step by step photos of my VT hitch

[skwerl]

gumneck,
double checking your weight ratings is somethnig that you can practice, and soon it comes as second nature no matter what your setup. Just go through each 'link' in your lifeline 'chain'. The Petzl William biner is good for 25kn which is above your 5000 lb minimum for life support. The tres cord varies by brand and size. The New England Sta-Set is 3000 lbs for the 5/16" and 4200 lbs for the 3/8". But the cord is doubled so that effectively gives you double the capacity, effectively 6000 lbs for the 5/16" and 8400 lbs for the 3/8". The lifeline is rated for about 6000 lbs. The Fixe biner is not part of the life support 'chain', it merely acts as a tender for the hitch. It bears none of your weight so you do not need a life support rated item here. All in all there appears to be plenty of safety margin built in, especially considering that the 5000 lb minimum is about a 20-1 safety margin over your typical working weight loads.

 

[Stumper]

I doubt that you would EVER have a failure from that set up but FWIW-part of the load is too far out toward the nose of the carabiner. Loads are supposed to be along the carabiner spine or, in the case of HMS style 'biners, in the radius of the carabiner where a single line would naturally center. The further toward the gate you go the closer you get to operating in the rated range of failure from gate loading which is more along the lines of 7-8 kN instead of 25. Since only one leg of your DdRt set up is really removed from the center it isn't getting a very big load and you are probably quite safe but you are operating outside the carabiner's recommended use parameters.:angel:

 

[Fireaxman]

Scroll back up and look at the pic of my hitch....

the petzl fixe works just fine for a tending pulley, just simply put the one DFL inside the ears on the pulley and problem is solved..

Thanks. I had overlooked that. I'll try it in the morning.

 

[Redbull]

Even my 7 yr. old son has taken a liking to the VT.
Oh yeah, and I like it too!

 

[Lumberjack]

Here is the hitch I use:

Mark C showed it to me back in Nashville and I have really taken a liking to it.

 

[hobby climber]

Hi Lumberjack, I'm not one to correct people unless safety is a concern but that looks like it might be a little to long. Wouldn't you have to pull a fair bit of climb line through the micro pulley to have your V.T. release ? I would think that if it were shorter, it would be more responsive and less of a "two steps forward & one step back" action ! Just an observation. HC

 

[Lumberjack]

Its the camera angle, the hitch is only 5-6" long.

 

[Redbull]

Thats about the same length as mine and it's pretty responsive.

 

[skwerl]

Lumberjack, I'm not picking, just trying to clarify here. I copied your hitch using 5/16" cord and it came out to almost 10" without the stretching effect caused by loading. 3/8" cord would make it almost 12". It does grab and release nicely but IMO it is better suited for those who still want to push their hitch forward like a Blake's instead of letting the tender work for them. I've learned to take advantage of the very short travel of a shorter hitch. Seems like your hitch would have about 6" of 'slop' every time you stepped up and then leaned back unless you physically grabbed your hitch and pushed it forward to take out the slack. Imagine the same hitch without the 4"-5" of extra braids.

 

[xtremetrees]

Nice, I'm learning alot. I'm still on the blakes, now I may try anew.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

Can we get a nice clear shot of your entire hitch, Lumberjack?

I've tried using twists in the braids of a VT, and I like how the knot stays more in line when loaded.

 

[hobby climber]

Just something to add...

I ordered some Sta-Set and started experimenting with this VT. I found that if I tie one of the fisherman's knots one way and tie the second one in reverse, it sits closer to the micro pulley and dressed much cleaner over all on this setup. With both tied the same way its approx 1 1/2". With both tied opposite to each other with bulk facing inward, it approx 2". With both fisherman's knots tied opposite to each other with the bulk facing outward, its only about 1" !!! It dresses closer to the pulley and looks better with out the bulk pinching the pulley. As Skwerl mentioned 25" from eye to eye is just about right, mine is about 24 1/2" (eye to eye) on this VT. What do ya think about this idea of tieing the two fisherman's knots opposite to each other? Hope the pics show this better. HC

 

[rahtreelimbs]

One of the reasons I switched over to the Knut was to get away from all the "slop" of the 4 over 3 VT that I was using. With Brian's success with the 4 over 1 I will try the VT again!

 

[hobby climber]

TreeCo...after playing with Skwerl VT in this post, I was able to shorten its over-all length it just by tieing the two fisherman's knots opposite to one another. You'll need less length of "Sta-Set" and will not have as much "Pinch" on the micro pulley. Less (rope) wear & tear on the fisherman's knot if its bulk side is facing out from the pulley. HC

 

[skwerl]

Great observation Hobby Climber. Yes, I always 'face' my fisherman's knots so the bulk of the knot is away from the pulley. It never occured to me to mention it, I just figured it was obvious. Your VT looks great. Hopefully it will make your climbing easier and safer. Shorter is better as long as the hitch will still release when unloaded.

 

[hobby climber]

...Oh it does release unloaded, the Sta-Set rope makes all the difference in the world!!! Before you posted your VT, I was concidering ordering the Ultra-Tech (8mm) with spliced eyes at both ends and having it custom made shorter than in the Sherrill catalog. Untra-Tech is nice stuff but doesn't release that well after some use. The Sta-Set performs the best, stays round, grips under load and spring apart once load is removed. Only thing I would note about the sta-set is once you whip one end of it (length for hitch), you have to milk the rope real well before you whip the other end !!! I does make a difference. HC

 

[tophopper]

OK

Good on you Rocko!!


Today I finally got around to trying your 4:1 vt.

I tied mine about 20" long eye to eye, and used ultratech for tress cord.
It functions very well, doesnt bind up too tight, is easy to advance, and has very short action. I like it alot. I think tomorrow Ill try a piece of HRC instead of the ultra tech