Double tethered????

[Pfraze]

does anyone double tether just in case? I'm new to saddle hunting and just wondered what everyone did.

 

[justsomedude]

I do now. Will you die if you don't? Probably not. But (smart) climbers never hang by one attachment point.

I'm switching my linesmans belt over to a second tether when I reach height.

 

[kenn1320]

I do now. Will you die if you don't? Probably not. But (smart) climbers never hang by one attachment point.

I'm switching my linesmans belt over to a second tether when I reach height.

X2. I connect the lose end of my tether to my rc harness and since I have my lineman belt, put that around like a short tether and hook that on rc harness with same carabiner as main tether. Im not taking extra gear out and since ive got it, why not use it?

 

[redsquirrel]

does anyone double tether just in case? I'm new to saddle hunting and just wondered what everyone did.

What saddle set up are you using?

 

[Pfraze]

Trophyline tree saddle

 

[DXD]

As I became more comfortable with my system I also became less cautious. Especially when climbing/installing the Stepps, which I have been doing with only a Treehopper belt and lineman's rope. This forum's emphasis on safety got me thinking about how to do it safer. Last night I ordered a rc harness that I will use to climb with two ropes (my tether & my lineman rope). On my tether I have a ropeman 1/carabiner for my bridge & a second prussic/carabiner for backup hookup to my rc harness. Once at height I'll hookup my bridge to my guidos web, leave my redundant hooked into the rc harness & stow the lineman's rope (leaving one end of the lineman's rope connected so it can't be accidentally dropped).

 

[redsquirrel]

Trophyline tree saddle

The commercially manufactured stuff is pretty rugged. It's designed to be used with a single tether. The tree saddle tether is really solid. IMO a second tether takes away from the maneuverability of the system. I am all about safety though and I encourage you to do whatever you feel safe with. Better to be over safe than under.

 

[g2outdoors]

I agree with Red. I feel like the second tether would just be annoying. Maybe not though. Whatever melts your butter.

 

[brydan]

I don't see a plausible reason for a second tether. Climbing on a single rope is the way climbing is done, it's all the other tid bits in the system that are the more pressing issues.

 

[justsomedude]

A second tether is definitely overkill *more accurately "underkill"

BUT it is also convenient when you need to adjust your main tether or switching over to Rappel.
If I run a full second connection to the tree, it has slack on it and doesn't get in my way at all.

Another thing to consider is that in climbing, your Rope is ANCHORED. it isn't just being held in place by friction. I have unloaded my tether and had it slide all the way down to my feet. It was a bad feeling!

CLIMBING gear is rated really high and very rugged. Many of us here are using things that we have decided 'are plenty strong' but climbers would never use.
When I use my SitDrag, I will have a connection from a rock harness to the carabiner.
When I use my NewTribe, I attach the tag end of my tether to the carabiner (after Blake's Hitch or Ropeman) and I will often attach another leash to the tree.

 

[justsomedude]

As DXD mentioned...as you get comfortable you get less cautious. I got too comfortable in the ocean and had a near death free diving (in a cave...) incident and in the following 2 years, my Scuba instructor and one of his friends died doing things that you aren't 'supposed' to do but are usually OK.

 

[brydan]

A second tether is definitely overkill *more accurately "underkill"

BUT it is also convenient when you need to adjust your main tether or switching over to Rappel.
If I run a full second connection to the tree, it has slack on it and doesn't get in my way at all.

Another thing to consider is that in climbing, your Rope is ANCHORED. it isn't just being held in place by friction. I have unloaded my tether and had it slide all the way down to my feet. It was a bad feeling!

CLIMBING gear is rated really high and very rugged. Many of us here are using things that we have decided 'are plenty strong' but climbers would never use.
When I use my SitDrag, I will have a connection from a rock harness to the carabiner.
When I use my NewTribe, I attach the tag end of my tether to the carabiner (after Blake's Hitch or Ropeman) and I will often attach another leash to the tree.

I see what you're saying. I was thinking in terms of having two tethers connected simultaneously for safety in which case I don't think it's necessary. If you're system is using two tethers to switch from hunting to repel or something like that in order to always be connected, that's a great idea.

A tether shouldn't slide down if unloaded, I think Boudreaux (maybe not) has a video posted on youtube showing a couple different ways to attach the tether. A simple choke on a spar isn't a good way to go IMO. There are other ways too that are more sophisticated but Boudreaux's are simple.

 

[kenn1320]

For the guys walking around the tree, they would need a second tether up as high as their main tether and same length or longer. I can see that being a pain. On a platform I have my second tether about waist high and doesnt get in the way at all. As I said, I already carried it out to the woods and up the tree, its no effort to hook it up as a second tether. I dont use dump pouches, so I have to connect it to the tree anyway. As G2 said, whatever melts your butter.

 

[justsomedude]

My tether that slid down was Bluewater Assault Line with just one wrap around the tree and it was a slick tree!
Using Yale Bandit I don't often have that problem. But when you are going to rappel and retrieve your line, you have to set it for easy loosening from the ground. Once you load it you're good.

Another instance where I like a quick anchor is when I get to height and want to set my platform.
Transitions are the moments we have to watch out for the most....moving from Aider to Sticks or from steps to platform.
So I'll often set a quick Personal Anchor, set my platform (you know how sometimes you'll reach around the tree or way out to the side to set your platform?), then I slide my anchor up and test my platform. Then while I am already anchored, I can set and adjust my tether and not be rushed.

Once, I quickly hooked up to my tether and leaned back. I hadn;t taken as much slack out of my line as I had thought and I had that butterflies feeling in my stomach as I fell backwards about a foot farther than I expected
NOW I load it first by pulling with my hands.

 

[DXD]

I see what you're saying. I was thinking in terms of having two tethers connected simultaneously for safety in which case I don't think it's necessary. If you're system is using two tethers to switch from hunting to repel or something like that in order to always be connected, that's a great idea.

A tether shouldn't slide down if unloaded, I think Boudreaux (maybe not) has a video posted on youtube showing a couple different ways to attach the tether. A simple choke on a spar isn't a good way to go IMO. There are other ways too that are more sophisticated but Boudreaux's are simple.

Brydan, can you provide a link to the YouTube (Boudreaux?) you mention, I'm not quite following but am interested if there is something here I can use

 

[DIYSaddler]

I use Prusiks for my attachment point to my tether and my climbing rope so I usually just tie a backup knot below just incase my prusik got glazed on the way up or for what ever reason I didn't tie my knot good enought. The prusik hits the backup knot and you stop. This will also work with rope capture style devices if the devices friction plate fails. Other than that if you need to tie your rope off to a second point either
A: You need to inspect your rope more often because good rope doesn't just fail.
B: You should make sure you are tying in to a solid anchor, at least 6" in diameter.\

If you are using a mechanical device not a prusik you "should" have a backup device on the line as well. That being said I am bad about the very last part.

 

[MCDM]

I use Prusiks for my attachment point to my tether and my climbing rope so I usually just tie a backup knot below just incase my prusik got glazed on the way up or for what ever reason I didn't tie my knot good enought. The prusik hits the backup knot and you stop. This will also work with rope capture style devices if the devices friction plate fails. Other than that if you need to tie your rope off to a second point either
A: You need to inspect your rope more often because good rope doesn't just fail.
B: You should make sure you are tying in to a solid anchor, at least 6" in diameter.\

If you are using a mechanical device not a prusik you "should" have a backup device on the line as well. That being said I am bad about the very last part.

Agreed very good points

 

[justsomedude]

Brydan, can you provide a link to the YouTube (Boudreaux?) you mention, I'm not quite following but am interested if there is something here I can use

DXD,
Some people set their bow holder just under the tether to prevent it from sliding down. You can also double wrap the tree if you have enough rope.

 

[Maustypsu]

If I run a full second connection to the tree, it has slack on it and doesn't get in my way at all.

Another thing to consider is that in climbing, your Rope is ANCHORED. it isn't just being held in place by friction. I have unloaded my tether and had it slide all the way down to my feet. It was a bad feeling!

When I use my SitDrag, I will have a connection from a rock harness to the carabiner.

I have found on a tree that I can use the Treehopper without interfering with most of my movements. Slack in line with step holding it up seems good. May not be circling the tree twice before a shot! It wouldn't be a fun fall. But it would be a lot shorter than the one I could take without it.

 

[DXD]

DXD,
Some people set their bow holder just under the tether to prevent it from sliding down. You can also double wrap the tree if you have enough rope.

thanks.