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SRT Resources

Rope Wrench!! Y'all are gonna start looking like some real Arborists now :).
 
Cool. To me that's a better choice than dedicated ascenders/decenders cause of its versatility. I like the hitchhiker 2 cause of the ability to use it SRT or DdRT.

Which hitch cord and hitch are you going with?
 
brydan said:
Cool. To me that's a better choice than dedicated ascenders/decenders cause of its versatility. I like the hitchhiker 2 cause of the ability to use it SRT or DdRT.

Which hitch cord and hitch are you going with?
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I haven't figured that out yet. That is the last piece of my puzzle. Any suggestions?
 
I haven't really kept abreast of what guys are using with the RW since I'm not in the business anymore. In the video he was using a Valdotain Tresse and I used a VT for 90% of my climbing too so that's what I'd use. The thing about a VT though is that the length of the cord usually needs to be tuned to the specific cord/rope combination. Too long and it doesn't grab very well. Too short and it's hard running cause it doesn't release enough. With common Arborist rope sizes it's easy to do a little research and find out what other climbers are using and get an eye 2 eye hitch cord of the appropriate length. If using a 9mm rope which I've seen some discussion of here, you're prob not going to finding Arbos using rope that small so may have to buy a hitch cord (6mm Ocean looks appealing or there's some really high grade 8mm cords too) and just use knots instead of spliced eyes to play with the length a little till you get it right.

I'll dig around a little to see what I can find. Which rope are you using?
 
brydan said:
I haven't really kept abreast of what guys are using with the RW since I'm not in the business anymore. In the video he was using a Valdotain Tresse and I used a VT for 90% of my climbing too so that's what I'd use. The thing about a VT though is that the length of the cord usually needs to be tuned to the specific cord/rope combination. Too long and it doesn't grab very well. Too short and it's hard running cause it doesn't release enough. With common Arborist rope sizes it's easy to do a little research and find out what other climbers are using and get an eye 2 eye hitch cord of the appropriate length. If using a 9mm rope which I've seen some discussion of here, you're prob not going to finding Arbos using rope that small so may have to buy a hitch cord (6mm Ocean looks appealing or there's some really high grade 8mm cords too) and just use knots instead of spliced eyes to play with the length a little till you get it right.

I'll dig around a little to see what I can find. Which rope are you using?
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So right now I'm still using 11mm yale bandit for my SRT. I have just switched over to the 9mm stuff for my lineman's and tree straps right now. I'm still just dabbling in SRT, I have done it about 5 times for a hunt for the past couple years. I'm trying to find the perfect SRT system for hunting. I do it all the time in my backyard because it is just plain fun, but I find that when I do it for hunting everything is much tougher (especially as it gets colder and the clothing gets thicker). I picked up the ropewrench and a haas knee ascender based on a great recommendation. I think this might end up working the best because it will keep the work happening in the legs.

Anyways, I think I've going to stick with a distal hitch, that seems to be a pretty common recommendation. As far as hitch cord, everyone seems to be using something different as long as its pretty heat resistant. Treestuff has plenty of choices for me: http://www.treestuff.com/store/products.asp?category_id=20

Here is a video of the haas if you're not familiar:
 
A distel hitch sounds like a good choice to me. Easy to tie and see it's tied right. Not as a racy as a VT but not as finicky as to cord length either. Another really excellent knot is the Knut. Close to a VT in performance but more compact. Not difficult to tie but a little more so than a distel.
 

Old school ascending. This is how it was done before mechanical ascenders came into common use. Lightweight, just need a length of cord for a prusik loop.
 
Red, I was looking at the rope wrench. Do you have to tie the friction hitch every time you get to the tree? Seems like it would be time consuming.

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A distel hitch is quick to tie, especially after you do it a few times. The time consuming part I think of rope climbing is getting the rope installed on a new tree. That's where using a basal anchor for the climb line I think can really save some time.
 
brydan said:

Old school ascending. This is how it was done before mechanical ascenders came into common use. Lightweight, just need a length of cord for a prusik loop.
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That's certainly impressive. I don't have great upper body strength but my legs are build like a mule so I'm hoping the rope wrench with haas works out. I played with it a bit in the backyard over the weekend and its looking very promising. My problem with SRT so far has been I can go and do whatever method I choose in the backyard no problem but when it gets a bit colder and I'm layered up a bit more in the woods it becomes much tougher on me.
 
boone0 said:
Red, I was looking at the rope wrench. Do you have to tie the friction hitch every time you get to the tree? Seems like it would be time consuming.

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brydan said:
A distel hitch is quick to tie, especially after you do it a few times. The time consuming part I think of rope climbing is getting the rope installed on a new tree. That's where using a basal anchor for the climb line I think can really save some time.
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boone, brydan is right. I just got to practice a little over the weekend, but I practiced the distel hitch a few times and then went out and set up on the tree. I was set up just as quickly as any other SRT method I've tried.
 
I'm sure you both are right. Mind writing a little about the rope wrench when you get some use out of it? There is plenty out there already but nothing from a saddle hunting perspective.

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boone0 said:
I'm sure you both are right. Mind writing a little about the rope wrench when you get some use out of it? There is plenty out there already but nothing from a saddle hunting perspective.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
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I will... eventually. I'm on a multiyear quest at this point to find the best SRT hunting method. I was in the backyard working on this a little today. Very impressed with the system overall, in particular the haas. To make the ropewrench work a little better I have to tweak the system a bit more. But after today, I'm not really sure the ropewrench is necessary for me. Its a cool device and I understand the benefits of going up and coming right down on it for people who are working in trees. But realistically for me, I want to go up, set up and hunt, and then come down. I didn't mind the idea of the frog or its variations because I could use it to go up, hunt, and then put on my grigri to come down at the end.

The haas is really the piece that made everything easier for me today. Climbing the rope was easy and pretty much hands free. I think I should be able to basically integrate this with some of the gear I was using to frog, and I might finally have my ticket. I'll keep thinking on this but I think the ropewrench portion of it actually complicates the system more than I need.

I'll keep working on it and keep you updated. The real test will be how well it works in a hunting situation for me. I can do the other SRT methods no problem in the backyard but once I'm hunting, throw on another layer of clothes, everything just gets harder.

Oh and the rope wrench was louder than I expected.
 
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I was trying to figure out the benefit of using the rope wrench hunting. Looks like an awesome device. But I feel like it could be replaced by a rope man, if you have a device for descending. I do see why the system looks perfect for an arborist though...just not sure we would see the benefits.

I am also searching for a perfect srt system, and no longer have any other way to access a tree. I still like climbing RADS slowly but haven't done it hunting very much yet.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
boone0 said:
I was trying to figure out the benefit of using the rope wrench hunting. Looks like an awesome device. But I feel like it could be replaced by a rope man, if you have a device for descending. I do see why the system looks perfect for an arborist though...just not sure we would see the benefits.

I am also searching for a perfect srt system, and no longer have any other way to access a tree. I still like climbing RADS slowly but haven't done it hunting very much yet.
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Unfortunately last season and this upcoming season is already over because of some family stuff so I really haven't had a chance to apply some of the ideas I have ( cross-over some Arborist techniques) but the reason for me to use a saddle is to hunt trees on public land that are unhuntable by everybody else. I've scouted some really potentially productive areas where there's nothing huntable with a climber and not much with a lock on. Whereas with a saddle, if I climbed the trees like an Arborist, I think I could get into a lot of otherwise unhuntable trees.

For example, I come across big live Oaks and I think hunting out towards the ends of their big scaffold branches could be a pretty sneaky move. Excellent cover above and open underneath. To do that though I'd want my regular climbing kit, a good lanyard and a work positioning system (split tail, RW, etc) rather than a dedicated asc/desc'er system to be able to move around better up in the tree. Trees with lower branches, get up and do a secured free climb instead of trying to set up ropes and be on ascenders. I realize I have tree climbing experience that most here don't have but that's what the appeal is for me to a more standard Arborist kit.

If the plan and the trees etc are more along the lines of ascend straight up to a spot, hunt, and come down, then dedicated asc/desc'ers make more sense.
 
brydan said:
Unfortunately last season and this upcoming season is already over because of some family stuff so I really haven't had a chance to apply some of the ideas I have ( cross-over some Arborist techniques) but the reason for me to use a saddle is to hunt trees on public land that are unhuntable by everybody else. I've scouted some really potentially productive areas where there's nothing huntable with a climber and not much with a lock on. Whereas with a saddle, if I climbed the trees like an Arborist, I think I could get into a lot of otherwise unhuntable trees.

For example, I come across big live Oaks and I think hunting out towards the ends of their big scaffold branches could be a pretty sneaky move. Excellent cover above and open underneath. To do that though I'd want my regular climbing kit, a good lanyard and a work positioning system (split tail, RW, etc) rather than a dedicated asc/desc'er system to be able to move around better up in the tree. Trees with lower branches, get up and do a secured free climb instead of trying to set up ropes and be on ascenders. I realize I have tree climbing experience that most here don't have but that's what the appeal is for me to a more standard Arborist kit.

If the plan and the trees etc are more along the lines of ascend straight up to a spot, hunt, and come down, then dedicated asc/desc'ers make more sense.
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I like that thought and I can think of a few similar oaks that would be good to hunt like that.

I have 45' of 10.5mm static rope with some hitch cord that I use primarily for srt access, either cinched in the canopy or base tied. I can tie up the hitch cord and set up a DDRT system as well to use it kind of how you explained, free climb/move up the limbs.

I used that system to set Christmas lights in the tree in my front yard without ever having to use a throw line which was nice. Haven't used it hunting yet though. Still need some work doing this quietly, though.
 
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