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2TC Tree Selection

OSUTodd

OSUTodd

Active Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2023
Messages
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Location
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So I'm planning to ditch the sticks and get set up for 2TC after I decide this season is over, just not wanting to change up during the season. While I was hunting this morning, I noticed a nearby tree might be a lot easier to get into than the one I was in, which has two forks and four other limbs to pass my tether/linemans belt around. Took me forever to get up, and I was already late getting in due to my own mistakes. The issue with the tree I was looking at is it leans slightly, and then has about a two foot section with even more lean. Above that it's straight up, which is where I'd like to be set up.

For those who have significant 2TC experience, is this a tree you would try to climb? The kink in the middle is what makes me question it. I assume staying on the high side would be how to tackle it. Definitely not one I'd try for my first climb. I keep picturing myself swinging around underneath the trunk.

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OSUTodd said:
So I'm planning to ditch the sticks and get set up for 2TC after I decide this season is over, just not wanting to change up during the season. While I was hunting this morning, I noticed a nearby tree might be a lot easier to get into than the one I was in, which has two forks and four other limbs to pass my tether/linemans belt around. Took me forever to get up, and I was already late getting in due to my own mistakes. The issue with the tree I was looking at is it leans slightly, and then has about a two foot section with even more lean. Above that it's straight up, which is where I'd like to be set up.

For those who have significant 2TC experience, is this a tree you would try to climb? The kink in the middle is what makes me question it. I assume staying on the high side would be how to tackle it. Definitely not one I'd try for my first climb. I keep picturing myself swinging around underneath the trunk.

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You got it right, stay on the high side and you shouldn’t have an issue. I don’t know if I would climb this tree, but that has nothing to with 2TC. I have not avoided climbing a tree I wanted to be in because of 2TC, let’s put it that way. 2TC is very versatile. I am going on my second full season exclusive 2TC. The most annoying trees for me to 2TC are super skinny ones and really big ones 2’+. All the ones in between are no problem.
 
Big trees get a bit sketchy with 2TC. Just so hard to move the tethers up. Climbed a tree the other day that I barely got my CGM foot loop around and it was a pain to climb. Had to use the foot tether to extend the predator platform strap.
 
OSUTodd said:
So I'm planning to ditch the sticks and get set up for 2TC after I decide this season is over, just not wanting to change up during the season. While I was hunting this morning, I noticed a nearby tree might be a lot easier to get into than the one I was in, which has two forks and four other limbs to pass my tether/linemans belt around. Took me forever to get up, and I was already late getting in due to my own mistakes. The issue with the tree I was looking at is it leans slightly, and then has about a two foot section with even more lean. Above that it's straight up, which is where I'd like to be set up.

For those who have significant 2TC experience, is this a tree you would try to climb? The kink in the middle is what makes me question it. I assume staying on the high side would be how to tackle it. Definitely not one I'd try for my first climb. I keep picturing myself swinging around underneath the trunk.

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I'd climb that. The diameter looks pretty even throughout, and the bark is not flaky.
As for the lean, if you get a good footing and shorten your foot tether up, and lengthen your upper tether, i think you could make the whole leaning section in one move. Then just re-adjust back to your normal positions.
Knowing and using your body parts as dimensions for how you setup your 2 tethers is critical to being able to adjust at wonky sections, then putting it back to your "comfortable" positions.
 
I would climb it 2tc. The best thing is to practice with it so if you can get to that tree in the off season give it a shot after getting good on straight trees. The other nice thing about 2TC is you probably already have all the gear needed absent a foot loop. You can make your own or splurge and spend the $25 on the nice one that CGM makes.
 
Samcirrus said:
As for the lean, if you get a good footing and shorten your foot tether up, and lengthen your upper tether, i think you could make the whole leaning section in one move. Then just re-adjust back to your normal positions.
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Thank you everyone for the quick replies.

That's something I hadn't considered - changing tether lengths during a climb. Hadn't seen that in any of the videos I've watched so far. It would be interesting to see some more complicated or unusual climbs on video.
 
Sorry I'm late to the party! Yes, I'd definitely climb that 2TC. I like to stay on the high side sort of like climbing a ladder. A lot of times that means making micro adjustments in route up trees due to the way the tree naturally twists. Most don't have a pronounced kink in them like this one, but they are often subtle.

Trees that give me the most trouble are small trees. With the 11.4mm ropes I prefer, especially the top tether being stiff Bluewater Assault line, big trees just don't bother me much.
 
I'll offer a different perspective - I think this tree would be difficult to 2TC. It leans AND has a sharp kink. I hunted one with a kink similar to this a few weeks ago, and it was difficult. Doable, but hard. I have >50 climbs under my belt.

The absolute hardest tree I've ever 2TC'd had a sharp bend about halfway up, I think it was originally a fork, but one side of the fork is gone now. I almost didn't succeed.

The reason why sharp bends are so hard for me is because of my foot tether. Assuming one is climbing the high side of the tree, when your tether is around the tree above the bend, but your foot is below the bend, the tether has to go over the bend, which makes it want to skate out to the side when you put any weight on your foot. And any significant amount of lean makes everything harder.

To be fair these types of trees are tough with other climbing methods too (except rope climbing, I assume). 2TC is the bomb, just want to be realistic here. If others have figured out a way to easily navigate this type of tree (and have proven that it works with hunting gear on) I'd be interested to know. I've tried to climb the low side but the lean is too severe and it's nearly impossible (at least for me). I already continuously change the length of both my tethers, but there might be way to do it like Sam's suggestion of jumping the kink.
 
This one from last year stands out. It was a small diameter very hard/slick bark tree that corkscrewed all the way up. I bet following the high side I went 3/4 of the way around it going up. It was just a pain. It was also hot and humid that day which made fighting the tree even more fun. It was the only option in that dense bedding area to choose from that I could get a shot to the feed tree. The picture really doesn't do it justice.

Sometimes the only tree to climb is alone for a reason, lol. Because it is a jerk.
 

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The tree to the right looks like u climb half as high and have twice the cover.... Just more unpleasant because of the branches. If I did go up the tree in question I would set the platform right at the beginning of the bend and have the tether on the leaning part. Some of the more comfortable long sits for me have been set up like that...platform at the beging of the bend and tether on the crooked section
 
I 2TCd a tree like that, set up in a straight portion above a spirally bend. Not long after getting set up I got the rumbles and thought (hoped) they’d pass. Next rumble told me I couldn’t make it down (wish I had a rappel rope then) so I used my two panel saddle to the fullest extent. I successfully cleared all my gear and threw my tp close to the base so I could see it and bury it when I got down.

Unfortunately I didn’t clear the kink in the tree and had to be very careful about my rope placement on the way down with several micro-adjusts to make sure I didn’t get any diarrhea on my tethers. It worked out ok, I adjusted my tethers really long and kept my feet on the trunk instead of leg wrapping. I have never been happier to not slip coming down.
 
DanD said:
I 2TCd a tree like that, set up in a straight portion above a spirally bend. Not long after getting set up I got the rumbles and thought (hoped) they’d pass. Next rumble told me I couldn’t make it down (wish I had a rappel rope then) so I used my two panel saddle to the fullest extent. I successfully cleared all my gear and threw my tp close to the base so I could see it and bury it when I got down.

Unfortunately I didn’t clear the kink in the tree and had to be very careful about my rope placement on the way down with several micro-adjusts to make sure I didn’t get any diarrhea on my tethers. It worked out ok, I adjusted my tethers really long and kept my feet on the trunk instead of leg wrapping. I have never been happier to not slip coming down.
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2 words for you...Zip Lock
 
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