Climbing hooked to tether?

[Dragsmack]

I am still practicing climbing with my Wild Edge steps (and aider) and with my Kestrel. I do not feel super comfortable yet ( still using linesman belt with Blakes hitch, getting ropeman 1 soon!) So I thought it might be a good idea to have some redundancy while I climb.

Do you think it would be wise to attach to my tree tether as well as my linesman belt while climbing, and just move it up as I climb? Would you attach it to my bridge or somewhere else? Thanks guys!

 

[huck72412]

It sounds like a lot of work. Having to remove or loosen your tether( where it attaches to the tree) in order to ascend beyond the WE stepp each time sounds like a pain. You are already advancing your lineman's pretty often. The redundancy aspect is understandable however.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

I use a slightly modified Cain's version where I tether to the tree above the step that I've installed as high as I can reach. With the tether tightened as much as I can I simply sit back in the saddle and walk up the tree until my feet are on the next step. Then I pull up on the step under the tether and stand up on the step. I hook up to the waist high step same as the Cain method, tie my next step, loosen and move my tether above it and repeat. This eases getting my foot to the next step and keeps me secured directly to the tree while climbing.

 

[Dragsmack]

It sounds like a lot of work. Having to remove or loosen your tether( where it attaches to the tree) in order to ascend beyond the WE stepp each time sounds like a pain. You are already advancing your lineman's pretty often. The redundancy aspect is understandable however.

I thought it might be overkill, but I was having a hard time adjusting the blakes hitch and feeling comfortable with and without the aider. Hopefully when I get the ropeman 1 things will flow more easily!

 

[Dragsmack]

I use a slightly modified Cain's version where I tether to the tree above the step that I've installed as high as I can reach. With the tether tightened as much as I can I simply sit back in the saddle and walk up the tree until my feet are on the next step. Then I pull up on the step under the tether and stand up on the step. I hook up to the waist high step same as the Cain method, tie my next step, loosen and move my tether above it and repeat. This eases getting my foot to the next step and keeps me secured directly to the tree while climbing.

That seems like a great idea! Are you attaching the tether to your bridge? Via a Prussik or Blakes hitch? Do u nix the linesman belt?

 

[elk yinzer]

It's definitely a good idea. A lineman's belt is not meant to be a fall arrest, more of a fall prevention by giving you another contact point close to center of gravity. Sure a lineman's belt is probably going to catch you or at least slow your fall, but it is going to hurt like heck. If I am climbing a tree and it gets a little sketchy or have a stick that seems like it might possibly kick out, I hook up my tether as insurance. May be "a lot of work" but I broke a rib once and don't really wish to go through that again.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

That seems like a great idea! Are you attaching the tether to your bridge? Via a Prussik or Blakes hitch? Do u nix the linesman belt?

Yes, I am attaching my tether to my bridge. I happen to use a Ropeman1 here but a prussik or other friction knot would work as well. I carry a lineman's belt in case I feel I need some extra support but rarely use it. I attach myself at the waist to the step at that height to free up my hands for installing the next step as Cain describes in his video. This works really well for me.