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SRT Ropeman

justsomedude

justsomedude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,514
Location
Nashville, TN
IMG_2918.JPG One Ropeman connected to the bridge of a Kestrel, another Ropeman connected to a Foot Loop (in my case, a double foot loop...easier). Sling to backup connect Kestrel to foot loop's Ropeman.

Yale Bandit rope with a delta screwlink thrown through the tree crotch and girth hitched. Paracord tied in for retrieval.

Just stand in the foot loops while pulling up with your hand above the top Ropeman, and advance the Ropeman with the other hand. Hang from the harness and advance the foot loop Ropeman.

Reverse to descend

It is much easier if your feet are braced against the tree. I did a few climbs up and down with and without foot support.

This method is simple and quiet (assuming you can get a rope in the tree). And the gear isn't bulky.

It does require some climbing strength and you need to practice.
 
I think the silence and reduced weight of the GriGri (plus the reduced chance of user error) is worth the slower descent. However you could just throw on an ATC.

A Ropeman + ATC weighs only slightly less than a GriGri however.
 
Here I was thinking we had another video. How would you compare the speed and effort required of your srt setup vs the single aider?
 
This SRT takes more core strength than the Aider climb. The setup and tear down takes longer. Once set, you can climb faster of course

So your left hand is on the rope above the Ropeman. You push down with your legs and pull yourself up and advance the ropeman.

As I mentioned, if you aren't bracing your feet against the tree, it takes a lot more effort

That's why people like to use a pulley system. A pulley for a short climb isn't worth it to me.
 
U get the setup time. Let's say you aider climbed and setup this morning and saw a few does headed back to their bedding area and it's still a week before the bucks start chasing. You have 50 feet of cord in the bottom of one of your dump pouches. Do you go ahead and preset with the cord to set a rope when you come back or just come back with your aider?
 
I was thinking about that today. I think I'll carry paracord just in case I want to hunt a tree again and there is a good throw over limb. If I end up not using it, no harm done

My ropes are only 30' at the moment
 
I like the 60lb fishing line Idea I read earlier in another post. It's cheap enough it isn't a huge deal if you don't make it back. You didn't mention it but would tying your backpack to the bottom of the rope make it easier to advance your ropeman. I also wonder If a length of shock cord tied from your upper ascender to the lower one might self advance the lower ropeman when you lift your feet. I have absolutely no experience with srt or aider climbing but three days without power after Irma has left me with a lot of time to read saddlehunter and brain storm. Of course under the influence of people like g2outdoors, Boswell,and John Eberhart my checking account looks as though it was hit by a hurricane also. All you guys are a bunch of enablers. Gotta love it.
 
The Shock cord idea would make it harder advance your top Ropeman. That is the hardest move anyway. To raise the bottom, you just grab the release tab and pull. Hanging a carabiner on the tab makes it easy. I tie a little extra paracord loop on it with a knot at the end.

Having your pack tied on the bottom of the rope would help more in descending if it helped. Lowering your foot Ropeman is a little clumsy. You have to open the clamp and then it tends to fall too low so you might need to use two hands place it and release the clamp. Might be an easier way but it seems like two hands gets it done right the first time
 
Mike,

In that setup, you are running the Foot Loop on the Ropeman and you harness tether on the lifeguard below the Ropeman correct?
For the uninitiated, doing it that way....He can stand on the Foot Loop while pulling down on the tail of the Rope which uses the pulley action to advance the harness tether.

For me to do that, I need to shorten the bridge of the Kestrel (hooking a Sling as a bridge..see my "Kestrel Bridge Bypass" thread) and then I also have to extend my foot loop using a sling so that it reaches high enough.

When you get up to hunting height, you would just adjust your sling back out, or in my case I would stand and unclip my short sling leaving the regular bridge connected.

I didn't have slings with me for my first attempt.... but it's on the list. That method should require a little less muscle/technique.
 
I've only got one ropeman and use it on my linesmans belt so I've never loaded it enough for it to be difficult to move. When using it to climb does it bind on the rope more?
 
Not on Bandit or 11mm static. It is really easy to advance. When you unlock it to lower it not under a load, it is smooth.
If you have a little load on it, it pops open.
 
justsomedude said:
Mike,

In that setup, you are running the Foot Loop on the Ropeman and you harness tether on the lifeguard below the Ropeman correct?
For the uninitiated, doing it that way....He can stand on the Foot Loop while pulling down on the tail of the Rope which uses the pulley action to advance the harness tether.

For me to do that, I need to shorten the bridge of the Kestrel (hooking a Sling as a bridge..see my "Kestrel Bridge Bypass" thread) and then I also have to extend my foot loop using a sling so that it reaches high enough.

When you get up to hunting height, you would just adjust your sling back out, or in my case I would stand and unclip my short sling leaving the regular bridge connected.

I didn't have slings with me for my first attempt.... but it's on the list. That method should require a little less muscle/technique.
Click to expand...
Yes I was using a foot loop on the ropeman ( black strap behind rope ) and my bridge is connected to the lifeguard. once I get to height I connect the two together with a small dyneema loop runner as a back up
 
I practiced again today without doing the pulley setup. It isn't hard.

I briefly tried to set up the pulley, but I always set up my Ropeman to adjust with the right hand and the pulley was interfering with the rope man switch.

How is descending with the Pulley? seems like it would get in the way.
 
justsomedude said:
I practiced again today without doing the pulley setup. It isn't hard.

I briefly tried to set up the pulley, but I always set up my Ropeman to adjust with the right hand and the pulley was interfering with the rope man switch.

How is descending with the Pulley? seems like it would get in the way.
Click to expand...

Confused. Are you doing rads? You take the pulley and in this case ropeman off to descend.
 
No. Just a regular Ropeman on the bridge. And then below that, a Ropeman on DIY stirrups. The stirrups are long enough to come up to a good working height.

You flip that and put the foot loop Ropeman on top and then use that carabiner for a pulley. But then I’d want to shorten the bridge a bit, and hook up an extension to the foot loop.

I’m finding that if I am against the tree, I don’t need a pulley
 
Bump.

I now have two Ropeman 2 for this. Super easy up and down with no pulley.
They are only 92gr each and don't require large carabiners.
 
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