Climbing with tether vs lineman’s belt

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

Well,
I hope I did not screw this pooch...I just ordered 2 lengths of Samson Predator 12' w/2"Hand-Spliced eye (Lineman) and 12' w/5" Hand-Spliced eye (Tether) Cost $91. Could'a gotten this price down if I wanted to attempt my own splicing or just tie a couple of knots; had a couple other options but decided to go this route...need biner's & prusik's to complete. Find a platform and I might be ready to get in the saddle for the first time.

You bought the ultimate tether and lineman’s belt no matter what anyone says as long as you have the space to carry them because the 11mm rope is a little bulky but it will perform flawlessly. PS 12’ is gonna be way too long for your lineman’s rope. Usually 6’ -8’ of perfect other wise your stepping on the slack or it’s getting caught on crap while you climb.

 

[IslandStorm62]

Thanks. I realize that lineman rope is a bit long, but I had to buy the bulk price (24'), since they would not put hand-splice eyes on anything less than 12'. Add a 15% Promo discount to stretch that cost cutting hack . I can always cut it down, if I feel it would make a diff

 

[philsanchez76]

Dynamic ropes have two distinct disadvantages and two true advantages.
disadvantage 1- they stretch when weighted so when you are sitting in your saddle the rope still stretches some, when you stand up it can make it easier for the girth hitch to loose and slide down. Also when the ropes stretches, it can make advancing your prusik a little rougher. (If you have an ascender instead it won’t matter)....
Disadvantage 2- and this is a big one. Abrasion resistance. Dynamic ropes are more prone to fraying, abrasion and snags. Which when using in trees can be costly...
advantage 1 is energy absorption. Dynamic stretches which means it absorbs impact force much better than static rope. This is prevalent if you intend on doing crazy things like allowing slack in your system or falling.
advantage 2- because they are stretchy and soft, they can usually pack down smaller than a stiff static rope of the same diameter.
if anyone here has a hawk saddle ask them if they like the softer dynamic ropes (both the tether and lineman’s rope) that came with that saddle kit and you’ll quickly realize why most people use static ropes for tethers and lineman’s loops.

What are your thoughts about combining a length of static rope with a length of dynamic to make a shock absorbing tether? I am thinking 4-6 feet of static with a loop for girth hitch then tie on 4-6 ft of dynamic to absorb shock in case of a fall. This may be getting too complicated. Also thinking about just trying the buck squeeze idea with my lineman belt.

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

What are your thoughts about combining a length of static rope with a length of dynamic to make a shock absorbing tether? I am thinking 4-6 feet of static with a loop for girth hitch then tie on 4-6 ft of dynamic to absorb shock in case of a fall. This may be getting too complicated. Also thinking about just trying the buck squeeze idea with my lineman belt.

My thoughts are that might work if the lengths were correct. Another idea is the old seatbelt strap from a tree stand. The kind that has the metal roller and a big loop you hook the lanyard from a fall arrest harness onto... get one of those for around the tree, then using dynamic line, tie into the loop with a figure 8. Combine with a dynamic prusik. The strap around the tree would get most of the abrasion damage from the bark of the tree so the dynamic rope would last much longer and you’ll be on dynamic rope if a fall or slip did happen. That’s just an idea. If you keep your tether and system tight with minimal system slack, and do not climb above your linesman rope or tether, then your chances of falling are basically nonexistent. So it all boils down to your comfort level. I use static rope with a static prusik. I keep my system tight and there are no issues. I work at heights regularly and I’m comfortable there. Some people are not. My suggestions are opinion and any of this is completely dependent on the individual hunter. Try your idea at ground level and see if it works. Try other ideas mentioned above at ground level. Eventually you’ll find what you like and are comfortable with.