A climbing system is what we use to climb, which is different than a climbing method(how we climb). Understand the methods before building a system:
Consider Your Priorities
Safety is the top priority, but after that, priorities will differ for each individual. Consider: Weight, Bulk, Cost, Speed, Comfort, Versatility in tree selection, Versatility in positioning. Examples:
- JRB prefers to carry more rope than some saddle hunters. His priority for Speed and Versatility is worth a little bit more cost, bulk and weight. You may prefer to carry less rope and save some cost, bulk and weight, at the sacrifice of a longer setup. That’s fine.
- JRB frequently hunts without a foot platform, because he prefers to carry less gear (less weight and bulk) at the expense of more difficult shot positioning and less comfort. It is not surprising that most Saddle Hunters are not willing to make that tradeoff. That’s fine too.
The Climbing Systems:
Each climbing system has a dedicated page:
- Universal System : supports all methods
- SRT System can be configured in different Modes to support Hitch and no-slack stick climbing too.
- JRB Cinch system – Primary use is hitch climbing using the JRB Cinch as an anchor, but can be configured into an SRT Mode as well.
- DSRT System – dedicated for DSRT only.
- Hitch Climbing System – dedicated for Hitch Climbing and No-Slack Stick Climbing only.
System / Method Matrix
A matrix of the compatible Systems (columns) and Methods (rows):
| Methods | Universal System | SRT System | JRB Cinch System | DSRT System | Hitch Climbing System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSRT | Yes | — | — | Yes | — |
| SRT | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Hitch | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Stick | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| MRS/DRT | Yes | — | — | Yes | — |
JRB’s recommendation:
JRB uses and recommends a Universal System because it can be used with ANY of the recommended methods.
No matter what you build, give yourself TIME to Learn, Plan, Shop, Build, Test and Practice.