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Advancing your tether while one sticking

Ncbowhunter

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
21
I’ve seen a video on a set of straps attached to your tether to use as handles so your not having your fingers getting between the tree and rope but I can’t seem to find it again. Can anyone Direct me in the right direction?
 
I’ve seen a video on a set of straps attached to your tether to use as handles so your not having your fingers getting between the tree and rope but I can’t seem to find it again. Can anyone Direct me in the right direction?
I believe Custom Gear Modifications makes some @always89y
Another easy option is to buy a few feet of tubular webbing and 6” of small rubber hose or 5/16 cheap rope. Cut the hose or rope to 3”. Cut the tubular webbing into 18” pieces. Slide the rope or rubber hose inside the tubular webbing and tie the webbing into a continuous loop.
Make 2 of these and girth hitch them onto your tether. Very easy and cheap way to make little finger savers for the tether while you advance it. The rope or rubber hose will help keep it somewhat open so it’s easy to get your fingers in them and out of your tether
 
Use your linesman rope in conjunction with your tether. Linesman tight (above your waist) as you move your tether. Tether tight as you move your linesman. Seems complicated at first, but after a little practice it’s easy. Besides, it’s only two-three moves.
however you move your tether (as stated above, which I’ve tried both and still have the G3D pieces), as you step up you really only have a single point of good contact with the tree (the toe in the aider that’s buried into the bark). With the addition of a tight linesman, you are more stable as you transition up. But, that’s just me and how I do it after long talks with guys that climb poles for a living.Good luck, stay with it, it gets easier each rep
 
I’ve been climbing poles for a living for 21 years. They will be no double safeties unless I’m in transition. Climbing and one sticking are not comparable at all. Right leg right arm/ left leg left arm. Like a train. The only comparable practice I see is moving your tether as you climb up. Keeping a shorter tether length as you move. That way if you do slip it’s a short shock. I learned from free climb to buck squeeze. Move your tether as you go and no need have extra. Just put your hands around the back of the tree and move. Climbing safeties do allow you to fall the length of you forearm or more and mash your junk against the pole. Learning how to place your feet is another. I’ve done climbing exhibitions for safety departments and companies. From proper technique to pole top rescue, live man rescue, and pole transition and blah blah blah. If your advice is coming from guys with line life or hookin ain’t easy type stickers or tattoos. Run from the advice.
 
I’ve been climbing poles for a living for 21 years. They will be no double safeties unless I’m in transition. Climbing and one sticking are not comparable at all. Right leg right arm/ left leg left arm. Like a train. The only comparable practice I see is moving your tether as you climb up. Keeping a shorter tether length as you move. That way if you do slip it’s a short shock. I learned from free climb to buck squeeze. Move your tether as you go and no need have extra. Just put your hands around the back of the tree and move. Climbing safeties do allow you to fall the length of you forearm or more and mash your junk against the pole. Learning how to place your feet is another. I’ve done climbing exhibitions for safety departments and companies. From proper technique to pole top rescue, live man rescue, and pole transition and blah blah blah. If your advice is coming from guys with line life or hookin ain’t easy type stickers or tattoos. Run from the advice.
Yeah, you’re right. i guess cLimbing a pole and one sticking are not comparable. Sorry, I’ve never climbed a pole, so i dont know anything about it.
 
Yeah, you’re right. i guess cLimbing a pole and one sticking are not comparable. Sorry, I’ve never climbed a pole, so i dont know anything about it.
I didn’t mean to sound rude. Sorry about that. These kids out here are spreading potential for others to get hurt. Climbing poles and trees are not even comparable from the lineman arborist stand point. The only thing I’ve found to help is no fear of heights and knowledge of moving at height.
 
I believe Custom Gear Modifications makes some @always89y
Another easy option is to buy a few feet of tubular webbing and 6” of small rubber hose or 5/16 cheap rope. Cut the hose or rope to 3”. Cut the tubular webbing into 18” pieces. Slide the rope or rubber hose inside the tubular webbing and tie the webbing into a continuous loop.
Make 2 of these and girth hitch them onto your tether. Very easy and cheap way to make little finger savers for the tether while you advance it. The rope or rubber hose will help keep it somewhat open so it’s easy to get your fingers in them and out of your tether
Thank you. I’ll give it a try
 
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I’ve been climbing poles for a living for 21 years. They will be no double safeties unless I’m in transition. Climbing and one sticking are not comparable at all. Right leg right arm/ left leg left arm. Like a train. The only comparable practice I see is moving your tether as you climb up. Keeping a shorter tether length as you move. That way if you do slip it’s a short shock. I learned from free climb to buck squeeze. Move your tether as you go and no need have extra. Just put your hands around the back of the tree and move. Climbing safeties do allow you to fall the length of you forearm or more and mash your junk against the pole. Learning how to place your feet is another. I’ve done climbing exhibitions for safety departments and companies. From proper technique to pole top rescue, live man rescue, and pole transition and blah blah blah. If your advice is coming from guys with line life or hookin ain’t easy type stickers or tattoos. Run from the advice.
I didn’t mean to sound rude. Sorry about that. These kids out here are spreading potential for others to get hurt. Climbing poles and trees are not even comparable from the lineman arborist stand point. The only thing I’ve found to help is no fear of heights and knowledge of moving at height.
I feel like you are misunderstanding the post or why islandshooter’s advice is good in this instance. When guys one stick climb they are introducing slack by climbing on a step and aiders until they are well above their tether connection point. He is referring to using your lineman’s rope in conjunction with your tether while you one stick climb to help keep slack down until you get your tether advanced. It’s way different. The OG post was asking for a way to advance his tether while one stick climbing without putting his fingers under the tether between the rope and the tree. What you suggested on your post doesn’t apply to him while he’s one sticking because he will be climbing above his connection point. Since a tether girth hitched the tree it can pinch your fingers off if you fell with your hands behind the tree with your fingers inside the ropes pinch point. That’s the reference in the post.
 
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I’ve been climbing poles for a living for 21 years. They will be no double safeties unless I’m in transition. Climbing and one sticking are not comparable at all. Right leg right arm/ left leg left arm. Like a train. The only comparable practice I see is moving your tether as you climb up. Keeping a shorter tether length as you move. That way if you do slip it’s a short shock. I learned from free climb to buck squeeze. Move your tether as you go and no need have extra. Just put your hands around the back of the tree and move. Climbing safeties do allow you to fall the length of you forearm or more and mash your junk against the pole. Learning how to place your feet is another. I’ve done climbing exhibitions for safety departments and companies. From proper technique to pole top rescue, live man rescue, and pole transition and blah blah blah. If your advice is coming from guys with line life or hookin ain’t easy type stickers or tattoos. Run from the advice.
Basically while one stick climbing, every couple of steps is “transitioning” because they use the tether to swing while pulling the stick and aiders up to reposition them. Most guys only use their tether and climb way above it. Islandshooter was suggesting adding the lineman’s rope to keep tensioning which would slow or assist in preventing a fall until the tether was advanced above the climbers head again. I’m like you and don’t like slack in my system. I don’t believe in redundant safeties because I trust my gear and my ability to climb. For these reasons I don’t one stick but anything someone can do to not pinch their fingers, or limit slack in their system, I support. I can’t make guys stop one sticking but I can make suggestions to help make them marginally safer when they do it.
 
Basically while one stick climbing, every couple of steps is “transitioning” because they use the tether to swing while pulling the stick and aiders up to reposition them. Most guys only use their tether and climb way above it. Islandshooter was suggesting adding the lineman’s rope to keep tensioning which would slow or assist in preventing a fall until the tether was advanced above the climbers head again. I’m like you and don’t like slack in my system. I don’t believe in redundant safeties because I trust my gear and my ability to climb. For these reasons I don’t one stick but anything someone can do to not pinch their fingers, or limit slack in their system, I support. I can’t make guys stop one sticking but I can make suggestions to help make them marginally safer when they do it.
I get what he is saying about pinch but I have found one stick can be done without introducing slack. Just a matter of understanding the gear and moving at height. I do get more frustrated with punk kids trying to share” Lineman”knowledge that doesn’t translate. It’s very dangerous and could cause equipment to be used in a dangerous situation. Like I tell these younger kids. A monkey can climb it’s knowing what your doing when you get there. A more appropriate way to remove slack and avoid pinch would be to step up and remove slack in the tether til you stand up and introduce enough slack to advance the tether. That allows little slack and a minimal scuff like taking up slack in your auxiliary safety as you step up into it. My lineman and me have been going through the process nailing down a way to one stick without introducing shock or a lengthy fall and sudden stop.
 
I get what he is saying about pinch but I have found one stick can be done without introducing slack. Just a matter of understanding the gear and moving at height. I do get more frustrated with punk kids trying to share” Lineman”knowledge that doesn’t translate. It’s very dangerous and could cause equipment to be used in a dangerous situation. Like I tell these younger kids. A monkey can climb it’s knowing what your doing when you get there. A more appropriate way to remove slack and avoid pinch would be to step up and remove slack in the tether til you stand up and introduce enough slack to advance the tether. That allows little slack and a minimal scuff like taking up slack in your auxiliary safety as you step up into it. My lineman and me have been going through the process nailing down a way to one stick without introducing shock or a lengthy fall and sudden stop.
Please send me a video of one-sticking with no slack (using a three step aider).
 
I get what he is saying about pinch but I have found one stick can be done without introducing slack. Just a matter of understanding the gear and moving at height. I do get more frustrated with punk kids trying to share” Lineman”knowledge that doesn’t translate. It’s very dangerous and could cause equipment to be used in a dangerous situation. Like I tell these younger kids. A monkey can climb it’s knowing what your doing when you get there. A more appropriate way to remove slack and avoid pinch would be to step up and remove slack in the tether til you stand up and introduce enough slack to advance the tether. That allows little slack and a minimal scuff like taking up slack in your auxiliary safety as you step up into it. My lineman and me have been going through the process nailing down a way to one stick without introducing shock or a lengthy fall and sudden stop.
I get it. I see stuff on you tube with people giving advice that have had zero experience with work positioning harnesses and no formal climbing training other than other you tubers. It is annoying however, the advice he got was from me. I started back in 1999 and am still working utility (although I moved out of T&D maintenance and into a different role these days). The easiest way would be to do what that hunting stix guy does and just advance the tether as high as possible and use a rappel tool or a rope grab to take up the slack as you step. Advancing your tether while positioning in an aider is not an easy task and while it does beat falling further, it would likely result in more falls especially from guys less experienced than your self or less physically fit
 
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I get it. I see stuff on you tube with people giving advice that have had zero experience with work positioning harnesses and no formal climbing training other than other you tubers. It is annoying however, the advice he got was from me. I started back in 1999 and am still working utility (although I moved out of T&D maintenance and into a different role these days). The easiest way would be to do what that hunting stix guy does and just advance the tether as high as possible and use a rappel tool or a rope grab to take up the slack as you step. Advancing your tether while positioning in an aider is not an easy task and while it does beat falling further, it would likely result in more falls especially from guys less experienced than your self or less physically fit
You would be correct as others get bad advice. Also the way you describe is how I climb without introducing slack. It’s a matter of equipment and mechanics of climbing. I do see your point of those without proper climbing experience needing different variables addressed. I still like the 3d printed tabs better they introduce less tether roll and finger pinch. Our auxiliary safety comes with rubber tubing that causes major slipping and people without proper mechanics will grab what’s in there hands when falling so I’m not a fan of any attachment that promotes grasping. I’ve watched a kid one wouldn’t turn loose of his buck squeeze go to the ground with a buck squeeze.
 
You can diy a tether advancer handle by using two strong zip ties looped around the tether, just don't close them completely, they work well and are cheap to replace. Not as comfortable as a printed handle but it's got the job done for me so far. I've been debating using two cheap carabineers or the like as well but zip ties are working fine so far.
 
I get it. I see stuff on you tube with people giving advice that have had zero experience with work positioning harnesses and no formal climbing training other than other you tubers. It is annoying however, the advice he got was from me. I started back in 1999 and am still working utility (although I moved out of T&D maintenance and into a different role these days). The easiest way would be to do what that hunting stix guy does and just advance the tether as high as possible and use a rappel tool or a rope grab to take up the slack as you step. Advancing your tether while positioning in an aider is not an easy task and while it does beat falling further, it would likely result in more falls especially from guys less experienced than your self or less physically fit
When you mention physically fit. I often, we’ll always, think of my guys climbing or myself. Not people of other abilities or trades. I will say. I have seen allot of guys promote free climbing the first set up. Not a fan. That is when you can fall easily when you have considered it’s not that far. I’ve been tinkering with something like a bungee with buttons. That your hands would remain flat with the buttons between your fingers for balance while picking up. The elastic makes bounce so if you do slip the bungee stretches and the rope cinches immediately. Just ain’t figured it out yet where I feel good about it
 
You would be correct as others get bad advice. Also the way you describe is how I climb without introducing slack. It’s a matter of equipment and mechanics of climbing. I do see your point of those without proper climbing experience needing different variables addressed. I still like the 3d printed tabs better they introduce less tether roll and finger pinch. Our auxiliary safety comes with rubber tubing that causes major slipping and people without proper mechanics will grab what’s in there hands when falling so I’m not a fan of any attachment that promotes grasping. I’ve watched a kid one wouldn’t turn loose of his buck squeeze go to the ground with a buck squeeze.
The grab on makes sense in the idea of pulling the girth hitch loose increasing fall distance, but the cheap chafe guard or tubular webbing with some rubber hose only big enough for a couple fingers shouldn’t give that type of holding capability. I made that suggestion simply so that someone could avoid finger pinch. The genesis 3 d works great but this is also a very DIY heavy site. I made suggestions in case that is more the OG’s preference.

as far as someone going all the way down on a squeeze, I can honestly say I’ve never seen that. Was the squeeze positioned too widely on the pole sides when he cut out so that his grasp applied pressure outwardly instead of down? Or did his lineman have more slack than his arms were long? Sounds like that would take some seriously bad positioning mechanics for that to happen.
 
When you mention physically fit. I often, we’ll always, think of my guys climbing or myself. Not people of other abilities or trades. I will say. I have seen allot of guys promote free climbing the first set up. Not a fan. That is when you can fall easily when you have considered it’s not that far. I’ve been tinkering with something like a bungee with buttons. That your hands would remain flat with the buttons between your fingers for balance while picking up. The elastic makes bounce so if you do slip the bungee stretches and the rope cinches immediately. Just ain’t figured it out yet where I feel good about it
That makes total sense as well. I use shock cord (bungee) with a small rounded hook for my tether holder. I see no reason why some stuff bungee with a round button would not work as an easy way to avoid finger pinch as well as avoid unnecessary grabbing of the girth hitch portion
 
The grab on makes sense in the idea of pulling the girth hitch loose increasing fall distance, but the cheap chafe guard or tubular webbing with some rubber hose only big enough for a couple fingers shouldn’t give that type of holding capability. I made that suggestion simply so that someone could avoid finger pinch. The genesis 3 d works great but this is also a very DIY heavy site. I made suggestions in case that is more the OG’s preference.

as far as someone going all the way down on a squeeze, I can honestly say I’ve never seen that. Was the squeeze positioned too widely on the pole sides when he cut out so that his grasp applied pressure outwardly instead of down? Or did his lineman have more slack than his arms were long? Sounds like that would take some seriously bad positioning mechanics for that to happen.
No. If the squeeze is below your waist line and you have your hands on the side with the green web and brown webbing and hand on the attachment clasp and push down and cut out it prevents it from squeezing. He froze as I was screaming let go of the belt. He was a young kid. Could climb like a squirrel but didn’t know how to react to situations just yet. I used to do demo for buckingham for the company I work at. Had to figure out how they failed.
 
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