DIY Utilibridge

[Ontariofarmer]

I’m sure you both already know this but just psa for anyone that doesn’t sterling states that the Hollowblock should not be used as main life supporting piece. In the case of using it as a prusik on an amsteel bridge it would qualify as a main life supporting piece.

I know. I would try a Beal jammy. It will likely work too.


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[Squirrels]

Anyone have a picture of the poster at ATA that showed the sizes of Amsteel used for the continuous loop?

3/16” for the prusik
1/4” for the bridge

 

[Squirrels]

Yes, I knew that. If I decide to actually go with an adjustable Amsteel bridge with the hollow block or an Amsteel prussic, I would create an eye splice with the tag end rather than a stopper knot. I would use a carabiner or soft shackle to connect that tag end eye back to my right side bridge loop as a back up tie-in point. This would keep me from hitting the deck if the prussic failed. The way I see Tethrd’s utilibridge, there is no backup if the Amsteel prussic fails.
Samson doesn’t recommend knots in Amsteel

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Got ya. So you just run the tag end (of the bridge coming out of the prusik) through the same bridge loop the prusik is attached to and then back to the opposite bridge loop. Eye splice with a biner. That would be backed up no doubt. Nice thinking.

 

[mtsrunner]

Got ya. So you just run the tag end (of the bridge coming out of the prusik) through the same bridge loop the prusik is attached to and then back to the opposite bridge loop. Eye splice with a biner. That would be backed up no doubt. Nice thinking.

I would actually just run it to the bridge loop the same side as the prussic. In the event that the prussic failed, the opposite side bridge loop would still have the fixed girth hitch. The carabiner/eye spliced loop would then catch and I would be safe, but now with a fixed length bridge. And then i would rappel down and change my pants.


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[mtsrunner]

So the really long bury isn't part of the spliced eye on the end. And if a knot is used, the long bury stops right before the knot would be, correct? Since the locked brummel holds the bury in place, the length of the bury only becomes needed for the amsteel prussic to work properly. Am I understanding that properly.

Yes


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[AKMonkey]

I spent about 10 minutes here. Made a continuous loop from the left over 1/4” amsteel from the Mantis bridge I disassembled. I used that loop to make a Prussik. I made a locked Brummell on a piece of 1/4” amsteel and made a full length bury. I girth hitched the spliced eye to the left side. Tied the Prussik. Then I threaded a soft shackle in the Prussik and removed the bridge. I girth hitched the Prussik and then fed the bridge back through.

1/4” full bury bridge. 1/4” continuous loop. Will make a smaller diameter loop at some point since I think it’ll be easier to manipulate.

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Thanks for this! So the soft shackle was just to temporarily hold the Prussik intact while you girth hitched it to the bridge loop? Would it work as well to girth hitch the continuous loop, then make the Prussik on a stick/arrow/fingers and slid it onto the tether, as others discussed above? And what did you use for a stopper?

 

[SemperFlightMedic]

Thanks for this! So the soft shackle was just to temporarily hold the Prussik intact while you girth hitched it to the bridge loop? Would it work as well to girth hitch the continuous loop, then make the Prussik on a stick/arrow/fingers and slid it onto the tether, as others discussed above? And what did you use for a stopper?

Yes, the soft shackle was used as a temporary place holder. It’s diameter is about the same as the bridge. It could work either way, I think. For me though, I found it easier to make the Prussik first. For a stopper, I just tied a knot. I’m thinking I’m going to undo the knot and put a soft shackle through the spliced eye that’s on the tag end, and secure it to the right side of the saddle. That way, if by some chance the stopper knot or Prussik failed to do its job, the bridge would still be secured to the saddle.


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[AKMonkey]

Yes, the soft shackle was used as a temporary place holder. It’s diameter is about the same as the bridge. It could work either way, I think. For me though, I found it easier to make the Prussik first. For a stopper, I just tied a knot. I’m thinking I’m going to undo the knot and put a soft shackle through the spliced eye that’s on the tag end, and secure it to the right side of the saddle. That way, if by some chance the stopper knot or Prussik failed to do its job, the bridge would still be secured to the saddle.


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I like that idea. Will you be able to make a locked brummel eye splice in the doubled Amsteel (with full length bury) with an eye on the other end already? Sounds challenging.

 

[SemperFlightMedic]

I like that idea. Will you be able to make a locked brummel eye splice in the doubled Amsteel (with full length bury) with an eye on the other end already? Sounds challenging.

Absolutely. But with the tag end being a full length bury, is it really necessary?


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[BackSpasm]

Yes, I knew that. If I decide to actually go with an adjustable Amsteel bridge with the hollow block or an Amsteel prussic, I would create an eye splice with the tag end rather than a stopper knot. I would use a carabiner or soft shackle to connect that tag end eye back to my right side bridge loop as a back up tie-in point. This would keep me from hitting the deck if the prussic failed. The way I see Tethrd’s utilibridge, there is no backup if the Amsteel prussic fails.
Samson doesn’t recommend knots in Amsteel

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From the interviews I have seen the amsteel prusik bridge was tested pretty extensively. Tethrd bought a $10,000 TMA dummy for testing and marked the bridge all up with tape to measure slip distance. A 6 foot fall by a 300 pound dummy moved the prusik on the utilibridge 0.5 inches....

There isn't really a back-up for bridge failure in any other situation either whether it is a splice, or a knot, or a prusik I don't personally don't feel this system modifies the risk an appreciable amount

 

[SemperFlightMedic]

Yeah, good point. Maybe it’s just more for our personal comfort level. I have a tendency to “what if” the heck out things some times.


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[SemperFlightMedic]

From the interviews I have seen the amsteel prusik bridge was tested pretty extensively. Tethrd bought a $10,000 TMA dummy for testing and marked the bridge all up with tape to measure slip distance. A 6 foot fall by a 300 pound dummy moved the prusik on the utilibridge 0.5 inches....

There isn't really a back-up for bridge failure in any other situation either whether it is a splice, or a knot, or a prusik I don't personally don't feel this system modifies the risk an appreciable amount

A $10,000 three-hundred pound dummy? Wow. I weigh 150, and I’ve been called worse things than a dummy .... I’d have done it for $5000.


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[SemperFlightMedic]

I would actually just run it to the bridge loop the same side as the prussic. In the event that the prussic failed, the opposite side bridge loop would still have the fixed girth hitch. The carabiner/eye spliced loop would then catch and I would be safe, but now with a fixed length bridge. And then i would rappel down and change my pants.


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Like this:

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[mtsrunner]

From the interviews I have seen the amsteel prusik bridge was tested pretty extensively. Tethrd bought a $10,000 TMA dummy for testing and marked the bridge all up with tape to measure slip distance. A 6 foot fall by a 300 pound dummy moved the prusik on the utilibridge 0.5 inches....

There isn't really a back-up for bridge failure in any other situation either whether it is a splice, or a knot, or a prusik I don't personally don't feel this system modifies the risk an appreciable amount

I didn’t state backup for “bridge” failure, I said “prussic” failure. And I do (and many others) backup my Beal jammy prussic on Oplux by taking the excess tag end of my tether and making a figure 8 and clipping back in to the same carabiner that my prussic goes through. I do also have a second independent webbing bridge on my saddle. Now if my actual bridge loops on my saddle failed...I’m out!

 

[mtsrunner]

Yes, the soft shackle was used as a temporary place holder. It’s diameter is about the same as the bridge. It could work either way, I think. For me though, I found it easier to make the Prussik first. For a stopper, I just tied a knot. I’m thinking I’m going to undo the knot and put a soft shackle through the spliced eye that’s on the tag end, and secure it to the right side of the saddle. That way, if by some chance the stopper knot or Prussik failed to do its job, the bridge would still be secured to the saddle.


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I actually thought about that last night after I had said I would use a carabiner. You wouldn’t even need to do an eye splice if you did that.
This would be a super easy way to add a level of safety to the stock Tethrd Phantom. Leave their stopper knot as is. Go about a couple of inches past it toward the tag end and splice in a soft shackle connect soft shackle to right side bridge loop and your backed up. Love it!

 

[SemperFlightMedic]

I actually thought about that last night after I had said I would use a carabiner. You wouldn’t even need to do an eye splice if you did that.
This would be a super easy way to add a level of safety to the stock Tethrd Phantom. Leave their stopper knot as is. Go about a couple of inches past it toward the tag end and splice in a soft shackle connect soft shackle to right side bridge loop and your backed up. Love it!

Very clever! I like it!!


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[AKMonkey]

I actually thought about that last night after I had said I would use a carabiner. You wouldn’t even need to do an eye splice if you did that.
This would be a super easy way to add a level of safety to the stock Tethrd Phantom. Leave their stopper knot as is. Go about a couple of inches past it toward the tag end and splice in a soft shackle connect soft shackle to right side bridge loop and your backed up. Love it!

Sounds like a good solution but you lost me along the way. Trying to visualize splicing in a soft shackle a few inches past the stopper knot (which I thought was at the end). Maybe I need a picture. Can you mock something up?

 

[rakbowhunter]

@SemperFlightMedic what was the length of amsteel you used for the prussic? Looks to be the right amount. Looks great

 

[SemperFlightMedic]

@SemperFlightMedic what was the length of amsteel you used for the prussic? Looks to be the right amount. Looks great

Not sure. Sorry. It was the left over amsteel from the original mantis bridge. If I had to guess, I’d say 24”. FWIW, I measured it against the Prussik that was included with the linemans belt that came with the mantis


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[mtsrunner]

Sounds like a good solution but you lost me along the way. Trying to visualize splicing in a soft shackle a few inches past the stopper knot (which I thought was at the end). Maybe I need a picture. Can you mock something up?

Here ya go. Not the right size Amsteel, but you get the point, hopefully