Art spiderjack

[Steve Bullman]

has anyone used this? im interested how it compared to the lockjack

[Peter]

Alex had one on trial, perhaps he'll chip in, but I dont think he liked it as much as his lockjack

[Alex]

Chip chip here we go

 

It works quite diffrently to any thing else, but in many respects more like a fair lead hitch, the lock jack to be a replacement to the balck hitch and operates simlary in the slack take up. Spyder works more like a fair lead hich in that the move ment to take up slack is much the same.

 

The spyder will like the lockjack eat any slack in the rope and move frealy along the rope until fully loaded so no change there, and has the same habit of nicking slack back when you are picting if you don't put a slip knot above it.

 

In the tree branch walking you can lead your climb by pull the rope above the device as the lock jack but the angle is less acute and there for an improvement,

 

the on off system i found tuff at first but with time instink and practie i was gettig there, i did find it hard to operat left handed as you have to reach over the rope to get to the breack. The divce was harder to run on and let out on swing, but that just might meen more time to master the trick of it.

 

Over all I can see it apealing to vt type climbers more than the lock jack but havig to thread the dvice on from he end of the rope is a pain but so many vt type user realy seem to take the hitch off their line at all often so may be thats a smaller deal.

So then summary

 

good in the tree,

More compact and nearter system

less lightly to 3 way load a kab

not as good on long desents,

Hard to use left handed

can't put it on mid line

 

Cheers to Nod for test drive, we will have an articl out on this at some point, but any one that knows us will have a better idear of time scale on that.

[Jonny69]

Alex, do you have any photos of the Spyderjack in use? Also what rope were you using it with (if it makes any difference)?

 

Cheers

 

Jonathan

[TreeSwede]

I just wonder if you think a swivel on the Spider Jack would make it even better? I know you can have that option on the Lock Jack. Another question is if it is the wooden part on the Spider Jack that creates the friction on the rope and nothing else than that?

 

Johan

[Alex]

I use an 11mm ice, and 13mm xtc I would think the size of the rope would effect the sesitviy and the out of the box performance, but when clutch was run in the diffence would be less noticable. The smaller the rope diamiter the sooner you will need a new clutch. The size of the eye splice would have more of the effect.

 

The wooden bit only comes in to play when decending fully loaded so not needed for move ment when branch walking. so the friction comes from the device first like the positioner.

 

I use a swivel on my bridge, so yes it would work fine and helps keeping the rope running ture in and out of the device.

[Steve Bullman]

so if i understand correctly, theres only one sized cluth for this device?

[Alex]

At present yes, it will run on 11-13mm i belive, but don't quote me on that.

[Steve Bullman]

At present yes, it will run on 11-13mm i belive, but don't quote me on that.

 

ooops

[Alex]

ok come on that's no fair mr B arrr