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Hy-bridge

huck72412

huck72412

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Nov 27, 2014
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I'm thinking about taking one of my TL saddles and incorporating a rope style bridge. I have questions for you fellas that know about knots and ropes and webbing. I am trying to achieve two things here. First I want to use rope so it will slide thru my carabiner more fluidly. Second I am trying to decrease the overall length of the bridge. If I were to cut out a section from the middle of the existing webbing bridge, can I tie a rope back to the existing tag ends that remain? If so, what knots? Not sure if tying rope to webbing would be ok. The bridge would ultimately be webbing with rope in the middle for ease of use with carabiner. Hence the name Hybridge
 
Do you loosen the webbing around your waist with your TL so that your bridge is actually two pieces of webbing? Only reason I ask is that a TL bridge is already pretty short imo.

If I were going to do a rope bridge I think safest bet would either be to have your cut webbing sewn into loops to tie onto or just tie onto the lineman loops
 
I thought about each of those options but not much on stitching and most professionals tell me that they don't want to compromise the integrity of the saddle by cutting and stitching. Yes I loosen it and it is considerably longer than the 24 inch standard that all of these DIY-ers are using. I'm trying to set it up where I can tie off at eye level and lean into my saddle and it's just not possible with such a long bridge. Perhaps just tying rope to the lineman's loops would be best.
 
weird. just measured my medium bridge and its 22"

guess ya gotta factor in the sides though especially if its a little too big

maybe instead of cutting you could just sew some box stiching a few inches from each end of the existing bridge to form loops on each side to anchor to. youd have the old bridge still intact and if the stiching ever failed the new bridge would simply slide to the middle of the webbing bridge, safe and sound after a little drop/spin
 
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When I wear my saddle while walking it is cinched up tightly so it doesn't fall. When I hook up in a tree and load my weight into it then the bridge is now essentially in the same position as when I'm walking. I loosen it to reach my carabiner and then once I load it then all of the webbing is extended to it maximum length. I'm gonna measure each length fro the carabiner back to my hip in the loaded position.
 
something I just realized though. If you hook up only to the inside webbing on the bridge, you can make it as short as you want it.

well run the loose end through caribiner too, but only inside webbing will be loaded
 
That is correct! I hook to the outer webbing and as the weight enters the saddle then the webbing feeds thru the buckle on the side and increases in overall length . I just measured mine and it is 24 inches before I hook up. When I hook up and sit back then each side from carabiner to edge of saddle is 19 inches long. So there is a 38 inch bridge in use.
 
Try tightening the belt around your waist and see if that tighter half of the belt will work. Run the loose half of bridge through caribiner also in case buckle slips though.
 
Hooking to the inner webbing encourages the dreaded hip pinch. That's why I want to get a piece of rope attached to the outer.
 
Do ya have that backwards?

Hooking up to only the outer webbing tightens the inner

Hooking up to a tighter inner strap doesn't seem any different than hooking up normal....just a smaller bridge like you want
 
Lol!! Inner outer upper lower higher highest longest shortest ...... when I hook up to the inner strap it does make for a shorter bridge but it increases the hip squeeze. Does it not for you?
 
I feel like a shorter outer bridge would be great but not as short as the inner.
 
huck72412 said:
Lol!! Inner outer upper lower higher highest longest shortest ...... when I hook up to the inner strap it does make for a shorter bridge but it increases the hip squeeze. Does it not for you?
Click to expand...

:grinning: yeah but its going to do that regardless how you tie it up just because of the angle of the shorter bridge
 
@huck72412. For starters, I can't remember ever seeing any tree saddle bridge mod's. I might be wrong and if they've done one hopefully someone will post it, but that in itself might be telling.

If I were to do it, I would do something like extend the bridge fully, cut it down the middle, and then sew the top and bottom portions on both sides together in a loop of whatever length you want. Then you tie the rope on to both loops (although I should add that you are supposed to go loop to carabiner to rope. You aren't supposed to have soft attachment points together. The idea is that in a fall the rope could possibly tear through the webbing). Those rules come from the climbing world though, our risk of falls with high energy are much different. I haven't had my tree saddle out in over 2 years so if something I said doesn't make sense let me know and I can break it out and take a look to see what I'm foggy on.
 
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