Friction hitches. Which one to use for different situations

[CB1]

Full body Harnesses or shoulder attachments for your tree climbing saddle is great for when you are using a large chainsaw or heavy cabling gear to even out the load so your waist and hips are not taking the full load. But i do agree with Matt81 that it does limit mobility of the upper body and arms.

 

[Carter Simmons]

What do you use for a hitch climber setup?

 

[Matt81]

What do you use for a hitch climber setup?

Its what i climb on with Ddrt. You attach your harness to the biner hanging from the pulley. I really like it. Goes really well with a foot ascender for longer climbs. For descending i simply attach a biner to my right side dee with a figure 8 and attach rope to the figure 8. Then i slowly release the hitch and descend on the 8. It all attaches easily midline and nothing has to be removed, you can leave your climb system intact. Plus the pulley has 3 attachment holes. I can attach my long rope lanyard to the middle hole (where the other leg of rope is attached) and then branch walk with control and confidence!

You don't need to use a spliced eye rope but it does make it easier. I was using a scaffold knot to terminate my rope and it was right next to and interfering with the hitch engaging and releasing. Got a petzl express sling to move the knot away from the friction hitch and problem solved! I use a distel hitch or a VT depending on climb line and hitch cord type.

TreeStuff has all the bits you need. DMM hitch climber pulley. 2x DMM oval biners (or similar ovals) eye2eye hitch cord 30" approx(ocean poly as pictured or similar)

 

[Guran]

Its what i climb on with Ddrt. You attach your harness to the biner hanging from the pulley. I really like it. Goes really well with a foot ascender for longer climbs. For descending i simply attach a biner to my right side dee with a figure 8 and attach rope to the figure 8. Then i slowly release the hitch and descend on the 8. It all attaches easily midline and nothing has to be removed, you can leave your climb system intact. Plus the pulley has 3 attachment holes. I can attach my long rope lanyard to the middle hole (where the other leg of rope is attached) and then branch walk with control and confidence!

You don't need to use a spliced eye rope but it does make it easier. I was using a scaffold knot to terminate my rope and it was right next to and interfering with the hitch engaging and releasing. Got a petzl express sling to move the knot away from the friction hitch and problem solved! I use a distel hitch or a VT depending on climb line and hitch cord type.

TreeStuff has all the bits you need. DMM hitch climber pulley. 2x DMM oval biners (or similar ovals) eye2eye hitch cord 30" approx(ocean poly as pictured or similar)

View attachment 364349

No braid on the VT? Any special reason?

 

[Carter Simmons]

Thanks

 

[Carter Simmons]

For the hitch climbers do you use a prusik?

 

[Carter Simmons]

Was that your setup?

 

[Matt81]

No braid on the VT? Any special reason?

It's not my rig, just a pic i grabbed spare of the moment from the net to illustrate the hitch climber setup. Couldn't find my pics when i needed them!

I use a VT with braids. Or a distel depending what line and what hitch cord i am using.

 

[Carter Simmons]

I probably need actual tree climbing rope before I do the hitch climbers setup right?

 

[Matt81]

For the hitch climbers do you use a prusik?

The friction hitch above the pulley for the hitch climber uses an eye to eye cord. Either sewn eyes or spliced. The pic i posted above is not my setup but shows a VT (Valdotain tresse) without braids. I climb on a VT with braids, or a distel hitch. The Michoacán or martins hitch is good also. It is basically like a closed version of the blakes hitch. Doesn't really matter what you use but it is nicer if it is a symmetrical hitch for the hitch climber system. What this means is that both "legs" of the hitch should exit on opposite sides of the climb line after the hitch is tied and dressed, so that the attachment to both sides of the pulley with the oval biner is easier. You could use a prussik hitch but there are nicer ones as mentioned that won't bite and lock so hard like a prussik knot will. Many people call any friction knot a prussik. Or they call the friction cord when tied in a loop a prussik. The prussik to me, is the knot and the cord is friction cord. Any knot used to capture ascending is a friction hitch.

Was that your setup?

No it wasn't my rig. Just a pic from the net to show you what the hitch climber looks like. I couldn't find my pics, i think they are on a different portable HDD and i could not find it when i needed it.

At last found one of my pics of my gear. Old pic though as i now have a Petzl express sling instead of the doubled over singing rock one. This is a hitch climber system using a VT tied with a 30" eye to eye of 10mm ocean poly on 12mm arbormaster BRW climb line.

I probably need actual tree climbing rope before I do the hitch climbers setup right?

Yes. It will work better on a tree specific climb line. Plus the rope will be better suited to abrasion in the Ddrt system, than a non tree specific rope such as dynamic rock climbing rope.

You mentioned that you will have many of these full body harnesses. Perhaps selling most of them, if you can, will enable you to get a good tree harness and a tree climb rope and a few other bits and pieces to get started with. I would recommend keeping a few of the full body harnesses as they do have their benefits, as Chris Bruner said when hauling heavier loads or a bigger saw.

 

[Carter Simmons]

Do you know anyone who's looking for a fall arrest harness in America?

 

[Overwatch]

That sling looks like a clever solution to the termination knot fouling up the hitch.

 

[CB1]

I agree with Overwatch! looks like a good idea! I guess you could also use an eye to eye prusik the some way which is probably easier to get a hold of.

 

[Matt81]

That sling looks like a clever solution to the termination knot fouling up the hitch.

I agree with Overwatch! looks like a good idea! I guess you could also use an eye to eye prusik the some way which is probably easier to get a hold of.

That was an old pic and just an interim solution. This below is what i climb on now. The scaffold or fisherman's knot was really affecting the hitch's ability to lock and release with any kind of reliability. A real PITA! Splicing here is just too expensive and not really an option for me. I have a good mate who does inflatable boat repairs and servicing for the Army and Navy and he is a top class splicer but he is just too busy. Arborist supply companies want something like $50+ for a single tight eye! Often they will only splice one on a brand new rope you have bought from them, which i can understand i guess.

This is the new improved system with the Petzl express sewn sling. It has a rubber end thingy at the hitch climber end to keep it all snug on the ultra o biner. Works really well. Should get one for the other end i guess. I have been trying out some Marlow viper 8mm spliced eye to eyes instead of the ocean poly 10mm or awesome Donaghys Armor-Prus i usually use. It is a very nice tech cord. Reliable grabbing and smooth predictable releasing. I have descended for short distances on the hitch as well and no glazing or fraying at all in over 3 months regular use! Nice alternative to the "usual suspects". Can be hard to impossible to find locally here or in US due to Marlow being from the UK. Ebay is your friend in this case. I have some 9mm Sterling RIT eye to eyes to try out also. I have been using the Sterling RIT thimble prussik on my home made "Teufelberger CE lanyard" and it is a really nice cord also.

 

[Matt81]

Do you know anyone who's looking for a fall arrest harness in America?

Put them for sale in the trading post here an AS. I'm sure there will be some interested parties. I would be interested in one as a spare for our companies cherry picker but shipping would be crazy most likely.

 

[Carter Simmons]

Ok. The harnesses are in mint condition and I would probly sell them for about 170-180 each

 

[Carter Simmons]

I would sell all nine for 1200

 

[Griff93]

It would help to know what exactly the harnesses are and what the date code on them is when you put them up for sale.

Before you get all your gear setup, it would do you good to practice your knots. I regularly use an anchor hitch, fisherman's, bowline, water knot, blakes hitch, prusik, klemheist etc. Another good one for you to learn would be a knut. You can use it in a very similar manner to a hitch hiker as it can be tended one handed but doesn't need a DMM pulley. The cheapest way to setup one of these is to get about 54 inches of Ocean 10mm and tie a fisherman's on each end forming a loop. You'll need a climbing rope, two carabiners, and the piece of ocean hitch cord. You'll still need your harness and a lanyard. I regularly make my own lanyards from a piece of climbing rope, two snaps w/thimbles, a couple of carabiners, and two pieces of hitch cord. This basically gives me two lanyards in one but unlike two separate lanyards, I can make mine really long if I want to.

 

[Overwatch]

Just received a Petzl express sling and first thing I saw 'Made in China' definitely took some wind out of my sail. At least it is easy to inspect and doesn't have any moving parts...

 

[Matt81]

Just received a Petzl express sling and first thing I saw 'Made in China' definitely took some wind out of my sail. At least it is easy to inspect and doesn't have any moving parts...

Mine is definitely a "Made in France" express sling. I even went to the length of checking with the place i bought it from. Lots of made in China stuff floating around but for climbing gear its a big no way for me!