justsomedude
Well-Known Member
OK. The Cliff's notes....comfortable harness+Linesman's Belt + Stirrups is good. With this setup, it doesn't require a lot of strength. No worse than a climber stand. If you aren't relaxed, you're doing it wrong. This is less hazardous than hanging climbing sticks. The downside is that you can't just climb up and down. You an however leave your tether in place and rappel down for a break and then your climb back up is faster
The only extra gear is a tether, webbing, sling, rope man, carabiner. My foot tether rig weighs 23oz using Yale Bandit. Might switch it to 9mm.
You can pass branches safely with this setup. Rope retrieval gets more complicated though.
GEAR: Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe (love), two 12" Slings, Hollowblock, Linesman's Belt with Ropeman 1, Sterling HTP 9mm long rope with GriGri2, Yale Bandit short tether with Ropeman 1, tied webbing stirrups.
Here's the connections. That big tan web in the middle is too long. It runs from the harness to the Foot Stirrups Tether as a backup. Replacing with a short sling. There is a Ropeman 1 on the foot tether. Stirrups and backup sling attached to same carabiner. Black foot loops bottom right.
Above that is a black sling that runs from harness to GriGri2 to the Sterling HTP 9mm. Replacing it with a 12" sling as well. Having your device raised up ("Extended Rappel") is easier to tend than having it directly on your harness.
The yellow sling is Hollowblock attached to the leg loop as an auto block. I'm a chicken with Rappel. I like an Autoblock. DON'T USE THE AUTOBLOCK WHILE CLIMBING. It's just in the way and you have other backups.
The Ropeman on the bottom left is attached to 9mm rope as a Linesman's belt. This harness has strong gear loops. I am using it for my linesman's belt connection at least for this type of climb. I am a chicken...so the LB connections are using TWO loops on each side. But there isn't much weight on your LB in this setup.
Stopper knots with a tail make the tether easier to advance
Stirrups are tubular webbing, 3' long after knots. Probably safe to start with 12' (I tied them a few years ago...) The connection point is an overhand on a bight tied in the middle. Then halfway down from that I tied another overhand knot on a bight connecting the two sides to keep them from spreading when you stand. I put pieces of 9mm rope inside the webbing to keep the foot loops open and more comfortable. Then overhand on a bight for the foot loops. Overhand knot by rethread is easier to keep the loops the same. YOU REALLY WANT THEM THE SAME AND YOU WANT THEM TO HANG DOWN THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE MIDDLE.
Run the tails of your harness tether and foot tether outside of your Linesman's belt rope.
Set your harness tether as high as you can reach. Set your foot tether just below that. Tighten up the grigri and hang. Step into the stirrups ALL THE WAY. Your feet stay in for the whole climb. Now you adjust your foot rope man as you lift your knees as high as you can. ATTACH YOUR LINESMAN'S BELT around the tree and stand up and tighten the LB to keep you steady.
You are well balanced on the even stirrups and LB plus you are backed up from your harness to the foot tether. SAFE. Now take out the slack on the harness tether as high as you can and hang again....loosen your linesman's belt, adjust the foot rope man and lift your knees......REPEAT.
You'll take two or 3 'steps' before having to move your tethers up the tree.
DON'T LET THE GRIGRI get too close to the top of the tether. It can get stuck against the tree and you can't descend without freeing it.
To Descend, attach retrieval line (more below). If I am hanging from a GriGri while hunting, I run an Autoblock. I might switch to a sewn Prusik while hunting though. Here's the Autoblock connection. The Autoblock also serves as a backup connection to your GriGri.
I have a gear haul line with a small knot tied every 10' so I can check my height. It has clips large enough to fit on my tether and one end has a NiteIze twist with an Eye attached to it. You an cinch the line together with it and can attach items quickly for hauling. I hang it off the stopper knot on my tether for retrieval after rappel.
The only extra gear is a tether, webbing, sling, rope man, carabiner. My foot tether rig weighs 23oz using Yale Bandit. Might switch it to 9mm.
You can pass branches safely with this setup. Rope retrieval gets more complicated though.
GEAR: Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe (love), two 12" Slings, Hollowblock, Linesman's Belt with Ropeman 1, Sterling HTP 9mm long rope with GriGri2, Yale Bandit short tether with Ropeman 1, tied webbing stirrups.
Here's the connections. That big tan web in the middle is too long. It runs from the harness to the Foot Stirrups Tether as a backup. Replacing with a short sling. There is a Ropeman 1 on the foot tether. Stirrups and backup sling attached to same carabiner. Black foot loops bottom right.
Above that is a black sling that runs from harness to GriGri2 to the Sterling HTP 9mm. Replacing it with a 12" sling as well. Having your device raised up ("Extended Rappel") is easier to tend than having it directly on your harness.
The yellow sling is Hollowblock attached to the leg loop as an auto block. I'm a chicken with Rappel. I like an Autoblock. DON'T USE THE AUTOBLOCK WHILE CLIMBING. It's just in the way and you have other backups.
The Ropeman on the bottom left is attached to 9mm rope as a Linesman's belt. This harness has strong gear loops. I am using it for my linesman's belt connection at least for this type of climb. I am a chicken...so the LB connections are using TWO loops on each side. But there isn't much weight on your LB in this setup.
Stopper knots with a tail make the tether easier to advance
Stirrups are tubular webbing, 3' long after knots. Probably safe to start with 12' (I tied them a few years ago...) The connection point is an overhand on a bight tied in the middle. Then halfway down from that I tied another overhand knot on a bight connecting the two sides to keep them from spreading when you stand. I put pieces of 9mm rope inside the webbing to keep the foot loops open and more comfortable. Then overhand on a bight for the foot loops. Overhand knot by rethread is easier to keep the loops the same. YOU REALLY WANT THEM THE SAME AND YOU WANT THEM TO HANG DOWN THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE MIDDLE.
Run the tails of your harness tether and foot tether outside of your Linesman's belt rope.
Set your harness tether as high as you can reach. Set your foot tether just below that. Tighten up the grigri and hang. Step into the stirrups ALL THE WAY. Your feet stay in for the whole climb. Now you adjust your foot rope man as you lift your knees as high as you can. ATTACH YOUR LINESMAN'S BELT around the tree and stand up and tighten the LB to keep you steady.
You are well balanced on the even stirrups and LB plus you are backed up from your harness to the foot tether. SAFE. Now take out the slack on the harness tether as high as you can and hang again....loosen your linesman's belt, adjust the foot rope man and lift your knees......REPEAT.
You'll take two or 3 'steps' before having to move your tethers up the tree.
DON'T LET THE GRIGRI get too close to the top of the tether. It can get stuck against the tree and you can't descend without freeing it.
To Descend, attach retrieval line (more below). If I am hanging from a GriGri while hunting, I run an Autoblock. I might switch to a sewn Prusik while hunting though. Here's the Autoblock connection. The Autoblock also serves as a backup connection to your GriGri.
I have a gear haul line with a small knot tied every 10' so I can check my height. It has clips large enough to fit on my tether and one end has a NiteIze twist with an Eye attached to it. You an cinch the line together with it and can attach items quickly for hauling. I hang it off the stopper knot on my tether for retrieval after rappel.