Moss Cinching Lanyard prototype

[moss]

Continuing to run this lanyard every day on my jobs, it's holding up, living up to my expectations. It passed the test today on crown reduction/tip pruning for solar panel clearance work. Finding better/quicker ways to implement one-handed etc. when I'm up floating in the small stuff.

This is an MRS implementation, my favorite of the day just for being cool looking. Was not too bad to adjust in or out.

The "standard cinch" is still my bread and butter

-AJ

 

[moss]

Things are moving along with my 80' "Woods Cinching Lanyard". The concept is a light kit for roaming the woods with only 80' feet of line (plus a short lanyard). The goal is to be able get in and out of any tree that has a a good anchor point no higher than 75-78'. This is for the northeast U.S., would not work for PNW tall conifers. Could be an excellent long lanyard for the PNW big stuff or bigger trees anywhere.

The captive ring is replaced with a custom slic pin bow shackle. I bored out the thread side of this shackle and set it up like this:

The shackle allows more versatile implementations for canopy anchors.

Every time the shackle is taken off the rope the keeper teeth can pick the rope cover. I put shrink tubing on both sides of the shackle eye to eliminate that problem.

Shackle functions the same as the captive ring does on the short lanyard. Last thing to do is finish the stitching (the red taped area) and put a core buried and stitched Dyneema webbing haul loop on the other end, I want to be able to install a conduit sleeve cambium protector to have a simple MRS option. I can always tie a termination knot if I want to use the tail for a second climbing system. Looking to test it Friday.

A shackle could be used on the short lanyard instead of a ring, for that implementation I'd use a recessed hex head shackle pin instead of a slick pin shackle.
-AJ

 

[JeffGu]

You could put 3' of 1" chafe guard on the rope below the shackle, 3 or 4 stitches at the ends to keep it in place, and you'd have a built in canopy anchor. A retrieval line clipped into the end eye is exactly the best place to make retrieval easier (having it clipped to the shackle itself is actually NOT the best... near the shackle pin actually works better). Easy install from the ground, easy retrieval. No limit on natural redirects.

 

[DSMc]

... The captive ring is replaced with a custom slic pin bow shackle. I bored out the thread side of this shackle and set it up like this:

The shackle allows more versatile implementations for canopy anchors...

As interesting as your new lanyard is, I would think that this shackle, even by itself will generate a lot of interest. Nice work, AJ.

 

[moss]

You could put 3' of 1" chafe guard on the rope below the shackle, 3 or 4 stitches at the ends to keep it in place, and you'd have a built in canopy anchor. A retrieval line clipped into the end eye is exactly the best place to make retrieval easier (having it clipped to the shackle itself is actually NOT the best... near the shackle pin actually works better). Easy install from the ground, easy retrieval. No limit on natural redirects.

It may not need a chafe guard but that's an excellent idea. I'm playing with some interesting remote release concepts beyond what can be obviously done with it, thx Jeff!
-AJ

 

[moss]

As interesting as your new lanyard is, I would think that this shackle, even by itself will generate a lot of interest. Nice work, AJ.

Thank you! I heard mention that CMI might have produced a slic pin bow shackle, hopefully so, one less thing for me to make. Though it's fairly easy to make.
-AJ

 

[JeffGu]

And, before anybody asks... it really is this simple...

 

[moss]

And, before anybody asks... it really is this simple...

View attachment 65111

Jeff you're hired to be the graphic arts/documentation/product literature and product development specialist for "Very Not Bad Tree Gear" ;-)
-AJ

 

[JeffGu]

Gawd, no. On this machine (a Nextbook with 10" screen, running Winblows 10) I'm forced to use Paint to do this stuff. This thing doesn't have enough resources to run a real graphics program. I really need to get one of my desktop PCs over here. They're buried in rubble at the other house and I've been too lazy to do it.

 

[moss]

I'm going to need one of these Moss Woods Cinching Lanyards...but 100'. What ropes are you planning on using?

I'm going with Yale Arrow Frog for my long lanyard build just because it's such a pretty line and it is a Yale 11.7mm double braid ;-) It is heavy per foot but I figure at 80' very not bad.

A 10mm 100' lanyard can happen easily for you. PMI EZ-Bend right? Back to the question asked in another thread, what's a good 10mm line for a Rope Wrench or other multicender? I think EZ Bend is the strongest candidate to-date until more info comes in on other options. Drew Bristow in the South Pacific is using one of the Beeline hitch cords for his Captain Hook line, probably 10mm. That would be nice but a bit expensive for 100'. The suppleness of Beeline is nice compared to typical 10mm kernmantles but... there may be objections due to the static loading/shock involved with an accidental drop on a high-modulus fiber core climbing line.
-AJ

 

[Jonny]

Ever considered 3/8” (around 10mm) Stable Braid?
I’ve been very curious about how it’d perform for climbing and plan on buying a 150’ and finding out for myself. If I don’t like it, it’ll go on a permanent 5:1 setup in a bag.
Probably a little stiff when new, but loosens up and gets more supple after some use.

 

[Tuebor]

Going to try the wrench on my 10.5 Platinum today or tomorrow. I think climbers don't like the lumpiness of it where the core and cover are connected, but I like it for stealthy rec climbs for its light weight and low visibility.

Also have a hank of Samson Predator coming from WesSpur next week. A bit heavier, but something I might like for use in the woods/parks.

 

[Burrapeg]

And, before anybody asks... it really is this simple...

View attachment 65111

Sink me, another daVinci. Watch out, Brocky.

 

[Tuebor]

Platinum - How is the knot-ability and hand? Cabling after loading? MRS ability? Sorry for all the questions, I've always been curious how this rope performed.

Knotability and hand seems fine, although the skinnier diameter might make it feel that way compared to a thicker static line like Xstatic. Doesn't cable as badly as, say, HTP, again maybe because of its construction, although I have't climbed on it recently. I'll make some descents using my Akimbo to flatten it and see how it responds. Started snowing here, so I'm waiting until tomorrow to try it. I don't think I've ever tried it MRS, so I'll give that a shot tomorrow as well.

 

[moss]

Hmm... yeah Platinum, hadn't even thought of that one. Looking forward to hearing your assessments.
-AJ

 

[rope-a-dope]

My hook line is 3/8 pink husky by all gear. It is very light and flexible, splices very easily. I don't use it a lot, but it works fine and has been very not bad in a cinch.

 

[moss]

Rope-a-dope, you probably already know that a Certified Turd Polisher's comments carry tremendous weight in any assessment in the "Very Not Bad" scheme of things. I'll take a look at the AG Husky, thank you.
-AJ

 

[JeffGu]

Wait... there's a certification program for polishing turds? Are you required to have two buffing wheels going during the entire polishing operation, or are we free to assess the risks ourselves?

 

[Tuebor]

Finally tried the wrench on my 10.5 Platinum yesterday. Set a crown anchor about 60' in a sycamore and tried a 4 wrap Michoacan using a 28" 8 mm OP cord, but it was way too loose. 3/2 Michoacan wouldn't grip either. VT was too long with my short wrench tether. Settled with a 6 wrap Michoacan. I was shocked at how stretchy the rope was, and I'm only 170 lbs; literally, like a rubber band. I don't remember it being that way, but I've been on Xstatic most of the winter, so...

Climbed with bare hands at first (painful) and I could feel the cross section flatten into an oval shape, even before making a descent on it. Went up and down 30' with no problems. Up to the top and back down, and I started to notice the core/cover connections. It didn't feel lumpy like it does with a mechanical, but if I didn't keep a good descent rate going, I would get stuck at those points and have to apply a lot more pressure to break the hitch. The tendency was worse the lower I got.

Switched to a 28" 8 mm HRC (which looked the same diameter as the Platinum) tied in a 5 wrap Michoacan, and that performed slightly better. Limb walking was no problem but it still stalled on descent. Got real tight after each swing and had to unweight it to break the hitch, sometimes with both hands. Once it released though, it performed well. No sudden drop, always held, always caught when released. The line stiffened a bit after a few descents, but nothing like HTP does - it was still easy to flake into a bag at the end.

Forgot to try it MRS, but I did a natural crotch redirect with a 5 wrap Blake's on the tail. Had to dress the hitch well and set my weight into it for it to grip, but once it did, it worked well. The one thing that stuck out to me was how delightful the tail was to manage. Felt light, ran through redirects easily, never got wrapped on limbs or stubs and never tied itself in knots. The line feels stiffer than a double braid and resists twisting which probably accounts for the behavior.

Might not be my first choice, especially for a cinching lanyard, but I would consider it again for climbing where weight and/or low visibility is a factor. Certainly wouldn't want to ascend over 100' on it.

 

[moss]

Had a cold knock me down for a few days, couldn't work so... finished my 80' multi-mode woods climbing system. The tail end has a cover strength core-buried Dyneema eye to facilitate smooth remote install for a cinching canopy anchor. The low profile utility eye will sneak through a Zig Zag, Rope Runner or wherever else it needs to go. The front end has a slic pin stainless bow shackle instead of a captive ring. The slic pin shackle opens up possibilities for additional remote install/release options, mode changes between SRS and MRS etc. and probably stuff you or I haven't thought of yet. The shackle can be moved to the front eye position for more anchoring and remote release possibilites or completely removed for a clean MRS setup. The general concept is a relatively light-weight system that can be used to access any woods tree with up to an 80' anchor limb. Some possibilities for work climbing as well. Could be a wicked takedown system, with rope length spec'd for the typical tree sizes you work with in your area.

-AJ