why blakes over taut line?

[kf_tree]

i've only worked with one climber thats used a blakes hitch. i also watched him cut his flip line, fall out of a tree, try walking out on dead branch's only to have them snap out from under him etc. so i was in no way adapting to any of his style of climbing. i seems alot of you guys prefer the blakes hitch, why?

 

[o0_TreeMan_0o]

the tautline jams up and you have to work it loose to descend on sometimes. also it tends to roll out. blake is fast to tie, never jams (unless pine sap) and does not roll out. and I like the way it is positioned on the line. However, I prefer the french prusik.

 

[treeclimber165]

Dang, spikey. You must have been reading my mind- or I was reading yours. I was typing up a new thread when you posted this. Just about the same topic.

 

[greenguy]

distel is as good as it gets climbed on others to much friction.

 

[Stumper]

The Blakes hitch has certainly gained a good reputation quickly. However it does tend to create more wear due to concentrating the friction in a smaller section of rope than the Tautline. I have been using the same knot forever (well, since I can remember). Strangely my friction hitch doesn't appear in any of the literature on climbing. Essentially it is a variation of the Tautline which eliminates its faults(rollout and binding). Every illustration I have seen of a Tautline has the standing line and the tag entering/exiting opposite one another. Some knot literature indicates that the tautline is the same as a Rolling (Magnus) Hitch but tied on rope instead of a spar. Illustrations of the Magnus hitch are split 50/50 on the configuration but my experience has been that while both hold equally well in a longitudal pull, having the knot configured so that the tag exits the knot parrallel to the standing line is much more secure. Finish off with a half hitch around the running line and the knot does not creep and there is no need for a stopper in the tag end. If this is confusing let me know and I'll try to take a pic and post it.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

When I first started all this was greek to me. I used the blake because it was easy to remember how to tie. Rich.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

ok your knot is confusing me some, if both ends come out the center together, im picturing a prusik that would be based on the girth hitch and not the clove (like the tautline would be from the clove).

 

[Toddppm]

Originally posted by Stumper
. If this is confusing let me know and I'll try to take a pic and post it.

OK I'll take you up on that
I've never used anything other than a tautline.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The blakes doesn't roll out like the tautline. The bigger benifit is that when you tie the blakes, you adjust the amount of friction you want and it stays about the same as you work. The tautline gets tighter as you load it, and is then hard to break.

The distal is just a tautline with the tail tied off. Not much of an improvement.

Stumpers hitch is a tautrline witht the tail tied to the working end. The direction of the wraps doesn't make much difference in performance.

Of these knots, the blakes is best for a climbing hitch. Of course for the seasoned climber, any variation of the french prussic is best.

 

[kf_tree]

have you guys experianced a taut line roll out? or is this one of those urban legends. i put an extra half hitch on my tautline and have never had it roll out. i do not use a stopper knot. also could i get a little more info on the french prussic. what size line do you use for the prussic? do you then use it like slit tail?

 

[kf_tree]

also does the french pussic hinder you from throwing your climbing line. i usually wrap the tail around the snap and weave it through the hole, i like the weight of the metal snap to throw the line where i need it some times.

 

[Treeman14]

I've been using the tautline hitch for twenty years with various lines, including three-strand, safety blue, arbor plex, true blue, and hi-vee. NEVER had it roll out or slip. When something works, I tend to stick with it, unless and until something better is proven to me. I don't see any advatage to using a Blake's.

 

[Rob Murphy]

I am using some thing like a french prussick but the length is such that I can covert to a distal( 3up ! down) or swabish.

Seriously It sounds like U have been caught in a climbers backwater.....the $$$ sound astonishing so I can see the delema.
....But we are using Spikes LESS in removals and rarley ( big limbs)in pruning and consider using the Blakes hitch a starting point in good climbing !!!
And Iam from a Backwater at the top of the World...you guys just got it upside down.

 

[TREETX]

How many of you climbing with tails or prussiks leave them tied and use the same knot day in day out.

I know you should retie the knots daily but who does?

 

[o0_TreeMan_0o]

When I was climbing with the Blake’s hitch (not that long ago) I tried leaving the split tail tied on the line but pulling 60 feet of climb line thru a Blake’s after a long removal kind of sucked. Now that I am using a French Prusik/Machard Tresse, I just unclip the binner from my center D ring and easily pull all the slack out and do the binner, pulley, and cord up in the coil. The times I do remove the hitch is to change line lengths.

 

[treeclimber165]

Originally posted by TREETX
How many of you climbing with tails or prussiks leave them tied and use the same knot day in day out.

I know you should retie the knots daily but who does?

My tautline hitch gets untied and retied a few times in every tree. About as natural for me as clipping a locking 'biner to most of you guys. The knot that DOESN'T get untied and retied very often is the knot holding my clip to my lifeline. About every two-three months, when I reverse or replace my lifeline (my 75'). My long rope gets retied....... lemmie get the calander...... my calander doesn't go back that far!

 

[rbtree]

Well, guys, I've climbed on em all, and still do, as needed. On a scale of ten, for ease of use, speed, etc:

Tautline 2, gets way too tight, rolls out, sometimes runs unexpectedly
blake's 3 can run if not tight enuf, too tight
English prussic 3 can run
Schwabisch 7 sensitive to cordage type and size, current stuff is working GREAT! Breaks easily, rarely gets too tight.
distel 6

French prussic, with many variations, 9--- releases instantly, grabs instantly; in drop tests, is by far the best in energy absorption characteristics, spreads out stresses on the mainline, only limitration is inability to body thrust with it. Who cares, it is passe anyhow. Is sensitive to length of cord, needs to be watched to avoid bunching when climbing up. I just learned a cool new variation from dethroned ITCC champ Mark Chisholm, it worked great today.

Have only briefly tried the Lockjack, no interest the FP is so good.

for all knots, you must use a micropulley slack tender, for self advancing the knot, self belay, ground belay.

Today was great, as we got a log truck load in the air waiting for the crane next week-three 110-140 foot firs, now 75-100 foot sticks, about 3000 board feet, and 50 yards of chips. The famous Graeme McMahon from Australia wrecked one of them before his plane flight back home. then the whole crew got to watch his unreal video of removals of 220-280 foot eucs in unbelievable settings. The man is a god, he lowers 90 foot 3 ton branches and tops, climbs with an 046..!! He did like my Walkerized 335 for the puny fir today though!!!

I met the legends Sam Noonan, Ken Meyer, and Don Blair this week at ISA, wow, talk about stories, and history. These guys are the best!!! Among many other great folks, including Bernd Strasser, now 3 time ITCC champ.

Roger

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The guys who still climb on a tautline, probably aren't using a micro pulley fair lead. If the hitch locks off, it's no big deal if you're pulling on it with two hands.
The advantage of one handed hitch advancement is huge. Once you start using a fair lead, then you'll want to reduce the friction required to pull the slack from your system.
Start with a new hitch, like the blakes, or an MT/VT for the experienced guys. Then add a cambium saver.
Once you have the tools and learn to use them, it saves a lot of work.

 

[Stumper]

Okay, In response to the request for a pic I'm giving it a try. Incidentally, if this hitch has a name of its own I'd like to know. I've been looking for it in the literature for years without success. I think it is the way that the Tautline should have been tied alll along. The knot pictured includes a securing Half hitch on top-this is what I climb on. Wraps can be added or subtracted depending on the rope used/weight of the climber.

 

[underwor]

Looks like a one loop over 3 prussic hitch. Very similar to swabish if the end with the half was back to the saddle clip.

When I started, the folks I learned from would have said that I screwed up the tautline. But as you say, it works good. Actually the extra half hitch is not required as this will not roll out, like a tautline would.

Bob Underwood.