Options for hauling over 50 lbs of gear into the canopy...

TREEfool

TREEfool

Participating member
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
In the past when I hauled my gear into a tree to camp up high in the canopy I would just climb while wearing my backpack using my RAD system (grigri / hand ascender) and have no trouble. However, last night I brought my wife tree camping with me and I had ALOT of gear which included a double portaledge, two winter sleeping bags, water, food, stove, etc. I attempted to climb with all of this gear on my back but it was just too awkward so I connected it to my harness's haul loop and hung it just below my feet. I understand that I could just climb to my TIP without the bag, build a z-rig, and haul it up but I have attempted this in the past and my gear just gets caught on all of the branches and I end up having to go back down and retrieving it again.

So as I climbed with the pack below my legs my arms got so pumped that I decided to tie a prusik to the pull side of the rope. In other words, from my TIP the rope goes down through my ascender down into my grigri and back up to a pulley on my ascender and then back down to the ground and that final portion is the side that the prusik was tied too. I would then stand in the prusik which would lift me up quite effortlessly. I had to tend the prusik with my hand so it was slow but super easy.

So now I have the idea to do this again except with a foot ascender so that I don't have to tend the prusik as I climb. This would help me haul big loads with minimal effort. What do you think of this idea?

The problem is that I only have a hand ascender and a grigri so when my wife climbs with me I have to use the only gear I have left which is an ATC guide setup like this:

budgetrads_zps8b723fc1.jpg


Climbing with the above system sucks. A lot. Haha, but it works. So I would like to buy a second
ascender to use with my ATC guide when I am climbing with my wife. BUT!!! To make things even more complicated I would really like to start using a rope walker system for my bigger climbs but I am unsure if this can be accomplished with only two ascenders since I have never played with a rope walker system before. I assume that the best ascender for all three of these applications would be a Petzl basic but I would like to hear some input from the pros before I convince my wife that I need another piece of climbing equipment.
Or would you guys solve my problems with something totally different? Thanks for any ideas that you have!
 
Fluffy, I have all that stuff laying around doing nothing. I can box it up and send it over if you want to play around a while. What ever you don't use or keep just send back when your done. Let me know.
 
The Bulldog Bone works as a one way clamping pulley. If you were to climb up and fasten the Bone at a TIP (upside down), with a seperate rope through the Bone then, by pulling down on the down line, it would advance the load and not let it descend.
 
Hey fluf,

I started like you with climbing gear only (though not an expert like you - I have other sports for that) - heck I found your site before the buzz. After lots of struggling, I made the change to a rope walking system and it's just amazing and I highly recommend it. There are many options, and it's fun trying. Many good vids, though for this Richard Mumford and JB Holdway YouTube channels have some specifics that come to mind that really help you see option to your rope walk question.

Currently, I'm RW (rope wrenching) with a diy SAKA self advancing knee ascender (petzl basic croll, webbing foot loop with latex bicycle tube cinch down and over the shoulder buggy thingy to tend the SAKA and RW).

You can use the Hitch/RW as a hand ascender too. I'm low and slow compared to those here, but if I'm going higher I use a foot loop and hand ascender from my climbing gear - though I tend that too with a small loop for my hand so I'm hands on rope. With that a descend to get gear would be worth the enjoyment. I can't imagine frog style on hand ascenders anymore.

Anyway, I went a little off topic, but the arborist/rec climb sSRT is awesome.

cheers from a kiwi
 
Last edited:
I tried searching for bull dog bone on Google with no results. Then I realized that there was a specific thread on the tree buzz forums and I scanned through all of the videos in that thread. I love it!

From what I gather I could use the bulldog bone with a rope walker system then easily detach the ascenders and freeclimb while taking in and feeding out slack with the BDB. This ability to freeclimb and easily keep the rope tight is why I like the grigri so much but the grigri doesnt work with a rope walker system. In other words the BDB is perfect for treecamping and compliments a ropewalker system well. The only problem is that I dont have a rope walker system! Haha.

So although the BDB holds the speed record for making it to the top of my most wanted climbing gear list I must first figure out how to convince my wife that I need a second ascender for a RW system.

Waitakkauri, thanks for the story! The reason why my interest in new techniques was recently ignited is because a friend from my hammock background pointed out that my RAD system was far too inneficient. He said if I climbed with him he would convert me to a ropewalker in 30 min, haha. So I took his word for it and am attempting to learn all forms of the ropewalker that I can find.
 
All you'd need in addition is a foot ascender and hand ascender. Make foot loop from left foot to hand ascender, pantin on right, and Bulldog bone at bridge. Works fine that way though I'd tempt you later to add a knee ascender and lose the hand ascender. :) FWIW
 
Next time you climb with a second climber have them haul up the gear.

Set your climbing line, tie a haul line to your tail, ascend with minimal weight to your tie in point, pull up your tail with the haul line, set a sling and a pulley with a minding prussik (progress capture) or a Petzl traxion, with the doubled haul line in it, have the second climber on the ground tie on the gear and pull it up, voila! Tie in a second ascent line or lanyard in and Un weight the main ascent line and let the second climber make their way up. Tree party!
 
I just realized something with all this foot ascender talk, I dont wear boots!

How much would it suck to use a foot ascender with minimalist shoes? Will the ankle strap hurt without a protection layer?
 
Not as much as the foot loops will. I got all that too. I will box it all up and send it your way. Use it, take it apart, do what ever you need to Fluffy. I saw your pm, I'll let you know. Lol.
 
FluffyFish said:
I just realized something with all this foot ascender talk, I dont wear boots!

How much would it suck to use a foot ascender with minimalist shoes? Will the ankle strap hurt without a protection layer?
Click to expand...

In a life of more knowledge, I'm a trail runner and I use minimal footwear... such as new balance minimus, innov-8 trailroc and for the 'hard on the feet spiky rocks' salomon slab senses. for non-runners please excuse the jargon.

I rec climb only and at that still a learner. I find that I can climb simple stuff with lots of non catching crotches for a many hours with my salomons. For longer ascents and places for feet to get caught I prefer some light hiking shoes with my webbed SAKA. My minimal shoes just won't have the ruggedness to handle all the wear and tear on their sides. A foot ascender is a next direction for me and I've been thinking about footwear and perhaps then the salomons will lose their place, but I haven't tried yet.

Anyway, I think you'll figure this out based on your preference and neat blend of climbing and arb skills and sharing here
 
Big wall climbers and cavers have setup wall hauling systems for decades there are some clever setups that don't use gear that you would use for climbing too. A Mini Traxion or something similar would add efficiency

Head to rockclimbing.com and find out what's there. Or, head down to REI or Midwest Mountaineering and thumb through some of the big wall books

You could raise it using an elevator too. Richard has a video on it. That would require a double climb. In the end I think you'd use less energy doing a rope walker ascent rather than hauling a pig up the tree....pig is bigwall talk for a haul bag or pack. In fact google "hauling a pig". Bigwall....and you might find a solution. If you find a good ilistration be sure to post the link back jere
 
monkeylove said:
Not as much as the foot loops will. I got all that too. I will box it all up and send it your way. Use it, take it apart, do what ever you need to Fluffy. I saw your pm, I'll let you know. Lol.
Click to expand...

I can make up a SAKA/knee ascender for Fluffy if you don't have one to send.
 
Waitak I never thought I would run into a fellow tree climber that understands my love for minimalist running!

If you never watched the short vid of my barefoot treecamping trip you may enjoy it! I backpacked into the wilderness and did the overnight treeclimb completely shoeless. It was wonderful! Here is a link to the treebuzz thread:

http://treebuzz.com/forum/threads/new-portaledge-new-adventure-new-video.28362/

monkeylove said:
Not as much as the foot loops will. I got all that too. I will box it all up and send it your way. Use it, take it apart, do what ever you need to Fluffy. I saw your pm, I'll let you know. Lol.
Click to expand...

I am so psyched to have a bunch of gear to play with! Haha. I hope it doesnt end up like the time I tried out a treemotion harness. I would have sold my pinky for one if my wife gave me the chance. Haha.
 
Fluffy if you going to use any of the tree stuff on the Beal, be careful. I know when I tried the grigri with it I had some issues. Although I think I out way you so it may just have been my weight to rope stretch issue. I have a New Tribe Treefox harness laying around I'll send along if you want also.
 
You can leave out the harness. I have forgotten how comfy tree harnesses are and I would prefer to keep it that way. And speaking of the Diablo rope, it has become my main tree climbing line mostly because it is the longest rope that I currently own. And to be honest, I enjoy knowing that if I ever make a stupid mistake and fall onto a slack rope it wont be an abrupt stop (since it is dynamic). In fact, I dont see myself switching to a static rope unless it is for durability reasons or if I am climbing something higher than 100'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom