Reusable false crotch set up question.

[halltrail]

Background: See question below to skip my rambling.
Hello, kind of new to the forum. Ive been reading and researching tons of information on SRT climbing. I mainly starting checking it out to find a light weight way of climbing trees for hunting purposes. Next thing you know, I ran out and bought a climbing harness and two ascenders, a grigri 2, micro pulley, "On rope" and tree climbers companion" - still in route...books. Now, im addicted to climbing trees for fun too. My primary goal is to have the capability to walk a mile or two into the woods with a "guidos Hunting Harness" (kinda like a climbing harness with a seat built in) and climb up a tree. One method i'm currently using is just a direct aid method (I think I have the right term) Basically two slings ...one with an aider and the other attached to my harness and sit and climb. But Id love to use the RAD yoyo process. Here is my Question:

I would like to have a number of trees set up where I can leave a strap/sling in the tree (on public hunting land) with a device that allows me to leave a pull line in and just pull my climbing rope up. Im aware of the ability to use a butterfly knot and pull up a loop with a running bowline or figure 8 knot. Then be able to pull the climbing line back down...The only problem with that is having to carry double the length of rope. I dont want to have to tie off a line to the bottom of the tree either...scent issues and so on with deer smelling the line.


Question: read background above if this doesnt make any sense.

I guess the real question Im asking is there a way to pull a climbing line up through a pre set rig 35' up and climb RAD grigri. The rig I leave in the tree cant be expensive so I dont have to worry about theft. One idea, use a hunter safety strap (like a big seatbelt) as a sling that is adjustable with a carabiner or screw link that has some para cord through it and pull up my climbing line that terminates with an appropriate knot or device that holds the line safely in the screw link? and then climb. So the climbing line has some kind of stopper knot on it that keeps the rope from coming through the screw link. But the stopper knot and screw link are my "false crotch" or primary connection point.

Does this make any sense?

 

[Bermie]

How about leaving a throw line up there? Its small, wouldn't think there'd be much of a scent problem. Tie on your rig and pull it up, lower it when you're done, tie of little throwline at head height for next time.
Its never a good idea to leave climbing lines up a tree unattended, you never know what might have happened to it that you can't see from the bottom next time you go back, some critter chewed it, some joker messed with it, etc. you get partway up and ...

 

[Overwatch]

Sherrill has black-coloured throwline for that very purpose, low-viz so when you leave it in place unattended, clowns don't steal your cordage. On my own property, I'll use some el cheapo polypropylene rope from Harbor Fright as a 'placeholder'.

I definitely wouldn't leave a false crotch up in a tree unattended if I could help it...

Stay safe!

 

[Carburetorless]

If you use a running bowline you'll only need enough rope to reach from your tie in to the ground.

All you'll have to leave in the tree is the throwline. You'll need enough throwline to reach from the ground to the tie in and back down to the ground, which is no big deal, since you're not likely to be more than 25 or 30 feet up there for hunting purposes.

A 40 foot hank of rope and 70 feet of throwline will be more than enough.

 

[halltrail]

If you use a running bowline you'll only need enough rope to reach from your tie in to the ground.

All you'll have to leave in the tree is the throwline. You'll need enough throwline to reach from the ground to the tie in and back down to the ground, which is no big deal, since you're not likely to be more than 25 or 30 feet up there for hunting purposes.

A 40 foot hank of rope and 70 feet of throwline will be more than enough.

Thanks all, Carburetorless, the method you describe is my fall back position...I do like it and has the advantage of leaving nothing in the woods that exept a strap and delta link to pull up the running bowline. ...just wondering if there is another method to anchor using a pull up line that would be easier...Pull the pull line and climbing rope through a pulley or delta link that is connected to a strap on the tree that is left their for the season and have something on the end of the climbing rope that anchors the rope in the delta link ....like a stopper knot or bigger ring that cant fit through the delta link. Then when done...just pull the rope back out with a pull line attached to the stopper knot or ring...I was thinking it would be easier then trying to pull up the running bowline up and down the tree.



As mentioned above...the weak point would be having to leave the strap and delta link in the tree...I could double...tripple the wrap to provide for my safety.

 

[smokey01]

How about leaving a throw line up there? ...
Its never a good idea to leave climbing lines up a tree unattended, you never know......

Pretty sure no one here is going to be comfortable with leaving anything in the tree that you will hang your life on, regardless of cost.
Here is a way to do it.
I purchased a very inexpensive cord on line. Ends up costing me about 6 cents per foot, much less than a throw line. So for less than a dollar I have a line waiting for me. I set it in the tree and tie the ends together with a double fisherman knot making an endless loop. That way when I connect my real throw line, (the one that always gets tangled so easily) to it, the cheap line just gets pulled in a big circle and not all tangled in the twigs on the ground. It is 1.4 mm, the size of some small throw lines. Only is good for 75 pounds so I don't often pull a climbing line up with it. It is dark brown and almost impossible for others to see and it is so cheap, even I throw it away if it ever does get a tangle.

3000' 100% NYLON BRAIDED ROPE CORD STRING LINE 1.4mm

I have bunch of trees rigged so I can climb them later without having to start by setting a new throw line each time. Couple of reason, one I have was a lot of work getting a triple crotch just right to support a lounge chair I have in the tree. A few others are out in the woods and I climb them at night and cannot and do not want to be setting a line in a tree on a crotch I can't see in the dark. I know your question was about false crotches and I am not addressing that here except to agree with everyone, that you many not want to leave something like that unattended.

 

[Tree Pig]

Thanks all, Carburetorless, the method you describe is my fall back position...I do like it and has the advantage of leaving nothing in the woods that exept a strap and delta link to pull up the running bowline. ...just wondering if there is another method to anchor using a pull up line that would be easier...Pull the pull line and climbing rope through a pulley or delta link that is connected to a strap on the tree that is left their for the season and have something on the end of the climbing rope that anchors the rope in the delta link ....like a stopper knot or bigger ring that cant fit through the delta link. Then when done...just pull the rope back out with a pull line attached to the stopper knot or ring...I was thinking it would be easier then trying to pull up the running bowline up and down the tree.



As mentioned above...the weak point would be having to leave the strap and delta link in the tree...I could double...tripple the wrap to provide for my safety.

If you have hunted any length of time you must have seen what the weather and squirrels can do to equipment left in trees. Would you really want to trust your life to something you can not inspect before you climb.

 

[halltrail]

Good points. I may just stick with the bowline method.

 

[smokey01]

.........The only problem with that is having to carry double the length of rope. ....a climbing line up through a pre set rig 35' up a....

Your only going up 35' right? Why not just use the tail of your rope to recover your butterfly or bowline? Or if you are concerned about getting the tail confused with the climbing line, tie your throw line to your canopy anchor so that you can recover your line. If you do use the tail of your climbing line, put a couple of mid-line knots in it to lessen the chance that you could mistake it for your climbing working end of the rope. Always check your anchor from the ground or canopy before you put your life on it.

 

[Carburetorless]

Thanks all, Carburetorless, the method you describe is my fall back position...I do like it and has the advantage of leaving nothing in the woods that exept a strap and delta link to pull up the running bowline. ...just wondering if there is another method to anchor using a pull up line that would be easier...Pull the pull line and climbing rope through a pulley or delta link that is connected to a strap on the tree that is left their for the season and have something on the end of the climbing rope that anchors the rope in the delta link ....like a stopper knot or bigger ring that cant fit through the delta link. Then when done...just pull the rope back out with a pull line attached to the stopper knot or ring...I was thinking it would be easier then trying to pull up the running bowline up and down the tree.



As mentioned above...the weak point would be having to leave the strap and delta link in the tree...I could double...tripple the wrap to provide for my safety.

You said you wanted something easier. What I told you is the easiest way to do it. What you're suggesting is gear intensive and overly complicated.

Somebody shoot that ####ing troll.

 

[halltrail]

You said you wanted something easier. What I told you is the easiest way to do it. What you're suggesting is gear intensive and overly complicated.

Somebody shoot that ####ing troll.

10-4. I was practicing it today...worked really well on a tulip tree.

 

[smokey01]

......me about 6 cents per foot, much less than a throw line. So for less than a dollar I have a line waiting for me. I set it in the tree and tie the ends together with a double fisherman knot making an endless loop.....

[video=youtube;AToxughs4MY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AToxughs4MY&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[Carburetorless]

10-4. I was practicing it today...worked really well on a tulip tree.

You might want to climb something besides a Tulip Poplar, those things are bad for splitting off.