DRT with hand and knee ascender question

[TFL]

I don't know if I am doing anything wrong and maybe someone has an opinion

when I climb using a double rope, I am hooked into my bridge with a petal zig zag, spliced eye thru a carabiner, trailing line thru the zig zag, then a hand ascender with a 3 ft line to my left foot, this is hooked up
over head, to pull on and step on, too stand up.
I have added a haas knee ascender, the one with elastic that retracts up the rope automatically, it is hooked to the trailing line after it exits the zig zag
on my right leg

now I have climbed 3 trees with this setup , and it works very easy for me, with zero complications

here is the question, when climbing the zig zag, or prussic knot or what ever I choose to use, the knot never ever tightens on the ascent. it is always slack
would there ever be a situation. where that knot or zig zag could just run up the line and put me in a split

I've thought it thru, multiple times yet just can't grasp if this is ok or not.

I've noticed that most climbers use the knee ascender with a foot ascender, on the trailing line, and because of some back problems I don't want to put myself in a situation where I
am in a tree, at height, not being able to get the foot ascender off my left foot,

 

[TonyGreenway]

I'm having a hard time picturing the scenario you described. Could you post a photo of your setup and ask again, referencing the photo?

 

[TFL]

see if this sketch comes thru

 

[TonyGreenway]

Is the Zigzag attached to your bridge? If so, you have nothing about which to worry. This is a great system. Hell, I wish I had a Zigzag.

 

[TFL]

yes the zig zag is attached to my bridge, keep an eye out at tree stuff, I was able to get that over the summer at a great price.
thanks for the replies

 

[donnieballgame]

Thanks for the sketch, lol, I was off googling DRT again! Can you explain to me why DRT over SRT? Seems like you need more gear and rope? Also it looks like from your sketch that the rope will constantly be pulled over the limb with weight on it? Is that right? Are you using a friction saver(another piece of gear)?

 

[TFL]

sorry I was on vacation last week, bow hunting out in Kansas
DRT so the lifting rate is 2 to 1
so you are lifting half your body welght, and the stress on the limbs are half that of an anchored 1-1 ,
yes the rope slides over the limb, haven't had any wear to speak of with good climbing ropes
I am older and need the half scenario LOL

 

[donnieballgame]

sorry I was on vacation last week, bow hunting out in Kansas
DRT so the lifting rate is 2 to 1
so you are lifting half your body welght, and the stress on the limbs are half that of an anchored 1-1 ,
yes the rope slides over the limb, haven't had any wear to speak of with good climbing ropes
I am older and need the half scenario LOL

Makes sense, have you tried SRT? How is the friction over the branch with your weight on it? I feel like that would add a lot of effort, but haven't really tried DRT. The only thing I do on occasion that is close is rappel with both ropes wrapped around a branch.

 

[TFL]

friction over a branch is minimal, doesn't add any effort,
twice as easy and twice as slow as SRT, but you are not talking really slow, when the system is running
I can cruise up a tree pretty fast , because it is so easy
I can climb SRT but it adds a lot of effort and wears me out fast
wish all this stuff was around when I was younger, would have been a breeze

 

[donnieballgame]

friction over a branch is minimal, doesn't add any effort,
twice as easy and twice as slow as SRT, but you are not talking really slow, when the system is running
I can cruise up a tree pretty fast , because it is so easy
I can climb SRT but it adds a lot of effort and wears me out fast
wish all this stuff was around when I was younger, would have been a breeze

Haha yeah no kidding but I'm sure my Dad wouldn't have purchased anything lol

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