Hunting off of rappel rope??

[ketch22]

Hey all, I’m debating on ditching the tether and hunting off of my rappel rope next season. I just don’t see the need to carry it and it seems too redundant. My thinking for this is based on the fact that in a pinch I’ll have my lineman’s belt to use as a tether if needed in a pinch.

It’s not about weight, just thinking of ditching the extra bulk.

I don’t know if I’m just thinking about this all wrong but I’d like to hear some of the pros and cons to this.

 

[NorthFourty]

Been doing it for 2 seasons and it works. The only reason to have a separate tether is if you also SRT when the occasion arises. In that situation there may be times when your attachment to the tree is much higher (steeper angle) than you want. If you have the tether you can set up where you want and later rappel out on the anchored rope.

 

[TNSTAAFL]

A related question is whether it is necessary to carry a LB also? I'm conceptualizing taking a bite of the tag end of the rappelling rope below your "tether" hitch and passing it around the tree with a prussik/biner on the load side and a tended prussik/biner on the tag end side (for making LB adjustments)

I have no experience with this. Just populating a question. One 40 foot rappel rope might theoretically serve all climbing purposes. Flaws?

FWIW I've been wondering about the same application to the 2TC method.

 

[CooterBrown]

I use my rappel rope at my tether also. I use a safeguard as well.

 

[ketch22]

A related question is whether it is necessary to carry a LB also? I'm conceptualizing taking a bite of the tag end of the rappelling rope below your "tether" hitch and passing it around the tree with a prussik/biner on the load side and a tended prussik/biner on the tag end side (for making LB adjustments)

I have no experience with this. Just populating a question. One 40 foot rappel rope might theoretically serve all climbing purposes. Flaws?

FWIW I've been wondering about the same application to the 2TC method.

You may be onto something here, I’d love to see it in action.

I use my rappel rope at my tether also. I use a safeguard as well.

Are you leaving the excess in a pouch or letting it dangle down the tree?

 

[Brocky]

Arborist use their lanyards as a tether, or a linesmens all the time.

 

[Coachschaller]

Are you leaving the excess in a pouch or letting it dangle down the tree?

I generally roll it up and place it on or in my pack

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I climb DRT sometimes and almost always use a separate tether once I get to hunting height. This is mainly due to the limb I am over is usually well above head height and that makes the climbing rope have a very steep angle. I also find that most times I need to also use the second short tether as a redirect to get me exactly where I want to be in the tree. I sometimes unhook my climbing line and stow the excess in a backpack while hunting and sometimes I keep the climbing carabiner connected and stow the rope.

 

[Hall17]

I've thought about this on occasion. My tether is really short so it doesn't take up much room in my linesman pouch. Maybe one day if I start one sticking

 

[THill202]

Granted i haven't actually hunted out of my saddle yet, I've been doing my practice climbing/hanging with the rappel rope. I use a CGM drop out bag and just pull out what I need with a little slack. Then at the end just drop the rest out the bottom and down i go. The only thing I don't like about this is the bag is too big to keep strapped to the saddle when moving so I either pack the saddle in with the bag attached or wear the saddle and put the drop out bag/rope in mypack. I have a nite ize s biner hooked through the molle connectors on the bag that I strap to my saddle for quick connect/disconnet. The rope is 45' of 9mm HTP static with a petzle triangular link and madrock safeguard. The link and safeguard reside in the side pocket of the drop out bag when not in use.

 

[slonstdy]

Ditch the tether and stay on the rappel line. Just pull up and stow excess line while hunting.

 

[TCaltagirone]

Yeah i climb on my rappel rope with madrock safeguard no problem and have an amsteel loop spliced on the end of rappel rope that i attach my bow/pack to. When the hunt is over i can come right down and not have to worry about switching over from tether to rappel line, just one less step to take imo.

 

[ketch22]

I’m using cut down sticks with a Knaider/Swaider, three sticks can get me around 20 feet. So I’m using a lineman’s belt on my climb up. I then usually hook up to a tether but I figured I could ditch this and just use my rappel line.

 

[bfriendly]

I climb DRT sometimes and almost always use a separate tether once I get to hunting height. This is mainly due to the limb I am over is usually well above head height and that makes the climbing rope have a very steep angle. I also find that most times I need to also use the second short tether as a redirect to get me exactly where I want to be in the tree. I sometimes unhook my climbing line and stow the excess in a backpack while hunting and sometimes I keep the climbing carabiner connected and stow the rope.

Hopefully I’ll be working on this myself soon! Right now I’m one sticking and use my rappel rope as my tether. I keep it rolled up til descending. With a nice figure 8 and fold it had been feeding flawlessly even with me forgetting to drop it all down before rappelling…….I’d prefer to drop it all and see it untangled. I use an ATC right now, but plan on trying some other methods like just a carabiner.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Hopefully I’ll be working on this myself soon! Right now I’m one sticking and use my rappel rope as my tether. I keep it rolled up til descending. With a nice figure 8 and fold it had been feeding flawlessly even with me forgetting to drop it all down before rappelling…….I’d prefer to drop it all and see it untangled. I use an ATC right now, but plan on trying some other methods like just a carabiner.

I have most of the gear I need for one sticking (minus the stick, lol) and a belay device. I will likely pick up the rest of the gear this summer. I do have a figure 8 and have done a few rappels off the top of a 20 foot stick ladder out back for fun. It works great. I use a backup on that figure 8.

 

[ketch22]

I just sat downstairs going through my whole setup.

-I ditched my old gear hanger for some daisy chained 550 with two small S-Biners for gear and a hero clip for the bow.

-I have a nighteyez cam lock with 8ft of 550 for my knee pad on the tree.

-I ditched my ropeman 1 on my LB for a swabisch hitch and a rope tender.

-I completely ditched my tether for a rappel rope, and a 32in sewn eye prusik cord to hunt off a swabisch hitch instead of a ropeman. Which I then have a figure 8 I can clip in under the swabisch to rappel while using the hitch as a backup.

The only other improvement I want to make is to swap out my ROS ratchet strap for a much lighter cam buckle, but the little bit of extra weight does have them rock solid, I’m a solid 250 and they don’t move at all.

 

[TCaltagirone]

I just sat downstairs going through my whole setup.

-I ditched my old gear hanger for some daisy chained 550 with two small S-Biners for gear and a hero clip for the bow.

-I have a nighteyez cam lock with 8ft of 550 for my knee pad on the tree.

-I ditched my ropeman 1 on my LB for a swabisch hitch and a rope tender.

-I completely ditched my tether for a rappel rope, and a 32in sewn eye prusik cord to hunt off a swabisch hitch instead of a ropeman. Which I then have a figure 8 I can clip in under the swabisch to rappel while using the hitch as a backup.

The only other improvement I want to make is to swap out my ROS ratchet strap for a much lighter cam buckle, but the little bit of extra weight does have them rock solid, I’m a solid 250 and they don’t move at all.

Checkout the OCB buckle strap from TreeHopper…it is STOUT!

 

[bfriendly]

I have most of the gear I need for one sticking (minus the stick, lol) and a belay device. I will likely pick up the rest of the gear this summer. I do have a figure 8 and have done a few rappels off the top of a 20 foot stick ladder out back for fun. It works great. I use a backup on that figure 8.

Yes, rappelling is fun even if it’s just 20’. I was hooked after my first descent down the basement stairs! I remember not being able to get up the tree fast enough to try it outside on a tree!
I like the ATC with a prussik brake below it…..I just tender that prussik and go! I have a figure 8 and will play with it some, but plan on using/learning the Munter hitch this off season. Even if I keep using the ATC, being able to Munter down in a pinch is something I feel I must have in my arsenal.
Ketch way to go man! Sounds like your system is getting dialed in!
X2 on the OCB!

 

[cedar paul]

I use one rope for ascending/ tree tether/ and rappelling. I also connect to this for my Drey and then slack off the Roperunner stay connected. I also pull up my sling bag with gear and bow up with the tail end of my rope. I use my paracord pull down for climbing line retrieval. I figure that if you can have multiple uses for a piece of gear the less you have to carry.

 

[Equinox631]

I use one rope for ascending/ tree tether/ and rappelling. I also connect to this for my Drey and then slack off the Roperunner stay connected. I also pull up my sling bag with gear and bow up with the tail end of my rope. I use my paracord pull down for climbing line retrieval. I figure that if you can have multiple uses for a piece of gear the less you have to carry.

I have been thinking about buying a drey. I climb srt or Jrb. Sounds like you SRT any advice on the drey.
Does it work for SRT.