• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

What’s the general consensus on using oplux as tether,LB and bridge?

Is oplux safe to use for tether, LB, Bridge?

  • Yes all three

    Votes: 37 94.9%
  • Lb only

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No it’s not safe

    Votes: 2 5.1%

  • Total voters
    39

Jeff25

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
58
A year or so ago I switch over to a oplux teather and LB with Beal jammy Prussics. Now doing some more research it seems to be being questioned in terms of its longevity and strength in event of a fall. What’s everyone’s opinion on it for these uses and as a bridge?

I also recently purchased a cruzr saddle that has the adjustable amsteel Bridge. After reading about the concerns with the Amsteel‘s melting point in a friction hitch, was thinking about switching to a rope bridge. Originally was going to do oplux with maybe beal jammy Prussics girth hitched on each bridge loop but now I’m rethinking that after hearing about the concerns with oplux
 
Last edited:
Curious: What info has you uncovered that oplux is insufficient for fall protection? "strength in event of fall". It seems like its rated many times in excess of forces one would experience climbing trees....
 
I am not sure what to think about this. I used to use a Dyneema climbing sling for my bridge and the thinness bothered me so I added another. I clip them both while climbing, just in case one should come undone..
 
Last edited:
A year or so ago I switch over to a oplux teather and LB with Beal jammy Prussics. Now doing some more research it seems to be being questioned in terms of its longevity and strength in event of a fall. What’s everyone’s opinion on it for these uses and as a bridge?

I also recently purchased a cruzr saddle that has the adjustable amsteel Bridge. After reading about the concerns with the Amsteel‘s melting point in a friction hitch, was thinking about switching to a rope bridge. Originally was going to do oplux with maybe beal jammy Prussics girth hitched on each bridge loop but now I’m rethinking that after hearing about the concerns with oplux
If you can find a general consensus on ANYTHING here I’ll send you an oplux tether..........
 
Curious: What info has you uncovered that oplux is insufficient for fall protection? "strength in event of fall". It seems like its rated many times in excess of forces one would experience climbing trees....
There was one thread on here about a potential break( possible user error) Another outlining a test that found the strength was greatly reduced when bent, I think they tested it around a 90 degree corner.
 
There was one thread on here about a potential break( possible user error) Another outlining a test that found the strength was greatly reduced when bent, I think they tested it around a 90 degree corner.
I've heard/watched/read that about Amsteel but no Oplux. I" not an expert AT ALL Though either!!!
 
A year or so ago I switch over to a oplux teather and LB with Beal jammy Prussics. Now doing some more research it seems to be being questioned in terms of its longevity and strength in event of a fall. What’s everyone’s opinion on it for these uses and as a bridge?

I also recently purchased a cruzr saddle that has the adjustable amsteel Bridge. After reading about the concerns with the Amsteel‘s melting point in a friction hitch, was thinking about switching to a rope bridge. Originally was going to do oplux with maybe beal jammy Prussics girth hitched on each bridge loop but now I’m rethinking that after hearing about the concerns with oplux

My thought is that any static rope is much weaker in a fall than a dynamic rope. And also, contrary to popular opinion, I think that even 1 inch of give is a lot better than close to 0 as far as not hurting you as badly (Work = Mass X Acceleration X Distance.....how many inches of deceleration does an air bag add?). I have Oplux bridge, tether, and lineman's lanyard each with TRC friction hitches.

As far as static versus dynamic, remember that you can park your truck on a paving stone but a child can easily break it with a hammer.

The core of Oplux is dyneema, and dyneema slings don't do well at all in even short drop tests (being out performed by nylon slings with lower ratings). My hope is that the Oplux's Technora sheath would help out, but that is just a hope.

I already have the dynamic rope. I will likely switch at least my tether out to dynamic this year. I am also seriously considering doing the same with my bridge. I will keep my lineman's lanyard as is with Oplux.

I know the mantra is "just don't let any slack form in your tether", but I climb with my tether and lineman's on steps and each step introduces 2 feet of slack. And then you have guys that 1 stick, etc and they introduce all kinds of slack.
 
Last edited:
My thought is that any static rope is much weaker in a fall than a dynamic rope. And also, contrary to popular opinion, I think that even 1 inch of give is a lot better than close to 0 as far as not hurting you as badly (Work = Mass X Acceleration X Distance). I have Oplux bridge, tether, and lineman's lanyard each with TRC friction hitches.

As far as static versus dynamic, remember that you can park your truck on a paving stone but a child can easily break it with a hammer.

The core of Oplux is dyneema, and dyneema slings don't do well at all in even short drop tests (being out performed by nylon slings with lower ratings). My hope is that the Oplux's Technora sheath would help out, but that is just a hope.

I already have the dynamic rope. I will likely switch at least my tether out to dynamic this year. I am also seriously considering doing the same with my bridge. I will keep my lineman's lanyard as is with Oplux.

I know the mantra is "just don't let any slack form in your tether", but I climb with my tether and lineman's on steps and each step introduces 2 feet of slack. And then you have guys that 1 stick, etc and they introduce all kinds of slack.
Is there a better alternative that is still smaller than 11mm rope?

also has there been any testing done that would simulate a fall in a saddle hunting situation? I imagine the worst case scenario would be standing up to adjust the saddle under your butt and the platform fail, sending you in a straight drop with a couple inches of slack in the tether. Would this be enough force to make dyneema fail?
 
Last edited:
I use oplux for my bridge and tether, but prefer Steing HTP for my lineman's belt. Oplux is too limp for a lineman's belt. I also prefer to use a Michoacan hitch on my tether and a distal hitch on my lineman's belt. Both with Austin's 3D printed tenders. I do not like the ropeman or the kong duck. They are heavier and tend to bang into things when you have slack in line.
 
I have a method saddle which uses Oplux, my linemans rope and tether for this are Teufelberger Resc Tech 8mm. That rope is a little bigger and stronger than Oplux. I hunted with this setup all season. No problems

After season i ended up getting one of those two panel sherrilltree saddles for $50. For the tether and linemans rope i actually went Samson Vortex Hot. This rope blows them all away in strength and weight for it's size. Its a 1/2 inch 24 strand rated at 8,000 ABS. My prusiks are 10mm.

Now i can't say I switched because i felt unsafe using Oplus or Teu Resc. They worked fine. However at my age i can manage a 1/2 rope easier. My hands just hate small rope lol....

Could it be that i went back to 1/2 bc i was raised on 1/2 manila rope with coast to coast snaps on my leather tree saddle? I dunno....
 
Is there a better alternative that is still smaller than 11mm rope?

also has there been any testing done that would simulate a fall in a saddle hunting situation? I imagine the worst case scenario would be standing up to adjust the saddle under your butt and the platform fail, sending you in a straight drop with a couple inches of slack in the tether. Would this be enough force to make dyneema fail?

There are dynamic ropes around 10 mm and even less.. Be careful, some of the really thin ones are twin/double ropes that are not designed to be used alone.

For dynamic rope by the foot, look at

rope.com

and

backcountrygear.com
 
Last edited:
I agree that oplux is not stiff enough for a good linemans rope

rope.com
and
backcountrygear.com

ive ordered from both of those sites and they are both very reasonable.

I had oplux but i wanted a bit of a bigger rope, not because i doubted the rope, but i just felt better with a big bigger rope, and because the oplux is a big too thin for the safeguard IMO. It seems to create little pinch points if you sit on one spot of the rope too long, but that is just how i felt with it.

ive used the Monster 10mm rope from backcountrygear.com. very strong and durable. backcountrygear also has sections of precut rope for a discounted price, sometimes you can grab a decent section of rope for a linemans belt there.


what ive settled on for the time being is KM-III static rope from rope.com. the 3/8 rope is a 9.5mm, and seems to be fairly durable so far. Its stiffer than oplux, so knots are a bit bigger, but i feel much better with my safeguard on it.



Hope this throws some options at you!
Cheers!
 
Is there a better alternative that is still smaller than 11mm rope?

also has there been any testing done that would simulate a fall in a saddle hunting situation? I imagine the worst case scenario would be standing up to adjust the saddle under your butt and the platform fail, sending you in a straight drop with a couple inches of slack in the tether. Would this be enough force to make dyneema fail?
I recently tested a Amsteel hitch cord on HTP, did numerous short falls, some rapid descents and there was little damage to the cord. It glazed a little and a few broken fibers, nothing that would cause the cord to break.
Knots and dynamic loading are dyneema‘s shortcomings.
 
There are dynamic ropes around 10 mm and even less.. Be careful, some of the really thin ones are twin/double ropes that are not designed to be used alone.

For dynamic rope by the foot, look at

rope.com

and

backcountrygear.com
Do you know how much trc I would need to do two Prussics to make an adjustable bridge similar to cruzrs. With the amsteel they do a 16 inch continuous loop. I would have to tie the two ends together so I was thinking no more that 24”. Does that sound about right? Or would it be better to girth hitch my bridge loops then prussic to the bridge? I just want it to stay in place on the bridge loops
 
Do you know how much trc I would need to do two Prussics to make an adjustable bridge similar to cruzrs. With the amsteel they do a 16 inch continuous loop. I would have to tie the two ends together so I was thinking no more that 24”. Does that sound about right? Or would it be better to girth hitch my bridge loops then prussic to the bridge? I just want it to stay in place on the bridge loops


If I had to do it over again, I would consider a girth hitch to my saddle loops (or a 2 wrap mini prusik, not the 3 wraps that are harder to move) and then prusik to the bridge cord. It's been a while since I tied mine, so I have no idea how much I used. I would suggest the follow through method where you start with a full length piece of TRC, trace one end around, finish the knot, and then cut everything. This way you don't waste rope. Don't finalize it until you hang in it, as it will elongate. Take that into account when tying. It's like a d-loop on a string, a lot of people tie them short looking because they know after 20 shots it will stretch and also the knot will settle in.

Having extra back up TRC and bridge rope is handy and it isn't much money compared to shipping costs, so I always buy like 3 times as much as I think need and then do the follow through (no waste) method and keep some around in case I need it.

But someone will probably chime in with a better estimate on length.

The follow through method also prevents cord twist (one complaint I have with the Cruzr amsteel version...there's an area that absorbs all the twists of you doing your manipulations) and lets you cinch it up as small as you'd like. If it's your first time, tie an example of what you want using paracord and maybe some other objects to represent saddle bridge loop and main bridge cord. Then do not start with a tied loop, instead lay one end down and keep it there, then take the long end and only move it like a critter trying to trace that full knot until it reaches back to the end sitting there, then tie those two ends using a double fishermen's to finish your set up. Be sure to test on the ground and really scrutinize it. I've tied a few of these, and I still look at knot diagrams and loosen the knots with a knitting needle and look inside a few times until I'm satisfied.
 
If I had to do it over again, I would consider a girth hitch to my saddle loops (or a 2 wrap mini prusik, not the 3 wraps that are harder to move) and then prusik to the bridge cord. It's been a while since I tied mine, so I have no idea how much I used. I would suggest the follow through method where you start with a full length piece of TRC, trace one end around, finish the knot, and then cut everything. This way you don't waste rope. Don't finalize it until you hang in it, as it will elongate. Take that into account when tying. It's like a d-loop on a string, a lot of people tie them short looking because they know after 20 shots it will stretch and also the knot will settle in.

Having extra back up TRC and bridge rope is handy and it isn't much money compared to shipping costs, so I always buy like 3 times as much as I think need and then do the follow through (no waste) method and keep some around in case I need it.

But someone will probably chime in with a better estimate on length.

The follow through method also prevents cord twist (one complaint I have with the Cruzr amsteel version...there's an area that absorbs all the twists of you doing your manipulations) and lets you cinch it up as small as you'd like. If it's your first time, tie an example of what you want using paracord and maybe some other objects to represent saddle bridge loop and main bridge cord. Then do not start with a tied loop, instead lay one end down and keep it there, then take the long end and only move it like a critter trying to trace that full knot until it reaches back to the end sitting there, then tie those two ends using a double fishermen's to finish your set up. Be sure to test on the ground and really scrutinize it. I've tied a few of these, and I still look at knot diagrams and loosen the knots with a knitting needle and look inside a few times until I'm satisfied.
I’m just going to go with 6’ and cut it in half. So 3’ per side. I think That should be plenty
 
A year or so ago I switch over to a oplux teather and LB with Beal jammy Prussics. Now doing some more research it seems to be being questioned in terms of its longevity and strength in event of a fall. What’s everyone’s opinion on it for these uses and as a bridge?

I also recently purchased a cruzr saddle that has the adjustable amsteel Bridge. After reading about the concerns with the Amsteel‘s melting point in a friction hitch, was thinking about switching to a rope bridge. Originally was going to do oplux with maybe beal jammy Prussics girth hitched on each bridge loop but now I’m rethinking that after hearing about the concerns with oplux
Here is the problem and it’s sort of similar to dyneema by itself. Oplux is strong and it’s small light and packabke. Technora sheath with a dyneema core is light, very very abrasion resistant and it is not effected by flex fatigue. Technora will not melt so it will protect the dyneema core to a good extent from friction (melting temperatures). But neither of those materials like shock load. Meaning they won’t stretch before they break the way nylon and to an extent polyester will. That is the danger, in that the dynamic shock loading the rope and your body will get the full force effect and it can be high enough to break it especially if the oplux is a couple years old. Technora is also effected great by UV degradation, so it being in the sun for a long time will weaken it at amplified rates. It’s definitely safe to use in my opinion because it was created for tactical rescue. However in fire rescue situation they do not hang out in it in the sun for hours on end every Saturday and Sunday. So short answer is yes it is safe but not as safe as a 10mm polyester rope. The other problem is in the sewn eye. They have to use 277 thread much like smaller sewn prusiks and the rope it’s self is rated for like 5400 or 5600 lbs. so when the eye is sewn you lose approximately 20% of that strength. So you end up with around 4600 lbs break strength at the eye. Now in the PRO ANSI and OSHA worlds that is unacceptable. But as a hobbiest using it to hunt that should be fine as long as you use the correct size prusik or ascender and as long as you keep your system tight! A taunt system minimizes if not eliminates your chance for shock load.
 
A
I've heard/watched/read that about Amsteel but no Oplux. I" not an expert AT ALL Though either!!!
Amsteel is unaffected by bending (it’s called flex fatigue) the concern with dyneema is that it has a low melting point and friction hitches work by producing heat, however the heat is only a concern if the friction hitch slides while weighted and anyone that has used amsteel with a friction hitch (especially if it is double braided or “full bury” as some companies try to call it) knows that amsteel bites down into itself incredibly hard. And it tends to dissipate heat quicker than polyester or nylon so I definitely feel safe using it. My only concern with technora is in the thread they use to sew the eye(it’s usually polyester thread and technora is way more abrasion resistant than polyester so the rope could cause damage to the threads). And the fact that technora and Kevlar are both greatly effected by sun exposure. Otherwise it’s amazing which is why it is used in tactical rescue.
 
Back
Top