Do I have what it takes???? (rope questions)

[Tree Gal]

So I took the plunge and ordered a saddle the other day. I opted not to buy the lineman’s belt and the tether because I think I have the proper material to make them on my own and I wanted to save some money. That being said can you guys help me figure out if I can make it work with what I’ve got and point me in the right direction? I am brand new to all this stuff, so have mercy on me. I will give some of the info I know about the ropes and attach some pics that hopefully might be of some use.

-all of these ropes have been stored in a tote and not exposed to the elements, and I’m 99% certain that they have never been used more than once or twice if that, none of them have any visible wear or tear on them

-rope #1 is definitely smaller diameter, is from some sort of Muddy set up, has two Prusik knots on it, a Tag on it saying that it has “expired” based on the date on it, and weight rated for 300lbs

-rope #2 and #3 are from my old summit climber stands but were never used, they are a larger diameter rope than the first rope, approximately 6’-7’ in length, they each have a loop tied in the end that came like that from manufacturer

-rope #4 has Prusik knot attached, is also “expired” due to date on tag, rated to 400 lbs, have a lot of quantity of it, has manufacturer loop on one end, is larger diameter

-rope #5 mimics rope 4, Prusik knot, loop on one end, long length, it differs in the fact that it does not have any kind of tag on it and it does not have the “slick” finish on it that ropes 2-4 have (its more coarse feeling, with a matte finish)

Here are some of my questions
-Which if any are safe for me to use?
-If I cut the end off of any of these ropes, what do I do with the end? Seal the end up with lighter???.
-Is it ok to assume that the looped ends from manufacturer are safe? (Obviously not scientific but they all felt very sturdy when I put weight on them)

Sorry this is so lengthy, let me know what you guys think.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

A standard policy with guys on here is that everyone needs to assess their own risk acceptance, so only you can make the final decision. That being said, for me, I'd have no problems using those ropes. You may want to retie the knots with different type knots, though. There's plenty of info on here about proper knots. And Aerohunter (and Tethrd??) may have some knot info on their websites under owner's manuals?? Not certain about that.
I would suggest that you closely check your carabiners to make sure they were never recalled. I know there were some models of Black Diamond that were recalled a few years ago. https://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/recall-on-some-blackdiamond-biners.1415/

And on the subject of carabiners, check out this sticky...
https://saddlehunter.com/community/...dangerous-carabiner-loading.2599/#post-237957

 

[TNSTAAFL]

Agreed with above. I'll just add to be sure to test extensively at ground level before climbing.

When I started last year I repurposed an HSS tree strap for my tether and it worked fine. I did replace the carabiner with a lighter aluminum model. Some of those stock biners are heavy steel contraptions.

Still use it as a lineman belt on my Kite.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

One more point on carabiners, and this is strictly my personal preference...
The key-hole type latch is far more preferred than the hook style. That little notch on the hook seems to get snagged on ropes and stuff all the time. The key hole style is much more user friendly IMO.
I will never buy the hook style again.

 

[Tree Gal]

Thanks guys. Yes the carabiners I currently have are the old heavy ones. I will be taking those out of circulation and buying all new for the saddle hunting. Thanks for the tip on the styles. I looked up the key hole style kind, and I totally know what you mean about the hook style. My bow rope carabiner is like that, always getting snagged, makes me want to scream

 

[kobudo]

I use this knot. It is bulky though. Make sure to tie a stopper knot on the opposite side. Good luck!

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[Ahawkeye]

Kobudo, I too am new to this so please be patient. can you tell me in what situation you would use the figure 8 knot for? would this be the connection of a carabiner or the girth hitch or both?

 

[fawnzy]

I have one one either end. One for the girth hutch, one for the biner. It used a fair bit of cord to accommodate the nots.


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[huntin_addict]

I use this knot. It is bulky though. Make sure to tie a stopper knot on the opposite side. Good luck!

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Hi @kobudo, just wanted to add that a stopper knot on this isn't mandatory, however, you HAVE to leave enough tail that the knot has plenty to cinch down on itself. The stopper knot can be added for peace of mind if one wants though.

 

[kobudo]

Kobudo, I too am new to this so please be patient. can you tell me in what situation you would use the figure 8 knot for? would this be the connection of a carabiner or the girth hitch or both?

I use this for both my lineman's belt and teather. I made my own with climbing rated rope from r&w rope. Here I am sitting on the ground during Wisconsin gun season behind a very very large tree.

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[rutjr]

Ropes 2 & 3 are the same ropes I hung from last year. I had no issues with them other than the bulky knots.

 

[Cbinderjr]

I used the summit ropes for a bit last year for my bridge tether and linesman belt, I was told it has a 350lb rating, I'm sure there is a huge safety factor in that rating but I was not able to find the break strength rating.

OSHA requires a minimum break strength of 22.2kn (5,000lbs) for vertical lifelines and the uncertainty with the break strength of the summit line I ended up switching mid season.

RWropes had 3/8 Sterling HTP for like a buck a FT, for that price I couldn't justify using something I was not 100% sure about.

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[swaney001]

I used the summit ropes for a bit last year for my bridge tether and linesman belt, I was told it has a 350lb rating, I'm sure there is a huge safety factor in that rating but I was not able to find the break strength rating.

OSHA requires a minimum break strength of 22.2kn (5,000lbs) for vertical lifelines and the uncertainty with the break strength of the summit line I ended up switching mid season.

RWropes had 3/8 Sterling HTP for like a buck a FT, for that price I couldn't justify using something I was not 100% sure about.

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Is the end of your tether looped to your biner??

 

[Cbinderjr]

Is the end of your tether looped to your biner??

Yep, if my prusik knot fails I am only gonna fall to the end of my rope.

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