Backing up Ropeman on tether

[NWPA22]

I know there has been a lot of content out here about the use and safety of the Ropeman 1. (As a side note I know those topics may be old hat to some but I have found it very helpful as a saddle newbie) There are always new faces on here, myself included, this will be my first year using a saddle, and having a repository like this where people can find useful information from intelligent people, and me , is priceless. That being said I wanted to move beyond the critique of the Ropeman and ask how you folks are backing systems up. I have heard about knots in the tag end, and having a prussic on your tether as a secondary. If you are using a backup could you please explain how you make that happen? Pics would be great and detailed descriptions as well, what knot you used etc...

 

[huntin_addict]

After I'm all tethered in, I tie a truckers loop into my tether and then clip that on my beaner. It then serves 2 purposes, 1 as a backup to the ropeman and one as a handhold to pull up on to stand / lean or let myself back down to seated position.

 

[woodsdog2]

I plan on keeping the prussic knot loops that came on both my Tethrd lineman's belt and my tether then loading the Ropeman 1 and using those primarily on both. I like the fact that I have a back up option on line.… like we say in hunter safety, "Never rely on your firearm safety in place of good gun handling, a safety is a mechanical device which could fail".... same thing with anything man-made and mechanical... it could fail. I like the convenience and adjustability of the Ropeman 1 but I like the added insurance of the prussic knots physically being there on both of my lines and available if needed.

 

[DaveT1963]

Guys using a saddle and ropeman is not all that dangerous - this is dangerous

 

[NWPA22]

Guys using a saddle and ropeman is not all that dangerous - this is dangerous

HAHAHA these are great!

 

[Sziggy2.0]

Well there is always some calculated risk, those guys in the video failed math. Nuts, no thanks.

 

[kyler1945]

Most major step changes in technology in a given field are made by risk takers, crazy people, people with what we now call mental or learning "disabilities". The real action is on the cutting edge. For some of you old timers - what did most people say when someone came out with an aluminum climbing stick when all that was out there was the stackable steel ones? How was/is a saddle looked at by most people?

Taking risks is fun. Its our human instinct to follow the call to adventure - some way more than others.

But I don't look down on folks who do it- whether for their own gratification, or in the pursuit of something great.

My repeated attempt to speak clearly on risk analysis and the dangers around climbing and falls is not to take the fun out of it. It's because most people doing it don't understand how risky it is, and they aren't here to innovate. They just want to get up a tree cheap, fast, and with light weight.

For those of you who are pushing limits, and living on the cutting edge, thank you. You're awesome.

 

[Apex7]

I use a prusik as backup on my tether.

 

[Islandshooter]

Been using ropemans for years, longer than I watched the thread on this!! Lol. But, having said that, just ordered the prussick kit from aero to see if makes adjusting the tree rope height as easy as a ropeman. Not sure I'll ever stress the rope enuff to have a ropeman fail, but it's only 20 bucks to try it.

 

[woodsdog2]

I am an "older timer" Man I hate admitting that!!! I still have one of the original tree saddles (pre- Tree suit) I will take a picture of it and post it to this thread later. It was all black nylon webbing like the older tree harnesses with the plastic buckles... circa post Baker Stand era pre API and Summit climber era like mid to late 1980's when I was a teenager. Anyway, I believe the company name was Advantage Hunting Products out of Belmont, New York. My cousin and I bought these way back then at a hunting show. You should have seen the look on our father's faces when we plunked $120 down on those suckers back in the day!!! Trapping and haying money mind you!!! Talk about thinking you are nuts!!! These "saddles" came in a durable cordura black pouch with screw in climbing eyebolts which also doubled as your anchor system and climbing system all in one. You had two points of contact one right at your waist and then a longer tether.... all webbing. You would screw the threaded eyebolts into the tree like the old telephone/electric poles one on the right side one on the left side alternating. We used to hangout of these as they mimicked a "swiss-seat" you would rig with a rope system for rappelling. (Yes, we rappelled off of silo's with just a rope made swiss seat they teach you in the military if you become rappel master certified). Very cutting edge at the time..... and that's why we wanted them. Mobility, light weight, hunt anywhere. I'll never forget my cousin's first ever bow kill was out of one of these... a spike buck we tracked until around 10:30pm he hit it at last night with his ole' Onieda Tomcat. I was using a Hoyt Provantage Hunter because I idolized Chuck Adams. Surely we digress. But back to the cutting edge. Thank God for trying new things....

 

[kyler1945]

I am an "older timer" Man I hate admitting that!!! I still have one of the original tree saddles (pre- Tree suit) I will take a picture of it and post it to this thread later. It was all black nylon webbing like the older tree harnesses with the plastic buckles... circa post Baker Stand era pre API and Summit climber era like mid to late 1980's when I was a teenager. Anyway, I believe the company name was Advantage Hunting Products out of Belmont, New York. My cousin and I bought these way back then at a hunting show. You should have seen the look on our father's faces when we plunked $120 down on those suckers back in the day!!! Trapping and haying money mind you!!! Talk about thinking you are nuts!!! These "saddles" came in a durable cordura black pouch with screw in climbing eyebolts which also doubled as your anchor system and climbing system all in one. You had two points of contact one right at your waist and then a longer tether.... all webbing. You would screw the threaded eyebolts into the tree like the old telephone/electric poles one on the right side one on the left side alternating. We used to hangout of these as they mimicked a "swiss-seat" you would rig with a rope system for rappelling. (Yes, we rappelled off of silo's with just a rope made swiss seat they teach you in the military if you become rappel master certified). Very cutting edge at the time..... and that's why we wanted them. Mobility, light weight, hunt anywhere. I'll never forget my cousin's first ever bow kill was out of one of these... a spike buck we tracked until around 10:30pm he hit it at last night with his ole' Onieda Tomcat. I was using a Hoyt Provantage Hunter because I idolized Chuck Adams. Surely we digress. But back to the cutting edge. Thank God for trying new things....

Feel free to share more stories anytime! good stuff...

 

[Scott F]

I use a prusik as backup on my tether.

This

I have a prusik directly above my Ropeman and it has about 10" of length to it which I clip into my bridge carabiner. It slides easy when I have to adjust my Ropeman but after I get it where I want it I usually give it a slight tug to cinch it down a little in the event that the Ropeman lets go on me. The purpose of this prusik is to stop me from falling the 2 or 3 feet of slack that is on my tether.

Is it needed? probably not, but (even if only to me) I am worth the added price of the couple gram total weight of this backup.

 

[Scott F]

If you look at my picture in my avatar you can see what looks like (2) tether ropes. One is my tether, the other is my back up prusik - I have a short length of 1" tubular webbing slipped over it so the two ends of the prusik are easier to manage, should things get exciting to me and I want to reach up and grab this.

Ronald Reagan famously said words to the effect of, "Trust the dealer but always cut the cards." I hunt from a homemade saddle and trust that I am safe - but I am cutting the cards every chance I get!

 

[Apex7]

This

I have a prusik directly above my Ropeman and it has about 10" of length to it which I clip into my bridge carabiner. It slides easy when I have to adjust my Ropeman but after I get it where I want it I usually give it a slight tug to cinch it down a little in the event that the Ropeman lets go on me. The purpose of this prusik is to stop me from falling the 2 or 3 feet of slack that is on my tether.

Is it needed? probably not, but (even if only to me) I am worth the added price of the couple gram total weight of this backup.

Same thing I do.

 

[patriotoutlaw]

I have a prusik above my Ropeman. I use it as backup. But not until I am in position in the tree. I have no worries about the Ropeman gnawing, cutting or otherwise damaging my rope. I feel secure and trust all of my knots and equipment while in the tree.

 

[sdonx]

After I'm all tethered in, I tie a truckers loop into my tether and then clip that on my beaner. It then serves 2 purposes, 1 as a backup to the ropeman and one as a handhold to pull up on to stand / lean or let myself back down to seated position.

X2

 

[sdonx]

HAHAHA these are great!

My knees where seriously weak while watching.

 

[Madgrad02]

I am also using a prusik knot to backup my ropeman. I don't feel as though i introduce enough slack into my system that would warrant some of the issues that have been discussed on here as of late, but like the original poster mentioned, I too am also new to saddle hunting and have used a backup knot above my ropemans just for my peace of mind up to this point. That being said, and I asked this on one of the other "Ropeman" threads, and not sure if it got lost in the back and forth, but I currently have the prusik close enough to the ropeman that I can manipulate both the ropeman and the prusik simultaneously. I guess my concern and question pertains to if there is a sufficient amount of "tag end" of the tether that the not needs to cinch down, and do I need to increase the distance between my prusik and ropeman (if that is making any sense)? If they are close together as they currently are now, would I be better served increasing the distance between friction hitch and ropeman? Thanks.

 

[woodsdog2]

Don't Laugh!!! Here are the picks of that old "saddle" system I was talking about earlier in this thread. I think it was called the Tree-Hawk or something like that from Advantage Sporting Products out of Belmont, NY.

 

[Kurt]

That's hard to watch. It's nice to know there's people out there dumber than me.

 

[RDGARD]

Don't Laugh!!! Here are the picks of that old "saddle" system I was talking about earlier in this thread. I think it was called the Tree-Hawk or something like that from Advantage Sporting Products out of Belmont, NY.

Have you used that saddle lately or does it scare you now?