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Interesting article about the danger of short falls on static rope

Thanks for posting that. Very timely for me as I am looking to replace my evolutions bridge... I was looking at amsteel or nylon tubular webbing..
Definitely food for thought.
 
What type is predator rope as well as the webbing bridge on the flex? Are these safe or do I need to switch?


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Aeds151 said:
What type is predator rope as well as the webbing bridge on the flex? Are these safe or do I need to switch?


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Click to expand...
Predator is static. I haven’t held the new webbing bridge but would say it’s pretty static also. Saddle hunters should never have wore than a few inches of slack. There is one stick climbing and a couple other methods that can introduce large amounts of slack. @kyler1945 has found a webbing device that would likely be more beneficial than dynamic rope for those type of scenarios as we use short lengths of rope that limit dynamic ropes ability to absorb shock well.
 
Aeds151 said:
What type is predator rope as well as the webbing bridge on the flex? Are these safe or do I need to switch?


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Click to expand...
The stretch from any bridge-length of rope/webbing won't be much at all. But if you use as designed and don't use them as fall protection, there isn't an issue.

The next evolution in safety is to add some flex somewhere. We've seen that with some tethers recently.

However - how many of us e.g. stand up and pivot for a weak side shot?
 
Maybe manufactures should move back to a web bridge with folded and stitched segments to absorb the shock. It would have to be replaced of course.

TL has a tether with that built in. Nice thought but seemed irrelevant since you didn’t attach it till at height with no slack.

I’m even wondering if something as simple as a snubber from a boat could be used with a rope tether wrapped around it.


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Could you ever have 2 feet of slack in your tether when at hunting height? Honest question...I don't see how....

I feel like slack is only an issue during climbing and most guy are just on a lineman's belt then anyway. I am one of the rare ones that climbs with sticks and use my tether above the sticks in addition to the lineman's belt so slack is an issue for me. I am currently planning on using the ripstop Kyle recommended to add some shock absorption.
 
I have been using dynamic CE rated climbing rope for most everything. I think it is a bit safer. I feel it stretch while climbing RADS but once it is stretched it acts just like static.
I was trying one stick climbing in the park yesterday and I noticed my tether had about a foot or two of slack at times.
 
Loved the article, when I could understand the rock-climbing jargon. I think climbers are the worst offenders at assuming their readers and viewers know every abbreviation and nickname for every piece of gear. It’s not even annoying anymore, it’s amusing.
 
Personal opinion, you need to be prepared. So while I dont think I have 2 ft of slack in my system at any one time. Doesn't mean it may not happen at some point. Often tragedies happen because something unforeseen happens. So, again for myself, I am trying to mitigate the unforeseen with in reason. Part of that will be dynamic ropes/webbing where appropriate.
 
cb750 said:
Personal opinion, you need to be prepared. So while I dont think I have 2 ft of slack in my system at any one time. Doesn't mean it may not happen at some point. Often tragedies happen because something unforeseen happens. So, again for myself, I am trying to mitigate the unforeseen with in reason. Part of that will be dynamic ropes/webbing where appropriate.
Click to expand...

I agree with being prepared. Post up what you end up settling on.

I did a fair amount of research on dynamic ropes and what I found was that for the lengths we use, the stretch is negligible. Dynamic ropes work for climbers because they use really long ropes that then enable the rope to stretch and provide shock absorption. But, at the lengths we use for tethers, the stretching is almost nil. For SRT and DRT it might be different....

But, I am NOT an expert and this is only what I found reading some articles on the internet. If you find different, please post up.
 
dlist777 said:
Could you ever have 2 feet of slack in your tether when at hunting height? Honest question...I don't see how....
Click to expand...
The easiest example is the "stand on the platform and pivot" maneuver for weak side shots. Or I guess you could be taking a piss, clearing a wedgie, etc.
dlist777 said:
I
I did a fair amount of research on dynamic ropes and what I found was that for the lengths we use, the stretch is negligible. Dynamic ropes work for climbers because they use really long ropes that then enable the rope to stretch and provide shock absorption. But, at the lengths we use for tethers, the stretching is almost nil. For SRT and DRT it might be different....

But, I am NOT an expert and this is only what I found reading some articles on the internet. If you find different, please post up.
Click to expand...
At most you gain some tear resistance along the lines of nylon vs. Dyneema sling results.
 
Dynamic rope in the lengths we use to tether ourselves does not have the stretch capacity to materially absorb shock from a fall in the case of higher fall factor. Climbing dynamic ropes are designed to stretch over much longer distances.

Absolute best practice shock absorption would incorporate a stitched screamer into the system similar to most TMA harness. @kyler1945 did that with his Oplux tether I know.

When I first went into a RC harness with my treestand roughly 10 years ago I took some pretty nasty falls just to test it out. BD Alpine harness and 11mm static rope. Normal amount of hunting slack. Don't get me wrong, it was painful. Not something I'd really want to do again. But I was comfortable enough with the results to hunt out of it. I had to see that for myself. Vast majority of the falls you are going to be semi-controlled. A true free fall is basically sudden equipment failure. There is also some give in the way we tether to the tree with a girth hitch, and your body of course provides some degree of built in shock absorption. WCGW there is if the rope is somehow caught in equipment and cannot strech at all. Think bridge becoming tangled on a climbing stick and you fall. Now we're talking no give whatsoever, not good.

Dyneema in life support personally scares me if the fall factor is anything above zero. I just can't mentally trust the diameters used in a material that has absolutely no give. Supposedly there was some industry testing forthcoming by a popular saddle company, but I haven't seen anything.
 
Thanks for all the info. Lots of food for thought. I have been considering a tubular webbing bridge for various reasons and this helps with that. Of course the need to tie knots and therefore lower its breaking strength is hang up for sure.

Funny how last year I was happy with what I had now I want it more streamlined.
 
I could measure the stretch on the ropes I have over 20 feet on the tree out back with me hanging in a harness if anyone is interested.
 
This is one reason I went with the DRT method of climbing there is no slack at any point nothing to slip off or miss my footing for me it's safer to me, I had a knee replacement and feel this is my week point but using a climbers method i don't need the knee to be exerted or even to miss my footing and bang it. I just have to make sure my gear is in good order and my knots tied properly but I personally feel I have eliminated lots of issues that could happen,regards wayne
 
Cool video on the DMM ripstop. This is the one Kyle posted up about on his tether. Makes me feel good about having it.....

One thing: at the end the guy says it was a 4 foot fall, but I think it was only a 2 foot fall......I think it would only have been 4 feet if he was 2 feet above the anchor and had 2 feet of slack.....he was even with the anchor and had 2 feet of slack...either way, cool vid

 
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