hitch climber v lockjack

[Will Hinchliffe]

i like being able to set my cinch off it like this..

 

I dont like putting my cinch in like that because you are loading the oval caribiner with some twist. A swivel on the bridge would eliminate the torsion.

[Dilz]

is there any real significant difference between a lock and spiderjack? on the speal the spider apparently is better for subtle adjustments and such. is this the case??

[Paul Smith]

You can control the spiderjack with your fingers and thumb, the lockjack for me seemed very hard to control. Pull the toggle and free fall!

[coolie]

You can control the spiderjack with your fingers and thumb, the lockjack for me seemed very hard to control. Pull the toggle and free fall!

 

Then let the toggle go and your free fall is arrested.Very fast descents are possible but can be stopped at will.

At this point I will confess that I use a figure8 with my lockjack on long hanging descents.

As has already been mentioned a hitch can be better for branch walking.

I love the Lockjack,I would always use it for my main rope but in combination with a hitch on any second rope.

Just as VTs require a bit of tuning,the fine touches on a lockjack require a bit of practice.

[Dean Lofthouse]

At this point I will confess that I use a figure8 with my lockjack on long hanging descents.

As has already been mentioned a hitch can be better for branch walking.

.

 

Very sensible as it saves your cam, a quicker way is to stick a leather glove in your pocket and decend by controlling the tail of your rope with gloved hand whilst holding the cam open with the other

[coolie]

Thanks for that tip Dean,simple is best.

[Dilz]

when i tried out my mates lock jack i didnt use the toggle but rested my hand over the top of it and used my fingers to release it, they only thing i found, and found really annoying was getting the pressure right for small movements, one gram of pressure to much and zip................ It would be nice to try a spider against a lock, just to compare. Will be buying a hitch climber tomorrow along with some much needed ascenders, and perhaps some tachyon, maybe a positioner....i can see this going the way it always does - pop in some where to pick up 10meters of prusik cord and a tub of chain oil and then a smokeing credit card later i'm wondering what just happened but not really careing too much as i have lots of new shiny toys!

[stampy]

Hey Tom, you know you wont' be happy till you've bought a lockjack with your big fat swedish paycheck. My 11mm clutch is slipping a bit so I've been using it on 13mm XTC and if you don't have a cambium saver in, it can be a bit jerky. On 11mm rope though, in my opinion, there's just no contest - its so smooth and fast and immediate and consistent it makes me chuckle with delight. And subtle adjustments just become second nature with a bit of practice...

 

Mike

[Rowden the cowboy]

am i the only person here who thinks that £150 for the lockjack is totally insane?? Does it really speed up your work that much to the extent that it can be justified? we could all do the work with a blakes or a prussik, let alone a vt/ hitch climber. Before anyone says anything, i have tried all of the systems mentioned in this thread and i still think that the lock jack/spider jack are a waste of money and that the vt system can be tricky if tied wrongly, although can be handy in certain applications. Ultimately for total consistency, simplicity and cost effectiveness, get a prussik or a blakes.

[Dean Lofthouse]

am i the only person here who thinks that £150 for the lockjack is totally insane?? Does it really speed up your work that much to the extent that it can be justified? we could all do the work with a blakes or a prussik, let alone a vt/ hitch climber. Before anyone says anything, i have tried all of the systems mentioned in this thread and i still think that the lock jack/spider jack are a waste of money and that the vt system can be tricky if tied wrongly, although can be handy in certain applications. Ultimately for total consistency, simplicity and cost effectiveness, get a prussik or a blakes.

 

My lockjack came out of all my customers pockets not mine