friction saver problems....

treesandsurf

treesandsurf

Location
Hawaii
I made a friction saver about 3 months ago, and lately I've been having problems getting the darned thing out of the tree. Today I lost an hour messing with it and finally had to climb way back up and retrieve it because the knot wouldn't slip past the larger ring when trying to retrieve it from the ground.

I've heard guys using something else (metal ring or ball?) besides a knot to pass through the big ring and catch on the small one. I'm using just a simple overhand knot, the figure 8 is even bulkier and passes through the larger ring with more difficulty. I also notice that it tends to happen more when I'm through a natural re-direct and come down to the ground. Any suggestions?? Thank you!

jp
grin.gif
 
I use the metal ring from an old throw bag with a small (2") bit of throw line tied into a circle then I girth hitch it around the tail of the climbing line. It will pass the large ring and stick in the small one. When I'm done with it I will just clip it to a clip om my saddle. It is good for moving down a spar and resetting. Works wonders! Learned that off the Buzz!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I use the metal ring from an old throw bag with a small (2") bit of throw line tied into a circle then I girth hitch it around the tail of the climbing line.

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically the same, except the throwline is spliced into a circle, and I tie a two wrap Prusik around the splice of the eye.
 
This is more of a "oh crud, I pulled my rope down and my FS still in the tree" type retriever but it beats climbing back up. Just put a throw line up in your FS crotch and half hitch something like this on the throw line. You can fish and wiggle it into whichever ring is free or stuck.
Phil
 

Attachments

  • 86962-retriever.webp
    86962-retriever.webp
    47.7 KB · Views: 161
I use a brass dog leash snap. I have also used small quick links, mini carabiners, and yes, the knot. I don't particularly care for the knot because I've seen it slip through if I yard on it hard enough. I like the dog leash snap because it can be clipped into the spliced end of my line, and tie the slick line onto that. As far as natural crotch redirecting to descend...I would throw my tail down on the outside of the natural crotch, and then descend. When I got to the ground, I would tie a slip-knot above my hitch, and
clip the carabiner attached to my splice into that slip-knot. Then I would connect my hitch carabiner to that so that it forms one big loop of rope with a long tale. I would then pull on the tale until the hitch and everything comes back to me with an unobstructed line to my friction saver.
cool.gif
Maybe that will help...?
 
[ QUOTE ]
i used the throwline ring for years and then i bought the ball that sherrill just made available, i love it....

[/ QUOTE ]

Works well when retrieving a FS from a crotch, but the ball is much more likely to jam than the ring when retrieving an AFC that is choked on the spar (as in the photo).
 
I use an old 3/8 X 7 tooth rim sprocket for my retrieval ring. It works well and keeps people guessing why I have a chain sprocket attached to my saddle.
 
Wow, thanks everyone for the responses.

Talk about embarressing when the foreman's up in the tree watching you flail around with your fancy FC (he uses the tautline on the end of his line) for an hour. I'm going to pull a ring off an old throwline bag and try that one tomorrow.

jp
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i used the throwline ring for years and then i bought the ball that sherrill just made available, i love it....

[/ QUOTE ]

Works well when retrieving a FS from a crotch, but the ball is much more likely to jam than the ring when retrieving an AFC that is choked on the spar (as in the photo).

[/ QUOTE ]

you are right..... i always use the rope guide in that situation, so i have never tried to retrive like that
 
I use the little red ball like from Sherrill's but I got a couple at a canoe shop. I keep it girth hitched to my spliced eye with the FC attached all the time. So far, it hasn't stuck on me where it stuck fairly often using a knot.

I use a different AFC with a bigger big ring for choking stems. It's gotten stuck a couple of times but usually it comes right down.

If there's any doubt, I put a throw line on before retrieving but remember, it has to be about 3X the distance from you to the FC.
 
I use a 'ring on a string'; a stainless ring and a loop of 3mm dyneema. I loop a girth hitch to the ring, then attach this with a pile hitch to the line. The ring sits near the end of the rope. Then I pile hitch my throwline round the rope and ring string. This way, I can pull the rope and ring back through the FS for another tug should it stall.

I can take the ring off the string and use it for pilehitching the ends of two ropes together to pass through a tight fork or pulley or FS.

I too found the ring much more slick than the ball.
 
1. It depends on the size of the ring and the diameter of climbing line. I use a triple fishermans/barrel knot with my 11 mm and a figure 8 for my 1/2" with my larger steel rings on my FC. I use a figure 8 for my 11 mm and an overhand knot for my 1/2" on my AFC which has the smaller rings.

2. I always, always, always use the throwline pile hitched to the end of the climbing line to control the lowering and retrieve things if it doesn't work.

TMW
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i used the throwline ring for years and then i bought the ball that sherrill just made available, i love it....

[/ QUOTE ]

Works well when retrieving a FS from a crotch, but the ball is much more likely to jam than the ring when retrieving an AFC that is choked on the spar (as in the photo).

[/ QUOTE ]

you are right..... i always use the rope guide in that situation, so i have never tried to retrive like that

[/ QUOTE ]

My solution to the problem when choked on a spar is to place a HMS style biner (I use a Omega Pacific Jake) in the big ring and run my climbing line through that. The large ring likes to lay flat against the spar and bind up the retreiver, but the biner stands proud and whatever retriever you use slips through easy peasy.
 
Used the ring twice yesterday at work, in two different valley oaks and worked perfectly. Thanks a lot for help on this one, it's wayyyyy smoother than the knot.


I just cut a piece of throwline and used two fisherman's to connect the ends, that spliced one looks sweeeet RogerM.

Here's two pics of the setup. Thanks again guys, the buzz is great.

jp
grin.gif
 

Attachments

  • 87219-frictionsaver.webp
    87219-frictionsaver.webp
    112.7 KB · Views: 143
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom