WeeDee
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Everything posted by WeeDee
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I would guess many people start from a 3 wraps/3 braids - or 4/3. It is further complicated by the cord and rope combinations - some softer cord types grip more than harder ones, so need fewer wraps. Then factor in dry/wet ropes and you'll see why the 'right' knot is often only the right knot for particular conditions on the day. The amount of friction the hitch requires also depends upon what else the rope is rubbing against. If the rope runs over the bark (and friction is high) the hitch will have less to do to hold the climber. Replace the natural crotch with a cambium saver and the hitch will have to provide more friction. Using a rope guide (with very little friction) will place almost all required friction onto the friction hitch. With all these variables, 'tying it right' becomes a movable feast.
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Yes, that's a good way of putting it. I've found that after hanging on the knut, it doesn't free-up as easily as the VT. The flip side of this is that the VT can feel less secure - a more nervous knot, if you see what I mean. If your trying it out, experiment with plenty of different combinations of wraps vs. braids until you find a suitable set-up for yourself.
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Hi Drew. Are you leaving the tapered cover, whipped and heat-shrunk, in place just to provide a more gradual transition from standing end to eye, so that it passes through the shackle more easily?
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I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it. Good luck!
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No, I don't think so. I like the easy release of the VT. I wasn't aware of the big difference between the two.
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That's exactly right. The strands that you're pulling on are already cinching on themselves at the eye. I wouldn't have a hope of burying the mantle AND the kern. Just about managed the kern! I whippped from the V to beyond the bury of the core - mainly because I could stand the look of the 'amputated' jacket. I only stitched a few inches beyond that - I agree with you on this splice's strength. Although I'm not sure, I feel that the splice's security comes from the 'lock' of the strands (like with a locked brummel) and not from the grip of the taper between the strands of the standing rope.
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I'm using 85cm of e2e OP and when I'm reaching out with a silky (to my left) and reach back (to my right) for the top of the VT, I just can't get it securely. Sometimes I half-tap it and then it's trouser soup! I'm waiting on Rob (Treeworker) to see if he can secure shorter cords from Teufelburger. Mark, I suspect you're speaking from the enviable position of someone of normal height and reach.
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Then try with opposite hands. Keep a piece of 6mm line in your pocket or tied to the loo roll holder! Good luck!
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You're a very, very wise man. Probably borne from experience, I suspect.
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I've spliced a 'heavy-duty kernmantle splice' into static kernmantle rope that I've put into a 4:1 pulley set-up. It's a bugger! I agree with Drew - it's ugly with that step along the side of the rope. Ben, as for milking - make sure nothing is crossing anything else. When you're closing such a small eye you'll not have much wriggle room. I eventually managed after I realised that each stage had to be pulled closed as I went. Don't expect that 'loop' of kern strands (effectively a kind of girth hitch at this point) to pull through AND tighten the eye at the same time. As for not cutting the empty mantle - what else would you do with it? The splice is already ugly.
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Fair point!
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Possibly a neck collar?
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My experience of a split tail system has always had the 'rope end' and the 'split tail end' attaching to a common point by their own krab. This allows room for a wee pulley to tend slack on the friction hitch. If your single krab accomodated the rope and split tail, would you still plan on using a pulley? If you're considering doing this on a floating bridge, by adding a big ring you could clip both krabs into it. ie. one bridge to one ring to two krabs.
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Ha!
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I would imagine most climbers clip on with a krab. Although Harkie refer to them as Ds, they are infact rings - this might add the option of clipping more than one krab into a ring. I'm not familiar with the harness so wouldn't know if the size of the ring would facilitate this. It's worth noting that adding a D or ring to a bridge turns a hichclimber 90 degrees - placing the slack-tending hand behind the hitchclimber and not to one side or the other.
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As above, yes. But a problem arose when I tried a swivel with my Sequoia. I was hoping to get round the problem of twisted lines by adding a swivel - but found that the addition of said swivel moved my hitchclimber further from me than I wanted (I'm not very tall). Having swapped one problem with another, I reverted back to 'no swivel' and just paid more attention to rope management.
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Sliding Ds allow you to be suspended from a point that isn't central ie. around your navel. As said above, it means you can reach out while your line holds you from a point near your hip. Most bridges allow this, sliding Ds provide a dedicated point of attachment instead of the krab sliding along the bridge by itself.
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Good advice. It's also worth noting that after extended period of application (eg. evacuation from remote areas) the release of these toxins can go on to cause problems with the kidneys. A & E depts. would consider this complication a real possibilty.
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I've found Tenex to be fine in static situations. I've spliced some split tails with it and I've made a ropeguide that uses 9mm tenex spliced directly onto the Pinto rig. Although I wouldn't use it for friction hitches on a hitchclimber, I've seen hip prussics for lanyards made of tenex.
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The big one or the wee one? I'm thinking about getting the the wee one.
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Any photos, Mike?
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As easy as that, eh? I suspected that in this age of efficiency in communication, and buzz-words for every new thing, there would be a single name.
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Is there a term for an experienced 'newbie' -as opposed to a genuine newbie? Surely there ought to be some way of discriminating between old hands like Red and Grandad and others who have recently started their careers.
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Fair point!
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:biggrin:
