hitch climber v lockjack

[Dilz]

hi all! i climb on a VT with just a normal pulley, have done for some time, and now i need a change. Problems i'm having at the mo are far too much sit back when foot locking and hassels with setting up secondary anchor points. climbed on a lockjack with a 11mm blaze once last summer, worked well but didnt like the feel of the rope or the fact it was on a relly windy day! never used a hitch climber but know they are a damn site cheaper! any advice and past experiences using either or would be cool:thumbup1:

[old snake]

I use both but mostly use the hitchclimber. Not entirly sure why,i find its alot more adjustable for the individual IMO. The lockjack is a very good piece of kit though but can be a bit jumpy on wet ropes!!

To reduce sitback try using some different hitches. The knut can be really good if you tie it nice and small.I personally climb on a VT though and love it:biggrin:

[timtree81]

i use a lockjack ,as much as possible! i love it ,if you come down from the tree for a cuppa you can be back up in no time

[Dean Lofthouse]

I use the Lockjack ALL the time, only thing I have found against it is controlling it when you leap from one branch to another it's not as controllable as the VT, found that out on a couple of climbing comps I have had the misfortune of attempting recently, thats my excuse anyway

[Lurcherman]

'Blaze' and Lockjack....Mmmmm, lovely! Fast, no sit-back to speak of and nice to work on with the swivel.

 

However, I also use the Hitchclimber System and have found it very adaptive to different situations, esp. re-directs and having the groundy pull up the 660 for me!

[Paul Smith]

Spiderjack for me all the time! Tried a VT and it wasn't for me.

[Dilz]

you can have a groundy pull up a big saw using a standard pulley, been doing it for ages, thats why i have skinny arms!! i was thinking today, i'd swung on a twin stem tree out from a stem to the other and scrambled along a branch upside down to get that last piece of dead and realised that i didnt have enough slack to reach by about 10 inches and just teased the vt so a i could reach it; would a lockjack be able to offer you subtle adjustments such as this? also what ropes work best? a the momment i use a 12mm treerunner rope - i've used it for 3 months and it looks like its a year old! time to replace that cambium saver that went missing i think....

[Lurcherman]

11mm Blaze on the Lockjack seems to be fine, but it's running through a Rope Guide, so I'm not getting the 'furryness' I would have with no cambium saver or Guide. I'm not too good with the Lockjack yet, so 'subtle adjustments' are out of the question!

[old snake]

you can have a groundy pull up a big saw using a standard pulley, been doing it for ages, thats why i have skinny arms!! i was thinking today, i'd swung on a twin stem tree out from a stem to the other and scrambled along a branch upside down to get that last piece of dead and realised that i didnt have enough slack to reach by about 10 inches and just teased the vt so a i could reach it; would a lockjack be able to offer you subtle adjustments such as this? also what ropes work best? a the momment i use a 12mm treerunner rope - i've used it for 3 months and it looks like its a year old! time to replace that cambium saver that went missing i think....

 

You can get 'subtle adjustments' with a lockjack but it does take a bit of practice!! haha. I find my favourite rope with the lockjack is the tachyon. I also run my ropes through a rope guide so dont get all the fluffy bits on my ropes.

[Dilz]

tachyon rope?? thats new england isnt it - istantly put off that due to past experiences ith new england ropes - found them far too dynamic, if i had to pull myself up a big tree after cmming back down or throw lineing i would be knackered and only be 3 inches off the ground after having g to take up all the slack! i take it lockjacks arent too good on larger diameter ropes then?