Why don't yall 2TC?

[Samcirrus]

The key is also to put both tethers as close to the bottom of the branch as would allow for a half move. So what I mean is, put your top tether right up to the bottom of the branch, then bring your foot tether up to a spot where the top of the branch is a full move from there. Then move yr top tether over the branch and up as high as is comfortable to reach and where you have more than enough room to place the FT.

 

[Samcirrus]

Video please

Once I get caught up on my school assignments.

 

[Samcirrus]

Ok, just tried this with a Distel and carabiner on the foot loop high up on the rope. I was using the regular foot tether with Blakes hitch and my short top tether with Ropeman. I didn't have a limb handy and didn't want to go up 15 feet to find one but the mechanics of it seem to work. I do need to put a tender on the Distel to make adjustments easier. It was not hard to clip into and back off of. In fact, I am considering replacing the Ropeman with a Distel and tender anyway. The Ropeman works great pulling up slack, but I have peeled hide off my finger more than once letting slack out on it. Considering I usually don't climb trees with inconvenient limbs I would not need this but about 10% of the time but this could be a really easy and elegant solution to the limb problem.

Nice! Same here when it comes to branches, as I usually only pass them at the top because I like to be above the first couple brnches in the birches and popples we have so abundantly up here.

 

[bfriendly]

Well I took out the one stick yesterday for some time trials against the 2tc system. I’ve got my 2tc moves down to 3 ft increments so I’m down to about 5 moves to 20 ft and probably about 6 or 7 tether moves (top and bottom each) so that my feet are at 25ft. I need to go out and find a taller tree so I can do a real time to hunting height comparison.

I will say that 2TC down is quicker than one sticking down for me. And wouldn’t be a bad option at all as opposed to rappelling. Rappelling down is time consuming to set up and is where most of accidents occur (That’s not strictly hunting speaking but from alll climbing backgrounds where most accidents occur).

For pure climbing time (no set up time), these are single climbs and may vary slightly from my other times. It would likely be better to take an average.

One-sticking: 6 ft/min
2TC: 4.5 ft/min

With one sticking you have no additional set up at height but the set up at the bottom takes a little longer. Conversely with 2TC you have hardly no extra set up at the bottom of the tree but then you will have extra time attaching your steps or platform at height.

I think depending on the tree I will use one sticking or 2TC. For short hunts or long distancing I’ll probably pair the 2 tethers with squirrel steps as it makes the most sense and is lighter. It’s hard for me to get away from the one stick climbing because it so darn fast and take less moves which I appreciate.

I know we are beating a dead horse at this point but I am just enjoying the heck out of climbing trees and talking about it with you fellas.

I’m just addressing the set up time you mentioned at the base of the tree. When I started putting my bow on my pack and carrying my stick, versus the other way, my set up time is almost zero at the base. I just attach stick and start to climb. I was tethering up at the top of the stick, but without an LB, it was cumbersome. I now go ahead and tether up at base too. Then start climbing. At height my gear strap goes on first, then hang my pack on it. Take off bow, nock one and hang it on the other side. Then I get out my other stuff. I always let my bow down so I don’t forget my rope assist cord. It’s one of a few things I don’t think I’ll change.
i use a device to rappel so it does have a process to it. I’m gonna try other methods in order to be able to rappel without much if any configuration changes……kind of an emergency escape.

BTW-I too love this stuff and talking about it!

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Nice! Same here when it comes to branches, as I usually only pass them at the top because I like to be above the first couple brnches in the birches and popples we have so abundantly up here.

This should be great early season when I just really need to get above the first good clump of cover. I checked the video and I had the top tether past the limb at 16 feet in 5 minutes. Not bad for a first attempt.

 

[SETX hunter]

I’m just addressing the set up time you mentioned at the base of the tree. When I started putting my bow on my pack and carrying my stick, versus the other way, my set up time is almost zero at the base. I just attach stick and start to climb. I was tethering up at the top of the stick, but without an LB, it was cumbersome. I now go ahead and tether up at base too. Then start climbing. At height my gear strap goes on first, then hang my pack on it. Take off bow, nock one and hang it on the other side. Then I get out my other stuff. I always let my bow down so I don’t forget my rope assist cord. It’s one of a few things I don’t think I’ll change.
i use a device to rappel so it does have a process to it. I’m gonna try other methods in order to be able to rappel without much if any configuration changes……kind of an emergency escape.

BTW-I too love this stuff and talking about it!

That works for setting up before light, but I always have my bow in hand while walking during legal hunting hours


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Here is a little tangent. I like DRT climbing and about 5% of my climbs to hunt were on giant trees really only accessible to DRT. The 2TC climbing got me thinking about what if I went into a spot to DRT and got there and the sign was just not what I wanted and there were no suitable trees with limbs to get a throw ball over and/or I didn't want to chance using a throw ball due to noise, time, etc.

I decided to see how easy it would be to transform my DRT setup of 75 feet of Samson Predator and one carabiner over to 2TC if need be. It was pretty simple. I tied a simple loop about 8 feet past one end of the rope and passed the tag end through the rope after putting it around the tree. This would be my top tether. I then tied a Blakes hitch from the tag end on the top tether and clipped in the carabiner. This gives me an adjustable tether.

I let out about 4 feet of rope past the knot forming the loop on the top tether and took another bite of line and tied another loop to serve as the bottom, foot tether. I then let about 6 feet or so of rope and tied a simple loop to serve as the foot tether. You do end up with a pile of rope left over but this could just be gathered up and stored as usual at hunting height. Set up like this the foot loop and tether loop are connected to one another by about 4 feet of rope so there is no way you could drop the bottom tether.

I doubt I use such a set up, but it is doable with just the DRT line and one carabiner.

 

[TDubbs12]

I will add that my foot tether is on a friction hitch so I let all the slack out to progress the tether up and then I pull out all of the slack out before standing. My foot is out to the side when I do this and requires me to pull myself up on my top tether and bringing my foot underneath me to make the most of each move.

If not a video - how about a pic of your bottom (foot) tether set up????? pleeeeease

 

[gcr0003]

If not a video - how about a pic of your bottom (foot) tether set up????? pleeeeease

It’s nothing fancy, just a friction hitch of your choice and then a webbing foot loop attached to it.

Here is just simple video from the other day when I was climbing 2TC. Nothing special here. Maybe you can see me using the foot loop connected to the friction hitch. I think the guy from Arboreal shows this exact same thing in his 2TC video In which he uses a kong slide instead.

 

[TDubbs12]

It’s nothing fancy, just a friction hitch of your choice and then a webbing foot loop attached to it.

Here is just simple video from the other day when I was climbing 2TC. Nothing special here. Maybe you can see me using the foot loop connected to the friction hitch. I think the guy from Arboreal shows this exact same thing in his 2TC video In which he uses a kong slide instead.

perfect - as i pictured it ---thanks

 

[goody94]

Here was my experiment for the day:
2tc with 3-step aider -

Let me know your thoughts. I am sure this has been done many times before but first time I tried it with a 3-step. It’s similar to one sticking. For reference the pink tape on the tree is at 20 feet. I could have went one more move at the top and gotten past it to be above 20 feet but decided not to. I am using a home made 3 step aider I made with carbon fiber tubing as hard steps. Both ropes have a ropeman on them.

Pros:
Fast and light (up and back in 4 minutes flat)
Felt fairly easy (easier than expected)

Cons:
Not the safest (finger danger and drop danger…)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gcr0003]

Here was my experiment for the day:
2tc with 3-step aider -

Let me know your thoughts. I am sure this has been done many times before but first time I tried it with a 3-step. It’s similar to one sticking. For reference the pink tape on the tree is at 20 feet. I could have went one more move at the top and gotten past it to be above 20 feet but decided not to. I am using a home made 3 step aider I made with carbon fiber tubing as hard steps. Both ropes have a ropeman on them.

Pros:
Fast and light (up and back in 4 minutes flat)
Felt fairly easy (easier than expected)

Cons:
Not the safest (finger danger and drop danger…)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Man I tried that this weekend as well and said nope this sucks and didn’t even give it a fair shake. You’re getting great distance each move and like you said it’s super quick. I’m going to have to try this out again.

 

[phatkaw]

That's pretty neat.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I may have to give this a try.

 

[phatkaw]

That actually inspired me to take EVERYTHING off of another tether and tie a Blake’s hitch...

 

[Plebe]

Here was my experiment for the day:
2tc with 3-step aider -

Let me know your thoughts. I am sure this has been done many times before but first time I tried it with a 3-step. It’s similar to one sticking. For reference the pink tape on the tree is at 20 feet. I could have went one more move at the top and gotten past it to be above 20 feet but decided not to. I am using a home made 3 step aider I made with carbon fiber tubing as hard steps. Both ropes have a ropeman on them.

Pros:
Fast and light (up and back in 4 minutes flat)
Felt fairly easy (easier than expected)

Cons:
Not the safest (finger danger and drop danger…)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What I'm seeing is:

It shares in common with 1stick climbing, the issue of tether slack management, as you have noted. ("drop danger")

And, what you don't get is an eventual solid step.

However, you keep your climbing aid basically in front of you all the time (no backwards contortions necessary nor disconnecting your climbing aid) because aider attachment is at the top of the climbing aid vice 1/3 lower than the top as is the case for a climbing stick...so it's easy to grab the aider and slide it up the tree.

No tether slack is the goal, but you forgo that in many climbing scenarios. I generally think avoiding 2ft slack is probably a great idea, so with 12" step spacing, I'd be advancing that tether every 2 steps. Longer steps and I'm probably wanting to slide tether up each step. I wonder how efficient I could be with that with a tethered aider, but I see some upside here too.

 

[phatkaw]

What I'm seeing is:


you keep your climbing aid basically in front of you all the time...

... it's easy to grab the aider and slide it up the tree.

^^^ Those are 2 things that I liked in his climb.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

That actually inspired me to take EVERYTHING off of another tether and tie a Blake’s hitch...

View attachment 63534

I've been using the Blakes on the foot tether for a while and I like it. It is very simple.

 

[goody94]

What I'm seeing is:

It shares in common with 1stick climbing, the issue of tether slack management, as you have noted. ("drop danger")

And, what you don't get is an eventual solid step.

However, you keep your climbing aid basically in front of you all the time (no backwards contortions necessary nor disconnecting your climbing aid) because aider attachment is at the top of the climbing aid vice 1/3 lower than the top as is the case for a climbing stick...so it's easy to grab the aider and slide it up the tree.

No tether slack is the goal, but you forgo that in many climbing scenarios. I generally think avoiding 2ft slack is probably a great idea, so with 12" step spacing, I'd be advancing that tether every 2 steps. Longer steps and I'm probably wanting to slide tether up each step. I wonder how efficient I could be with that with a tethered aider, but I see some upside here too.

Yes good feedback. When one stick climbing, I could be at 21 feet in about 3 moves, but there would be much more slack in each move (a dangerous amount), and I’m contorting on each of those to reach the stick. In this scenario I think I’m averaging 40-48 inches per move. But no contorting, just grab the bottom tether and move it up. I think at worst my tether gets to my waist height on this climb. That wouldn’t be a fun fall, but not the same kind of danger as one sticking. I think I’m actually more worried about my fingers though, because on a one stick you have more sure footing when advancing tether. That is my main concern..

On the way down I found it efficient to move the tether from above my head height to my knees each time (probably 40” each move). Going down was easier than expected.

Note: this was only my second climb. I did one test before it and it went well so I figured I’d throw up the camera and get input. With a bit more practice there may be ways to be a bit more safe and efficient.

 

[Maverick1]

With all the climbing methods available now, and the hundreds of doll hairs being thrown around to achieve the lightest system in the galaxy, I'm wondering why more folks haven't taken to Two Tether Climbing. Some may call it walking on spaghetti strings (my buddy @Weldabeast), but there are a few nuts around here that have become very efficient with it.

For me, an ascending/descending method with minimal buy-in cost that can be stuffed into a cargo pocket is one that's hard to beat. However, I understand that it may not be for everyone and that's exactly what I'd like to explore in this thread. If you've tried 2TC and walked away from it for some reason, would you share why? What didn't work for you? What didn't you like about it? What did you like? And if you've never tried it, what is keeping you from giving it a go?

Maybe together, we can share some tips and/or tricks that will encourage you to try it, or try it again!

@always89y

Why don’t I try 2TC? Not enough time to read all 46 pages and 900+ posts! (TLDNR). Can you point me to the right / best posts to save me from wading through everything?