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Figure of 8 progress capture???
- Thread starter phatkaw
- Start date
If you use the same rope for tether and rappel, and lets say a Distel as a friction hitch (or whatever works best for you), does anyone just add a backup hitch to rappel down, bypass the F8 and other devices all together? Or am I missing something?
When I very first started rappelling from trees I did a bunch of it with JUST a friction hitch.
It’s not much fun!
You need gloves on that’s for sure. It’s really hard on your ropes too.
It’s not much fun!
You need gloves on that’s for sure. It’s really hard on your ropes too.
Usually can’t descend on hitches only, unless you inch worm with them, the Sticht Hitch being an exception. The more loading and unloading of the hitch the more binding happens to a point it won’t move at all.
The square shape helps to keep the rope from accidentally girth hitching, more prone to happen if the eight is loaded the wrong way. The small one with the horn was made for use with 6mm rope.
The square shape helps to keep the rope from accidentally girth hitching, more prone to happen if the eight is loaded the wrong way. The small one with the horn was made for use with 6mm rope.
@phatkaw what is your plan in the event you need to come down midway up? Say you take a fall or drop your stick. Do you have a way you can rig up your rappel while your tether is under tension?
This may not be something you’re worried about, but in my mind when Im considering a figure 8 over my madrock this is my main concern. I don’t want to be half way up, lose my stick, and be hanging on a friction hitch with no way to rig up the figure 8 and come down.
Best solution I can think of would be to tie a foot loop to stand into to release the tension on the hitch and then rig the eight for your rappel down. Anybody have any other ideas or solutions?
This may not be something you’re worried about, but in my mind when Im considering a figure 8 over my madrock this is my main concern. I don’t want to be half way up, lose my stick, and be hanging on a friction hitch with no way to rig up the figure 8 and come down.
Best solution I can think of would be to tie a foot loop to stand into to release the tension on the hitch and then rig the eight for your rappel down. Anybody have any other ideas or solutions?
Could use lineman's as a second tether and completely unload tether/rap line.
Wouldn't you still have to take the tension off of the friction hitch in order to rappel or am I misunderstanding?
This, assuming your friction hitch has long enough legs to allow you to setup the 8 to take the weight as you release the hitch. If not, your gonna need to tether into tree with linesman’s or the end of rappel rope with another hitch/ascender above original hitch…or stand on a limb, platform, etc…at least that’s been my experience as I practice going up and down like a fool in the back yard…
Well, never thought of that senerio but I suppose that's one more good reason for me to climb with my tether...
Good question @Andrew ! Thanks
Good question @Andrew ! Thanks
I could always just go back down the tree the old fashioned way too...
Very true BUT, I don't climb with my rappel rope.
I would run outta rope pretty quick! LOL
I just feel more comfortable doing it that way...
I am quieter, faster and feel safer with less stuff hanging in front of me while going up a tree!
I climbed with my rappel rope and just don't like it.
Interesting. I like having the rappel rope basically follow the bridge down (with some slack)to the pouch so it isn’t hanging down in front of me. Need to try with short tether again to see if it gets in the way. Seems like I kept stepping on it when using a dedicated short tether.
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^^^ When I started one-sticking it took me a while to figure out that since I'm short I need to cut a foot or so off of my tethers or I'd be stepping on them too...
As I got better at it I started venturing off through the woods and picking random trees that looked hard to climb.
I definitely think that is good practice come huntin' season. Anyway, I climbed some Big trees and learned that there is definitely a happy-medium in tether length for me. If I cut off too much I won't have much to work with when I do find a BIG tree in a spot I would setup at.
Now that I've one-sticked up a million trees I learned to use my right knee to sweep the tag end of my tether off to the side and I don't step on it anymore...
As I got better at it I started venturing off through the woods and picking random trees that looked hard to climb.
I definitely think that is good practice come huntin' season. Anyway, I climbed some Big trees and learned that there is definitely a happy-medium in tether length for me. If I cut off too much I won't have much to work with when I do find a BIG tree in a spot I would setup at.
Now that I've one-sticked up a million trees I learned to use my right knee to sweep the tag end of my tether off to the side and I don't step on it anymore...
Route the line through a carabiner on your harness and into a pouch to keep a long rope out of the way and have an immediate way to ground.
I don't climb with my rappel either. Not there's anything wrong with doing so. The main reason I don't do it, is I don't use a Mad Rock Safe Guard. I just like using the tried and true Schwabisch Hitch on my tether and lineman's rope. So I would have to install my figure 8 then untie my hitch in order to rappel. Have a tether as well as a rappel rope works best for me because of this.