Need a bit of advice:

[Jmiller]

So in past years, I used muddy pros with rope/cam cleat attachment or hawk heliums with the cam buckles.
This offseason I revamped to go lighter with some Novix minis, which I generally like a lot, but wanted to simplify the process by adding versa straps or a rope attachment instead of the cam buckles. Also to reduce noise.

Was out trying to run through my setup in the yard today (the novel minis with the versa straps) and while attaching my 3rd step, the hanging versa strap from that step snagged my bottom step and pulled from the tree. I wasn't too high up and was able to get down from the second, but if I was on the 4th step and pulled my 3rd beyond where I could reach, I'd maybe have been in trouble.

Ultimately, this situation raised two questions for me.

1. Im just generally not confident in versa straps keeping my stick tight enough to the tree fo comfort. I guess Im going to go back to the cam buckles unless Im just missing something here. Am I?

2. I've decided that Im going to keep about 25' of rappel rope and a figure 8 in my pack just in case I get in some kind of bind like that in the future. For others who do this, where are you attaching your 8 (or 'biner for a Muenter hitch) ? To the bridge? To your belt?

Any advice appreciated. Photos would be great.

 

[MNFarmHunter]

Look up Figure 8 Progress Capture for question #2.
Edit: Or I could just link the thread...

Figure of 8 progress capture???

Any of yins guys heard of doing this? I never have. I’ve been doing it for over a month. I think I invented it? It’s legit. It works great! I saw Nice Guy Dave from Wesspur do sumthin’ like this but my way is waayyy easier... Just rig yourself up to descend, then take your tag end and wrap...

saddlehunter.com

For Question #1, cant the bottom of the stick off the tree trunk before attacking the versa-strap (or amsteel daisy). That way, once you pull the bottom stand-off back onto the trunk, the strap should already be tight. Then, just set it like you do any other stick.

 

[Hall17]

I never climb up without a 2nd way down. I always rappel down. Even when I am practicing I have my rappel stuff with me for that reason. I attach my biner that is connected to my ATC or 8 to my bridge. I use my ATC with a hitch and the 8 without as @phatkaw has a video of

 

[Wyatt_burp]

Bunch of threads on reppeling, but figure 8 gets biner-ed to your bridge, I also reccomend a prussic tied into a linemans loop if you don't have a ton of experience with the leg wrap. As always, practice close to the ground, and dont forget a pull down rope unless you want to climb back up and get your rope down.

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[MNMosquitoAssassin]

I use the webbing strap without the buckle of my cam straps like a "rope mod" to attach my sticks, works for trees I climb...versa straps/daisy chains always made me nervous...

 

[LoadedLimbs]

@Jmiller - watch this excellent 2-minute video that @Hunter260 made to help people get their Hawk Helium sticks tight to the tree to minimize the chance of kick-out. It demonstrates what @MNFarmHunter mentions above as “cant the bottom of the stick off the tree trunk before attaching the versastrap or daisychain”

Hawk helium kick out

Its worked for me so far, but I havent put them on alot of trees yet. Overall I'm so glad I went to daisy chains after I learned to rotate the stick. Sent from my SM-A515U using Tapatalk

saddlehunter.com

Be very careful about kick-out using either - and read the entire thread “Hawk Helium Kick Out” for additional helpful and cautionary information.

 

[Jmiller]

Awesome video. Thanks!

 

[PeterHawk22]

Wow. I haven’t even considered a second way down or backup plan. Now I know.


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[Tim0712]

Awesome video. Thanks!

That method works well too but I personally think there’s far to much fiddle factor and movement into it. It’s great from the ground but not ideal at 15-20 feet. I use daisy chains not versa straps so I’m not sure it works but I wrap a loop under my button and go back to where the chain is coming from and tighten it down with a trucker hitch. Way quicker way less effort and way easier to get undone after your hunt plus you can get them so tight that when you set your stick it hardly settles

 

[Bigterp]

I moved away from versa straps for that reason, it doesn’t take much to get some upward force to unseat a stick. Cam buckles or amsteel w/a timber hitch is my go to.

 

[Jmiller]

A little bit of work in the yard this morning, I feel a bit more confident in the versa straps now with the method mentioned earlier. Tried it. Definitely not as stable as cam straps, but with adding a rappel rope and an 8 to my pack Im really not that concerned even if they do kick out, as I have another way down. My top stick, upon which I have a monarch platform, is held on with a cam strap, but the lower three with versas.

One other thing is, since I have a TL Cover Lite saddle, the bridge loops are quite long. So I simply carabinered my 8 to both loops for the rappel. This was pretty solid and reassuring.

Thanks for all the advice here. Very helpful.