What friction hitch do you use and why/when?

[A&Atree]

Blakes Hitch

You guys might think i am crazy for liking the blakes but once i reach the top of the tree the blakes works like a dream i can loosen the hitch if i need it to run extremely fast and i can also always SLOWLY come to a stop and never burn my fingers also it never slips at all. the problem with all of the prusiks 8mm and 10mm they grab so fast plus it is so hard to stop slowly plus after a big drop i got so tired of burning my fingers. Another reason the blakes rule is the cost i can take a piece of 1/2" safety blue cut it about 3 feet tie a fishermans and i am set the climbing rope i use is a 1/2" safety blue

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

Like I said above, I have problems with the Distel keeping a just tied feeling. The VT might be the way to go. I'll keep experimenting.

For DdRT: Yale XTC Fire, 30x3/8 BeeLine, Distel works great for me (180lbs + 10-20 for gear) ... you might (if you haven't already) try 'tweaking' the lengths of the tails to tighten or loosen the action. Use Distels on the lanyard, too.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Another reason the blakes rule is the cost i can take a piece of 1/2" safety blue cut it about 3 feet tie a fishermans and i am set the climbing rope i use is a 1/2" safety blue

I buy 3/8 Stable Braid and cut hanks off of it for my VT's; with wastage, it is less the $2.00 per hitch.

 

[outofmytree]

You guys might think i am crazy for liking the blakes but once i reach the top of the tree the blakes works like a dream i can loosen the hitch if i need it to run extremely fast and i can also always SLOWLY come to a stop and never burn my fingers also it never slips at all. the problem with all of the prusiks 8mm and 10mm they grab so fast plus it is so hard to stop slowly plus after a big drop i got so tired of burning my fingers. Another reason the blakes rule is the cost i can take a piece of 1/2" safety blue cut it about 3 feet tie a fishermans and i am set the climbing rope i use is a 1/2" safety blue

Each to their own. I can say I have no problem controlling speed in a descent using a variety of prussiks tied in beeline on Yale XTC Fire. I can rappel from my TIP to the ground and simply "break" the knot with my right hand. Only the heat would be an issue but then I also wear gloves for the most part.

 

[Onelick]

Can someone please post a picture of an XT?
Thanks,
Onelick

 

[southernoutdoor]

Reading this post just depressed the hell out of me! I must be a fat a$$ at 205 i gotta go on a diet

 

[Plasmech]

Four wrap 2 braid Vt. I'm at 195 lbs. and it works perfectly.

TreeCo,

For what it's worth, a local guy told me that on a VT, you want to alternate the braids, meaning that if leg A is inside of leg B on one side, make leg B inside of leg A on the next braid.

(Ever try an XT?)

My VT with alternate braid:

 

[TreEmergencyB]

here is a picture of my XT hard to see the back side only picture i could find

 

[Slvrmple72]

I started trying the Michoacan on Velocity using a Tenex eye 2 eye. Been using the Distel for awhile but am really starting to like the Michoacan. I also have Dragonfly and Arbormaster lines. I still use Blakes on the Arbormaster from time to time partly to convert my buddy... Don's an old tautliner and don't care much for them new fangled ropes and pulleys and such. If I can get him to try the Blakes I may just be able to bring him over!

My questions for you VT/XT fellas: How do you figure out your length for the eye to eye and based on my previously mentioned climbing lines what would you recommend I buy in a four foot or longer section for experimenting and setup?

 

[Plasmech]

I started trying the Michoacan on Velocity using a Tenex eye 2 eye. Been using the Distel for awhile but am really starting to like the Michoacan. I also have Dragonfly and Arbormaster lines. I still use Blakes on the Arbormaster from time to time partly to convert my buddy... Don's an old tautliner and don't care much for them new fangled ropes and pulleys and such. If I can get him to try the Blakes I may just be able to bring him over!

My questions for you VT/XT fellas: How do you figure out your length for the eye to eye and based on my previously mentioned climbing lines what would you recommend I buy in a four foot or longer section for experimenting and setup?

I believe most pre-made prusik cords are 30" long...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

TreeCo,

For what it's worth, a local guy told me that on a VT, you want to alternate the braids, meaning that if leg A is inside of leg B on one side, make leg B inside of leg A on the next braid.

My personal experiance is to keep the leg that comes off the top turn as the bottom braid. This helps to keep the barrel from dropping a wrap.

Since I tie off to the beckett of a Fixe, I find that if that leg is on the bottom the pulley tends to tend better.

 

[Plasmech]

My personal experiance is to keep the leg that comes off the top turn as the bottom braid. This helps to keep the barrel from dropping a wrap.

Since I tie off to the beckett of a Fixe, I find that if that leg is on the bottom the pulley tends to tend better.

Excellent point about the top turn! I'm out of rep otherwise I would give you some.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Got you both! Thanks for the info. May just have to give the VT a try while I am at it!

 

[Plasmech]

Got you both! Thanks for the info. May just have to give the VT a try while I am at it!

Oh dude...I just went to give you rep and I accidentally deducted it. My serious apologies. Perhaps a moderator will see this and fix it. Sorry man! Geeze...

 

[TreEmergencyB]

My questions for you VT/XT fellas: How do you figure out your length for the eye to eye and based on my previously mentioned climbing lines what would you recommend I buy in a four foot or longer section for experimenting and setup?

i bought a bunch of tenex and made my own, i had a bee-line premade on that was just a lil short for my liking so the first one i made was a lil bit long and i just keep tunin it to where i like havnt meausered it but i think its around 28"

 

[voxac30dude]

4 wrap 2 braid VT 30" technora eye to eye on an XTC spearmint
with a fixed Petzl micro pully and a petzl william caribiner! works good for me and i weigh 150 :biggrinbounce2:

 

[treejock1]

Good ole blakes

I've been using blue streak rope and blakes hitch in a split tail setup with a micro pully for a long time and have not really found any reason to change. At 150 lbs I don't have any binding probs. I even footlock with it when I don't have too far to go. Addmittidly I've not experimented with alot of the gear that has come out in the last 10 yrs or so but this has worked well for me. Am I just gettin stubborn in my old age? lol

 

[Bermie]

so you can experiment with the number of wraps + wraps peeled down to get the friction rate right for your weight? I always thought their had to be a standard for the VT.

I dunno...I just count a wrap as one full circle around the rope...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I dunno...I just count a wrap as one full circle around the rope...

Ayup, one turn around the rope, a round turn will look like two wraps.

so you can experiment with the number of wraps + wraps peeled down to get the friction rate right for your weight? I always thought their had to be a standard for the VT.

A vt is a set of turns followed by a braid, there is other criteria, other then it has to hold and release with ease.

 

[Adkpk]

Vt because it's the best hitch going. When? When I need to not slip back down the rope.:greenchainsaw: I always have a split tail with me in case I need to swing to another part of the tree with the tail end of my rope and then I use a blakes.