- Location
- Newburgh, New York
Just seemed like a convenient thing to have
Rope bridge...
- Thread starter tommyh
- Start date
- Location
- South Carolina (formally from MA)
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maybe we should all just start wear two saddles and using four ropes to back up the two going to each saddle.
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Ha Ha....i was just thinkin that
maybe we should all just start wear two saddles and using four ropes to back up the two going to each saddle.
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Ha Ha....i was just thinkin that
I think there is more chance of a old carabiner failing on a tree motion then the bridge it's self, if it is regularly checked and replaced at regular intervals or if in doubt you'll never have a problem, if you can't trust the harness then how do you trust every other component in your system, how about the tail of your rope that had that block drop on it or the or the slightly glazed prussic or thebiner that every once and a while gets chucked around on the end of your climb rope or pole belt, maybe we should start climbing in a cage with wire rope and 1 inch steel shackles in ballistics suits just in case the bottom falls from the cage and mattresses piled at the bottom of the tree? Another thought if you can't trust something tested and rated how do you trust a tree with 100 possible undetected defects?
- Location
- Randolph, MA
I don't think a backup for your bridge is that unreasonable. I have 5mm tech cord in mine.
Guys aren't doing this because they're ocd about redundancy. They're doing it because there have been documented failures of equipment that they were supposed to be able to trust.
If you could check in with anyone who had a cougar bridge fail I'm sure they would tell you they wished they had a little backup in there.
Guys aren't doing this because they're ocd about redundancy. They're doing it because there have been documented failures of equipment that they were supposed to be able to trust.
If you could check in with anyone who had a cougar bridge fail I'm sure they would tell you they wished they had a little backup in there.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
You aren't backing up a harness, it's a bridge and it's the most vulnerable link in the system.
Why don't we use no protective gear at all? I mean all the guys we're working with are trained and we know what we're doing. What could go wrong?
Why don't we use no protective gear at all? I mean all the guys we're working with are trained and we know what we're doing. What could go wrong?
Tony
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
Riggs told me years ago that sometimes you just do things in this biz cause they just make you feel good.
I have no need for a second bridge, then again I refuse to use rope/cordage bridges. Laminated and stitched webbing for me. Why?
It makes me feel good!
If two, three, four does it for you, I don't care nor will I criticize.
At least not to your face
Tony
I have no need for a second bridge, then again I refuse to use rope/cordage bridges. Laminated and stitched webbing for me. Why?
It makes me feel good!
If two, three, four does it for you, I don't care nor will I criticize.
At least not to your face
Tony
Ok so tried the second bridge and it's not for me. I am satisfied with the globe 3000 bridge ( Treemotion bridge ), it is way tough and I feel safe with it. However as is being said whatever makes one feel comfortable in a tree by all means go right ahead.
- Location
- Newburgh, New York
[ QUOTE ]
You aren't backing up a harness, it's a bridge and it's the most vulnerable link in the system.
Why don't we use no protective gear at all? I mean all the guys we're working with are trained and we know what we're doing. What could go wrong?
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I agree. I personally don't back up my bridge right now but read about it and thought it sounded like a good idea. I think it funny that I really only got one or two helpful posts outta this thread but read plenty of "you're a sissy for even considering backing up that 10mm line your life depends on..." good work fellas
You aren't backing up a harness, it's a bridge and it's the most vulnerable link in the system.
Why don't we use no protective gear at all? I mean all the guys we're working with are trained and we know what we're doing. What could go wrong?
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I agree. I personally don't back up my bridge right now but read about it and thought it sounded like a good idea. I think it funny that I really only got one or two helpful posts outta this thread but read plenty of "you're a sissy for even considering backing up that 10mm line your life depends on..." good work fellas
Hey Tommy, hold your head up high you got the right attitude. Keep asking ( the bridge question was a good one IMHO ), as it's the only way we learn. There will always be negativity thrown into the mix, however I personally just ignore that stuff and learn from the positive dudes and gals. Lately I been hearing a lot of this " sissy " rubbish around various threads. Just makes me laugh, 9 times out of 10 dudes that got to go down that road ain't worth even a response.
Don't think i was taking the "you're a sissy" stance, when i first started climbing i was in something similar to a buckingham economy harness but just with 1 central attachment ring (horrible harness mind you) and i didn't trust the central ring so i made a small prissic loop that i wrapped around the webbing and through the ring as a back up, the ring was held buy heavy duty 1 inch webbing quadruple stitched and would have held up a truck we all know what the older buckinghams are like 
but back then i was tying into big TIPs because i didn't trust the tree but years go on and and experience has been gained so now i know better, as far as i know the only documented bridge failures have been on the weaver saddles and i may remember one to do with a bridge that had been replaced with beeline or something similar. I fully understand the need to feel safe in your gear but it really comes down to knowing what your saddle has done and change wearable components in due course taking wear, the enviroment you work in and any onther varibles in to account i mean a bridge for the treemotion is a couple of bucks from treestuff.com so even one a month would be the difference in not having a coffee one day in that month. Again i'm definately not taking a shot at anyone, be safe.
but back then i was tying into big TIPs because i didn't trust the tree but years go on and and experience has been gained so now i know better, as far as i know the only documented bridge failures have been on the weaver saddles and i may remember one to do with a bridge that had been replaced with beeline or something similar. I fully understand the need to feel safe in your gear but it really comes down to knowing what your saddle has done and change wearable components in due course taking wear, the enviroment you work in and any onther varibles in to account i mean a bridge for the treemotion is a couple of bucks from treestuff.com so even one a month would be the difference in not having a coffee one day in that month. Again i'm definately not taking a shot at anyone, be safe.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
I've personally experienced two bridge problems that very nearly turned into LONG falls. The first was a shackle screw that backed out, I noticed after a 70' footlock during which I rested on the bridge twice. Obviously my fault for failing to threadlock the screws.
The second was a bridge I fabricated from two 6mm Vectran cores sheathed with the jacket from a kernmantle rope. About a year of use turned the midpoint into flaky, papery mush and I noticed the separation after yet another long footlock. I was apparently riding on the thread stitching the cover down. I've posted pictures here but it was a year or so ago.
Jeremy Brown had a home made bridge using All-gear Technora and a stitched on cover of some sort. It failed in exactly the same way mine did, they looked almost identical.
Here's my take on those incidents plus the Weaver failures... Sheathed bridges cannot be inspected and aramid fibers do NOT perform well under sharp bending stress. The term self-abrading keeps popping up... which sounds kinda right but it's more than that. I've held three broken bridges and they all looked and felt the same, like soft paper.
I think that, 1) covering a rope bridge with a sheath is a terrible idea because it prevents visual inspection of the strength element. And 2) Polyester is THE fiber for bridges, maybe Nylon too. These materials didn't get weaker when tech fibers came on the scene. They are tried and true high strength, durable materials that perform just fine in sharp bending.
My current bridge, which has over a year on it is just a knotted piece of Hi Vee with the core pulled out... it''s just now getting broken in well and has taken a nice smooth rectangular shape, pretty much identical to a stitched webbing bridge.
Speaking of stitched nylon webbing. Great material but the last one I had was shredded in 6 months, seriously, it was badly abraded. So, while I think they are good, they aren't for me because for some reason they don't get along with my other gear.
Covered rope bridges are dangerous in my opinion.
The second was a bridge I fabricated from two 6mm Vectran cores sheathed with the jacket from a kernmantle rope. About a year of use turned the midpoint into flaky, papery mush and I noticed the separation after yet another long footlock. I was apparently riding on the thread stitching the cover down. I've posted pictures here but it was a year or so ago.
Jeremy Brown had a home made bridge using All-gear Technora and a stitched on cover of some sort. It failed in exactly the same way mine did, they looked almost identical.
Here's my take on those incidents plus the Weaver failures... Sheathed bridges cannot be inspected and aramid fibers do NOT perform well under sharp bending stress. The term self-abrading keeps popping up... which sounds kinda right but it's more than that. I've held three broken bridges and they all looked and felt the same, like soft paper.
I think that, 1) covering a rope bridge with a sheath is a terrible idea because it prevents visual inspection of the strength element. And 2) Polyester is THE fiber for bridges, maybe Nylon too. These materials didn't get weaker when tech fibers came on the scene. They are tried and true high strength, durable materials that perform just fine in sharp bending.
My current bridge, which has over a year on it is just a knotted piece of Hi Vee with the core pulled out... it''s just now getting broken in well and has taken a nice smooth rectangular shape, pretty much identical to a stitched webbing bridge.
Speaking of stitched nylon webbing. Great material but the last one I had was shredded in 6 months, seriously, it was badly abraded. So, while I think they are good, they aren't for me because for some reason they don't get along with my other gear.
Covered rope bridges are dangerous in my opinion.
- Location
- Newburgh, New York
Blinky what saddle do you use?
Why is something like a hitch climber pulley not used on the rope bridge? This would eliminate the sharp bend and provide two attach points for a lanyard that would not cinch up on the climbers body in the event of a tree split. does it roll too easily from side to side?
- Location
- South Carolina (formally from MA)
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Why is something like a hitch climber pulley not used on the rope bridge? This would eliminate the sharp bend and provide two attach points for a tether that would not cinch up on the climbers body in the event of a tree split. does it roll too easily from side to side?
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Thats what i do...It also gives a little separation between the climbing hitch and the other end of the line.
No rolling too easy is not a problem IMO
Why is something like a hitch climber pulley not used on the rope bridge? This would eliminate the sharp bend and provide two attach points for a tether that would not cinch up on the climbers body in the event of a tree split. does it roll too easily from side to side?
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Thats what i do...It also gives a little separation between the climbing hitch and the other end of the line.
No rolling too easy is not a problem IMO
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
Yep, I know a few people who use a pulley. It's a good idea but I still don't think aramid cord or a cover is a good choice though.
I ride a Butterfly II Tommy, love it. What about you?
I ride a Butterfly II Tommy, love it. What about you?
I have tried the hitchclimber and pinto pulleys on the bridge but they are a bit to responsive, I like a little friction at that point thus I use a ring. But worth a try, everyone is different and some like it. I also don't like the bulkiness of that setup.
JTree
Participating member
- Location
- East Texas
Regarding a back up bridge.....after reading this thread, yeah I think I might just do that after I mull it over a little and figure out a system that is right for me.
In re to Blinky: I see your point. It sucks being unable to inspect the strength member. Truly. I also agree that poly would be a better choice for the bridge....HOWEVER, I also see SirNick's point. I replace my globe bridge very frequently. At least every other month, no joke. True I don't ever see the strength member, but I've made peace with it. Heck, I'm going to be picking up a kernmantle rope to climb, and obviously I can't inspect that strength member either. It's all about what you feel comfortable with. If I had had multiple bridge failiers, you can bet I'd be right with you. Heck I'd probably be using a bridge made from an arbormaster cover buried inside ANOTHER arbormaster cover, and if I ever see or hear of a bridge material that I can use on my treemotion that is the same size as globe, performs the same as globe, yet is made of poly and has a visible strength member, I'll be scrambling to make an order. In the mean time, to increase the bend rad, I'm clipping in to two rings instead of one. Not sure how much good it's doing me, but something is better than nothing.
In re to Blinky: I see your point. It sucks being unable to inspect the strength member. Truly. I also agree that poly would be a better choice for the bridge....HOWEVER, I also see SirNick's point. I replace my globe bridge very frequently. At least every other month, no joke. True I don't ever see the strength member, but I've made peace with it. Heck, I'm going to be picking up a kernmantle rope to climb, and obviously I can't inspect that strength member either. It's all about what you feel comfortable with. If I had had multiple bridge failiers, you can bet I'd be right with you. Heck I'd probably be using a bridge made from an arbormaster cover buried inside ANOTHER arbormaster cover, and if I ever see or hear of a bridge material that I can use on my treemotion that is the same size as globe, performs the same as globe, yet is made of poly and has a visible strength member, I'll be scrambling to make an order. In the mean time, to increase the bend rad, I'm clipping in to two rings instead of one. Not sure how much good it's doing me, but something is better than nothing.
- Location
- Newburgh, New York
Blinky, I used to use an old weaver suicide strap but just got myself into a treemotion and I'm loving it
- Location
- Newburgh, New York
A guy I used to work with used a hitchclimber on his bridge and he liked it a lot I personally like the simplicity of a ring. I haven't had my treemotion for very long but def plan on changing my bridge cord frequently. As for using a second bridge if I could change something on the treemotion design-wise I'd add a second round hole for bridge line, I just don't like the idea of tying on the outside of the large part of the d. Not that it won't work just as well just it seems a bit messy to me. I guess I'm a bit obsessive on stuff like that.
