Why don't yall 2TC?

[mtsrunner]

I haven't made a video yet... but 2TC climbing with a predator platform instead of a foot loop is by far the easiest, safest, and most comfortable way to get up, and you dont even need a 3rd thether for going around branches.
After trying SRT, I feel it is quieter, but much more tiring.
I've made a carbon fiber diy predator platform that I use, and will try to find someone to film me this week.

I climb a lot with a LWHC (which would replace your Predator platform). It is safe and comfortable, but you will have ‘some’ slack in your tether…
Therefore, I would argue that SRT is safer and I’m sure I’m not alone. Looking forward to your video, though. Good luck this season.


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[caddis75]

MnFarmhunter, my tags didn't come in yet, so I went out to scout and practice climbing for the day. One area I am trying to hunt has telephone pole-type trees with the first branch say 100 feet in the air, so SRT was a no-no. I since I had my full kit with me to do a full climb and sit (sans bow). I'm getting faster, but I do sweat more than SRT. I attempted my first real tree rappel and noticed my prusik wasn't sitting right. To fix it I needed a footrest, a-ha! I took out my second tether and got a nice break. You were right, it's a good skill to have.

 

[MNFarmHunter]

Last weekend, I was going to hunt the same tree the following morning so I left everything in the tree and only rappelled down with my bow and what I thought I'd need to climb back up. Once my feet touched the ground, I realized I had left my hand ascender in the rope bag that was still attached to the gear strap. I also left my tether in place so I was down to a single tether (always carry 2 for 2TC).

The next morning, I was able to rig an ascender using the tethers Duck on the climbing rope, a carabiner and made the foot loop out of the tether by connecting the sewn eye to the carabiner and tying a bowline for the foot loop. It climbed every bit as good as the Petzl and once I got up there, I got to wondering why I ever spent money on the Petzl.

 

[caddis75]

Guess who got his throw bag stuck in a tree and efficiently and safely used 2TC to get it out. This guy. (thumbs emoji). Moving my thigh loop prussik above my distal knot and wrapping my foot tether around the tree twice made all the difference. I may use that CGM kit after all!

 

[FrankNess14]

Last weekend, I was going to hunt the same tree the following morning so I left everything in the tree and only rappelled down with my bow and what I thought I'd need to climb back up. Once my feet touched the ground, I realized I had left my hand ascender in the rope bag that was still attached to the gear strap. I also left my tether in place so I was down to a single tether (always carry 2 for 2TC).

The next morning, I was able to rig an ascender using the tethers Duck on the climbing rope, a carabiner and made the foot loop out of the tether by connecting the sewn eye to the carabiner and tying a bowline for the foot loop. It climbed every bit as good as the Petzl and once I got up there, I got to wondering why I ever spent money on the Petzl.

Exactly! I haven’t tried a hand ascender, but don’t feel the need to….


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[HuumanCreed]

Exactly! I haven’t tried a hand ascender, but don’t feel the need to….


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You dont, I SRT with a Kong Duck+carabiner+leg loop as a hand ascender just fine.

But on other news. I am going to give 2TC a try again! This time no more amsteel. Using my 9mm rappel rope and 8mm linemen.

Need advice, I seen the style where you huge the tree with your free leg and the other style where you use a knee support, which is the preferred?

 

[Red Beard]

Need advice, I seen the style where you huge the tree with your free leg and the other style where you use a knee support, which is the preferred?

I prefer the tree hug with your free (non-foot loop) leg. Works real well.

 

[MNFarmHunter]

No thigh loop for me either as I just wrap me free leg around the truck trunk when standing. Less stuff to mess with and don't see a need for the thigh loop.

 

[Samcirrus]

I actually bought a thigh loop that I now use as my foot loop and do the leg wrap method.
I use a distel hitch as my rope stopper on my leg tether and clip into it with my second carabiner and bridge when going around branches, no need for a third tether...

 

[always89y]

I carry the thigh loop and use it on larger diameter trees. Smaller trees just get the leg hug

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[MNFarmHunter]

I actually bought a thigh loop that I now use as my foot loop and do the leg wrap method.
I use a distel hitch as my rope stopper on my leg tether and clip into it with my second carabiner and bridge when going around branches, no need for a third tether...

Now that's an interesting idea as you could leapfrog your bridge connected tether.

By sliding your bridge tether to the base of the branch and sliding your mechanical/prusik close to the girth hitch, you'll have a long standing end left over. If you girth hitch that standing end above the branch and connect a mechanical/prusik to it and your bridge, you can pass that branch without ever technically disconnecting from your tether.

 

[FrankNess14]

Now that's an interesting idea as you could leapfrog your bridge connected tether.

By sliding your bridge tether to the base of the branch and sliding your mechanical/prusik close to the girth hitch, you'll have a long standing end left over. If you girth hitch that standing end above the branch and connect a mechanical/prusik to it and your bridge, you can pass that branch without ever technically disconnecting from your tether.

So you’d have to have eyes and quick links on both ends of the tether or tie bends in each wnd of tether that can be untied. This would allow you to “flip” your tether so the bottom is now the top? Would have to use a hitch that works in both directions…prusik only? Interesting.

Might be easier to carry an 1/8 full bury amsteel spare tether to get over limb and back on standard tether.

However, I think [mention]Samcirrus [/mention] is saying to keep a hitch on foot tether to a) hold girth hitch and b) connect to when need to leapfrog the foot tether above the main tether to bypass a limb. Then back to main tether and proceed. Good idea


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[Red Beard]

I use a distel hitch as my rope stopper on my leg tether and clip into it with my second carabiner and bridge when going around branches, no need for a third tether...

This is a great idea!

 

[Samcirrus]

This is a great idea!

Thank you. And here is a visual....

 

[Samcirrus]

Ok so it's not a distel....

 

[TommyDee]

I still don’t have enough underlying expertise and experience with all things climbing gear to use a method where I can’t simply climb down the tree if any manner of rope fails. So I leave sticks on the tree. It’s an irrational fear, one that I plan to overcome with time, first step of course is the saddle hang itself. If that tether breaks, I go down.

It takes time and practice to break through that. I think there is a larger subset of people in the same boat as me, so the more a method relies on full weight suspension from the saddle with no solid anchor for the foot, it’s just not natural for us. You do something stupid, you’re left stuck hanging, or worse your gear fails.

My guess is that once you get competent at repelling, and generally 100% confident in your saddle always supporting you, the way a pro arborist or very experienced saddle hunter gets, you can get there….but honestly time doing that could be spent scouting in the woods, practice shooting, hanging out with family, etc. A lot of you on here take those skills for granted. 1 stick at least has 1 stick to plant your foot on.


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[Samcirrus]

I still don’t have enough underlying expertise and experience with all things climbing gear to use a method where I can’t simply climb down the tree if any manner of rope fails. So I leave sticks on the tree. It’s an irrational fear, one that I plan to overcome with time, first step of course is the saddle hang itself. If that tether breaks, I go down.

It takes time and practice to break through that. I think there is a larger subset of people in the same boat as me, so the more a method relies on full weight suspension from the saddle with no solid anchor for the foot, it’s just not natural for us. You do something stupid, you’re left stuck hanging, or worse your gear fails.

My guess is that once you get competent at repelling, and generally 100% confident in your saddle always supporting you, the way a pro arborist or very experienced saddle hunter gets, you can get there….but honestly time doing that could be spent scouting in the woods, practice shooting, hanging out with family, etc. A lot of you on here take those skills for granted. 1 stick at least has 1 stick to plant your foot on.


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Yes, you've just gotta hang out in your yard somewhere a foot off the ground doing all sorts of crazy stuff in your saddle, shoot your bow from it, hang upside down(seriously! Flip over till your legs are in the air and see how easy or not it is to flip back over...etc) till you are confident.
It took me 1 hour of doing this...and then rappelling off my 6 foot zipline post with my figure 8 and then munter hitch sold me on rappelling. I've done 4 hunts with 2TC and rappelling and it has been so fast and not exhausting or scary to get up 25/30 feet. Then rappeling from there is exhilarating as well as smooth and fast..... I wish I had done this last year.
I mean, any tree, anywhere, 2TC can get around branches really fast.... Needless to say I just got the materials and learned it this August and I'm so glad I did.

 

[Samcirrus]

Last night I experimented with using the JRB hitch after reaching hunting height with my rappel rope/tether. I climbed with my rope in normal quick link girth hitch mode, then at height I attached my second bridge to my leg tether, then pulled out extra rappel rope and tied a JRB hitch above my girth hitch, then released the girth hitch and used the quick link as the JRB hitch lock. Because I have 40' of rappel rope I measured the leftover rope for my rappel and it came to 27 feet. So I put my pull down string on the quick link locking the JRB hitch. Then took out the quick link lock, rappelled down, and pulled on my rope retrieval string and WOW I haven't gotten my rop out of the tree that easy before.
What I learned from that is that if I'm below 28/29 feet off the ground I'm gonna rappel down using the JRB hitch. If 30 and above then I'll just reattach my quick link girth hitch and rappel like usual.
I've just been a little bothered by how much noise and sometimes effort it takes to pull down my rappel rope with the usual method. The jrb hitch just melts and the rope comes down so quickly and smoothly.

 

[Empostarr]

Anyone seen this video or tried this? Obviously not with the entire length of rope dangling, you could just put most of it in a dump pouch or roll pouch. Seemed like a nifty idea. Possibly implement a carabiner or quick link for the bottom "tether" to make it easier going around branches and such. Might be useful for those that always hang from their rappel line.

 

[mtsrunner]

Anyone seen this video or tried this? Obviously not with the entire length of rope dangling, you could just put most of it in a dump pouch or roll pouch. Seemed like a nifty idea. Possibly implement a carabiner or quick link for the bottom "tether" to make it easier going around branches and such. Might be useful for those that always hang from their rappel line.

Yeah, quick links on both ends of the rope would make that system a little easier in the dark.