Madrock Safeguard Concern

[Brocky]

If you find yourself upside down, twirling around 5ft from the tree trunk you gonna want that lever not a funny looking knot before you pass out. 1 dude's already died 6ft off the ground cause he couldn't unload 1 of those knots he thought would work, wouldn't of happened with a mechanical.

The lever might be out of reach, and if the hitch is funny looking to you, there hasn’t be enough practicing to be come familiar with it.

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

I’ve been watching without replying and I don’t want to come off as a doofus but one thing is really bothering me about the discussion at large: I don’t think anyone should be helpless and freaking dying at 6’ off the ground. We hunters should all carry at least one critical self-rescue tool called a “knife”. It’s a mechanical device but it’ll get your dopey ass down from 6 freaking feet. I’m sorry, no disrespect to the guy who died, but that shouldn’t ever be happening to anyone. Cut the damn rope and deal with the sore ankles from your 6’ “fall”.
Sure it would suck and you might end up breaking something, and I realize I’m being insensitive without having all the details. But lots of people climb more than 6’ up their first stick with an aider. I’m kinda at a loss how you can die that way IF you had a knife. If homie didn’t have one, I feel really bad for him. I admit I’ve forgotten my own knife in the tree before (I like my tree knives to have serration for small branches AND…in case I gotta bail off a rope) and I felt like more than half of my self-rescue options were moot.

 

[BTaylor]

I’ve been watching without replying and I don’t want to come off as a doofus but one thing is really bothering me about the discussion at large: I don’t think anyone should be helpless and freaking dying at 6’ off the ground. We hunters should all carry at least one critical self-rescue tool called a “knife”. It’s a mechanical device but it’ll get your dopey ass down from 6 freaking feet. I’m sorry, no disrespect to the guy who died, but that shouldn’t ever be happening to anyone. Cut the damn rope and deal with the sore ankles from your 6’ “fall”.
Sure it would suck and you might end up breaking something, and I realize I’m being insensitive without having all the details. But lots of people climb more than 6’ up their first stick with an aider. I’m kinda at a loss how you can die that way IF you had a knife. If homie didn’t have one, I feel really bad for him. I admit I’ve forgotten my own knife in the tree before (I like my tree knives to have serration for small branches AND…in case I gotta bail off a rope) and I felt like more than half of my self-rescue options were moot.

Or climb on a rappel rope or long enough tether to be able to create a foot loop if you dont have a linemans or second tether handy. Could have relieved suspension pressure and unloaded the hitch to continue down.

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

Or climb on a rappel rope or long enough tether to be able to create a foot loop if you dont have a linemans or second tether handy. Could have relieved suspension pressure and unloaded the hitch to continue down.

Hitch selection matters as well. I love a good classic prusik and I generally trust my system but if I have moved to the Agile and Sticht (your A1 favorite) almost exclusively on tether and rappel rope because they break under heavy load. Rope burn is the worst of my fears with that. But you’re right, a longer rope and the right hitch nullify most issues. I understand wanting to hunt off a short tether, I prefer the same. I started carrying 40’ of rope not just to feel like 007 rappelling into action, but because I can deploy it whenever I need to and it’s no more than 3’ from my hands while hunting, giving me the ability to touch the ground from any height I hunt.

 

[arm breaker]

And this is exactly why you never see industrial use of hitch cords for climbing operations.

Mechanical devices also facilitate rescues. Every aerial rescue training I've ever been involved with has relied solely on mechanical devices on both the victim and rescuer.

This, to me, is the biggest downside of the hitch only system and I know that’s what @colin.704 was alluding to above. I do think, however, the advantages of a mechanical on this front diminish when they are used out of spec as so many folks are doing. I’ve had the rare honor of being stuck on both tight friction hitches and a Madrock Safeguard (on larger Phantom rope where the sheath bunched up). In both cases having a second bridge and backup options are what kept me from calling someone and/or worse.

I know we can all get really comfortable with a system and that’s likely as important as backup options. I encourage anyone who is tinkering to make sure they either have help (actual help in that a rescue action can be taken) or a completely trusted backup to self-rescue in the event the tinkering goes south.