PJC
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2016
- Messages
- 2,539
So I got my new Kestrel.
I have a question about the Blake’s Hitch on the Lineman’s Belt. Last night I went out to set up a tree from which I’ve been wanting to hunt. I was using the Lineman’s Belt of course, and as I got higher, the length of the Lineman’s Belt became too long and I needed to shorten it. With my Hunter’s Safety Systems Lineman’s belt, I can hold the tree with one hand and pull myself close to the tree taking the pressure of my body weight off the Lineman’s Belt and use the other hand to pull the strap shortening the Lineman’s Belt.
With the Kestrel Lineman’s Belt, I have to use two hands. Left hand on the Blake’s Hitch and Right hand to pull on the end of the Lineman's Belt rope to shorten it. I found it impossible to do as I couldn’t hold myself close to the tree to take the pressure off the Lineman’s Belt. I needed the linemans belt to hold my weight or I needed to stand in my tree pegs by holding myself against the tree.
I tried and tried until I was a sweaty mess in 38 degree weather. I had to abort my assent and climb back down. Even then, when I could stand on the ground with the Lineman’s Belt still around the tree but with the pressure of my weight off of it, I still couldn’t get the Lineman’s Belt rope to move through the Blake’s Hitch as the Blake’s Hitch was cinched down so tight that it wouldn’t allow me to either lengthen or shorten the Lineman’s Belt.
I went out to a tree this morning to try again, this time without ascending a tree. The Blake’s Hitch was cinched tight from last evenings attempt so I loosened the wrap of the Blake’s Hitch prior to my attempt. I got it to move as it should again with one hand to put pressure down on the top of it allowing the rope to slide through to lengthen and with both hands, one on the Blake’s Hitch and one on the end side of the Lineman’s Belt rope to pull it though to shorten it. While standing on the ground and no pressure on the Lineman’s Belt, it worked fine.
As soon as I wrapped the Lineman’s Belt around a tree and put some of my body weight on it, the Blake’s Hitch tightened up again and I was unable to move it in either direction even after I took my body weight completely off of it.
I find the Lineman’s Belt as configured to be useless, unless perhaps to drag a deer out of the woods. (But I always intended the tree strap for that)
I’ve found a similar problem with some brands of Life Line ropes. The Prussic not cinches up tight and you can’t get it to travel up and down the rope without fighting it all the way, often having to use two hands which often forces you to put some of your body weight on the knot making it impossible to work with. The only Life Line I’ve ever used that has a prussic knot that doesn’t bind up is the Hunter Safety System’s Life Line. I think it’s because the rope on the Prussic Knot is made of the same diameter rope as the LifeLine itself. That's the only difference I see from their's to other’s I’ve used that don’t work well. The others use a smaller diameter rope for the prussic knot. I see on the Kestrel that the Blake’s Hitch is made of a smaller diameter rope compared to the rope from which the Lineman’s Belt is made. I’m no expert, but I’m wondering if that wouldn’t help.
What are your thoughts?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have a question about the Blake’s Hitch on the Lineman’s Belt. Last night I went out to set up a tree from which I’ve been wanting to hunt. I was using the Lineman’s Belt of course, and as I got higher, the length of the Lineman’s Belt became too long and I needed to shorten it. With my Hunter’s Safety Systems Lineman’s belt, I can hold the tree with one hand and pull myself close to the tree taking the pressure of my body weight off the Lineman’s Belt and use the other hand to pull the strap shortening the Lineman’s Belt.
With the Kestrel Lineman’s Belt, I have to use two hands. Left hand on the Blake’s Hitch and Right hand to pull on the end of the Lineman's Belt rope to shorten it. I found it impossible to do as I couldn’t hold myself close to the tree to take the pressure off the Lineman’s Belt. I needed the linemans belt to hold my weight or I needed to stand in my tree pegs by holding myself against the tree.
I tried and tried until I was a sweaty mess in 38 degree weather. I had to abort my assent and climb back down. Even then, when I could stand on the ground with the Lineman’s Belt still around the tree but with the pressure of my weight off of it, I still couldn’t get the Lineman’s Belt rope to move through the Blake’s Hitch as the Blake’s Hitch was cinched down so tight that it wouldn’t allow me to either lengthen or shorten the Lineman’s Belt.
I went out to a tree this morning to try again, this time without ascending a tree. The Blake’s Hitch was cinched tight from last evenings attempt so I loosened the wrap of the Blake’s Hitch prior to my attempt. I got it to move as it should again with one hand to put pressure down on the top of it allowing the rope to slide through to lengthen and with both hands, one on the Blake’s Hitch and one on the end side of the Lineman’s Belt rope to pull it though to shorten it. While standing on the ground and no pressure on the Lineman’s Belt, it worked fine.
As soon as I wrapped the Lineman’s Belt around a tree and put some of my body weight on it, the Blake’s Hitch tightened up again and I was unable to move it in either direction even after I took my body weight completely off of it.
I find the Lineman’s Belt as configured to be useless, unless perhaps to drag a deer out of the woods. (But I always intended the tree strap for that)
I’ve found a similar problem with some brands of Life Line ropes. The Prussic not cinches up tight and you can’t get it to travel up and down the rope without fighting it all the way, often having to use two hands which often forces you to put some of your body weight on the knot making it impossible to work with. The only Life Line I’ve ever used that has a prussic knot that doesn’t bind up is the Hunter Safety System’s Life Line. I think it’s because the rope on the Prussic Knot is made of the same diameter rope as the LifeLine itself. That's the only difference I see from their's to other’s I’ve used that don’t work well. The others use a smaller diameter rope for the prussic knot. I see on the Kestrel that the Blake’s Hitch is made of a smaller diameter rope compared to the rope from which the Lineman’s Belt is made. I’m no expert, but I’m wondering if that wouldn’t help.
What are your thoughts?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
