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I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong with my madrock lifeguard belay.

ShooterMike said:
To reset it, release the lever. The device is still “brake on”. Then just pull back on the lever again and descent will begin


Semper Fi,
Mike
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I meant by what I said is you want to have some practice with it. When something seemingly brakes and your not sure what's going on if you've not practiced it already. Bit of a panic and might start flashing to crazy ideas on how to get down or making awkward calls or posts here or Facebook on how to get down or come rescue me.
 
Hey guys sorry it took so long to get back. I worked 76 hours last week. So after trying and trying I still can't seem to get it. It's either a fatboy problem or finesse problem. I ordered a 5 foot split tail and tried drt and I honestly like it better. I had much better success and it was even easier then srt. However I looked at my split tail after climbing one time and there is some uncomfortable amount of burnt and split strands after the very first climb. I can't win for losing! If I had to guess a static rope vs a 8mm Samson Ice Tail wasn't meant to be and if I want to continue this I need to buy 75 feet of Samson Predator rope. I want to say thank you to all that have given such great info in this post. I also want to say to anyone that hasn't tried this and thinking about it, give it a shot! It's a lot of fun! It isn't working for me now but I plan on correcting my life and losing weight and getting into this more.
 
Davycrocket684 said:
Hey guys sorry it took so long to get back. I worked 76 hours last week. So after trying and trying I still can't seem to get it. It's either a fatboy problem or finesse problem. I ordered a 5 foot split tail and tried drt and I honestly like it better. I had much better success and it was even easier then srt. However I looked at my split tail after climbing one time and there is some uncomfortable amount of burnt and split strands after the very first climb. I can't win for losing! If I had to guess a static rope vs a 8mm Samson Ice Tail wasn't meant to be and if I want to continue this I need to buy 75 feet of Samson Predator rope. I want to say thank you to all that have given such great info in this post. I also want to say to anyone that hasn't tried this and thinking about it, give it a shot! It's a lot of fun! It isn't working for me now but I plan on correcting my life and losing weight and getting into this more.
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This how it works for me. Is the split tail a short piece of rope used to attach to your main climbing rope? I am not that familiar with DRT. Samson Ice Tail is not supposed to melt. This is Ice Tail on my Hitchhiker.

 
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It is, I have a sewn eye on one end of my 50 foot of 9 mm static line and that has a carabiner through it and I have a split tail with a sewn eye in it as well also in the carbiner. The split tail makes a blake's hitch on the other side of my main line. Here are some pics of the split tail after my first climb. 20201007_102335.jpg2.jpg20201007_102328.jpg2.jpg20201007_102344.jpg2.jpg
 
That is a lot of wear. My Samsom Ice Tail has been through about a dozen practice climbs in my backyard tree. The metal devices do seem to be easier on the rope since they are smooth metal. Are you still having the same problem with the Safeguard which is hard to release then releases suddenly? Did you try passing the rope under your butt and up the other side? I had a problem like yours with large diameter rope until I did this.
 
yeah I never could get the lifeguard to work tbh. I tried using autoblock clipped into my waist. I tried passing the rope under me and holding it with my other hand etc. That wear is after my first climb as well.....I was only probably 10 feet up and didn't zip down the tree either, was a slow decent. Only thing I can think of that the 9 mm static line ate the split tail up and just isn't supposed to be blake hitched around. shrug

Edit: From what I'm reading you can get the blake's hitch too tight and it makes it harder to climb/descend.
 
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Davycrocket684 said:
I appreciate the offer but I live in north MS. My rope is a Sterling HTP Green Static 9mm Rope. I might try a different rope next year but not this year because I'll be making a rather large purchase early 2021.
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I'm in MS. I'll send you a PM.
 
But not an SRT descent on a fixed line, right? One end of the rope terminated at the saddle, and the other side of the rope running through the hitch.
I’m bored at work and usually got some rope to play with during downtime, so I took pics.

Doorknob is the crotch/ branch union/ friction saver. The blue rope is the bridge or D or whatever on your saddle.

The pic with a weird lookithe end of the rope the rope and the hitch terminated at the bridge is DdRT/ DRT/ MRS.
The pic with a weird looking letter A and the rope choked to the doorknob is SRT.

Really can’t descend SRT on just a hitch, there needs to be additional friction. Can descend doubled rope with just a hitch because each leg of the rope is only holding half your weight.
15738337-25EC-4B54-99DD-C30F3082B273.jpeg7618BCD9-87A1-4675-856F-E16ABD9693F2.jpeg
 
They are close, but I am not familiar with the Lifeguard, so someone else may be able to explain the differences better
 
If the rope you are using has the end melted this might cause any excess cover to bunch up, expanding it, and make descending difficult. Tape the end and cut, milk the cover to prevent further bunching.
The Lifeguard has the same warning.
0CCE4F8F-D272-475E-B0AE-D866BA66CC95.jpeg
 
Ok thanks for the info guys. If I ever get back out in the woods this year and keep trying this method, I'll just get me a gri gri.
 
Watching your videos it looks like your trying to use your brake hand to do the work instead of the device. Concentrating only on moving the handle slowly instead of how hard you’re gripping the rope might help. I just tried the Lifeguard on two different hunks of the 9mm HTP, and no troubles easily releasing and descending in control.
This is where I place my break hand to guide it against the steel, rather than aluminum sides. If it starts to slip too fast work or release the handle, not by using your hand alone.
DC73C1EC-2866-418F-982D-C2E81833B03C.jpeg
 
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