My diy knee ascender

[Brandon cox]

First time posting in this forum hope someone can get something useful. Here's my latest attempt at a diy knee ascender. I have maybe 60$ and an hour of my time. The last one I built was held together with zip ties and electrical tape but works perfectly and snaps to the back of my saddle out of the way. I used a ct chest ascender in this one but any should work. I tucked 2 1/8" pieces of vinyl tubing into a piece of Atlantic braids 3/8 hollow braid for the bungee to travel through. Then wove the loose end of the hollow braid up and over the ascender and did a triple brummel splice under the ascender. Then just did another double splice at the bottom where the tubing exits. I locked the splices with a yale Whitplock on each end then used marine heat shrink over the entire thing (the kind that has hot melt cement inside.

 

[Njdelaney]

Any pictures?

 

[Brandon cox]

Well I tried to post a video but didn't let me.

 

[Brandon cox]

Hope it works this time. Apparently I can't post videos so here's a couple photos

 

[Brandon cox]

This was my first one. You can see where it had the zip ties holding the tubing in place. But I found out that if I just bury the tubing throughout the hollow braid, the constricting nature of the rope does an awesome job of holding it in place without extra help. The first one works perfectly though. Ive never tried the commercial built ones but I couldn't imagine them working much better

 

[Jehinten]

Well I tried to post a video but didn't let me.

Videos have to be uploaded to a 3rd party site first. YouTube and Video are the most popular. A link shared to a Google photos video works as well. Once uploaded just share the URL and it will upload here.

Welcome to treebuzz

 

[Brandon cox]

Videos have to be uploaded to a 3rd party site first. YouTube and Video are the most popular. A link shared to a Google photos video works as well. Once uploaded just share the URL and it will upload here.

Welcome to treebuzz

Cool thanks

 

[Jonny]

Mine made from a Camp TurboFoot.

 

[Cereal_Killer]

Ive never tried the commercial built ones but I couldn't imagine them working much better

I felt the same way till the first climb, probably the first 10' of the first climb on my SAKA and I knew I was onto bigger better things than I'd ever be able to produce..
My DIY ones worked better than just ok, they worked well on their own merits but even still the commercial one just works SO MUCH better. I've waisted more than the $140 cost on stupid gear I used once then sat on the shelf to collect dust. My SAKA will never see the shelf.

 

[27RMT0N]

I never tried to make a DIY knee-ascender, but I'll agree the SAKA is a truly excellent device. Put it on and just go, it has worked perfectly every time without even having to think about it. Having a tool that "just works" and doesn't require any additional mental energy to manage is huge.

 

[John@TreeXP]

I've used a Haas and a Saka. The principle is the same, whether its with a Saka, Haas or a DIY knee ascender. Aside some subtle bungee and tension variables, it's like arguing over which rope grab grabs the best. Your DIY knee ascenders are fully functional as you know, and while you might be able to streamline it a bit, you nailed the function aspect of it.

 

[Jonny]

The SAKA bungee is the best I’ve used, and the ascender he uses on them seems to have a slightly weaker spring, which makes it float up easier.

Made this a few days ago, still gotta add bungee. Just a spare chest ascender and a scrap of very old Velocity with the core removed. Adjusts on the foot like a Whoopie sling. I think it’ll work fine if that tail flapping around at my foot doesn’t drive me bugshit.