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The Dangers of Short Static Falls

Earlybird31 said:
Maybe a stupid question, but why don't saddle hunters use dynamic ropes?
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The % stretch makes an actual difference in the types of falls that rock climbers take: 20+ feet. If we take a 2’ fall, the amount of stretch that actually happens is probably not enough to prevent injury.
 
mtsrunner said:
The % stretch makes an actual difference in the types of falls that rock climbers take: 20+ feet. If we take a 2’ fall, the amount of stretch that actually happens is probably not enough to prevent injury.
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The videos, that tailgunner posted, show a significant reduction in shock load even with short dynamic rope lengths, vs a static fall. So I'm not so sure I believe that.....4' of dynamic rope with some stretch is a lot better than 0'.
 
I did a bit of research as to why one would choose dynamic vs static ropes for climbing, though it was for rock and mountain climbing, not specifically for saddle hunting purposes.

In a nutshell:
  • Static ropes are better for ascending and rapelling, since the lack of stretch/bounce makes those types of movement a lot easier.
  • Dynamic ropes are better for "leading" when a fall might happen and you need the shock absorbtion
My conclusion is that if you're not rappelling down nor doing SRT/DRT/JRT ascents, then you would probably be better off with a dynamic rope for your tether if you 1-stick where slack in the tether is almost inevitable. Don't think it much matters for the LB, since a fall swings you down in an arc into the tree, so little/no shock load on the LB. If you don't 1-stick, just using your LB to climb on sticks/steps/bolts, then static line for the tether would be fine, since there would be no slack in it once you rig it and hang.

If you do rappel and/or SRT/DRT/etc, then you probably want a static rope, but need to keep slack to a minimum in your tether line, such as when 1-sticking.

YMMV.....choose and manage your risks when climbing appropriately.
 
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Earlybird31 said:
Maybe a stupid question, but why don't saddle hunters use dynamic ropes?
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The reason most saddle hunters and arborist for that matter do not use dynamic rope is two fold in my opinion. First and most obviously is that dynamic rope needs to be longer, so that it has more rope to allow stretching to absorb fall forces. While using dynamic rope on a tether with around 18” of stretch ability would certainly reduce forces, it wouldn’t be as dramatic as if you had 20’ of lead climbing line to stretch. It also stretches some just from putting your body weight into it which feels uneasy sometimes especially when you stand up and turn for a shot.

The second reason is that dynamic ropes are not nearly as abrasion resistant as static or low elongation ropes are. When using a rope around a rough bark tree, dynamic tethers show wear within a few uses and would require being replaced more often than static ropes with more abrasive kermantle covers.
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
The second reason is that dynamic ropes are not nearly as abrasion resistant as static or low elongation ropes are. When using a rope around a rough bark tree, dynamic tethers show wear within a few uses and would require being replaced more often than static ropes with more abrasive kermantle covers.
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To quote Linus replying to Lucy, "That's a good reason!", though I didn't know that the Peanuts gang was into saddlehunting. LOL.
 
I think I’ve got the best of both worlds now by using Sterling C IV 9mm static rope with a Kong Slyde. I get the benefits of a tough, light static rope along with possible dissipation of fall forces due to the Slyde.
 
Earlybird31 said:
Is the Slyde used for dissipation? I thought it was used as an ascender.
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The slyde does have impact reducing qualities similar to knots. It uses tight bend friction to slow the fall and lessen impact but only in certain configurations and doesn’t work as well if wet or in snow. Furthermore the configuration shown by kong would be you tie into the slyde instead of a prusik knot with some slack behind it and then a figure 8 at the end of the rope as a secondary tie in. Basically it would replace your prusik. Interestingly though per Kong’s website it is not considered fall protection and does not test or meet the requirements of EN958 for fall protection so personally I wouldn’t consider it the best of anything unless I was using it with dynamic rope.
 
Beal Booster III 9.7mm was my climbing tether all season (probably 40+ climbs)…still in excellent condition.

Switch to a static rope for rappelling at end of hunt.
 
My own tree saddle is not a fall arrest system.not even a fall restraint system , it is for sitting in like a treestand isn't a fall arrest or fall restraint system.i don't plan on falling .and if I do i dont depend on my hunting gear .like I said be safe please .it would hurt my mushy heart to hear some one got hurt at there hobby they love.
 
Earlybird31 said:
I have a Koog KISA and would like to use it, but I'm having a hard time getting my 9 mm rope (Canyon-IV) to thread through the last hole. The last hole appears to be slightly smaller, but it could be my imagination. The device recommends three loops with the rope for 9 mm but I can only get two. I may need to cut the end and re-seal it after passing it through.
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I use 11mm line, so I'm not sure what's up with your Canyon-IV. You are correct that the last hole on the Kong KISA is smaller. All of the other holes are big enough for 11mm ropes. I assume you have to thread 9mm rope through the last small hole to create enough friction to stop a fall, otherwise you'd slide all the way to the stopper knot. My 11mm Predator is actually 11.4mm, so it's a tight squeeze through the holes. I use friction tape to really squeeze the end so it fits through. You might be able to do the same with your Canyon-IV to get it through the last hole.
 
I used tape to get it through. Thanks. To keep it simpler, I may just use a separate tether/KISA for climbing and go with the rappel rope when I'm done.
 
Earlybird31 said:
I used tape to get it through. Thanks. To keep it simpler, I may just use a separate tether/KISA for climbing and go with the rappel rope when I'm done.
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That's what I do. I climb with the tether that has the KISA, then switch over to my rappel line once I'm where I want to be. The only trouble with the KISA is moving it to accommodate different diameter trees. You might find it easier with 9 mm rope, but it's a bear to loosen my Samson predator to move the KISA. I haven't tried this myself, but "Brocky" posted this picture on a thread I started a while back on the KISA:

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This setup allows you to use a regular tether with a friction hitch. Just clip the KISA rig into the friction hitch, then clip your bridge carabiner to the KISA. I think I would prefer a tight sewn eye to connect to the carabiner instead of the scaffold knot. Like I said, though, I haven't gotten around to trying this out.
 
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