything easier, to install a hitch tender too. Also, some play with keychain carabiners etc.; for this position/purpose does not have a required strength; it is not part of the chain of support; is not required for support, just a nice option. Good thing, cuz this position can be about nose bridge high sometimes; i never thought that would be good place fer big, heavy, metal, carabiner etc.!

i think that besides Tautline/Tarbuck, and 4/6 coil standard prusiks; the friction hitches presented are basically all the same. A 4coil/double roundturn that pulls close from both ends, and has a previous buffer strategy to not load the 4 coils so much as to sieze (but the positive stop is right there). The Blake's taking a small detour, in that it jsut doesn't let the lower 2 coils sieze to line as top coils are distrubed.

Or, sometin like that...
 
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V.t, never having to advance your knot with your left hand. Self feeds slack out once you get enough rope below you. takes 20 seconds to tie once a climb. What else is there to say.

Corey
 
Tried the Blake's today and it seemed to work well enough. I really think there should be a faster way to redirect than this...
I see some of the self-tending rigs here on AS in photos, but really have no idea if they would work out for me as mostly we are doing removals. I ocasionally get to "free-climb"... (w/o spikes) to do trim work and a self-tender would help as I could move more freely through the tree thus cutting down on the time spent playing with the rig.
Is there a way to fashion a self-tender from cord somehow?
 
kit

ive bought myself my own ropes as i was getting sick of the bungee qualities of teh multiplait my boss supplied, tried a 4 wrap prussic and it didnt bite, a 4/1 distel was great, advanced easily, descended when the hitch was touched, dropped like a stone when held. on returning from a limb walk i was more stable as i wasnt putting in a lot of effort breaking the hitch and advancing it.

jamie
 
I Personally Use The Tautline, Have Used The Blakes Hitch But Ill Tell Ya The I`d By Petzl Is Really Cool Expensive But I Dont Change Rope Ends And The Wear N Tear Is Almost None..... Doug Lxt.................
 
Rope on rope suits me fine, you don't have to worry if your gizmo is loaded correctly, although gizmos are cool you can do lot of neat stuf with them.I'm just jealous I guess.
 
lxt said:
I Personally Use The Tautline, Have Used The Blakes Hitch But Ill Tell Ya The I`d By Petzl Is Really Cool Expensive But I Dont Change Rope Ends And The Wear N Tear Is Almost None..... Doug Lxt.................

does the ID successfully replace the blakes hitch? i use blakes and i've had it bind up a few times, so i want a mechanical replacement
 
tinman44 said:
does the ID successfully replace the blakes hitch? i use blakes and i've had it bind up a few times, so i want a mechanical replacement


The ID is for SRT not DdRT. It wont work very well for DdRT (traditional method).


The lockjack by ART would be a good place to look for a mechanical replacement to your blakes, I personally use a VT for DdRT and an ID for working off of SRT.
 
BostonBull said:
So after you tie your figure eight from the carabiner attched to the D rings on your saddle would you tie a bowline onto this carabiner then tie this knot around your live side of climbing line?

No.

Leaningovercuttingsmalllimb.jpg


I use a VT, not a distel.

I use a spliced eye not a knot such as an figure 8 knot or a bowline.

What your saying is hard to follow, does the pic answer your question?
 
When I was at Expo in Long Beach I got a new climbing tool called the Unicender. It works as a replacement for a friction hitch on DdRT like the Lockjack BUT!!! it works equally well on SRT!!! You guys know how happy this makes me :)

I've written up a bit of a review and there are pictures too.

I had the opportunity to climb on the Unicender today.
 

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