Swivel

[Quercus-90]

Hi all!

 

Looking at replacing the standard rings on my Harkie harness with a swivel?

Just wondered who has don't this, and any recommendations on swivels?

 

 

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[TKO]

Hi there Quercus. I changed the ring on my tree motion about 3 months ago for a petzl swivel. I thought it would be mad handy for dealing with lines getting twisted whilst wrangling through the canopy. This is just my opinion derived from my way of climbing and others may feel different.

 

The bad points first - What I have come to realise is, that if you spin your system in front of you, to untwist your lines, the tail still needs to be sent around your body (pretty big oversight on my part). I have also found that because the swivels movement is so slick my system ends up sitting in whatever orientation it wants, which can get annoying. I have also noticed that where the swivel sits on the rope bridge in the same position everyday, one part of it becomes worn pretty quick, probably just superficial but worth keeping an eye on I reckon.

 

Good points - it is pretty sweet to be able to twist your system and untwist your lines without making your head spin. Makes awkward manoeuvres that little bit easier. The petzl swivel seems to be putting up with the work (still early days though).

 

To sum up I'd say it probably isn't worth the £50. I only bought mine cos a mate was selling an unused one cheap. I'm gonna continue to use mine because i can, but I probably won't buy another.

 

Hope that was helpful

[Quercus-90]

Hi there Quercus. I changed the ring on my tree motion about 3 months ago for a petzl swivel. I thought it would be mad handy for dealing with lines getting twisted whilst wrangling through the canopy. This is just my opinion derived from my way of climbing and others may feel different.

 

The bad points first - What I have come to realise is, that if you spin your system in front of you, to untwist your lines, the tail still needs to be sent around your body (pretty big oversight on my part). I have also found that because the swivels movement is so slick my system ends up sitting in whatever orientation it wants, which can get annoying. I have also noticed that where the swivel sits on the rope bridge in the same position everyday, one part of it becomes worn pretty quick, probably just superficial but worth keeping an eye on I reckon.

 

Good points - it is pretty sweet to be able to twist your system and untwist your lines without making your head spin. Makes awkward manoeuvres that little bit easier. The petzl swivel seems to be putting up with the work (still early days though).

 

To sum up I'd say it probably isn't worth the £50. I only bought mine cos a mate was selling an unused one cheap. I'm gonna continue to use mine because i can, but I probably won't buy another.

 

Hope that was helpful

 

Hey TKO!

 

I was looking at the petzl and the rock exotica.

The twisted climbing system issue is the very reason I thought I'd give it a go! But as you I had completely overlooked the whole passing the rope over yourself issue

Just mega annoying when lines are all twisted on my HC...

What I tend to do at the mo is just throw my flip line round something sturdy, disconnect my main line and untangle it.. I think it must be something that bugs other climbers!?

 

 

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[Grais]

Do not use a small Petzl Swivel.

They state they can fit three beaners thru the hole, but I have trouble getting two to attach proper.

The beaners have to be just so to fit them thru, and its a real PITA to mess around with in the tree. Even with two attached the beanrers are constantly fighting for position inside the swivel attachment, something I do not want to thinik about while climbing.

 

I stopped using the swivel, mid climb yesterday, and I am going to take it off and just go off the bridge on the Seqouia, or maybe try a ring.

Had I been able to get it off the saddle up the tree, it likely would have never been found......lol.

I guess what I am trying to say is just make sure of what your buying it for, its always better to have a piece of gear that is a bit too big, or overrated, as opposed to too small, so buy a big chunky swivel that you can hook at least two, better three, beaners up freely.

Such as the large Petxl swivel....lol.

But not the small.

have fun an stay safe.

 

PS: IMHO, they dont really do as much as you think they will, personally, Ive never had a problem twisting my lines around each other, what are you guys doing that your lines are twisting up, quit spinning around and round and they wont twist up, no swivel needed. I bought the harness and the swivel was installed on it, so Ive climbed probably 20 trees and it never did a thing for me except frustrate me. Generally Im not spinning around and round up there, dont know who does, never seen it ?

I think people are way too quick to 'gear up', gotta have fifteen beaners and pulleys and twenty five different lanyard setups, but the truth be told all you need is a couple of ropes, a saddle, and a saw and you can do 95% of the trees you will come across, if you cannot see that, your probably over complicating things.

Im as guilty as the next guy, but we really shoudnt be overcomplicating what should be a simple system.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Grais

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Quercus, once you've untwisted your rope at the swivel just pass the tail over your head in the correct direction. Hey-presto, done.

👍

 

 

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[Quercus-90]

Quercus, once you've untwisted your rope at the swivel just pass the tail over your head in the correct direction. Hey-presto, done.

👍

 

 

Sent with my iPhone from me, to you!

 

That's what I thought! And as for "spinning round" in trees don't tend to do much spinning! It's just as naturally as a part of moving round the canopy, my lines get twisted, which adds friction too my system so I'm just defeating the object of using cambium saver etc

 

 

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[Sciadopitys]

I have had the small Petzl swivel on my harness for over 3 years! Its definately needs replacing very soon! It is very worn on both ends (It tended to wear faster on the bridge end then the biner end, so i did flip it round about a year ago!) But it has lasted over 3 years and had 1000's of hours use - so it's earned it's money!!

 

I clip a single DMM oval biner in there and use hitchclimber set-up, so it doesn't bother me that it can be difficult to clip a 2nd biner into it...

 

I cannot imagine climbing without the swivel after 3 years with it - a mate i'm working with at the moment is climbing on a single point attachment harness (no bridge) and does not use a swivel - and i just cannot see how that can come close to giving a climber the freedom of movement that you get with a bridge and a swivel.

 

Just my Opinion, OF COURSE! I'm sure others will totally disagree, as always! ;-)

[Hodad]

I have recently thrown some coin at a dmm swivel - coz they are very, very shiny. I have found that my spiderjack often wants to align itself with the plane of my treemotion bridge, ie at 90 degrees to where it should be. This seems to interfere with the reason i bought a spiderjack - its rope-gobbling ability. Persevering for now, but not sure if I'll change back to a ring or not, it does help with twists but seems to be of no value when doing a tricky climb with two ropes, like where there are no high anchors available and you run a second line through an adjacent tree...

[Grais]

One thiing about swivels we are using, I dont think they are made to do what we want them to do which is help keep essentially two lines from becoming tangled. They are designed to prevent one rope, or system, from tangling the other system, or more precisely, reduce twisting from one system to the other, most prevalent in hauling systems, or rescue scenarios I would imagine ?

But hey if they help you do your job, more power to the little suckers. I guess I thought it would be more pronounced the difference, and I just didnt really find it much different from not having one. The Sequoia is a pretty free moving saddle, perhaps a different saddle, or even just working in different trees would make the swivel more prominent.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Grais