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Kestrel Bridge "Bypass"

justsomedude

justsomedude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,514
Location
Nashville, TN
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For climbing techniques where you need a short bridge.

This can be left in place all the time if you keep a bridge carabiner.

Rather than add hardware to make an adjustable bridge, I am trying out a sling.

Just girth Hitch to the right side and then connect to the same bridge carabiner. The bridge will hang out of the way.

Set your platform before you switch over. Clip your bridge into your tether before unclipping the sling.
Using a separate carabiner makes for an easier and safer switch over.

If you tie your bridge in on both sides, the carabiner would only be used for your sling and could be moved out of the way when not in use.
 
That would work perfect for a rappel bridge. Good idea.


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I just tried it out. Just descending with a GriGri. Worked great. I don't need it for that though as rappel from the bridge is fine for me. Would only use it for SRT. But I MIGHT use it for Stirrup climb, You'd be able to move farther before you adjusted your tether.

You'd just have to decide for yourself about using one carabiner....or the option of tying your bridge on and only using the biner on the sling.
 
Just curious but was there anything wrong with the predator for rappelling that you went with the sling idea?
 
No. I actually prefer to rappel with the device extended.
I'm just planning to learn some SRT and didn't want an adjustable bridge

MCDM said:
Just curious but was there anything wrong with the predator for rappelling that you went with the sling idea?
Click to expand...
 
Just a thought for justsomedude, if you gonna try SRT i suggest you try DdRT (double rope technique) first, less equipment needed, less metal parts, less to forget to pack, less $$$. you just get a climbing rope and a carabiner. Once you learn to tie a blake's hitch well anytime "lost" in climbing speed is gained in the simplicity of the set up.

What i do is set my line (pre-set normally, but i bring a 60' string to leave in a new tree if I change things up) tie my blake's hitch, take my time and quietly climb up, strap my step platform, step up on them, set tree tether and clip into it, losen blake hitch and test tree tether, unclip from the climbing line and coil up an hang it, hunt, and afterward lower the climbing line back down and descend on the blake's hitch.

if you dont like climbing with your bow you can tie the end of your climbing rope to you bow.

less is more, i have all the gear to put several people up a tree with SRT but for hunting its not worth it unless you hang 50' or more its not a much of a time saver.

the double rope hip thrust (aka tree humping) is a good exercise for the bedroom anyway.
 
I will.
I have a 38' rope to experiment with.
Not using hardware would be fun.

rabidd099 said:
Just a thought for justsomedude, if you gonna try SRT i suggest you try DdRT (double rope technique) first, less equipment needed, less metal parts, less to forget to pack, less $$$. you just get a climbing rope and a carabiner. Once you learn to tie a blake's hitch well anytime "lost" in climbing speed is gained in the simplicity of the set up.

What i do is set my line (pre-set normally, but i bring a 60' string to leave in a new tree if I change things up) tie my blake's hitch, take my time and quietly climb up, strap my step platform, step up on them, set tree tether and clip into it, losen blake hitch and test tree tether, unclip from the climbing line and coil up an hang it, hunt, and afterward lower the climbing line back down and descend on the blake's hitch.

if you dont like climbing with your bow you can tie the end of your climbing rope to you bow.

less is more, i have all the gear to put several people up a tree with SRT but for hunting its not worth it unless you hang 50' or more its not a much of a time saver.

the double rope hip thrust (aka tree humping) is a good exercise for the bedroom anyway.
Click to expand...
 
for tying and adjusting the blake's hitch is a great video.

this is good for the climbing/humping motion for the blake's @ 3:00 mins in it also shows a bunch of other technices and options to aid in climbing DRT.

have fun.
 
Thanks!
I've used Blake's on tethers, bridge etc. I'll load one on my tether and play with it.

I haven't tried it on this 9mm HTP
 
9mm is probably going to be hard to grab with your hands, but you could make a prussik foot loop if it is too thin to grasp.
 
rabidd099 said:
9mm is probably going to be hard to grab with your hands, but you could make a prussik foot loop if it is too thin to grasp.
Click to expand...
Yep! My Blake's was jamming.

I've got a 32' Yale Bandit tether I'll try. I bet that works.

But today out in the woods, I wasn't seeing that many good trees to climb this way. Inch working up the trunk seems to be the most universal method
 
I tried another set up that makes use of items I am already carrying.
I already have a 5/16 bee-line lineman belt with a biner on one end and a biner/rope-man on the other end for easy adjustment.When I get to height I use this as a second "bridge" by leaving the lineman conneced (or connecting it if not used to ascend) snugging it down to my waist,and clipping to a prussic on tail of my tether.Now I have an adjustable length "bridge" made from lineman I can use to back up my anchor should my device (ropeman,gri-gri or whatever) I am using as main connection to tether fails. When/if I rappell down the prussic is my auto-block,still connected to lineman loops on harness,(very handy if I am using my mad rock life guard as my tether connection,as I always use a auto block with it anyway)) or I can re-connect lineman to harness main Bridge loops before descent if I want a true second adjustable bridge for any reason.And I am not adding anything but a prussic and small biner to connect it to main tether.(I already have the lineman set-up any way). I just tuck the extra lineman tail into a dump pouch I put on my Kestrels molle webbing.I have also found the adjustable lineman can be looped up behind my head and snugged,acting as suspenders if I am wearing Kestrel walking in.That's a lot of use out of one item I carry.
 
justsomedude said:
View attachment 2550
For climbing techniques where you need a short bridge.

This can be left in place all the time if you keep a bridge carabiner.

Rather than add hardware to make an adjustable bridge, I am trying out a sling.

Just girth Hitch to the right side and then connect to the same bridge carabiner. The bridge will hang out of the way.

Set your platform before you switch over. Clip your bridge into your tether before unclipping the sling.
Using a separate carabiner makes for an easier and safer switch over.

If you tie your bridge in on both sides, the carabiner would only be used for your sling and could be moved out of the way when not in use.
Click to expand...
I kind of left out the part that made me think of doing this. I would need it to SRT. I haven't tried it yet but I thought today about three biners. One in each cats paw and one to link them and attach to gri gri. Not sure if that would be safe.
 
3F43B4D1-A618-4CDF-8142-1881E8475DFB.jpeg The Amsteel Whoopie is creating more work. If you set it up as original with a shorter Blake’s Hitch, you won’t have to connect anything extra
 
I did find the original set up still wasn't really close enough when cinched. Maybe I can shorten the length of the blake.
 
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