Hitch Hiker

[Jehinten]

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I am running that exact rope/ hitch setup on my hitchhiker. It is the smoothest that I've found yet. There is still a bit of resistance pulling slack out when coming back from a limb walk. I am trying the pulley beneath it next. I think I heard you talk of the combo before, which is why I went that route.

 

[Jehinten]

First post in this thread in quite a while. I'm just getting a hitchhiker now and probably everybody else is all "OMG Akimbo."

Anyways, I was wondering if anybody actually experimented with making a tether that would be rated for life support? I've reviewed MOST of the posts in this thread and loved seeing the creative and beautiful things you've all come up with. It occurred to me that 1/4" Dyneema cord is rated for life support and could be an option. I understand the concerns about the tether interfering with the device. Primarily i am wondering if anybody has experimented with this at all yet as a practical option for switching to Ddrt.

Thanks!

With your rated tether, would you be connecting to the carabiner on either side like the non rated tethers? I only ask because I tried to make my own non-rated, and found that smaller corsage will actually get cut between the HH2 and carabiner. The spine of the oxane (I think that' the carabiner that it comes with) has a little less clearance than the gate side. On the spine side The tether would always get trapped in the groove and get cut being between the metal on metal.

 

[shankenstein]

With your rated tether, would you be connecting to the carabiner on either side like the non rated tethers? I only ask because I tried to make my own non-rated, and found that smaller corsage will actually get cut between the HH2 and carabiner. The spine of the oxane (I think that' the carabiner that it comes with) has a little less clearance than the gate side. On the spine side The tether would always get trapped in the groove and get cut being between the metal on metal.

Yes, that is what I was thinking. Thanks for the input, I still need to get my HH set up so I'll do a bit of experimenting after that.

 

[shankenstein]

I have gone the other way and no longer use a tether on the carabiner at all. For DdRT the least complicated way to go is just clipping into a bridge ring. For ascent and everything else SRT, this setup is superb.
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That is a beautiful and simple setup, thank you for sharing! I also like the addition of the micro pulley for tending slack. I'm a long time Ddrt climber just now making the transition to SRT so I imagine that may help me overcome some of my natural double rope tendencies while tending slack.

 

[DSMc]

I have written about that setup elsewhere but apparently not on this thread. It seems not just any micro pulley will work. The Petzl Fix has a unique shape that fits just right. It also will make setup much easier if you squeeze the side plates of the pulley together just enough that they grip the ring firmly.

 

[shankenstein]

I have written about that setup elsewhere but apparently not on this thread. It seems not just any micro pulley will work. The Petzl Fix has a unique shape that fits just right. It also will make setup much easier if you squeeze the side plates of the pulley together just enough that they grip the ring firmly.

Thank you for re-sharing. I was curious which exact pulley that was.

Had a few thoughts after my initial setup...
Attaching neck loop to bridge ring does tend slack but I might prefer the advantage of tending from a tether that is a few inches higher at the HH since the device does drop quite a lot while ascending.
I am running stock 9 mm RIT cord on Vortex. 6 wraps was way too much friction. 5 wraps felt pretty good but only with about 2.5" gap between the top of the device and lowest wrap. If I tighten the knot to less than a 2" gap, it becomes very hard to advance the device. As long as the friction hitch catches reliably there aren't any other concerns like excessive wear on hitch cord or a thin else with less wraps?

I have noticed most everyone here using different variations on the VT hitch on here. I've become accustomed to using the Knute for Ddrt and RW systems. Any disadvantages using the Knute or similar hitch for the HH also?

 

[southsoundtree]

I have written about that setup elsewhere but apparently not on this thread. It seems not just any micro pulley will work. The Petzl Fix has a unique shape that fits just right. It also will make setup much easier if you squeeze the side plates of the pulley together just enough that they grip the ring firmly.

to help people, Fixe pulley.

I've tried this system. I think I bought the smaller DMM ring, accidently. Getting the larger one matters. My pulley rubs my MCRS standard bridge. Dave, would you please remind me of the size ring you use?

Probably able to clip back to the ring, DdRT, better with the larger ring. When I sometimes DdRT to come down from working, or actually work DdRT the small amount of time that I do, I have an issue clipping/ terminating back to my bridge, as it twists the HH/ Pulley/ Ring out of alignment.

I'll order the bigger ring and let you know.

 

[DSMc]

Thanks for the Fixe, Sean. I believe that was a 34mm ring but a 40mm would also work. Optimisation for DdRT is not one of this setups attributes because quite frankly I just never seem to use it anymore. Clipping the other end of the DdRT line back to that one crowded ring will cause problems. Better to use a second ring or just clip into the bridge.

 

[southsoundtree]

Sometimes a DdRT exit is easier. This is when I need stuff to line up, and its not when on a second ring, or directly to the bridge. I could probably just not anchor on the bridge, but rather the rings at the side of the bridge. It will have that twisty thing, side-to-side, that happens when clip-in points on the harness are spread apart on DdRT.

I realize that I have big rings on the MCRS, so I'll check the fit and alignment of the Fixe and Oxan and a termination biner.




I've used 5.5 MM tech cord eye-to-eye on my Oxan as a tending point, and clip-in point for DdRT. Since I basically don't work Ascend/ Work DdRT, where I would want to unclip/ reclip a lot, I take Paul Cox's approach often to bail out...Long-hole bowline (with tied-off tail) tied throught the bridge ring that the Oxan is clipped to.

It doesn't seem to be chafed, but its had light DdRT use.

 

[DSMc]

... As long as the friction hitch catches reliably there aren't any other concerns like excessive wear on hitch cord or a thin else with less wraps? ...

Correct.
There is just no way around the need to experiment with your hitch. I have not personally found any improvement by using anything but the simple wraps shown. Short legs on the hitch mean a quicker catch and less set back.
One aspect of the setup shown and why it is my first choice on large trees is that by adjusting the bridge and shoulder harness length, so the HH sits higher, the pulley will act somewhat like a chest roller and keep you more upright. That is why I don't use a hand ascender above it and recommend the use of both foot and knee ascenders. Unlike some tools, the HH can be loaded quite heavily (as long as it is from the ring) and not have a drag penalty.
If your HH is sitting down low as you ascend it is not doing all that it is capable of.

 

[Cereal_Killer]

Hey guys, as a rec climber pretty new to the HH2 I probably don't have much to add but I did want to share my <$2 kydex hitchhiker tether.

One of my biggest hobbies is knives, especially custom knives and I do all my own kydex sheaths for them so I used my kydex bending equipment I already had, about a $1.35 scrap of 1/8" kydex and 10 min to make a tether. Obviously nothing new as you can buy these but @ ~$20 shipped the thrifty boy scout in me couldn't bring myself to add the COTS one to my order when I got the HH2 last week... Hints this!

Excuse the messy desk, you know they say its a sign on genius lol (and Einstein was well known to have a messy desk)

 

[TimBr]

Just hide your cereal.

 

[Cereal_Killer]

Nice work on that tether. Looks just as nice or better than my purchased one. Do you have a supplier for the bulk kydek that you can share?

Noticed you're in Columbus. I'm in the Zanesville / Muskingum County, Ohio area. We should organize an Ohio rec. climb/meet up sometime.

I'm definitely down for a group climb whenever!

I get my stuff from p2k plastics, I usually end up ordering a few dozen sheets at a time and the bulk price is only about $5/sqft shipped even for the good colors but if you only want a couple sheets it comes out to a bit more, I think $8-10/sqft of your basic colors (black / OD / Coyote).

*I should mention I use 0.080" Kydex V, not sure what the commercial version is (or if it's even a thermoform plastic at all, it could be molded for all I know)

 

[AshWilliams]

Nice work, got my gears going now, hmmm...

 

[rope-a-dope]

I got my hiker all sappy this week in a big pine and it was aweful. The biner pressure point was holding all my weight.
I've been curious about other biners for improved tending, the ct pillar came with mine. I have tried a rope runner pulley underneath like dsmc does and had a bunch of alignment issues. I should maybe try again with a fixe style micro pulley so there's less slop to get all twisty.
I mainly use the hiker for removals so I spend a lot of time right at my anchor.
I really love getting to freely choose in the moment between single or doubled line.

 

[DSMc]

The CT carabiner works well with the HH. As you found loose fitting pulley on the ring is not great. A fixed type pulley that is a snug fit onto the ring will limit alignment problems but it still requires a learned tending style to keep things straight.
Nothing works with pine pitch.

 

[rope-a-dope]

Yea, im rethinking my whole set up for a pine removal.
I do remember ascending with the pulley underneath the HH was really dreamy.

 

[fireman33]

This is my set up. It works the best for me. I use the petzl fixed side pulley and it helps a lot with tending. I just made that tending loop with a piece of coat hangner and rapped it with electric tape and it’s been good for over 2 years now.

 

[TimBr]

@fireman33; Really great photos! Thanks for posting!

 

[AshWilliams]

So is a fixed pulley the business when it comes to tending the hh? Do you guys that switch back and forth srt/ddrt leave it on all the time or just use the pulley for ascending srt? I got my hh to start transitioning into srt so at this point im still climbing with it on a moving rope often...