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The JRB Climbing Method

I have experimented with friction hitches and after a few instances where they locked up and a few where they slipped, I gave up before I was injured.. Metal devices were invented for a reason, otherwise rock climbers would still be using only friction hitches. I will gladly carry the extra weight to increase safety.
By all means, be safe, and do what you're confident with. But from what you're describing, lock ups and slips, the hitches were not the correct type for the job. My system ensures that a complete failure of any friction component is never life threatening. Avoid single points of failure. Unfortunately, i see so many mechanical devices which have no backup.

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By all means, be safe, and do what you're confident with. But from what you're describing, lock ups and slips, the hitches were not the correct type for the job. My system ensures that a complete failure of any friction component is never life threatening. Avoid single points of failure. Unfortunately, i see so many mechanical devices which have no backup.

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I considered trying your system but have not been climbing since the Spring and will not have time before hunting season. Maybe I will try it later. I always keep my ascender and descender on my climbing line and move them like an inchworm. One device backs up the other both up and down. It is a bit slower but safer. Both are attached to my two bridges in case one fails.
 
I considered trying your system but have not been climbing since the Spring and will not have time before hunting season. Maybe I will try it later. I always keep my ascender and descender on my climbing line and move them like an inchworm. One device backs up the other both up and down. It is a bit slower but safer. Both are attached to my two bridges in case one fails.
Luv it. Sounds good. Slow, steady and redundant.

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I have experimented with friction hitches and after a few instances where they locked up and a few where they slipped, I gave up before I was injured.. Metal devices were invented for a reason, otherwise rock climbers would still be using only friction hitches. I will gladly carry the extra weight to increase safety.
Just another thought... even if you're only learning knots as a backup system... some of this may be helpful. I generally only add content to my channel based on the needs of others, or something NEW that i have come up with. And so if ya look at this short playlist on knot tying, you may wanna take a look at the ones on the Michoacán and Double Michoacán. I don't use Prusik for anything anymore.

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Just another thought... even if you're only learning knots as a backup system... some of this may be helpful. I generally only add content to my channel based on the needs of others, or something NEW that i have come up with. And so if ya look at this short playlist on knot tying, you may wanna take a look at the ones on the Michoacán and Double Michoacán. I don't use Prusik for anything anymore.

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Thanks. If I try the Michoacan, I will have to learn to tie it in my sleep. I used the VT on one climbing device. I sometimes had to push it up to get it to set.
 
Thanks. If I try the Michoacan, I will have to learn to tie it in my sleep. I used the VT on one climbing device. I sometimes had to push it up to get it to set.
VT is more loose than Michoacán. Arbs use much bigger ropes and much thicker cords and it's more consistent on them. I agree that it's good to know how to tie our knots in our sleep, but also: even though i am a rope climber, i never tie any friction knots in the woods. No matter if it is DRT, SRT, or JRB, the friction hitches were tied in my basement and tested in my backyard long before the season started.

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The VT is very dependent on how long the legs are, too long and the hitch stretches out and doesn’t want to grab.
 
VT is more loose than Michoacán. Arbs use much bigger ropes and much thicker cords and it's more consistent on them. I agree that it's good to know how to tie our knots in our sleep, but also: even though i am a rope climber, i never tie any friction knots in the woods. No matter if it is DRT, SRT, or JRB, the friction hitches were tied in my basement and tested in my backyard long before the season started.

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I was using 11.4mm rope with a Hitchhiker device. Rope walking with a knee ascender and foot ascender.
 
I was using 11.4mm rope with a Hitchhiker device. Rope walking with a knee ascender and foot ascender.
@bj139 One of the side projects I have been working on it is a friction hitch. I realize we have quite a few of them. I believe I have tried all of the ones in the book plus a few that are not like the Fitch pitch which was recently released by an arborist, Patrick Fitch, who is in my Facebook group. I'm also trying to keep a list of all of the pros and cons of the different ones we can tie. Suffice it to say that I believe this is something special. Before I release anything on YouTube, I always try to assemble an internal review team for constructive input. I did that before I released my climbing method also. And so you can let me know if you'd like to be involved.

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The Fitch sounded familiar, found one in my pile from a little while ago, on the left, and another on YouTube. The two Fitches are similar, do you know if the second is a variation of the first? I’ve come up with ones that are similar.
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The Fitch sounded familiar, found one in my pile from a little while ago, on the left, and another on YouTube. The two Fitches are similar, do you know if the second is a variation of the first? I’ve come up with ones that are similar.
View attachment 52302
@Brocky
Patrick Fitch is a member of my Facebook group and so i can ask him if ya like, but all I know is the one he published on YouTube. For my taste, it jammed too much. When i test friction hitches, I rig one side of a JRB system with a Meech and the other side with the competition and I can compare them side-by-side. I am not saying it's not good for something else, but i need the combination of a number of features including reliable grab, breakable under load, non jamming, and non loosening, even with a long loop. Now hold the heck on... are those YOUR pictures? Meaning did YOU sketch them? Cuz someone on Treebuzz gave me these pix last year... when I was researching TIB friction hitches.. was that YOU?
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@John RB hey John, any update on the hitch cord you’re liking with the Mammut 8.0 alpine. I got my beal cord to work well with it but it took some experimenting with the wraps to get it where it worked consistently. I’d like to try some different cordage if you have any recommendation on stuff you know works so far. I’m really liking climbing on this mammut stuff.
 
@John RB hey John, any update on the hitch cord you’re liking with the Mammut 8.0 alpine. I got my beal cord to work well with it but it took some experimenting with the wraps to get it where it worked consistently. I’d like to try some different cordage if you have any recommendation on stuff you know works so far. I’m really liking climbing on this mammut stuff.
Hey buddy. My season opened on Saturday and so I'm not fiddling around very much now. I currently have it rigged with Sterling TRC, specifically as a double Michoacán on each side, with 5 turns per Meech. It works great and is always breakable under load, for me at 185 lbs Plus gear. I had done testing with several other hitch cords, all of which held. PMI 6mm, standard Sterling 6 and 7mm, and the PowerCord. If ya have a high quality flexible cord, I think you should be good.
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Hey buddy. My season opened on Saturday and so I'm not fiddling around very much now. I currently have it rigged with Sterling TRC, specifically as a double Michoacán on each side, with 5 turns per Meech. It works great and is always breakable under load, for me at 185 lbs Plus gear. I had done testing with several other hitch cords, all of which held. PMI 6mm, standard Sterling 6 and 7mm, and the PowerCord. If ya have a high quality flexible cord, I think you should be good.
d1c899a20d30040a671df667fa2595c7.jpg


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Thanks and happy hunting!
 
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Did some testing with some of the heat resistant cover and single braid cords that I have. From the top Coppa 5000, XTec, Probe, TRC, and Robline Excel Elite. The bottom required five wraps to grab reliably.
 
View attachment 53031
Did some testing with some of the heat resistant cover and single braid cords that I have. From the top Coppa 5000, XTec, Probe, TRC, and Robline Excel Elite. The bottom required five wraps to grab reliably.
And so which would ya say is a favorite? Just in case I want to buy a few feet and test something new.

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I like the Coppa the most, the fuzzy cover seems to make it grab better, I use the 7mm for 10mm-11mm ropes. The single braids also bite and are flexible for short legs.

6mm WarpSpeed II, a non heat resistant cord is also very good, and very strong. Most cords can be made better grabbing with less wraps by making the cover looser.
 
I like the Coppa the most, the fuzzy cover seems to make it grab better, I use the 7mm for 10mm-11mm ropes. The single braids also bite and are flexible for short legs.

6mm WarpSpeed II, a non heat resistant cord is also very good, and very strong. Most cords can be made better grabbing with less wraps by making the cover looser.
Peer pressure is a weakness of mine...
Will let ya know how I like it.
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