• 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

ATC for Rappelling

T

Tylerhorner33

Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2020
Messages
62
Thinking about rappelling but I don’t have the money for a mad rock or petzl. Has anyone just used a classic ATC? I know it doesn’t have the built in safety but I could add a modified Prusic above it as a redundancy. Didn’t know if anyone else has done something Like this.
 
yes this was the setup recocmended to me by more experienced pepple on here and what i'm still learning/ getting comfortable with. one tweak though- put the prussik (autoblock) below the ATC on the tag end of the rope, not above it on the tree side (but either way just make sure it can't get caught in the ATC, i've found that if i clip the hollowblock in to a linesman loop and use a longer bridge it catches and holds completely before it can enter the ATC. your experience may vary depending on bodysize/ bridge length. Attach the prussik to a lineman loop and the ATC to your bridge like this and you can rappel with basically one hand on the autoblock/ tag end, and have the other if the ATC needs to be adjusted/ held then stop and take off your sticks etc with two hands. i think if the prussik is above it'll work the same way but youd need to rappel with one hand on the prussik, the other on the tag line, which doesn't give you any hands if the ATC needs to be held at an angle i'm still learning but use sterling hollowblock on my 8mm resc tech rope for this purpose.

let some more experienced memebers weigh in before you do anything, but hopefully that's enough to give you some words/phrases to search with
 
I used a simple figure-8 with a friction knot backup (Schwabisch hitch) placed on the braking hand until I bought the Safeguard. That system, or one with an ATC substituted works great for rappelling. My only beef was having to switch over before a rappel down. I wanted the ability to rappel at any point if something were to happen on the climb up.
 
Lots of discussions on here about using an ATC. Use google to search for them since ATC is not enough letters for the site’s search.

In google search for:
ATC site:saddlehunter.com
 
ATC's and figure 8's are what everyone used before going to Madrocks, GriGris and Birdies. Works great in tandem with an autoblock. Can't go wrong watching @JCLINE84's video and mimicking his setup.
 
Tylerhorner33 said:
Thinking about rappelling but I don’t have the money for a mad rock or petzl. Has anyone just used a classic ATC? I know it doesn’t have the built in safety but I could add a modified Prusic above it as a redundancy. Didn’t know if anyone else has done something Like this.
Click to expand...
I have another video showing my setup in more detail but it’s basically an atc, a 13 inch prusik, and a couple carabiners. I use it more than I use the safeguard. Works flawlessly every time. Easy to hook up. Super quiet.
 
Tylerhorner33 said:
Thinking about rappelling but I don’t have the money for a mad rock or petzl. Has anyone just used a classic ATC? I know it doesn’t have the built in safety but I could add a modified Prusic above it as a redundancy. Didn’t know if anyone else has done something Like this.
Click to expand...

Built in safety? An ATC definitely safer than either of the mechanical belays you mentioned. Just use an autoblock if you need to be hands free on the way down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
JCLINE84 said:
I have another video showing my setup in more detail but it’s basically an atc, a 13 inch prusik, and a couple carabiners. I use it more than I use the safeguard. Works flawlessly every time. Easy to hook up. Super quiet.
Click to expand...
Do you have a link to your video?
 
midTNhunter said:
Do you use a different tether on your climb or is that atc/prussic in place during your climb and at hunting height?
Click to expand...
I hunt from my normal tether and then hook up my rappel setup for the descent
 
I'm giving some thought to an assisted (non-mechanical) braking device like the BD Guide, Edelrid Juul/micro Juul, or Mammut Smart 2.0... designed more for belay, but some reports of good rappelling capabilities too.

That said any in spec ATC w/ an auto-block works sweet too.
 
I just started using an atc the way @JCLINE84 lays it out in the video. Just set it up for the descent at the end of the hunt. Loving it.

My biggest concern so far is dropping the atc device while I’m setting it up... anybody ever dropped one before? I know worst case scenario I would need to one stick down, but I sure would be in a bad mood if that happened :)

Just trying to think this through and wondering if it would impede anything if I put paracord or something on the atc to keep it from dropping..but then I worry it could get tangled and be more of a mess than it’s worth. Thoughts?
 
goody94 said:
I just started using an atc the way @JCLINE84 lays it out in the video. Just set it up for the descent at the end of the hunt. Loving it.

My biggest concern so far is dropping the atc device while I’m setting it up... anybody ever dropped one before? I know worst case scenario I would need to one stick down, but I sure would be in a bad mood if that happened :)

Just trying to think this through and wondering if it would impede anything if I put paracord or something on the atc to keep it from dropping..but then I worry it could get tangled and be more of a mess than it’s worth. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I usually have a back up figure 8 in my get out of the tree kit. Probably easier to pack in a small 8 than tying off an atc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
goody94 said:
I just started using an atc the way @JCLINE84 lays it out in the video. Just set it up for the descent at the end of the hunt. Loving it.

My biggest concern so far is dropping the atc device while I’m setting it up... anybody ever dropped one before? I know worst case scenario I would need to one stick down, but I sure would be in a bad mood if that happened :)

Just trying to think this through and wondering if it would impede anything if I put paracord or something on the atc to keep it from dropping..but then I worry it could get tangled and be more of a mess than it’s worth. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Learn how to tie a Munter hitch. That way you’re good as long as you have a carabiner with you in the tree.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top