Unicender tether

[Tom Dunlap]

After spending some time on the Unicender http://tinyurl.com/2edfsc and working through some variables I think that I've settled on a working system.

Rich Hattier came up with a nice adjustable tether. At first I used a pulley redirect where it attaches to my harness.

The tether is adjusted, in this configuration, by pulling down on the short tail, in my left hand and up on the longer tail, in my right.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Adding a brass snap for an upper redirect and a thimble for the lower redirect makes this one smooth setup.

Today I'm sending the Uni back to Rich so that he can splice the tether directly to the Uni instead of using a girth hitch.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The left foot stirrup is clipped to the Uni for ascent.

 

[NickfromWI]

Very cool, Tom! I have an adjustable tether similar on my top ascender for my inch-worm SRT setup. I find myself often adjusting it for different things. I'm thinking one day it will be just one length, then I can resplice a non-adjustable sling onto it.

Glad to see you're finally getting something spliced straight onto the Unicender!

love
nick

 

[Zac]

It's kind of like a whoopie sling huh? Interesting. I like it. better get some pink paint on that uni before you send it!

 

[NickfromWI]

Zac, that's what I did with mine- just a little whoopie sling spliced directly to the ascender.

Nice idea for the slack tender, by the way! Was this Rich's idea or Tom's? Either way- I'm totally using that one for my ascender!

love
nick

 

[Kevin]

That's quite unique but I wonder what adverse affect that might have on your arm and elbow over time?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Kevin,

What are you referring too??? Do you think that the Uni or the tether will effect arm/elbow?

I can't see how this would be any different than climbing in general.

The snap redi was something I figured out. It works very nicely.

 

[Kevin]

I can't say with any certainty Tom but I wanted to mention it.
The position of your arm looks a little higher than normal and over time I'm wondering if you may feel the long term affects.
You would be a better judge of this than I.
Would it work if you inverted the system so you were pulling down?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Kevin,

Look at the attachement in post #80589. Using the redirect I now pull down to shorten the tether.

Even if I were to leave it in the UP position, it's hard to imagine that the few times that I would pull up would have an apprciable effect on my joints considering all of the other wear and tear in tree work

 

[rich_h]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice idea for the slack tender, by the way! Was this Rich's idea or Tom's? Either way- I'm totally using that one for my ascender!

love
nick

[/ QUOTE ]

The slack tender idea was Tom's and much like you Nick, I thought it was an excellent idea. I was a little worried as to how all that extra tail would get in the way but Tom's solution fixes it nicely.

For the record the idea of not actually burying the tail on the whoopie sling (eye splice has three locking Brummels to hold it in place) and therefore making the whole piece a little shorter was modified from an idea from Jason Diehl. He was using a similar technique to make shorter adjustable lanyards for hanging buoys on recreational boats. All I did was take his idea and add a backsplice to the non buried tail up top which gives you a convenient hand hold for when you are adjusting that lanyard short. This works out well for an adjustable daisy chain for aid climbing also.

 

[NickfromWI]

I was wondering about that non-buried tail. I've done splices like that for 2 ended lanyards.

Neat!

love
nick

 

[Kevin]

Ok, I see you are pulling down using the redirect.
Sorry about the confusion.