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rescue foot loop to climb down from tree only using tether......NOT a rope technique or for suspension trauma

raisins

raisins

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Jan 17, 2019
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6,281
I had someone ask me about this, so i'll just post my PM explanation to him here

i think everyone should know how to do this, if i get anything wrong then please make suggestions here

start quote............

f you don't have a 6 to 8 foot daisy chain to mess with, you can make a toy one to learn this technique with (don't climb with it, only use on the ground to get the feel for the method). Just double over 16 feet of paracord and tie knots every 6 inches or so to make an 8 foot daisy chain. You can buy 7/64 amsteel ones all over or make them easily.

It's just 2 girth hitches.

Girth Hitch - How to tie a Girth Hitch
How to tie the Girth Hitch animated and illustrated
www.netknots.com
www.netknots.com

At ground level (for practice....you won't be able to make more than one move downward if already down), with your saddle and tether on and attached to a tree, wrap your daisy chain around the tree around waist height. Now, pass the whole chain through the first link. This will girth hitch the chain to the tree. Next, find a link on the chain and pass the part of the chain above it through this link. This will turn that link inside out as it forms a loop that is a girth hitch. That's where you can stick you foot.

If you picked the right link to use to girth hitch your foot, you can stand up using the daisy chain. This will slack your tether. You can now move the tether downward. Then sit into your saddle and this will slack the daisy chain around the tree and allow you to also slide it downward on the tree a bit. You then stand up using the chain again to slack your tether again. Slide the tether down. Rinse and repeat until you are on the ground (if you'd started at 15 feet or something).

This is the same concept as a climbing stand just using ropes around the tree.
 
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@raisins
This sounds like a great idea and an excellent "back up plan"!!! :cool:

Back in the late 70s, I had a Baker Mighty Mike tree stand, that was a total death trap. o_O
While hunting in it, I shifted my weight to one side and this apparently caused it to lose grip on the tree. Before I could say "oh s***", it started racheting down the tree...quickly. :rolleyes: Reluctantly, I gave my bow a toss, turned and hugged the tree, but I was half way down the tree when I made this move/decision. I simply slide down the tree to the ground, where my Baker tree stand was already sitting. :mad: This was in the "dark days" before safety harnesses were sold with the tree stand.

I would imagine if I were in a similar situation with a tree saddle, I'd just hug the tree, cut the rope and slide down. I always carry a sharp knife that opens with one hand/finger.
John RB has mentioned in his "10 Rules for Saddle Hunting" video, Murphy's Law tends to prevail over the best of us. If it can go wrong, it will or can, so it's best to be prepared for "whatever". :)
 
BowhunterXC said:
@raisins
This sounds like a great idea and an excellent "back up plan"!!! :cool:

Back in the late 70s, I had a Baker Mighty Mike tree stand, that was a total death trap. o_O
While hunting in it, I shifted my weight to one side and this apparently caused it to lose grip on the tree. Before I could say "oh s***", it started racheting down the tree...quickly. :rolleyes: Reluctantly, I gave my bow a toss, turned and hugged the tree, but I was half way down the tree when I made this move/decision. I simply slide down the tree to the ground, where my Baker tree stand was already sitting. :mad: This was in the "dark days" before safety harnesses were sold with the tree stand.

I would imagine if I were in a similar situation with a tree saddle, I'd just hug the tree, cut the rope and slide down. I always carry a sharp knife that opens with one hand/finger.
John RB has mentioned in his "10 Rules for Saddle Hunting" video, Murphy's Law tends to prevail over the best of us. If it can go wrong, it will or can, so it's best to be prepared for "whatever". :)
Click to expand...

This is one reason why i usually don't hunt trees so big around that i can't at all get my arms around them
 
PS....i ordinarily don't climb with things girth hitched around my boot because i think it is dangerous...i guess i'm making an exception here....but i'm thinking you could use a carabiner as a clip to make the loop your foot goes in without it cinching super tight to the foot (can kick out of it if something goes sideways)
 
Here is another thing I have done that maybe other should think about....off of my saddle separate from vest/pack I have a ewo hoist pouch with a whistle, single AA battery tiny flashlight, and my grapple.....if somehow I drop everything I still have them on my person and can emergency communicate, see in the dark, and hopefully retrieve whatever important piece of equipment I have dropped......now that I'm thinking about it maybe I should move my emergency mule tape onto my saddle....they won't help if they in the pocket of the vest that could be in the ground
 
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Like I said on that other thread, I just carry two or three other prusik loops. It saved me once so I’ll never leave them. But you could ascend/descend on two prusiks if you really had to and it’s a super simple knot to throw on and take off.


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Probably smart for rappellers to climb with the tether, ensuring 2 ropes. I was gonna just use rappel rope this year. Thinking twice now.
 
muzzypower said:
Probably smart for rappellers to climb with the tether, ensuring 2 ropes. I was gonna just use rappel rope this year. Thinking twice now.
Click to expand...
I've been using my rappel rope to climb, but have a lineman rope/tether that's daisy chained hanging on my off-side lineman loop with a carabiner. It's there in case I need it for any reason. :cool:
 
In addition to my 2TC kit (essentially 2 identical tethers), I carry foot loops that can serve a variety of functions. I’ve made them out of webbing but made these out of dyneema straps. This is two foot loops.
cdb9e89d57a7bb63972441536a5cf0dd.jpg



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MNFarmHunter said:
Depending on tree diameter, one or both can be used to girth hitch the tree giving a foot loop. This can also be attached directly to a rope via girth hitch or attached to a hitch or mechanical as a typical foot loop.
89af33c4232eb23ebc5c5e5401806145.jpg



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Click to expand...
How long are these? Light and simple. I like those a bunch.
 
MNFarmHunter said:
In addition to my 2TC kit (essentially 2 identical tethers), I carry foot loops that can serve a variety of functions. I’ve made them out of webbing but made these out of dyneema straps. This is two foot loops.
cdb9e89d57a7bb63972441536a5cf0dd.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I might need the homeboy hookup on a pair of those.
 
hokiehunter373 said:
Good thinking. I've got a bunch of these: https://doublesteps.com/product/woven-daisy-chain-webbing/ from before I one sticked. Keeping one in a pocket on me will be a piece of cake and should help if I ever need it.
Click to expand...
This is exactly what I have. Light and simple. I used to use them for my climbing sticks. Can hook into any of the slots with a binder too. Alternatively, a 48” GM climbing loop would work too and be long enough to girth hitch around most trees. With EWO daisy chains though, you have to be sure you have the climb rated ones with the double stacks of stitching. EWO also sold similar straps with a single but wide bar of stitching that was not climb rated it was just for using as a gear hanger.
 
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