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A fall noted on facebook. A comment I saw.

That is the type of accident I had envisioned while climbing sticks. The lineman's rope will not stop this. A tether is necessary which is why I like one sticking over 4 sticking. A tether is necessary while one sticking and could stop you from hitting the top of the stick. I climb SRT so I can only envision hitting the ground or maybe my platform. If my rope is sound chances are I am coming home undamaged.

I’m not usually a nervous nelly in life but yes this is my sticking nightmare as well, or taking the top of a stick to the sternum as the lineman tightens. Last year I stick climbed with both a lineman’s and tether, and this year I’m considering one sticking with redundant tethers one hooked to a backup RC harness. For me wearing that extra harness really isn’t that bad, I feel it makes the universe have to work a lot harder for gravity to take me to the dirt and I’m more relaxed. We had a baby in 2018 and my safety whiskers got more sensitive at that point.
 
Hunter 260 also has a great video on using a linemen's belt that I think everyone should watch...

He uses a lineman's belt like any lineman I've ever seen. I think this is the proper way to do it.


Good video. As someone who used to not use a thing from the ground to the stand, it took a bit for me to get comfortable with using a lineman's belt. I remember searching for how to videos. He is dead on in the video. Figure out the proper lean and how to use the rope and climbing is much easier.
 
A lineman’s belt is not designed to be used as a fall arrest system. It bears repeating. A lineman’s belt will not stop you from hitting the ground or the next closest hard thing below you that will support your weight.

a lineman’s belt is designed to give you four points of contact (yourfeet and your hips), so that you can have enough balance to go hands free for work in a tree. It does not compensate for, or take into account climbing method failures.
 
A lineman’s belt is not designed to be used as a fall arrest system. It bears repeating. A lineman’s belt will not stop you from hitting the ground or the next closest hard thing below you that will support your weight.

a lineman’s belt is designed to give you four points of contact (yourfeet and your hips), so that you can have enough balance to go hands free for work in a tree. It does not compensate for, or take into account climbing method failures.

This forum has really helped me spot a bad climb and Exodus Trailcams - who’s content I generally like otherwise - just did a feature presentation full of bad technique.

 
This forum has really helped me spot a bad climb and Exodus Trailcams - who’s content I generally like otherwise - just did a feature presentation full of bad technique.

I was like "well that seems alright"...then "well wait a second that's really not right".
 
This forum has really helped me spot a bad climb and Exodus Trailcams - who’s content I generally like otherwise - just did a feature presentation full of bad technique.

Most people I have seen climb sticks just like that including me. Failure mode analysis would show that you have one support, the stick you are standing on. If it slips you are going down. Adding a tether, as @dlist777 mentioned, is a great idea for a backup.
 
and to clarify - I'm perfectly OK with putting your 1st stick up high and leveraging up on to it like he does (even if it's not "proper"), but not quite as OK with doing that with sticks slung right behind the ol' noggin. And then it all goes sideways when the belt gets low and loose.
 
Following would like to see more accidents posted on here for I and all of us can learn...I do not have Facebook so I can’t view them that way

That’s why I posted it.

I one stick with a tether and lineman’s belt. I find the lineman’s belt adds more stability. I expect it would slow a fall if you are leaning back due to friction even though it is not for fall restraint.
The lineman’s belt also increases your stability with aiders and does not slow your climb at all. When I have a slack tether my lineman’s belt is generally not slack.

Also some sticks do bite the tree harder than others.

All these things do add an element of safety IMO


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There's a lot of bad technique and information out there...as there is in every industry. Unfortunately, with the advent of youtube and the web, these bad practices become standard practices because anyone can be (or represent themselves to be) a "Pro". This is the EXACT reason whenever rappelling, srt, drt, and other somewhat technical techniques come up I always say "go to a trained professional and learn from them". Some methods and techniques could be great for certain situation and "safe" but could be asking for a major issue in another. Its important to understand the set of variables at hand and have a bag of tricks when it comes to rope management and technique and to understand the WHY, not just blindly copy what you see on youtube.

With what we do when you get hurt it can be REAL bad, REAL fast.
 
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That’s why I posted it.

I one stick with a tether and lineman’s belt. I find the lineman’s belt adds more stability. I expect it would slow a fall if you are leaning back due to friction even though it is not for fall restraint.
The lineman’s belt also increases your stability with aiders and does not slow your climb at all. When I have a slack tether my lineman’s belt is generally not slack.

Also some sticks do bite the tree harder than others.

All these things do add an element of safety IMO


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I did a one sticking video a few months ago for my first time climbing this way in a year. I tried to move my tether up without my LB and I kept falling backwards and could not do it. I added the LB and then was able to do it. I then had to remove my LB to move my stick up higher in order to get the stick strap past the LB.
 
I did a one sticking video a few months ago for my first time climbing this way in a year. I tried to move my tether up without my LB and I kept falling backwards and could not do it. I added the LB and then was able to do it. I then had to remove my LB to move my stick up higher in order to get the stick strap past the LB.
Timely post. I tried one sticking for the first time yesterday. I started using my tether and LB but then felt really restricted by it so removed and only used my tether. It was much easier for me that way but I now see the danger with that. Gonna rethink how I do it next time.
 
Timely post. I tried one sticking for the first time yesterday. I started using my tether and LB but then felt really restricted by it so removed and only used my tether. It was much easier for me that way but I now see the danger with that. Gonna rethink how I do it next time.
The only way I could move my tether up was with a quick jerk upwards while my body was falling back and me caught by the tether. It didn't feel safe to do it that way.
 
and to clarify - I'm perfectly OK with putting your 1st stick up high and leveraging up on to it like he does (even if it's not "proper"), but not quite as OK with doing that with sticks slung right behind the ol' noggin. And then it all goes sideways when the belt gets low and loose.

It always freaked me out climbing with a Lone Wolf lock on on my back and those teeth right behind my brain stem. Imagine even slipping down a steep, snowy hill with that arrangement. I rotated the stand so that the teeth were by my rear end.
 
Fellow hunters

Here is the best information that I can provide you in what took place on Friday while I was saddle hunting. Please remember I will not identify any company that equipment was used just what the material it was made of. I do not wish to point any fingers because there are always 3 other ones pointing at me when I do that. I have came to the conclusion that I had a break of my tethrd while at hunting height 15-18 ft above ground.I had already removed my linesman belt. I was using 8mm Opulx rope as my Tethrd. I had recently purchased it and this was the first time I had used it. The rope was rated for over 5400 lbs. I am still in the hospital and don’t have access to my gear at this time. I will try to get pictures at a latter time. The whole reason for me posting this is to get information out and prevent any unnecessary accidents or death. I hope as a community we can remain peaceful and remember that our goal is to be out enjoying hunting as safe and light as possible.May GOD watch over us all. Pruisk still in tact. No mechanical devices were in the mix. Rope snapped.
His latest.

the way he phrases it I have my suspicions of a knot/eye failure, or a missing stopper knot that he slid off of. Might by just me, but I feel like if a rope actually snapped, the odds suggest that there'd be more of a smoking gun and a stronger conclusion than..."i have come to the conclusion that...". obviously perceptions shift wildly in life-threatening situations though, and I'm viewing these through my own preconceptions and biases.

So check your oplux and triple check your knots and stoppers (as always)
 
His latest.

the way he phrases it I have my suspicions of a knot/eye failure, or a missing stopper knot that he slid off of. Might by just me, but I feel like if a rope actually snapped, the odds suggest that there'd be more of a smoking gun and a stronger conclusion than..."i have come to the conclusion that...". obviously perceptions shift wildly in life-threatening situations though, and I'm viewing these through my own preconceptions and biases.

So check your oplux and triple check your knots and stoppers (as always)

I use Oplux, and one thing I like about it is that the sheath is strong and if either the sheath or core failed (but not both) then I'd be okay. Not enough info yet.

Also, he won't identify the company, and it was a snapped Oplux rope....but then he just identified Sterling (maker of Oplux)??


Thanks for posting it.
 
It always freaked me out climbing with a Lone Wolf lock on on my back and those teeth right behind my brain stem. Imagine even slipping down a steep, snowy hill with that arrangement. I rotated the stand so that the teeth were by my rear end.
I had an injury from carrying sticks in the vertical position on my back....I slipped on a wet log and how I landed made my pack ride up my back and the standoff on the stick sliced my shoulder and neck....those really sharp 1s would have messed me up big time... luckily my diy sticks not super sharp like that
 
The one thing that stood out to me was, "I was using 8mm Opulx rope as my Tethrd. I had recently purchased it and this was the first time I had used it." I really hope it wasn't the first time he used it. I always, always test my gear at ground level. I'll usually even try to toss extra weight on the saddle and knots too if possible (wife, dogs, weights, whatever is close.)
 
With the vagueness of the FB poster, its impossible to say what happened leading up to the fall incident. Was all his gear in specs of each other, did he buy a secondhand rope or equipment and not know the history or condition of it fully, was it a faulty knot. Who knows
 
With the vagueness of the FB poster, its impossible to say what happened leading up to the fall incident. Was all his gear in specs of each other, did he buy a secondhand rope or equipment and not know the history or condition of it fully, was it a faulty knot. Who knows
That's pretty much what I have been able to gather as well. Hopefully, he provides full information on what gear he was using.

At this point, I think it could have been anything. I also wonder if someone tried to splice or sew an eye into the oplux.

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