Bowhunter0_0
Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2014
- Messages
- 54
Hello I have hunted out of the trophyline saddle and guidos web and have just ordered a new evolution saddle. Can't wait to try it out. I wanted to share some simple advice I received from a very experienced rock climber when visiting REI getting advise on ropes etc, a few years ago.
I was having him set up a tree rope to attach to my saddle when hunting. When you life is literally hanging in the balance and he gave me a couple tips to further prevent a fall in the extremely unlikely event a Prussia or Blake's hitch would fail. But for the sake of our lives a little redundancy is very simple and may actually save your life if your Prussia or Blake's did fail. The first suggestion which I used is to make a second prusik or Blake's hitch but make it a couple inches longer so it is never loaded,(so it is always easy to move) it will grab the rope if for some unforeseen reason your primary knot failed, you simply hook it up to the carabiner as you do your primary prusik or blakes hitch.
The second one is equally as easy, and that was to tie a loop knot ( I don't know the exact name, but I am thinking double overhand figure eight knot), this is tied to the tail end of your tree rope, and after you are set up and hanging by your prusik or Blake's, you simply take the loop and attach it into your locking carabiner, two benefits, of course it could save your life in the event of prusik or Blake's failure, although you would fall a couple of feet before reaching the end of the rope, and the second benefit is to eliminate the rope from dangling down if front of you and the tree as far.
I feel very safe in any of the saddles, but much more so knowing you have a second chance in the event of a failure. And actually a 3 rd chance if you use both if the additional tips I just recommended. I haven't ever seen it discussed on the many forums I have read on saddle hunting so I thought it would be great to share with everyone, to make this hunting method even safer.
Good luck hunting and be safe out there.
Thanks Jeff
I was having him set up a tree rope to attach to my saddle when hunting. When you life is literally hanging in the balance and he gave me a couple tips to further prevent a fall in the extremely unlikely event a Prussia or Blake's hitch would fail. But for the sake of our lives a little redundancy is very simple and may actually save your life if your Prussia or Blake's did fail. The first suggestion which I used is to make a second prusik or Blake's hitch but make it a couple inches longer so it is never loaded,(so it is always easy to move) it will grab the rope if for some unforeseen reason your primary knot failed, you simply hook it up to the carabiner as you do your primary prusik or blakes hitch.
The second one is equally as easy, and that was to tie a loop knot ( I don't know the exact name, but I am thinking double overhand figure eight knot), this is tied to the tail end of your tree rope, and after you are set up and hanging by your prusik or Blake's, you simply take the loop and attach it into your locking carabiner, two benefits, of course it could save your life in the event of prusik or Blake's failure, although you would fall a couple of feet before reaching the end of the rope, and the second benefit is to eliminate the rope from dangling down if front of you and the tree as far.
I feel very safe in any of the saddles, but much more so knowing you have a second chance in the event of a failure. And actually a 3 rd chance if you use both if the additional tips I just recommended. I haven't ever seen it discussed on the many forums I have read on saddle hunting so I thought it would be great to share with everyone, to make this hunting method even safer.
Good luck hunting and be safe out there.
Thanks Jeff
