Throw line/ throw weight thread

[southsoundtree]

Hoping to accumulate knowledge in one thread.

I don't have any great wisdom with which to start. I will say that throw line skills saves lots of climbing.

In the last two years, I've climbed two trees to hang a pull rope. And don't remember how long before that.

I've not used my BigShot since getting my APTA.


For learning, I suggest people start repeatedly throwing for the same 20-30' high limb until they are really solid, then move higher or into a tougher target window.

Aim for the top of the window, not the bottom.


Generally, I throw a 12oz by hand or shoot with an APTA.

High friction trees need the weight to come to the ground in order to switch to a heavier bag, add a second bag if it is not going to hang up or add a steel biner between line and bag.


Commonly, I thread the rope through the weight's ring and tie an overhand knot as a blocker unless I need it streamlined.

Having the weight or weight and biner at the connection with the rope offers additional ways of manipulating the rope into place with the throw line.

 

[Matias]

I have been finding that leaving the weight- usually a 12oz- on the throwline and girthing it about two feet from the end and half hitches up to the end puts the weight in the most favorable place for me to pop it over obstacles. I like that idea of knot blocking the rope through the ring for easy pulls; sounds quick to set up.

Throwing is definitely a skill that should be practiced in every spare moment until proficiency is achieved, though my hand throwing skills at height have faded with years of air launcher reliance. My accuracy with the launcher makes it hard to want to practice, and when it's an easy shot, hand throwing is still easy.

In our super busy live oaks, especially long neglected ones full of deadwood, I still like a 16oz or 18oz and a big shot. It busts through and comes down, even with some resistance from some nonsense. They are seldom very tall here, and I only get the shot I want about 50% of the time before I get annoyed and just start climbing.

 

[Phil]

Learning the double bag technique meant I didn't have to hit my shot. Over throw it, then manipulate a second line for the real location. I always try to hit my shot the first couple throws. Then after that I'm throwing for the fences.

 

[TreeVB]

Learning how to have control of the line with your non-throwing hand can save a lot of time. Basically letting it run through said hand the entire shot. If it is an obvious moss you can stop it without having to feed as much line between throws.

Have as long of line as possible between your hand/fingers and the ball during your pendulum without hitting the ground for throws. Seems to be a little less forgiving on the aim that way.

I feel I’m most accurate with a 10 oz. bag with the exception of the HR 12 oz. Something about the HR just feels on point, almost magical some days.

Practice, practice, practice!

 

[Matias]

I didn't actually know what double bagging meant until today, and I agree, this is a fantastic technique!!

 

[Quintanana]

Double bagging, this is the way.

 

[Muggs]

I learned double bagging at the Ontario comp in 2016, and it changed my life

 

[misfit]

For what it's worth, the very first time I tried the double-lining technique, I used an XSRE non-locking carabiner to attach the second throw-bag. That carabiner quickly got hopelessly stuck on a small, short stub, and I had to climb the tree to free it. I know the chances are very small that that will happen, but it happened on my first attempt. Now I just use the smallest oval screw link to attach the bag. That lowers the chances of getting stuck much more because the opening is smaller and there is no gate that can be pushed open.

 

[Phil]

For what it's worth, the very first time I tried the double-lining technique, I used an XSRE non-locking carabiner to attach the second throw-bag. That carabiner quickly got hopelessly stuck on a small, short stub, and I had to climb the tree to free it. I know the chances are very small that that will happen, but it happened on my first attempt. Now I just use the smallest oval screw link to attach the bag. That lowers the chances of getting stuck much more because the opening is smaller and there is no gate that can be pushed open.

Small screw link is what I use. If I don't have one handy, you can girth hitch the second bag to the first throw line, just above the the bag on the first throw line. Take a bight of throwline above ball 1, pass it through the ring on ball two, pass ball 2 through the bight, snug it up.

 

[dmonn]

I really suck at throwing--anything! I've tried and tried and failed and failed at hand throwing for tree work. I've also consistently failed at throwing a football, baseball, softball, rock, etc. I tried for 45 minutes once trying to hit a 2 ft square window in a tree about 25 feet in the air. I finally settled on a much less helpful window that a 5 year old could hit. The next day I bought a Big Shot. I then saw a guy at a climbing contest who had a bow release on his Big Shot. He could aim it like a rifle. Wow! I have the bow release on an adjustable strap so I can set the pull distance to whatever I want. If my first guess is too much or too little power, It's easy to make the adjustment for the second shot. Third shot? Hardly ever need it. I now hit very small windows first or second try that are 40-50 feet off the ground. Unless I can reach up with a long branch to drop the weight over the union I always use my Big Shot. But that's just because I'm hopeless at throwing.

 

[Phil]

I always use my Big Shot.

I know top tier climber's that do this because it's simply more consistent. I tend to only use it when my throwing space is confined like in a wooded area, or the launch is really high though. The big shot is the shit. I use to bust it out at work at the end of the day on Friday when we got back to the shop. We had what I called "fun Phil Friday" and we'd use it to launch stuff in our parking lot. We were surrounded by woods and our lot is pretty big so you could load golf balls and aim for the next county over lol.

 

[Muggs]

For what it's worth, the very first time I tried the double-lining technique, I used an XSRE non-locking carabiner to attach the second throw-bag. That carabiner quickly got hopelessly stuck on a small, short stub, and I had to climb the tree to free it. I know the chances are very small that that will happen, but it happened on my first attempt. Now I just use the smallest oval screw link to attach the bag. That lowers the chances of getting stuck much more because the opening is smaller and there is no gate that can be pushed open.

I use the locking xsre now for this reason. Back in 2014 I think it was, I used a non-locker to add a couple extra balls for weight, to help with isolating. I pulled them up, got it where I needed it, and then bombed it down. But when it got down, the extra weights were gone. They had removed themselves from the line, and installed themselves on a little branch in the upper canopy. Ta da.

 

[Muggs]

I have a big shot trigger that Richard Mumford made years ago, and I use it when it makes sense, but I've never wanted to abandon hand throwing, for fear that I might lose the skill. Knowing that I can always set a line by hand without some fancy gadget has always seemed important to me...

 

[southsoundtree]

I'd rather drink coffee on the ground and keep throwing than climbing without a good high TIP/ redirect.

A few months back, it took me a solid hour in the brushy forest next to the house with skylights (an important consideration) to get a 100' shot in a doug-fir (horizontal branch with lots of small growth on top that would inhibit the horizontal movement to the branch collar) with the APTA. So many bounces off the branches or trunk. Big gaps between low branches, so spurless climbing wasn't an easy option. An hour was a frustrating anomoly, but then I rope- walked up to the work, rigged down two heavy limbs, and was down lickety-split.

Commonly, I hand- throw to 60' on my first or second try into small windows, particularly with hardwoods.

 

[Phil]

I'd rather drink coffee on the ground and keep throwing than climbing without a good high TIP/ redirect.

A few months back, it took me a solid hour in the brushy forest next to the house with skylights (an important consideration) to get a 100' shot in a doug-fir (horizontal branch with lots of small growth on top that would inhibit the horizontal movement to the branch collar) with the APTA. So many bounces off the branches or trunk. Big gaps between low branches, so spurless climbing wasn't an easy option. An hour was a frustrating anomoly, but then I rope- walked up to the work, rigged down two heavy limbs, and was down lickety-split.

Commonly, I hand- throw to 60' on my first or second try into small windows, particularly with hardwoods.

I have this weird daydream/fantasy scenario where I have a trained helper monkey that will put my line over where I point my laser pointer.

 

[Stumpsprouts]

If it is an obvious moss

I know you meant ‘toss’ but ‘Obvious Moss’ is a fantastic band name, wedding theme, social media handle, car color, maybe even religious ideology and beyond... Curious what @moss would say about this, he is the obvious moss to check in on the subject.

 

[southsoundtree]

Miss not moss

 

[Muggs]

I'd rather drink coffee on the ground and keep throwing than climbing without a good high TIP/ redirect.

I give myself around 10 minutes (5 or 6 throws) to get something great. If it's not happening then I aim lower. I always tell my guys "Just get in the tree!!". Hit something mediocre, get up there, advance up, set climbing and rigging.

 

[southsoundtree]

Yes, you can't have people doing nothing while the climber throw lines.

My employee had already left on that 1 hour day.

 

[Njdelaney]

I always girth hitch the additional bag(s) when double bagging. Some days are first throw days and some days are 30-minute days. It's just like that. Luckily more of the days are at the first throw end of the spectrum. I reserve the Big Shot for when my accuracy sucks and really high stuff. I'm a cradle thrower personally and prefer 12-16oz bags. I'm going to add a little paracord loop on my Big Shot handle so I can use my bow release, thanks for the idea @dmonn