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Help me understand

N

NDS1227

New Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2020
Messages
9
Location
Central KY
Another new saddle hunter here and I’m looking for someone to help me understand the math/physics behind how much weight/pressure the various contraptions are rated to and what that means? Maybe I’m wording this wrong, but hopefully you get my drift here. I’ve read various post and product reviews where certain items (ropes, ropeman’s, Kong ducks, etc.) are rated for “x” Kn, or pounds of pressure. So for the newbie here, what are kn’s and what does this mean?

I feel like anyone saddle hunting isn’t going to come close to these limits, right? So what is it for?

I imagine this is a loaded question with some complex details, but my inexperience has me confused and looking for info.

Thanks in advance
 
Kilo-newton is 1000 Newtons (Kilo being the SI prefix for 1000). One newton is roughly 1/4 pound (a little bit less, closer to 0.22lbf). So, 1 kN is roughly 220 lbf.

Usually for climbing and life safety, you want a quite safety ratio. Usually at least 10:1, if not more. Most climbing stuff is usually rated for at least 23kN if not more.

Keep in mind that, although you may weigh only 150-300 lbs,

1) The force that your equipment (and subsequently, you) experience during a fall can be much greater than your weight, especially if you're using static rope instead of dynamic rope
2) You carry a decent amount of weight up a tree.
3) Knots in rope reduce the effective strength of the rope.

There's a lot more to it, but that's a start.
 
If you don't fall, quality gear is so overbuilt there should never be a problem with it holding. If you do slip and fall it is all about how far you drop. Your weight and gravity are fixed and you have no control over those but how far you fall is up to you. How soft (elastic) your gear is will have a bearing on how much energy your body has to absorb in a fall. Think bungee jumping .... most of the force is absorbed by the elastic cords in a slow and gradual deceleration ...... so it is very soft on the body. Do it with steel cable and you become a rag doll. The gear may hold but you are still dead or severely injured. Keep the slack out of your system and you will be all set.
 
You've already had some good advice above so I'll add this: replace any affected gear when you've experienced a fall, no matter if the gear appears serviceable. Gear can be affected in ways you can and can't predict, it's not worth it to save a couple bucks.
 
And a fall of 10' can hurt more than you think, on you or your gear.

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Thank you [mention]TooBigToFit [/mention]and [mention]michigandrake [/mention] ! I appreciate the responses and info.

I still have lots of questions but I’m trying to even figure out how to ask them. (Clearly I’m overthinking this, mainly because my curious mind wants to know every possible detail there is)

Great starting point though


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Your not overthinking, I like to understand the whole picture as well. You'll feel a lot safer if you know exactly how you are attached to the tree and how strong everything is.
 
TooBigToFit said:
Kilo-newton is 1000 Newtons (Kilo being the SI prefix for 1000). One newton is roughly 1/4 pound (a little bit less, closer to 0.22lbf). So, 1 kN is roughly 220 lbf.

Usually for climbing and life safety, you want a quite safety ratio. Usually at least 10:1, if not more. Most climbing stuff is usually rated for at least 23kN if not more.

Keep in mind that, although you may weigh only 150-300 lbs,

1) The force that your equipment (and subsequently, you) experience during a fall can be much greater than your weight, especially if you're using static rope instead of dynamic rope
2) You carry a decent amount of weight up a tree.
3) Knots in rope reduce the effective strength of the rope.

There's a lot more to it, but that's a start.
Click to expand...

Curious, where did the 10:1 “safety” ratio come from? I believe manufacturers will follow Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) where safety factors are already built in.


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