SpiderJack 3

[Treestumptom]

Hi guys,

 

3 years ago I broke my back falling 40ft out of an oak. After 6 months recovery, I got back into it. Since then I have been using a hitch climber setup with a nut knot as I found it an easier on the body at the time compared to the prussik which I was on before. Still on the hitch climber, I am now looking to step out the box and spend some money on an mechanical prussik in the hope to prolog my time in arb before my body catches up on me. I have been looking at a few devices and the SpiderJack 3 caught my eye as high ranking contender..

 

What do you guys think?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom

[Steve Bullman]

Never used one but did have the previous spiderjack.  Have you considered a zigzag?  I preferred it over the spiderjack personally.  Behaves much more like a friction hitch with no learning curve.

 

Glad to hear you recovered well.

[Treestumptom]

Thanks mate,
Yeah Iv hear pretty good things about them that is something i am looking into, they sound great

[WesD]

I have and love the SJ3 however if you like the HC I’d wait and buy the new ZigZag when they release it as it’s basically a mechanical HC. 

 

My my thoughts on the ZZ are that it’s a great device and really simple to use straight out of the box, good all rounder. It’s 2 negatives are 1) you need a lot of rope through the device before it self tends and 2) they eat gloves if you climb in gloves. 

 

Sooo my thoughts on SJ3, brilliant device especially when paired with the rope guide, self tends like a dream with the rope guide and easy to use. It’s 2 negatives are 1) it hates friction so without a cambium saver/pulley saver/rope guide it’s god awful and 2) it needs upkeep ie new cams every now and then. 

 

I haven’t tried any other mech devices but my summary on these 2 are a ZZ is easier to get along with and ascending a tree where ladders won’t reach limbs and the throw bags out ZZ wins but in ideal set ups or trees where ladders will reach limbs SJ3 is sublime and you can literally climb the tree using hands and feet on limbs and the SJ glides up the rope on its own. 

 

Hope this helps. 

[Treerover]

Hi Treestumptom, I also broke my back after a measly 15-20’ free fall after a pulley failure some 15 years ago and have also sought  the advice of the learn’ed folk on this forum for a mechanical knot.

I plumped for the Zig Zag after a)

listening to their comments and b) I was lucky enough to get to try one for a few weeks.

I’d say that whilst it’s not infallible, it does genuinely feel like a VT with a hitch climber on a good day but runs truer full time and the luxury of it ‘setting’ every time it’s released is a thing of reassuring beauty.

Well done for getting back up there, I hope the jolty flash back demi-mares have long since abated . 

Gravity can be a cruel reminder of Newton’s theory when tested !!!

[Treestumptom]

I have and love the SJ3 however if you like the HC I’d wait and buy the new ZigZag when they release it as it’s basically a mechanical HC. 
 
My my thoughts on the ZZ are that it’s a great device and really simple to use straight out of the box, good all rounder. It’s 2 negatives are 1) you need a lot of rope through the device before it self tends and 2) they eat gloves if you climb in gloves. 
 
Sooo my thoughts on SJ3, brilliant device especially when paired with the rope guide, self tends like a dream with the rope guide and easy to use. It’s 2 negatives are 1) it hates friction so without a cambium saver/pulley saver/rope guide it’s god awful and 2) it needs upkeep ie new cams every now and then. 
 
I haven’t tried any other mech devices but my summary on these 2 are a ZZ is easier to get along with and ascending a tree where ladders won’t reach limbs and the throw bags out ZZ wins but in ideal set ups or trees where ladders will reach limbs SJ3 is sublime and you can literally climb the tree using hands and feet on limbs and the SJ glides up the rope on its own. 
 
Hope this helps. 

Hi mate,

That was a really interesting read, thanks a lot I appreciate it, when is the new zigzag out?

[WesD]

@silky fox is the man to answer that. 

[Treestumptom]

Hi Treestumptom, I also broke my back after a measly 15-20’ free fall after a pulley failure some 15 years ago and have also sought  the advice of the learn’ed folk on this forum for a mechanical knot.
I plumped for the Zig Zag after a)
listening to their comments and b) I was lucky enough to get to try one for a few weeks.
I’d say that whilst it’s not infallible, it does genuinely feel like a VT with a hitch climber on a good day but runs truer full time and the luxury of it ‘setting’ every time it’s released is a thing of reassuring beauty.
Well done for getting back up there, I hope the jolty flash back demi-mares have long since abated . 
Gravity can be a cruel reminder of Newton’s theory when tested !!!

Thanks mate, looks like zigzag may be the way to go, yeah I came off the end of my short rope thinking it was the long one and yanked the figure of 8 thinking it was a twist in my rope! [emoji23] rookie 17yr error. 21 now I’m climbing every day, I can’t and won’t do digging that’s all I won’t do aha glad your well too cheers! [emoji1377]