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Lightweight setup for ascending and descending

S

slickyboyboo

New Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Messages
21
I bought me a Guido's Web, back during archery season, and I love it. I was sitting in it the other day, and although my setup with 4 LW sticks is fairly light, I got to thinking about ways to go lighter.

I know folks use the spikes, or rope tension climbing method, with no sticks for ascending. Has anyone considered rappelling for an easy and quick way down, with a rope retrieval once at the bottom?

It would definitely be a lightweight option, since you are looking at less than 3.5# of rope being enough to get you 25-30 ft in a tree, and back down.


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I don't ascend the tree with a rope but I rappel sometimes. On my lease we have several trees with sticks and a lifeline already set up for saddle use (my buddy hunts from a web and I use a saddle) and most times I will rappel down the life line using a Munter hitch on a biner on my bridge, It's very easy to learn that hitch and you can let yourself down in a nice controlled descent. I can be out of the tree in ten seconds it's pretty fun :lol:
 
flinginairos said:
I don't ascend the tree with a rope but I rappel sometimes. On my lease we have several trees with sticks and a lifeline already set up for saddle use (my buddy hunts from a web and I use a saddle) and most times I will rappel down the life line using a Munter hitch on a biner on my bridge, It's very easy to learn that hitch and you can let yourself down in a nice controlled descent. I can be out of the tree in ten seconds it's pretty fun :lol:
Click to expand...

Yeah, my main thought is the rappelling down quickly.

I saw a vid somewhere, of a guy climbing with a web, with a single strap to put his feet in, that worked on tension, around the tree. Step on it, stand, adjust your tether on your web, sit, move your foot strap up the tree, and repeat until your desired height.

After that, you can tie off your rappelling rope once you are at your desired height. When you are ready to come down, hook in, and rappel, then retrieve your line once you are on the ground.


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I was curious to see if my kit was truly lighter than using sticks, so I added it up. (Weight in G)

Rope (75') 2334 (Allows me to hunt as high as 30-35' even if I can't isolate a tie in point, half this if this is not important to you)
Dynaglide (75') 69 (Doubles as pull rope)
Grigri2 170
Ascension with foot loop 210
Accessory Cord 97 (Used as a tether from ascension to harness; backup connection and prevents me from dropping it)
Screw link 86 (used at the end of the rope, could be eliminated but I like it)
BD screw biner 55
BD screw biner 55
CAMP nano 22 22 (multiple uses, wire gate carabiner, I prefer all the biners I carry to be rated for life support if I need an extra or drop one)
Webbing 288 (About 25' of climb spec tubular webbing, used for a base tie off if an isolated tie in point isn't available or feasible, could be eliminated)
throw weight 308 (not needed if you're only using pre set trees, IS needed to set a tree though)
paracord 97 (for leaving a line in a tree
roll bag 125 (not needed but keeps this crap organized and gives me a spot to flake out the throw line so it doesn't get snagged on twigs or leaves)

Total 3916 (8.63lb)

If you went completely bare bones and eliminated all the stuff I said wasn't completely necessary, you'd have 3.85lb worth of gear if you had a tree with paracord set up and an isolated tie in point (this means, a long loop of cord thrown only over a spot that can take all of your weight).

NONE of this is climbing advice, just posting what I have purchased to replace sticks.

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Re: RE: Lightweight setup for ascending and descending

slickyboyboo said:
Yeah, my main thought is the rappelling down quickly.

I saw a vid somewhere, of a guy climbing with a web, with a single strap to put his feet in, that worked on tension, around the tree. Step on it, stand, adjust your tether on your web, sit, move your foot strap up the tree, and repeat until your desired height.

After that, you can tie off your rappelling rope once you are at your desired height. When you are ready to come down, hook in, and rappel, then retrieve your line once you are on the ground.
Click to expand...

I've tried this method a couple times and have pretty much decided it's a pain in the rear. You burn allot of energy and build up allot of sweat. Not to mention it destroys your lanyards hella quick unless you use some sort of fiction saver. That being said I'm sure I could improve on the method and I might play more with it after the hunting season.

I by far prefer using SRT. If I have a preset tree it's much faster but if I need to throw in a new set I can be in a tree in about fifteen to twenty minutes max. I carry the following for my setup.

60' Yale bandit
2 10' lanyard/lineman's belts(sometimes you might not be able to hunt from the line you climb in on)
6 biners(1 auto locking, 3 screwgate, 2 bent gate)
3-4 prusiks made from polyester accessory cord
Petzel Piranha

All the above weighs less than two expensive climbing sticks.



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