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Knee & Foot Ascender for SRT

ShooterMike

ShooterMike

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2020
Messages
951
Location
Caroline County, Virginia
This has probably been discussed before, but I don’t have a wealth of experience in various tree climbing methods, but I was scrolling through utube and came across an arborist using a knee and foot ascender for what look like the quickest and easiest SRT ascent that I’ve come across yet.

Anyone else using foot and knee ascenders? I can’t see a downside to it.



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I've done it. More metal equipment needed than RADS and so makes more noise. It is faster than RADS if you want to run up the tree.
 
ShooterMike said:
You’ll have to help me out with the abbreviations- I’m new to the rope climbing world - “RADS”?


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Click to expand...
RADS means Rapid Ascent Descent System. It is not as rapid as treewalking with the foot and knee ascender. I guess it got that acronym because it is rapid changing over from ascent to descent. I made a bunch of videos and I only started climbing last summer. Check out my Youtube channel. I leave all the mistakes in my videos and don't edit them out for transparency.
www.youtube.com

billj139

I am just an old guy having fun tree climbing and playing with sewing machines. Both these things grew out of an interest in saddle hunting from a tree saddl...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
bj139 said:
RADS means Rapid Ascent Descent System. It is not as rapid as treewalking with the foot and knee ascender. I guess it got that acronym because it is rapid changing over from ascent to descent. I made a bunch of videos and I only started climbing last summer. Check out my Youtube channel. I leave all the mistakes in my videos and don't edit them out for transparency.
www.youtube.com

billj139

I am just an old guy having fun tree climbing and playing with sewing machines. Both these things grew out of an interest in saddle hunting from a tree saddl...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
Click to expand...

Thank you, and I will !!


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Here is the breakdown of the loads on my limbs while do SRT/RADS. Right arm 60 lbs, left arm 20 lbs, right leg 60 lbs. The left hand on the rope has a 3:1 mechanical advantage so 20 x 3 = 60. I weigh 175 lbs so 60 + 60 + 60 = 180 so up the tree I go. With ropewalking each leg has to push up your total weight since only one leg is pushing at a time. It is hard on my legs. I could add a hand ascender above on the rope but that makes 5 things I have to manage. When I'm hunting I want to hunt and not manage climbing devices.
 
I think it's just easier getting in and out of a hand ascent w/footloop and Grigri than trying to get get out of the foot/knee ascenders.
 
SNIPERBBB said:
I think it's just easier getting in and out of a hand ascent w/footloop and Grigri than trying to get get out of the foot/knee ascenders.
Click to expand...

Maybe, however, the energy expense seems much less with foot and knee ascenders, and in early season that can save some sweat which keeps scant distribution lower.

I have no personal experience with the foot and knee ascenders, but from what I saw in the video link, the effort was insignificant. The speed of ascent was much faster too.

It’s just something interesting I came across and thought was worth discussing. I may employ that in early season when it’s it’s still quite warm in central Virginia.


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If you walk through mud with your foot ascender in place it will end up covered. I am not sure if that will affect it's ability to cling to the rope.

I have done both to determine the trouble I would have. SRT/RADS gave me much less trouble than SRT Rope Walking. The last thing I want is trouble a mile into the woods.

Energy expenditure is related to what I mentioned above. I can do 100 curls with a 1 lb weight but maybe one with a 50 lb weight. Which one do you think I will be more tired after doing? I will get up the tree in 2 minutes with RADS while a young rope walker will get up in 30 seconds. I will have my gear on the rope in 30 seconds while he will take 3 minutes.
 
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bj139 said:
If you walk through mud with your foot ascender in place it will end up covered. I am not sure if that will affect it's ability to cling to the rope.

I have done both to determine the trouble I would have. SRT/RADS gave me much less trouble than SRT Rope Walking. The last thing I want is trouble a mile into the woods.

Energy expenditure is related to what I mentioned above. I can do 100 curls with a 1 lb weight but maybe one with a 50 lb weight. Which one do you think I will be more tired after doing? I will get up the tree in 2 minutes with RADS while a young rope walker will get up in 30 seconds. I will have my gear on the rope in 30 seconds while he will take 3 minutes.
Click to expand...

Can you spell out the difference between RADS and Ropewalking?
Thank you.


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There are variations of each. This is what I agave:
RADS = grigri & a hand ascender with a foot loop attached

Ropewalking = rope wrench, foot ascender, self ascending knee ascender
 
The hardest part of either system is getting your climbing rope in and out of the tree. But with practice and ingenuity it gets easier
 
PastorKen said:
There are variations of each. This is what I agave:
RADS = grigri & a hand ascender with a foot loop attached

Ropewalking = rope wrench, foot ascender, self ascending knee ascender
Click to expand...

Thank you for that. Next question- How is a rope wrench different than a hand ascender?


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