New Hitch for the Hitch Hiker X and other things.

That one works good with a lot of wraps, I was surprised. The same hitch was shown by a Buzzer, @Tr33Climb3r, a number of years ago. I tried it earlier, but didn't use as many wraps, and it had slipping problems. There were several others that performed similarly. I'll have to go back and see if adding wraps will produce some more usable hitches.
 
There is a popular technique for rescue to keep hands free, remotely tending a hitch, often done with a micro pulley but as Jesse demonstrated just an overhand knot above the hitch. Personaly I think it is a neat technique but comes with real risks and can be a bit tricky. Example, the RopeRunner works best if a girth is attached to the vertical connection just below the bird, others will experience problems if the weight of the micro pulley on the line above the hitch is heavier than the spring tension provided by the particular multiscender. Often times you will not know if a climber is on a hitch he/she has been nursing to properly engage. One of the real beauties of the HH is that it has the ability to release ALL of the friction when the hitch is compressed. The RW for example requires that the wrench itself must be disengaged. This is important on limb walks or using an On Bight Redirect or 3:1 setups. It also becomes the caution with remote tending as it is easy to release ALL of the friction.
So one of the points of the Innovation Hitch is that it will engage positively and reliably and will not easily send the climber to the ground if an overhand knot is used to remotely tend the hitch or just in everyday use. Also, because the wraps are at the top and not buried in the hitch they are easier IMO to open up a little if the hitch gets tight from use. It is also easy to tie with the HH.
I'm not convinced that it is the perfect hitch for every use or every person but it has certainly gained a place in my toolbox of hitches.

Richard
 
Last edited:


Brocky: I tried this today. It worked amazingly well - even exquisitely. It tended better than anything I've used with the HH – almost like there was a pulley in the system. It advanced very easily & smoothly. On descent, it released with very little pressure and grabbed instantly upon release. It made for easy, predictable slides (swinging descents). It was just a couple of low & slow practice runs and one work climb. I'll have to do some more climbing with it but it deserves its own thread – IMO to not derail Richard's thread. Good work! THANKS! Brocky Hitch 0.webp
 

Attachments

  • Brocky Hitch 0.webp
    Brocky Hitch 0.webp
    333.8 KB · Views: 47
Last edited:
Hail to the Brocky HH Hitch! This Hitch took a great tool and made it even better. I had a chance to use it yesterday while setting lines in a few 150 ft + Redwoods, and today in a good size Fir removal. Slack flowed through it like water, it grabbed instantly, and was ultra responsive on descent. Looks like I’m gonna be flying the HH a lot in the near future.
 
Brocky: I tried this today. I worked amazingly well - even exquisitely. It tended better than anything I've used with the HH. It tended almost like there was a pulley in the system. It advanced very easily & smoothly. On descent, it released with very little pressure and grabbed instantly upon release. It made for easy, predictable slides (swinging descents). It was just a couple of low & slow practice runs and one work climb. I'll have to do some more climbing with it but it deserves its own thread – IMO to not derail Richard's thread. Good work! THANKS! View attachment 54631
Not a derail, it's all good. We're just trying to find good stuff.
 
For the name, I prefer rico's name, the Knut H, so that Mr. Knut's name stays attached to it, since it was inspired by the original. It's good to see that various combinations of cord, rope, and number of wraps are all working.
 
For the name, I prefer rico's name, the Knut H, so that Mr. Knut's name stays attached to it, since it was inspired by the original. It's good to see that various combinations of cord, rope, and number of wraps are all working.
Well it works great and that's a good name as well. But you put a lot of work into it. It's a great contribution and I think it would only be fair, if you're interested, that I send you a HHX to try it out on.
 
That one works good with a lot of wraps, I was surprised. The same hitch was shown by a Buzzer, @Tr33Climb3r, a number of years ago. I tried it earlier, but didn't use as many wraps, and it had slipping problems. There were several others that performed similarly. I'll have to go back and see if adding wraps will produce some more usable hitches.

I still use this one with the rope wrench when I use it. I love it. People calling it the catalon? Or something?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hey @Tr33Climb3r, I was hoping you would show up. Did you ever name your hitch? The Catalan might be based on yours, or came about independently. Maybe the number of wraps can distinguish between the two.
 
Hey @Tr33Climb3r, I was hoping you would show up. Did you ever name your hitch? The Catalan might be based on yours, or came about independently. Maybe the number of wraps can distinguish between the two.

No I never did. Honestly I don't need to. If people like it and it runs well for them that's awesome. It's just kinda cool someone remembered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This hitch is really a game changer, and has made the HH a damn near perfect tool for the kind of work I do.

This is how I am running the hitch. I have found that if the crossover of the hitch is faced forward instead of towards the climber it tends even better!

Thanks again Brocky for the amazing hitch!

IMG_1192.webpIMG_1193.webp
 
This hitch is really a game changer, and has made the HH a damn near perfect tool for the kind of work I do.

This is how I am running the hitch. I have found that if the crossover of the hitch is faced forward instead of towards the climber it tends even better!

Thanks again Brocky for the amazing hitch!

View attachment 54665View attachment 54666
Better? Impossible!
 
Excellent discovery! Now you know how I do it, look at what you got and ask what if I do this. Some of the friction is now directly above the dogbone, making for easier tending. Does it still grab each time, as that part has lost some friction?

Those are testing, picture taking stoppers!!
 
Last edited:
Exactly. Having the hitch directly above the bone make for easier tending, while also allowing for a short hitched with less sit-back, that bites every time.

Yea those are picture stoppers, and not appropriate for climbing, unless your insane!
 

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom