A look at my current knee ascender

[moss]

Just built up a new knee ascender, recycled some old parts but it feels just like brand new ;-) Main difference from the existing designs out there is that I'm using a thicker 5mm bungee and keeping it short, 16". The way I attach it is different, keeps the bungee low and not on my neck or otherwise up in my face. I have plenty of variability in stride length available I can do a big step or small without changing anything.

-AJ

 

[treesap]

my knee ascender is just an 18" webbing sling, some surgical tube, a few snaps and a hand ascender, works pretty well, and I have a hand ascender if I need it

 

[Zebco Kid]

Just built up a new knee ascender, recycled some old parts but it feels just like brand new ;-) Main difference from the existing designs out there is that I'm using a thicker 5mm bungee and keeping it short, 16". The way I attach it is different, keeps the bungee low and not on my neck or otherwise up in my face. I have plenty of variability in stride length available I can do a big step or small without changing anything.

-AJ

I have the awl, but don’t know where to find the ball tip needles. Will you please share your source? Thank you. ZK

 

[Eric H-L]

Love the simplicity. Love the bamboo anti fallout device. Curious if you need it? Never used a Petzl footie. I made knee ascender out of a Petzl Kroll and my rope never fell out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zebco Kid]

Hello.

So I've heard a lot of people talking about the bungee cord associated with some of the commercial knee ascenders. I found some fantastic bungee cord at West Marine. Someplace else I posted the parts I'm using to fashion my ascender, but it includes some great tubular webbing, excellent bungee, and some ice maker water line to guide the bungee without resistance or degrading the webbing through rubbing. I'm dangerously close to having a most excellent device...for just pennies on the dollar. The latest version included a detachable foot stirrup, one bungee in a "U" shape for extra pull (not sure it's even necessary with this West Marine bungee), a clip on the bottom of the knee ascender rod, so I can connect to the stirrup, and a ring on the curve of the "U" to connect to a small biner on my saddle. More pics to follow later.

 

[moss]

I have the awl, but don’t know where to find the ball tip needles. Will you please share your source? Thank you. ZK

Tipmann Industries, the needle spec is 7x3 180.
-AJ

 

[moss]

Love the simplicity. Love the bamboo anti fallout device. Curious if you need it? Never used a Petzl footie. I made knee ascender out of a Petzl Kroll and my rope never fell out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, the bamboo jammer always goes in when I'm using the knee ascender, otherwise the rope pops out. Kroll has a cam release locker/safety so you're all set.
-AJ

 

[Muggs]

@moss

Hey AJ, do you have videos showing how you hand-sew custom stuff to life-safety spec? Or where you learned it from? Thanks!

- Patrick

 

[Zebco Kid]

Tipmann Industries, the needle spec is 7x3 180.
-AJ

Just found this. Sorry about the late thank you.

 

[moss]

@moss

Hey AJ, do you have videos showing how you hand-sew custom stuff to life-safety spec? Or where you learned it from? Thanks!

- Patrick

I have photo documentation. Need to make video because I’ve improved and simplified steps more recently. I’m super busy right now, don’t know when I’ll get to making video.

I taught myself incrementally and took input after pull tests to improve strength. This has been a ten-year project at this point. Right now the reason I sew is so I can prototype my custom systems to my exact specs as opposed to sending stuff out, more efficient for me that way.
-AJ

 

[Muggs]

@moss

Right on, definitely gives you a lot of options for innovating....