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Bridge adjustment

L

LD717

New Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2022
Messages
17
Just getting into this saddle game, and have been working on getting my system figured out. I’m using a Latitude Maverick saddle with what I guess is an Amstel bridge that came on it. While practicing one sticking, I kept my bridge very short while climbing to minimize snagging and tangles. Once I was in the tree, I could not for the life of me get the tension off the knot to adjust the bridge length. Videos I’ve seen make it look like this shouldn’t have to be a completely unweighted two hand operation. Am I missing something?
 
Unfortunately, Amsteel on Amsteel can be very difficult to adjust once weighted, and almost impossible with one hand... That's one of the reasons I swapped my bridge out.
 
LD717 said:
Just getting into this saddle game, and have been working on getting my system figured out. I’m using a Latitude Maverick saddle with what I guess is an Amstel bridge that came on it. While practicing one sticking, I kept my bridge very short while climbing to minimize snagging and tangles. Once I was in the tree, I could not for the life of me get the tension off the knot to adjust the bridge length. Videos I’ve seen make it look like this shouldn’t have to be a completely unweighted two hand operation. Am I missing something?
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Nope, as @bowhunthard88 said those amsteel on amsteel prusiks are brutal once they tighten up. I also bought a Maverick this year and that was my biggest fault finding in it.

If I hunt out of it this year I'm going to leave the installed bridge short for climbing/rappelling and swap out to my linesman's rope across the bridge loops once at height to provide a adjustable, longer bridge just like I do on my current saddle.
 
True one-handed adjustments, in both directions, is fairly difficult to achieve with any "standard" setup. At least under tension. It's almost always easy to lengthen a bridge under tension with the right materials/hitch, but not so much to shorten it...
 
I see the latest Latitude saddles are now coming with a new bridge material to help minimize this issue. Unfortunately, I got mine a few months ago, and must have got the old style. From what I see, the new bridge can’t be bought separately. If I wanted to make my own, what size/material of ropes/cords have you guys used to make better versions?
 
Amsteel is ok for the hitch, generally speaking. You may want to consider an 8 or 9mm rope as the actual bridge material... I'd have to check, but I may actually have some new custom bridges left, that I had sewn up by Arbsession a year or two ago when I was developing mine. If you were interested, PM me, but it's definitely going to be less expensive to buy rope by-the-foot and tie it up (albeit more bulk).
 
As I continue to research, I see some people run a fixed short bridge for climbing/rappelling, and a longer separate bridge to hang and hunt. I admittedly know very little about the specific characteristics of different ropes. I have some Sterling 7mm accessory cord that I bought for making friction hitches to hang hunt from, and I have quite a bit leftover. Could I use that to make a short fixed bridge to climb on, and then transition to my regular bridge at height? If the 7mm sterling is capable to hold me as a friction hitch, it should be sufficient as a bridge, right? With appropriate knots? If I’m stupid, please let me know.
 
bowhunthard88 said:

Knotless Adjustable Bridge Design

Modified a final time. Everything stayed the same, but instead of the Klemheist on the bridge I'm now running a Sticht hitch. The Sticht made it so much easier to tend/shorten!
saddlehunter.com
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I tried the sticht once on my bridge I almost shart my underwear when I turned and my tether caribinner tended my bridge. I took it off immediately.
 
Ballshooter said:
I tried the sticht once on my bridge I almost shart my underwear when I turned and my tether caribinner tended my bridge. I took it off immediately.
Click to expand...
I actually like that haha! I get set, make a controlled full rotation to self-lengthen/tend my bridge, and then I'm good to go.
 
LD717 said:
As I continue to research, I see some people run a fixed short bridge for climbing/rappelling, and a longer separate bridge to hang and hunt. I admittedly know very little about the specific characteristics of different ropes. I have some Sterling 7mm accessory cord that I bought for making friction hitches to hang hunt from, and I have quite a bit leftover. Could I use that to make a short fixed bridge to climb on, and then transition to my regular bridge at height? If the 7mm sterling is capable to hold me as a friction hitch, it should be sufficient as a bridge, right? With appropriate knots? If I’m stupid, please let me know.
Click to expand...
I’ve been using a closed loop of sterling 7mm cord as a short fixed length bridge for awhile. I clip my carabiner through both strands instead of just one.
 
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