Fell 30 Feet Out of The Tree Today...

[fishercat]

Glad you're ok!

I played with the VT last year.I never felt I could trust it.especially in a panic or emergency.Seemed high maintenance and needed constant attention.Made my job more stressful.

Back on the Blakes.Simple and always works.That's what I like.

 

[tree MDS]

I played with the VT last year.I never felt I could trust it.especially in a panic or emergency.Seemed high maintenance and needed constant attention.Made my job more stressful.

Back on the Blakes.Simple and always works.That's what I like.

Maybe you forgot to take it out to dinner and kiss its neck ever so sweetly..

 

[fishercat]

Must have been it.

Maybe you forgot to take it out to dinner and kiss its neck ever so sweetly..

Thanks for the info!

 

[Job Corps Tree]

fell 30 feet out of a tree today

Only times I have seen a VT fail is if it did not have enough wraps taken , How ever longt is if it is not all used up in the Knot so it has to draw out to its full length. it has to draw out to tighten, if only one wrap is left off and it can slide, sometimes that one extry wrap is all it will take to tighten up, but than again all ways check it. Glad you are OK

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If it is not set, and it fowls on your saddle or the like, then it is likely to not set. I've had it where my lanyard conflicts with the climbing VT and I get startled when I move farther then I expected.

 

[ropensaddle]

one extry wrap

Lol now your sounding like a real Arkansan friend

 

[jefflovstrom]

If it is not set, and it fowls.

Then it is a bird! Ha!
Jeff

 

[Jeffsaw]

tree md,

Thank-you for the honesty. It's info. like this that will help us greenhornes be more cautious.

 

[Rftreeman]

VT

Very Thankful..

glad you did get hurt..

that should read "glad you didn't get hurt"....

 

[userdude]

I think it was the name...

that made this hitch popular a few years back. It really sounds like you know what you're doing when you use a Valdotain tresse!
On a serious note...glad you're OK bro.

 

[fishercat]

I agree 100%

Personally, I trust knots more than mechanical devices. That even goes as far as using a bucket. I would much prefer to be tied in with my own rope and my own knot than depending on a piece of mechanical equipment that I don't know a whole lot about and am not sure of who has inspected it last. When I had to do bucket work for one of the companies that I worked for my sphincter always drew up tighter in the bucket than when I was rope and saddle climbing.

I hate hearing creaks groans and pops in a boom when I'm in the bucket.No one I know with a bucket gets them inspected.Scary.The fact they all have kids is even scarier.

 

[tree md]

Reviving this thread

I am reviving this thread because I had something happen with my VT earlier this week that has never happened before and could have been what happened during the indecent I originally posted about.

My VT inverted on me.

Two days ago I was doing a large prune and when I got near the top I noticed my VT was not biting. I stood up on my ascender to take some weight off and see what was going on with my knot and I saw that the knot had inverted. First time I have ever noticed it doing that. I inspected the knot to make sure I had it tied properly and it was. The braids just somehow found their way above the coils inverting the knot and turning it upside down.

I know I have talked the VT up a lot and still believe it is the best knot I have found for effortless movement while working in the tree but I will definitely be exploring a few more knots after this experience.

Just figured I should put that out there.

 

[flushcut]

What hitch cord are you using?

 

[tree md]

I was using HRC when I first posted this thread. Now I'm using Icetail.

 

[flushcut]

Now I'm using Icetail.

I'm not familiar with that one. I was thinking if it was to stiff or your legs were to long it would allow your braids to push up and over your wraps when stripping slack. Or maybe your wraps are bitting to hard on your line? (pitch maybe?) Just trowing ideas out there. I like the swabisch I find the hard bitting more of a comfort thing for me.

 

[prentice110]

I hate hearing creaks groans and pops in a boom when I'm in the bucket.No one I know with a bucket gets them inspected.Scary.The fact they all have kids is even scarier.

My dads failed on him twice, one time the base snapped and the boom got caught in a crotch. Old Bob wasnt so lucky. I am becomeing more and more afraid of climbing the older I get, because I dont ever want to fall. Paranoid or something, I guess it helps me be safe, but I just dont trust the trees sometimes. As far as the gear goes, God knows. You kinda gotta hope that old Jerry down at the factory wasnt hungover or having an acid flashback when he was splicing your rope. Same thing with the bucket, but always kinda wanted to go out like that. Other wise I wouldnt still be flying a 69' Skyworker from time to time that hasnt been certified since 91'. Whata way to go. Be like stepping on an ant, its just a life , aint nothing special.

 

[chad556]

Xt

I started using a distel (or schwabish, cant remember) and didn't really care for it. Don't get me wrong it worked fine but it just didnt feel right. I researched a little more and decided to try out the knot that sherrill's website recommended for "seasoned or experienced climbers only". Took it low and slow and really liked it but I had a couple moments like tree md where I would double check it after unloading it and be like WTF is that mess? Having to redress a life support knot when you're 45' up kind of made me a little queasy.

I then stumbled upon a youtube video that demonstrated a variation of the VT called the XT, so far it has been flawless. Never had any trouble with it no matter what I do. It behaves just like the VT except it holds together no matter how loose it gets. Always grabs predictably, right away, when loaded. I know its not for everyone and lots of guys are set in their ways but if you are one of those guys that loves the VT but wishes it could just be... better, then this one is worth a shot:

It is tied just like the VT except instead of braiding right after the wraps you cross over your bottom tail just like your tying a blakes hitch, then you braid. That extra little bend holds the wraps in place perfectly. Works for me.

 

[tree md]

I started using a distel (or schwabish, cant remember) and didn't really care for it. Don't get me wrong it worked fine but it just didnt feel right. I researched a little more and decided to try out the knot that sherrill's website recommended for "seasoned or experienced climbers only". Took it low and slow and really liked it but I had a couple moments like tree md where I would double check it after unloading it and be like WTF is that mess? Having to redress a life support knot when you're 45' up kind of made me a little queasy.

I then stumbled upon a youtube video that demonstrated a variation of the VT called the XT, so far it has been flawless. Never had any trouble with it no matter what I do. It behaves just like the VT except it holds together no matter how loose it gets. Always grabs predictably, right away, when loaded. I know its not for everyone and lots of guys are set in their ways but if you are one of those guys that loves the VT but wishes it could just be... better, then this one is worth a shot:

It is tied just like the VT except instead of braiding right after the wraps you cross over your bottom tail just like your tying a blakes hitch, then you braid. That extra little bend holds the wraps in place perfectly. Works for me.

Gonna have to give that one a try. Moss also mentioned that he likes that one. I have tied it a few times just playing around but haven't climbed on it. I am in such a habit of tying the plain old VT that I forget to tie the XT. Kind of like the running bowline, you just get so used to tying the dam thing that you can do it upside down in your sleep.

 

[tree md]

I'm not familiar with that one. I was thinking if it was to stiff or your legs were to long it would allow your braids to push up and over your wraps when stripping slack. Or maybe your wraps are bitting to hard on your line? (pitch maybe?) Just trowing ideas out there. I like the swabisch I find the hard bitting more of a comfort thing for me.

It's a lot more pliable than the HRC. I have shortened it up considerably as well. I think my prussic is only like 28" now. I have just enough to tie my hitch and that's the way I like it.

 

[itsmyblood]

Spliced eye vs double fishermens knot.

One problem i'v had is with the prusik cord . I noticed the cords with spliced eyes tend to slide down the carabiner opening the braids causing the hitch to slide and not catch. I will never use spliced eyes on a prusik again. The double fishermens not holds the cord tight to the top of the carabiner.