Need help finding the right knot and split tail.

Well, this is sililar to my other post, but just a quick one. I own the 11mm Fly rope, but used to have an 11.5mm Posion Ivy. My split tail is an 8mm Bee-Line. On the Posion Ivy the knot would grip very well on my acsent and when I had alot slack in it when I body thrusted. But when I tie the same knot onto my Fly the knot becomes loose and I have to tighten it to get it to grip. I tried a few other knots, but those did the same thing. My question is should I move up on diameter of the split tail or what??? I have a larger, older split tail, and when I tie the distel with it on my line it holds and grips better. Any ideas??? Thanks

OK hello rangerdude

i like your name

welcome here and i have questions

is your rope a new rope?
is your spilt tail an open (one end terminated) or a closed (two ends terminated) system? as that would determine what size rope/cord you would use for the split tail

as in your last post about rope size - follow this - for open the same size - for close NO more then 2 sized smaller - so a 9 should work for a closed system. I do not use a beeline so I am not sure of the size. 5/16 or 3/8 that will make a difference.

since I do not use this type of setup , i am not sure if the distel is the best for it. Most climbers use the beeline with a VT or other odd named hitch.

I would suggest, since i think you said you are a NEW climber to stay simple for a while and get, what they tell me is, your treelegs. (hey I am new also with only 30 climbs under me harness) .

learn your basic knots forward and backward, also blindfolder and upside down. BUT that is a me suggestions. you never know when in a tree you might drop that split tail and have to TIE a basic knot.

I am sure others will also add to this for you.

enjoy the trees you climb

jz

Ok thanks. I'm not really new, since I've been climbing since I was born, but I've just started to get serious about it and learn some new techingues, etc. My Dad's a certifted arborist and climber, so the trainer is there. He just dosen't use the 11mm ropes alot. And my Fly's not new new, but sort of since I don't climb alot. (At least once a week) I've finally gotten the VT down and it works great. The distel and other one(Can't spell the name) don't work great, as I have to tighten them on my acsent so they'll grip the rope. My beeline is 5/16\" in a closed system. My Dad ordered me a new Bee Line tail that is 10mm and only 1 end spliced, so I can climb with the Blake's hitch also, since that's what I've climbed on most of my life. Thanks for the help!!

I actually have the opposite problem with the Distel and Swabish being too tight. Have you played around with the number of wraps you are using with those knots? I am currently using the VT mostly with my Blaze (11mm)and StaSet (3\8\"). Have you tried the Michoacan(sp?) aka Martin? This is basicly a 4 or 5 wrap Blakes that you only tuck under one wrap. This is also tied with an eye-eye split tail. If you search the climbing sites you will find a picture of this knot. It actually works better for me than VT with most climbing lines and split tails, however it doesnt like my rope combos with my body weight at this time. It seems to be too loose and if I add an extra wrap, the knot is too tight.

Thats also been my problem. When I add the extra wrap to keep it tight, it becomes too tight. I've also seen the Martin and am going to try it later. Thanks for the help

I have crappy advice- just keep playing around.



Everyone's experience is very different when they move to the advanced friction hitches. It takes time to fine tune your cord/hitch combo to work best with you and your climbing line.

You seem to already understand that extra wraps gives more friction. Smaller diameter cords also give more friction- they bite down harder. If you are looking for LESS, maybe step up the diameter just a hair.

The Michoacan (mee chwa kahn) is AWESOME. Easy to tie (I think we all already know how to tie it) and it performs well.

love
nick

Cool, thanks. It's getting cooler here. Went from 95 on Monday to around 50's and 60's today. Time to climb soon. I'll try the different knots also. I've been using the distel ever since my posion ivy and now it just dosen't work very well. I'll try that one hitch today hopefully and the vt, which I just figured out how to tie right. Thanks for the help!!