PSA: How I fell from 30ft and still celebrated the 4th!

[BrianO]

Glad your okay. Great insight for all.

 

[pesqimon]

After further practice, introspection and discussion with my buddy, decided to order a beefy tether from Tethrd.

 

[Apex7]

Glad your ok . Like I said before things can happen in a blink of an eye and can change your life forever. Please be careful. Trust me I went through a major accident at work I broke my back shattered my left pelvic broke my right pelvic. I was thrown 20-foot landed on a beam. That happened October 29th 2016 and I'm still in pain so like I said be very careful.

 

[Mengle]

Glad you are ok. Thank you for sharing as well.

I personally don't use a stopper knot on the end if my tether, but another loop. That loops clips into my bridge carabiner. Something to consider as well.

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I'm thinking about doing the same and just hooking the belt of my saddle through the loop if it isn't uncomfortable

 

[EricS]

The Shizll is a neat device. I have DIY version on my linesman. For my tether and climbing with the hand climber, not sure how convenient it would be. On the other hand, it is clear I wouldn't have fallen very far with the shizll/prusik combo.

If you had panicked and grabbed a prussik the same thing would have happened. I know because I did something similar with a prussik.

 

[sdonx]

Thanks for posting, not that I like hearing about accidents, but each occurrence I hear of makes me safer. I switched to a double factory spliced tether, but I clip to a loop on my saddle waist belt. not to the bridge. I'm a newbie so not sure if thats the best way...it does make me feel safer. I also use a ropeman 1.

 

[Zddog]

Yesterday I was practicing climbing with and adjusting the LW Hand Climber.

When I reached hunting height, I went to attach a OCB strap for additional stability and behind-the-tree steps. As I let the slack out of the Kong I somehow lost footing on the platform and fell to the end of my tether. The Kong did not catch me, I only stopped when I hit the stopper knot. My thought is they are not designed to catch you in a fall, but also the loosening doohickie may have gotten tangled in my hand, keeping it open.

The climber also fell down and now that I think about it I am lucky it didn't smack me in the face. Somehow it ended up just in reach so I was able to use it to self rescue. By the way, the paracord connecting the platform to my belay loop snapped.

My lesson is that the Kong needs to be backed up by a prusik. Also, you must have a step aider for self rescuing and other maneuvers at height.

I got really lucky, so after I climbed down it was definitely time to pack it up and go enjoy the holiday.

Stay safe friends.

This story is so scary as I almost bought the kong before I bought the ropeman 1&2 but in the back on my mind I always thought this could happen and I have always backed the mechanical pursic with a real pursic knot. I typically place my pursic below the ropeman


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[Zddog]

Glad you are ok. Thank you for sharing as well.

I personally don't use a stopper knot on the end if my tether, but another loop. That loops clips into my bridge carabiner. Something to consider as well.

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Really great idea what type of loop are you using spliced or a knot?


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[pesqimon]

This story is so scary as I almost bought the kong before I bought the ropeman 1&2 but in the back on my mind I always thought this could happen and I have always backed the mechanical pursic with a real pursic knot. I typically place my pursic below the ropeman


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That’s one of the things I was debating. To put it above or below. I am used to putting it above. But putting it below would be convenient.

Does the prusik have to be shorter to the brisge/belay than the ascender in order to work right?

 

[Zddog]

Not sure to be honest. I’ve always done it as a feel good but never tested it. There’s a lot smart people than me on here with engineering backgrounds and I rely on their expertise more than mine



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[donnieballgame]

Wow glad you're ok! I've only ever used a ropeman on my tether but I've always tied off the end into my biner connected to my belay loop, not perfect and I think I'll eventually upgrade to splices on my tether and lineman belt.

Don't forget prusik knots can also fail, and will often slip before failure, if you want to be really safe for self belay you should have multiple ascenders, not sure how I'm gonna do that for my SRT setup.... yet.

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[benny a gregoire jr.]

Thanks for sharing! I tie the tag end through my riggers belt.

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[g2outdoors]

Glad you're OK.

If you had been setting up a tree stand you likely would have not been clipped in to your harness yet. That could have ended much differently.

Stay frosty out there!

Sent from my Galaxy S8.

 

[Tapeworm]

Close call

Glad u learned from it and are sharing the experience with us so that we can learn from it also


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[bigjoe]

Wow glad you're ok! I've only ever used a ropeman on my tether but I've always tied off the end into my biner connected to my belay loop, not perfect and I think I'll eventually upgrade to splices on my tether and lineman belt.

Don't forget prusik knots can also fail, and will often slip before failure, if you want to be really safe for self belay you should have multiple ascenders, not sure how I'm gonna do that for my SRT setup.... yet.

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Yes I have had a prusik slip. Not scary but makes you realize things need to be backed up. Best to ease into the knot and make sure it grabs first. Also double check everything. I know that from experience.


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[fawnzy]

I use a petal shunt on my tether. No better than the ropeman. It is bigger, but I like that in the cold. I connect the bottom of my tether to my saddle as well.


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[Dragsmack]

Im glad you are ok! So what is everyone's take away from this? I run a ropeman 1 on my tether and linemans belt. Should I tie of my tag end on both of those to my Kestrel somewhere? Or would a stopper knot or Prusik below the ropeman make sense?If I had a prusik below it can I leave it in one place and preserve one hand operation of ropeman?

 

[donnieballgame]

Im glad you are ok! So what is everyone's take away from this? I run a ropeman 1 on my tether and linemans belt. Should I tie of my tag end on both of those to my Kestrel somewhere? Or would a stopper knot or Prusik below the ropeman make sense?If I had a prusik below it can I leave it in one place and preserve one hand operation of ropeman?

I think tying off the end is a good practice, best practice? Not sure. If I was going to backup my ropeman with a prusik, I think you should put it above. In the chance that you slip on the ropeman, the prusik could get into the ropeman device and you could be SOL. If the prusik is above the ropeman the worst thing that can happen is a little more hassle in moving up the rope, put a tender on there and you would be in good shape, methinks!

Update, I've only had my ropeman slip when the little cable got pulled up into between the cam and the rope, and even then it was a very minor slip as I was XOP hand climbing and I always sit on the tether to tighten it on the tree then cinch up the ropeman a little more to get max height out of each move. Has anyone else had any ropeman slips?

 

[redsquirrel]

This story is so scary as I almost bought the kong before I bought the ropeman 1&2 but in the back on my mind I always thought this could happen and I have always backed the mechanical pursic with a real pursic knot. I typically place my pursic below the ropeman


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s one of the things I was debating. To put it above or below. I am used to putting it above. But putting it below would be convenient.

Does the prusik have to be shorter to the brisge/belay than the ascender in order to work right?

Not sure to be honest. I’ve always done it as a feel good but never tested it. There’s a lot smart people than me on here with engineering backgrounds and I rely on their expertise more than mine



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You guys should have your friction hitch knot above your mechanical ascender. If the ascender fails it is going to slide down and push on the friction hitch.

 

[elk yinzer]

+1 red or if the ascender cuts the rope a hitch above is still a back up.