I can't remember if it was mentioned about the Ropeman ripping the sheath off the rope at 4kN also caused failure of the inner rope starnds. I don't think so and those strands might still support you. I don't use a Ropeman anymore, just in case.
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Tether safety backup?
- Thread starter arm breaker
- Start date
I have become more comfortable every time I climb and hunt. I cannot see for the life of me, my saddle, bridge or lineman’s loops failing before a mechanical prusik. I was honestly not even going to use a Ropeman for my tether but now that I have it, I like it a lot. Seems like with inspecting my gear each time and knowing the weight ratings, it’s hard to imagine the other stuff failing. I am new to climbing and saddle hunting in general so this little extra piece of mind is helping.
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gwhalin
Active Member
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- Dec 11, 2017
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- 114
I take my hand ascender off my line when I am at height. I usually prefer to use a tether instead of hanging on my climbing line just for comfort, but I tie my climbing line on to my bridges so not hanging off my belay device. Just as safe, but I do end up with less metal stuff hanging (I do leave my grigri on the line but pushed up high out of the way, just so I don't stupidly put it on the wrong side of the line and die when I go to rappel down).
I have heard this many times before so I will ask, how do you hunt with all that extra junk?Just kidding. I've found it doesn't get in the way of any shot a normal tether/bridge wouldn't get in the way of.
I have also seen people like Cody D’Acquisto killing BIG bucks only 6-8 ft off the ground using 2 mini sticks and 2 aiders. I think if I wasn’t using 4 sticks with aiders and being 20+ ft off the ground, I wouldn’t be as nervous or worried about backups.
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Here is a short video I made a few days ago on position adjustability. If I see a deer, I reach up and remove the sling from the carabiner connected to my back band. It falls silently to my waist and I am unencumbered for a shot.
have you seen or done any math to see what happens to you if you fall 24” on a static tether? 48”? You should be as nervous and worried when you’re 2’ off the ground and tied to a tree, as you are at 20’...
Yes, I read the entire 460 post thread on Ropeman failure but going back to what I was saying earlier about backing up my Ropeman.. I shortened my backup hitch since the pic I posted above. There’s no slack now between being hand snugged above my Ropeman at height. I don’t see myself falling more than the amount of slack needed to make up the distance between my hand snugged hitch to when it’s under weight.
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ShooterMike
Well-Known Member
I have either fallen or jumped greater than 24” innumerable times over the course of my career. 24” ain’t squat, especially if it’s vertical and doesn’t have arc to the fall profile. At worst, you may get an “owie”.
And let’s not forget, static rope still has some elongation to it. Dynamic rope is far better for shock absorbtion, but static stretches too- something like 5% if I remember right, whereas dynamic is maybe 30%-ish.
I’ve practiced jumping out of windows secured by webbing- that don’t stretch. Fall about 8 feet and slam in to the side of the wall/house. Then I did it again and again and again. It’ll be okay.
Semper Fi,
Mike
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I appreciate your service.
I will agree to disagree that short, unplanned free falls on static anchors for most of the untrained, inexperienced, likely obese, likely older crowd of Folks it will happen to, are going to be harmless.
I’m not here to tell people what to do. I’m just trying to get folks to think a little. Im also not the safety police. It’s simply a thought exercise to avoid A false sense Of security. That’s more deadly in my opinion than one mistake or sketchy maneuver.
I think giving the all clear to some people like you’re doing is probably fine. But there’s a lot of things you’re not considering making a blanket statement like that for all of the internet to see.
I will encourage folks once again to do some research on the math surrounding climbing and falls.
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- Jan 17, 2019
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- 6,283
The big bucks those guys hunt (on their farm or other private, mostly) are a lot less pressured and skittish than the deer I hunt on public land in a high pressure state. I'm still looking for big buck gurus that hunt in places like I do, but I'm not sure they exist.
What do you think is the ideal height for pressured public land deer? I also do not hunt private and didn’t take that into account.
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trailblazer75
Well-Known Member
I think it’s where your cover is. I find that with my platform at 20’ or so. Maybe lower. Maybe a little higher. I generally range ground and mostly see 7-8.5 yards at my upper body.
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That’s 4 mini sticks for me, I’ll have to stick with that then.
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- Jan 17, 2019
- Messages
- 6,283
Like trailblazer said, it is mostly where your cover is and where you will have the shooting lanes you need.
Saddles really help get behind the tree and in trees I'd skip with a loc on or climber. I don't feel too low at 10 feet with a saddle if everything else is right.
With a climber, if I didn't have a lot of cover or stuff blocking me, then I would get as high as possible so long as the shooting angle wasn't too vertical for where I expected deer to be. I've killed deer from a climber at 30 feet off the ground.
So on days you’re in the saddle at 10 ft, do you plan for that and only take say 2 sticks that day? Or what do you do if you always take in say 4 sticks and only decide to use 2? Leave them at the base of the tree? Again, I’m new here so I appreciate the time you’re taking to respond.
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trailblazer75
Well-Known Member
I’ve moved on to wild edge steps but when I did regularly use sticks, this is exactly what I did. If I found what I wanted to hunt, id find the tree. Once I found the tree I’d climb and if I didn’t need my 4th or 3rd and 4th stick I’d just leave them at the base of the tree. I do spray down everything before I walk in. To include straps and any kind of silencing material I use.
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So rule of thumb would be to get as high as you need for cover but if there is none and you’re stuck hunting a straight tree with little or no cover - get as high as you can?
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trailblazer75
Well-Known Member
That is literally my exact philosophy. I also look for trees as cover that are adjacent to the tree in hunting or on the ground between myself and whatever area I’m hunting. I actually prefer to hunt bigger trees. Usually guys look for basketball sized trees but I tend to look for a tree as wide as my shoulders. And I use that to hide behind.
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I have some other questions I’ll shoot you in PM so as to not keep taking this thread off track.
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