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Rappelling 101

arm breaker said:
Exactly. I hunt in Eastern AR and am doing it all the time now. The girth hitch works fine once you get some weight on it. From there just pull it down as described above.
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Yep. I’ve done this too. Girth hitch the trunk to hunt and rappel. Pull down same as always.


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on a big pine with no limbs or crotch I just girth hitch the trunk and rapel down. Once you weight the rope it doesn’t move. Also makes it real easy to retrieve your rope with paracord clipped in. Heads up tho if you use a triangle, it’s coming down fast and hurts when it it’s you on the head.
 
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Pilk64 said:
No
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Well, we can start here. Once you get some rope you will need a loop in it if it doesn’t have one sewn or spliced, depending on the rope. You can make the loop with this knot:

www.101knots.com

How to Tie a Figure 8 on a Bight Knot? Steps, Variations & Uses

For this, the rope is doubled into a bight followed by tying the figure 8 knot. It is one of the ways of creating a figure 8 loop apart from the figure 8 follow through. The versatile knot helps in connecting a rope to a carabiner or climbing harness. Tying a Figure Eight on a […]
www.101knots.com www.101knots.com

The girth hitch is simply passing the working end of the rope (the other end from the knot/loop) through the loop. It’s no different in this case from what @g2outdoors is showing here for the tether:


The rappel rope is just longer.

This is also a nice orientation on all things saddle for other references in this thread and elsewhere:

 
Newhunter1 said:
Yes...as I climb I move my tether when I'm on my bottom step, then move when I'm on my top step. Sit down in the saddle and move the stick. Rinse and repeat
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I gotcha. Thanks. Can’t wait for a day off and nice weather to practice. Where in AR you? I’m up around Mtn. Home.
 
Pilk64 said:
If you want to see a real communist socialist regime?...come to NY and live under the supreme ruler Mario Hitler Stalin Cuomo
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I just moved back from living in MA and VA for several years. VA is not so bad but there’s no Sunday hunting and recent elections are about to make it much worse. MA is seriously like living in an authoritarian state compared to anywhere else I’ve been. Their gun laws are insane.
 
SecretAgentMan said:
@Pilk64 @Newhunter1

That's my question too. I've considered buying the rope and gear to be able to rappel down. When I'm hill country hunting in the Ozarks, finding a limb or crotch shouldn't be a problem. But, hunting big hardwoods in central and eastern AR, it may be a lonnnng ways up the trunk before you get to a crotch or decent size limb. Am I just SOL to try to rappel in that situation? Or once I climb my sticks to hunting height, I should able to just girth hitch my rappel rope to the main trunk (and not forget to clip my retrieve rope in) and come down from there. Right? Or am I missing something?

I'm intending to use the rappel rope as a tether too, btw.
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You don’t need a crotch. Just girth hitch your rappel rope around the trunk. It’s actually much easier to retrieve your rope that way as well. Once you tug on that paracord and get that hitch loose, it will usually come down pretty quickly...word of advice...once you feel it break loose, don’t look up.

I use 40’ of rappel line net of the figure 8 loop. I’ve never needed that much but would rather have the extra in case. It doubles as my tether and it packs in a dump pouch. My belay device is an ATV sport.

what part of AR are you in? I’m in LR. Be glad to share some of this with you.
 
Deerinthawoods said:
You don’t need a crotch. Just girth hitch your rappel rope around the trunk. It’s actually much easier to retrieve your rope that way as well. Once you tug on that paracord and get that hitch loose, it will usually come down pretty quickly...word of advice...once you feel it break loose, don’t look up.

I use 40’ of rappel line net of the figure 8 loop. I’ve never needed that much but would rather have the extra in case. It doubles as my tether and it packs in a dump pouch. My belay device is an ATV sport.

what part of AR are you in? I’m in LR. Be glad to share some of this with you.
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I’m in northern AR, just south of Mtn. Home. I get to LR fairly often for work stuff. I’ve got 40’ of Oplux coming, and I’ve got an ATC alpine sport for descent. It is outside of spec for a single rope I believe but I’m hoping it can create enough friction even if I have to add a second carabiner. Lots of debate on here about using Oplux to rappel and finding the right device. I considered a sport, too.
 
SecretAgentMan said:
I’m in northern AR, just south of Mtn. Home. I get to LR fairly often for work stuff. I’ve got 40’ of Oplux coming, and I’ve got an ATC alpine sport for descent. It is outside of spec for a single rope I believe but I’m hoping it can create enough friction even if I have to add a second carabiner. Lots of debate on here about using Oplux to rappel and finding the right device. I considered a sport, too.
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If you are concerned about being in spec, Dano has the grivel atc that is in spec for single rope with Oplux.
 
After more research I have found multiple ways of 1laccomplishing the climb up...the tether in...the rappell down and the rope retrieval... saddlehunter.com rules...coupled with youtube you can find a method that works best for you and learn how to safely accomplish your mission...thanks to all that replied for your help and your patience...Pilk
 
When you guys retrieve your climbing line remember to attach to the side nearest your oval link or sewn loop as this makes retrieval very smooth because you are loosening the girth rather than fighting all that friction if attached on the side opposite the girth.
 
cedar paul said:
When you guys retrieve your climbing line remember to attach to the side nearest your oval link or sewn loop as this makes retrieval very smooth because you are loosening the girth rather than fighting all that friction if attached on the side opposite the girth.
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A picture would be clear. I have seen many conflicting ideas about this. I trust your opinion on this.
There is no friction on the tag end closest to the oval link because it pulls the tag end up. Also if there are branches this end has to go all the way up. Is this correct?

Lately I have attached a one loop prussic to this tag end. It may help but I have not had the repetitions to confirm.
I have fought with removing the rope on a few occasions.
Not all bad because it cause me to learn how to do SRT. Easy

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I too girth a prussic the same way as you do and even when I go over branches retrieval is very easy. I do climb for hunting alot of branchless stems and friction even on those can present a challenge if not retrieved correctly.
 
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