• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

What's the point of having such a highly rated rope for your main line if at the end of the day your tied in with a 3/8 prusik?

N

Newb2hanging

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2022
Messages
93
Hey all, new to saddles, Ive been tinkering around a bit with mine and have realized i need a second bridge. So, I was looking into the specs on the rope that came with my trophyline and was just wondering to myself what the point is for having such highly rated main line for like srt/drt if it comes down to your 3/8 bridge/prusik anyways?
 
Newb2hanging said:
Hey all, new to saddles, Ive been tinkering around a bit with mine and have realized i need a second bridge. So, I was looking into the specs on the rope that came with my trophyline and was just wondering to myself what the point is for having such highly rated main line for like srt/drt if it comes down to your 3/8 bridge/prusik anyways?
Click to expand...
Your prusik is using two strands of the cord. For simplicity sake, that means it is providing twice the strength of one strand. So if you have a cord rated to 3,000 lb it would be 6,000, which would be on par with what you mainline would likely be.

That said, realistically you have strength losses in the prusik in knots, sewn eyes, bends, and splices, which reduce the break strength of the cord. So for this example you may actually be close to say 5,000 lb break strength instead of an ideal basket of 6,000 lb.

Lastly, just because 2 strands of the prusik could be rated to say 5,000 lbs that doesn’t mean the the cord may not slip on the mainline before breaking at 5,000 lbs.

You should check out some of “How not 2” on YouTube. They test knots, bends, prusik, the works. It will give you a better understand of the expect strength of some of these configurations.
 
Newb2hanging said:
Hey all, new to saddles, Ive been tinkering around a bit with mine and have realized i need a second bridge. So, I was looking into the specs on the rope that came with my trophyline and was just wondering to myself what the point is for having such highly rated main line for like srt/drt if it comes down to your 3/8 bridge/prusik anyways?
Click to expand...
As far as the bridge goes, there are 3/8 ropes that are just as strong as 11/16 rope. The composition will vary the strength significantly. Not all rope is created equal. Hope that helps.
 
gcr0003 said:
If you want to really nerd out @Fl Canopy Stalker will be along shortly and he knows some of the climbing standards/requirements for rope strength and things like that.

Also, why do you “need” two bridges? Please don’t tell me you’re skipping DRT (MRS) and going straight into JRB?
Click to expand...
No, i just want a really short one for climbing and then im going to tether in and clip into the long one on the lower, bigger loops on the saddle to be more comfortable. i figure this would be the easiest and safest way, rather then trying to figure out how to switch it around with a linemans belt or something once i've ascended the tree.
 
gcr0003 said:
Your prusik is using two strands of the cord. For simplicity sake, that means it is providing twice the strength of one strand. So if you have a cord rated to 3,000 lb it would be 6,000, which would be on par with what you mainline would likely be.

That said, realistically you have strength losses in the prusik in knots, sewn eyes, bends, and splices, which reduce the break strength of the cord. So for this example you may actually be close to say 5,000 lb break strength instead of an ideal basket of 6,000 lb.

Lastly, just because 2 strands of the prusik could be rated to say 5,000 lbs that doesn’t mean the the cord may not slip on the mainline before breaking at 5,000 lbs.

You should check out some of “How not 2” on YouTube. They test knots, bends, prusik, the works. It will give you a better understand of the expect strength of some of these configurations.
Click to expand...
ahh, i see. That makes sense. will do man, will do. appreciate ya.
 
Newb2hanging said:
Hey all, new to saddles, Ive been tinkering around a bit with mine and have realized i need a second bridge. So, I was looking into the specs on the rope that came with my trophyline and was just wondering to myself what the point is for having such highly rated main line for like srt/drt if it comes down to your 3/8 bridge/prusik anyways?
Click to expand...
The 3/8” prusik is doubled rope so it’s nearly twice as strong as a single line. Add in that a friction hitch (prusik) slides long before it would break. That sliding will help absorb force if you fell. Your main line is a single piece of rope and it will be the first point of impact force absorption if you had a fall and it’s also the constantly weighed first attachment in your life safety system. Do not skimp out on the tether or the friction hitch.
 
gcr0003 said:
Your prusik is using two strands of the cord. For simplicity sake, that means it is providing twice the strength of one strand. So if you have a cord rated to 3,000 lb it would be 6,000, which would be on par with what you mainline would likely be.

That said, realistically you have strength losses in the prusik in knots, sewn eyes, bends, and splices, which reduce the break strength of the cord. So for this example you may actually be close to say 5,000 lb break strength instead of an ideal basket of 6,000 lb.

Lastly, just because 2 strands of the prusik could be rated to say 5,000 lbs that doesn’t mean the the cord may not slip on the mainline before breaking at 5,000 lbs.

You should check out some of “How not 2” on YouTube. They test knots, bends, prusik, the works. It will give you a better understand of the expect strength of some of these configurations.
Click to expand...
Dude you don’t need me to nerd out, you definitely nailed it pretty well with this post
 
Newb2hanging said:
No, i just want a really short one for climbing and then im going to tether in and clip into the long one on the lower, bigger loops on the saddle to be more comfortable. i figure this would be the easiest and safest way, rather then trying to figure out how to switch it around with a linemans belt or something once i've ascended the tree.
Click to expand...
I’m not saying don’t run a short climbing bridge but, isn’t the bridge on your saddle an adjustable bridge? Why not just shorten it while you climb, tether in at height and then lengthen it to suit your needs?
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
The 3/8” prusik is doubled rope so it’s nearly twice as strong as a single line. Add in that a friction hitch (prusik) slides long before it would break. That sliding will help absorb force if you fell. Your main line is a single piece of rope and it will be the first point of impact force absorption if you had a fall and it’s also the constantly weighed first attachment in your life safety system. Do not skimp out on the tether or the friction hitch.
Click to expand...
Fair enough, didn’t really think of the aspect of it being doubled up.
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
I’m not saying don’t run a short climbing bridge but, isn’t the bridge on your saddle an adjustable bridge? Why not just shorten it while you climb, tether in at height and then lengthen it to suit your needs?
Click to expand...
Doesn’t go short enough. Atleast that’s how I feel. Like I like to climb on the short loops and I want to chill on the bigger loops.
 
Newb2hanging said:
No, i just want a really short one for climbing and then im going to tether in and clip into the long one on the lower, bigger loops on the saddle to be more comfortable. i figure this would be the easiest and safest way, rather then trying to figure out how to switch it around with a linemans belt or something once i've ascended the tree.
Click to expand...

most saddles have adjustable bridges.....at height you just lengthen the bridge
 
Newb2hanging said:
Hey all, new to saddles, Ive been tinkering around a bit with mine and have realized i need a second bridge. So, I was looking into the specs on the rope that came with my trophyline and was just wondering to myself what the point is for having such highly rated main line for like srt/drt if it comes down to your 3/8 bridge/prusik anyways?
Click to expand...

what everyone else said is good....but consider this

you should have a loop tied on the end of your tether main line and have his clipped back to the same carabiner that your prusik is on....so if the prusik breaks you still get caught

many people go a further step and once at height they tie a loop in their tether and then clip that on their carabiner....so they'll fall a shorter distance if their prusik fails.....you can do something similar while climbing if you'd like

i rely just on the end loop of the tether being attached to my carabiner.....but i do take up the slack on my tether once at height using overhand knots....that way if my prusik broke then i'm not falling clear to the end of my tether but just taking up whatever slack is left after my knot tying

there are better knots for this, like an alpine butterfly, but as a backup i'm not worried about 4 overhand knots untying or breaking
 
If you like 2 bridges, fixed or not, run it. It's not a bad idea. It's more rope/line to manage but if that's ok with you, run it. I don't know what situation you could regret having a second bridge in... It allows redundancy in any sort of transfer. If you find your sweet spot on bridge length it's potentially less fiddle factor. In an emergency situation you have a safe second option to hang on...

All respect for @gcr0003, @Fl Canopy Stalker and @raisins , they're not wrong. In fact they're very knowledgeable and helpful!
 
Horn said:
If you like 2 bridges, fixed or not, run it. It's not a bad idea. It's more rope/line to manage but if that's ok with you, run it. I don't know what situation you could regret having a second bridge in... It allows redundancy in any sort of transfer. If you find your sweet spot on bridge length it's potentially less fiddle factor. In an emergency situation you have a safe second option to hang on...

All respect for @gcr0003, @Fl Canopy Stalker and @raisins , they're not wrong. In fact they're very knowledgeable and helpful!
Click to expand...
For the record I run two bridges. I just asked why he thought he needed 2.

What you don’t want to do is be tethered at height and then disconnect just to connect to another bridge. In that case you’re saving time but could be risking falling while you’re not attached.
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
The 3/8” prusik is doubled rope so it’s nearly twice as strong as a single line. Add in that a friction hitch (prusik) slides long before it would break. That sliding will help absorb force if you fell. Your main line is a single piece of rope and it will be the first point of impact force absorption if you had a fall and it’s also the constantly weighed first attachment in your life safety system. Do not skimp out on the tether or the friction hitch.
Click to expand...
Not to be a stick in the mud, but I have to disagree. The prusik is doubled in the hitch but where the Biner hooks, it's only a single rope?? Am I wrong?
 
raisins said:
what everyone else said is good....but consider this

you should have a loop tied on the end of your tether main line and have his clipped back to the same carabiner that your prusik is on....so if the prusik breaks you still get caught

many people go a further step and once at height they tie a loop in their tether and then clip that on their carabiner....so they'll fall a shorter distance if their prusik fails.....you can do something similar while climbing if you'd like

i rely just on the end loop of the tether being attached to my carabiner.....but i do take up the slack on my tether once at height using overhand knots....that way if my prusik broke then i'm not falling clear to the end of my tether but just taking up whatever slack is left after my knot tying

there are better knots for this, like an alpine butterfly, but as a backup i'm not worried about 4 overhand knots untying or breaking
Click to expand...
I think im following what your saying, but could you provide a picture or video about clipping into the main tether? Appreciate the advice!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top