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Backup Your Device with a Hedden Knot

John RB said:
I finally had time to play with the Klemheist and had these observations:

3. Flimsy ropes will collapse easier than stiff ropes. I don't recognize the ropes you used. If you don't know the brand and specs of the rope you're on, even if you got it from a saddle supplier, it might not be fit for the application. If the supplier of the rope isn't giving you that information or references to it from the original manufacturer, I wouldn't use the rope or the supplier.
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Dude!
I have soo many different ropes and hitch cords that I honestly can't remember what name brand half of them are!

I have tried dozens of combinations of rope vs cord and another bakers dozen of different hitches. So yea, I kinda know what I like so far and the Klemheist ain't really one of them. Nowadays I only use it on a foot tether as a tether handle and for going around limbs or a pack/bow holder hitch once at height...Maybe this weekend I'll try the Hedden some more?

And really, I only use the Klemheist as a secondary hitch anyways since I've learned quite a few better ones in the last year or so...

That being said, almost everything I use is either rated climbing rope or hitch cord, or accessory cord that is definitely gonna hold my skinny ass up in a tree .
 
John RB said:
Cool, and thanks. I knew there was zero chance we wouldn't agree after we both took 2nd look, and let me confess that I have my share of mixups over the years. (Yrs ago, I tied the Zeppelin bend wrong forever, for example. ) Back on topic, I am also a proponent of the many better hitches with better performance. But this thread is about a backup, not our primary attachment, and it's likely for the less experienced knot tyers. Ya see, I am regularly reminded that folks like you and I and some of our friends on the Friction Hitch thread are pretty experienced and comfortable with tying and using Friction Hitches compared to the average new saddle hunter who is misled into believing they need device X or device Y. Show them a Michoacán and they think its really complicated and are intimidated to tie it. Thats no crime, and so I suppose complexity is in the eye of the beholder. I believe the folks selling and promoting the devices aren't telling em that you can get stuck on device X or that device Y is prone to slippage on wet rope (or whatever failure mode it has). I am just trying to address those situations by giving them an escape plan and a solid, high confidence backup that's easy to tie. If nothing else, they will have some peace of mind when breaking in a device and learning its nuances. Cheers brother. If I had friends, they'd be smart, helpful dudes like you.

JrbTreeClimbing.com, affiliated with RockNArbor.com
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If something were to happen to the primary attachment, with the Hedden, you now have to deal with a very uncooperative hitch. You may have shock loaded the hitch, binding it up very tight, and you may not be in an ideal, upright position.
 
You guys are great. Some people get it real easy when it comes to knot/hitch tying and some don't. It's just how we are wired. I unfortunately fall in the second category, but you guys explain stuff so well even I am able to tie the most basic hitches that I need to saddle hunt safely and with confidence. Helps me concentrate on other things like killin deers so a big thanks.
 
Brocky said:
If something were to happen to the primary attachment, with the Hedden, you now have to deal with a very uncooperative hitch. You may have shock loaded the hitch, binding it up very tight, and you may not be in an ideal, upright position.
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Agree. I addressed that in a prior video. And the scenario is not specific to Hedden ... a prusik or a Distel can be uncooperative after a good load. We all should have a plan for an emergency rappel and a way to completely unload a jammed friction hitch or stuck rappel device.

JrbTreeClimbing.com, affiliated with RockNArbor.com
 
On your second scenario with a short hitch, the carabiner could be clipped to a bridge loop on the saddle, no need for a second bridge, which isn’t redundant unless one carabiner is clipped to both.

The simplest option for a bound up hitch, or device is to use a foot lock, using both feet, or more easily done, is to use one foot. No extra equipment, cords, or knot/hitch knowledge, or tying under distress. Once the hitch is releaseable, the lock can be used like a belay device to take some of the load off of the hitch while descending.

Edit: suspension trauma is more about unfiltered blood pooling in the legs than clotting. Any movement of the legs will help, being unconscious can lead to death. If lowered to the ground with the blood still pooled in the legs, the first response is to lay them down, which the worst thing to do, the bad blood slams into the heart all at once, generally causing heart attack of some sort.
 
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