New guy - hello all. Prusik Knot quesiton

TCups wrote:

Using a New Tribe Basic saddle -- wish, perhaps, that I had spent more money and bought a model with two rated D-Rings instead of accessory O-Rings on the side, but in reality, have yet to climb with any sort of lanyard or flip line and may or may not ever need to. Did get a Petzl Paw, small (3-holer) that I believe would work just fine for securing a lanyard or flip line to the primary anchor, if needed. More to learn there.

I haven't clipped my lanyard into my side D's for at least 4 years. I really like a lanyard center anchored, if you end up having to hang on your side D's it's verrrry uncomfortable. Lanyard on side D's is leftover from spike climbing/removal technique. I really think it's obsolete for climbing where you're not chunking down trees.

Side D's are nice as a second pair of hands, to hold things you want immediate or temporary access to during a climb.
-AJ

I use my side D's all the time. Of course I learned how to climb on the job. Yes it is a tad uncomfortable if you end up hanging by your lanyard from them. But I don't hang from my lanyard. I use it to hold my position as I stand in a crotch or on a branch. As a facilitator, the side D's are mighty usefull for attatching pick off straps, and other handy facilitator rescue stuff.

To each his own.

2chops wrote:

I use my side D's all the time. Of course I learned how to climb on the job. Yes it is a tad uncomfortable if you end up hanging by your lanyard from them. But I don't hang from my lanyard. I use it to hold my position as I stand in a crotch or on a branch. As a facilitator, the side D's are mighty usefull for attatching pick off straps, and other handy facilitator rescue stuff.

To each his own.

Definitely. Not saying using side D's is wrong... just saying that I've found a center lanyard tie-in to be more versatile for my climbing style, I'm often hanging on my lanyard doing switchovers to advance my rope.

Hey... something to think about, you can attach your pick-off strap to your legstrap D if you're climbing a New Tribe saddle, a lanyard can also be anchored on the legstrap D if it's too crowded on the delta.
-AJ

Probably a bigger point is that climber guides like Jepson's are focused on work climbing technique, much of it is applicable to rec climbing but some of it doesn't make a lot of sense for rec climbers. For example ascending DRT with footloops or footlocking the tail is more sustainable than body-thrusting from the ground. Jepson's was my first guide to tree climbing, the first time I climbed I tried body-thrusting and thought, "this is waaay to hard". Later on I realized there were DRT ascent techniques that used the legs more and didn't depend on significant upper body strength. Body-thrusting is a very useful technique to know, I use it frequently for short moves in the tree. But... a beginner reading Jepson's might think it was THE way to enter a tree DRT.
-AJ

moss,

I never thought of using the small loop on my Tengu's leg strap as an attatchment point for my P.O.S. We have an open climb this Saturday, weather permitting. I'll try it out. That should help clean up my setup while walking around. Thanks.

Ron

Interesting stuff. Thanks all.

As for body thrusting -- waaaay to hard for me. Maybe it's harder to thrust a wide body. Much more comfortable and confident using a RH ascender and a RF Plantin with my doubled rope.

I have tied in a split tail as it seems clear that my heavy body on the end of the rope cinches the Blake's hitch to a much higher tension and takes a toll on the climbing rope when descending. While I also bought the micro pulley to tend slack, I can't see that it can be used for that purpose if using a RH ascender under the Blake's hitch. I like the ascender on the descent, too. It makes a great safety.

So far, I am still only climbing up the main trunk of the tree, now maybe as high as 30' or so, though I have added another level of danger -- a arborist's saw. The big tree I am climbing in the back yard is a white pine. There are lots of "nubs" of old broken limbs -- I suppose, are remnants of the heart wood -- that form hard, pointed spikes about a foot or two long every few feet up the trunk below the live limbs that are stout enough to be an anchor. They not only tend to catch the side of my ropes, but seem like a real danger to impale a swinging climber if not careful. I have now trimmed most of them off, obviously taking great care to avoid getting the saw anywhere near my ropes.

Getting better (faster) with the throw line and setting up the cambium saver and rope in the tree. It first, I was leaving a throw line in the tree to make resetting the rope very quick, but I have decided it is better to practice with the throw line every time I climb. I have also added a folding "cube" style bag to keep the throw line organized.

Thanks again, everyone who has responded.

2chops wrote:

moss,

I never thought of using the small loop on my Tengu's leg strap as an attatchment point for my P.O.S. We have an open climb this Saturday, weather permitting. I'll try it out. That should help clean up my setup while walking around. Thanks.

Ron

I asked New Tribe if the Tengu soft D legstrap loop is life-support rated and they said it is. If I hook my lanyard to it I'll still attach the other end to my delta. You may figure something else out but it's definitely a useful attachment point.
-AJ

TCups wrote:

The big tree I am climbing in the back yard is a white pine. There are lots of "nubs" of old broken limbs -- I suppose, are remnants of the heart wood -- that form hard, pointed spikes about a foot or two long every few feet up the trunk below the live limbs that are stout enough to be an anchor.

Leave a few! They add character to your tree On woods white pine there's always a gauntlet of dead stubs below the live crown, adds to the challenge and makes the climb interesting.

Don't forget to tie in twice whenever you use a saw, whether hand saw or powered. Someone posted a great video shot in their living room where a climber hung suspended on an arborist rope above a sofa, another person hit the rope with a hand saw and easily severed the rope. Best part was watching the climber drop to the sofa.
-AJ