question about rope diameter and zk2

MrBill

MrBill

Location
hasbrouck heights nj
I want to start off by saying I'm fairly new to srt but am enjoying its benefits greatly. I have the newer rope wrench and love the concept but am having trouble getting my hitch to not bind here and there. I have tried different hitch cords, diameters, length, distel, vt, xt and with different wraps and braids but i still get binding or cinching, especially when i weight my saddle. i make sure the RW is in the correct position before a descent but here and there i have to un weight the hitch and loosen i t up a bit.
i weight 200lb with gear and running on 11mm blaze. It seems like the blaze is just not fat enough to create enough drag running through the RW. I was thinking of going with 11.7mm poison ivy anyone else experience the same thing i am and do you think the thicker diameter with do the trick?
thanks
 
Last edited:
I am 200 without gear, I tend to stay away from anything under 11.7 for a climb line. Mostly for my hands, but also I feel like fatter rope and cordage works better for me. I like a 9 per 10 mil hitch cord, 8 just seems to grab to much. Maybe a really long 8 mil cordage with a lot of wraps, but that seems ridiculous.
 
I just got my RW today and have been playing with it on some 13mm static kernmantle... this rope is probably too fat. Hitch (distel) works beautifully with both 8mm and 10mm cord, but the RW is throwing so much friction in there, I can't descend. I can literally take the hitch cord off. I guess you can go too far the other way, too, regarding the friction. Also weigh in at around 200 with gear.

I have some 7/16" long lanyards, I'll play with it on those a bit and see what it does, then order a new rope for the RW.
 
Im 250 without gear. Used 11.7 tachyon with arbpro 9mm hitch tied in a michocan. Worked beautiful. Rope wrench wasnt for me though.
 
Thanks for that endorsement of the michoacan climbing hitch. It is one I've never tried, but keep hearing good things about.

I've been using the Knut hitch for awhile now, myself. I guess I'd been experimenting with different hitches up to that point. I'm one of those people that has to constantly use a knot, or I'll end up forgetting it. So when I finally found a climbing hitch that worked in a way that I really liked, I basically stopped using the others. The thing I like about the Knut hitch is the way it crosses at the bottom, which causes it to tend instantly when you pick up on it. I prefer to use termination knots instead of spliced eyes, so that I have the flexibility to make the hitch as short as it can possibly be, which in turn causes less sitback. (Is it sitback or setback?)

I agree with the idea of using a larger diameter hitch cord if the one you are currently using is binding up fairly often. As long as it is able to get a bite on the rope, it seems to me a larger cord will bind a lot less. I did try one hitch cord once that was just too stiff, and would not grab.

This next recommendation will be seen as unworkable to a lot of folks, but it really seems to cause my hitches to behave beautifully. That is to climb using two ropes and two climbing systems. Each hitch only sees half my weight, assuming that tension is equal on both ropes. It gives me great help with positioning, too. When I come down at the end of a climb, pulling on two hitches, it is smooth as butter, with no hint of binding up.

I think using a supplemental friction device, like a figure eight, might perform the same function of reducing friction on the hitch, for those that dislike the idea of using two ropes. If you had it hanging at the ready, you'd have the option of bringing it into play at those times when the hitch cord seems to want to bind up a bit too much.

Sorry for the long-winded post.

Tim
 
Also, I have not tried it yet, but the epicord friction cord that is advertised at the bottom of the page has been getting some really great reviews with regard to its resistance to binding. It is really pricey compared to others, though. I think it is nearly three dollars per foot.

I'd really like to try some, though. I just forgot to add it in at the end of my last order, which would have provided free shipping. It will have to wait for the next order, now.

Tim
 
MrBill said:
well i just ordered some 11.7 and ill see how that works out. ill try some 10mm cord as well
thanks
Click to expand...
Have you tryed the 9mm sterling rit e2e I like it a lot better than the 10mm armor-prus I use it on An arbor master line and I've yet to have it bind up but I also run ddrt not srt but check it out I love it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
seedling345 said:
Have you tryed the 9mm sterling rit e2e I like it a lot better than the 10mm armor-prus I use it on An arbor master line and I've yet to have it bind up but I also run ddrt not srt but check it out I love it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
didn't realize there was a 9mm, sounds like a good compromise.. time to buy a bunch of different cord and get busy!
 
Is epicord really that different from other cords? I like the rit, but agree on the wear. Right now I'm on arbpro 9mm and like it well enough.
 
Cool. The reason I ask is that I heard epicord mentioned in Charlotte last weekend about 50 times. Just wondered if it was worthy of the attention.
 
EpiCord is not any different in construction than Armour Prus or Arb Pro but it is offered in a full range of diameters and has a high wax content, making it easy to splice and high performance out of the box. However, after normal use it becomes more regular like AP and Arb Pro out of the box. Mho
 
Worthaug said:
EpiCord is not any different in construction than Armour Prus or Arb Pro but it is offered in a full range of diameters and has a high wax content, making it easy to splice and high performance out of the box. However, after normal use it becomes more regular like AP and Arb Pro out of the box. Mho
Click to expand...

Worthaug, thanks for this very specific and knowledgable post. So, somehow the wax content makes a cordage higher in performance? Man, there is so much to learn.

Also, I'm not sure I've ever heard of "Arb Pro", except maybe as a climbing line. Are you saying that there is an "Arb Pro" friction cord, for use in the same way as the EpiCord? I'll have to look for it on TreeStuff.com.

Thanks again for your post.

Tim

P.S. Found it! Here's the link for anyone else that might be interested.

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=127&item=13429

Thanks for mentioning it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom