Page Contents:
What’s a Lifeline?
JRB recommends that all climbers use a lifeline, specifically a rope that safely connects you to the tree at all times and provides a route to safety on the ground. Think of your Lifeline as a “long tether”. Features:
- One end is connected to the tree via a secure anchor.
- Connected to the saddle bridge using a friction hitch or a mechanical friction device. Note: The climber has the responsibility to ensure that there is little or no slack on the lifeline by adjusting the friction device.
- Can be used as a rappel rope, which is the recommended way to get out of a tree, no matter how you climbed up.
- Ensures fall prevention safety in the event of a stick or platform failure or loss of footing.
- Provides an escape / rappel path to ground after the fall prevention.
- Can be used for SRT climbing or JRB Hitch Climbing (details on other pages).
Conventional Tethers
JRB doesn’t use nor recommend a conventional tether simply because it is too short to reach the ground. In the event of a total loss of footing, we need to be able to get to the ground reliably and in adverse conditions. Use a LIFELINE instead and think of it as a LONG TETHER, and one that can get us to safety in an emergency.
Problems with conventional tethers and how they are commonly used:
- A tether is too short. We need to be able to get ourselves to the ground if we lose our footing and can’t wait for a rescue. It only needs to happen once to put you in a life threatening situation.
- Advancing a tether is risky. In order to advance a tether as we climb, we have to introduce slack into our system AND we need to loosen the tether from the tree and use both hands to move it up with both hands. If we experienced failure of our footing device at that time, there is no guarantee if or how the tether will engage. It is best to be tied into the tree the entire time.
- Lack of stability. Most tethers are affixed to the trunk using a “running loop” (often and incorrectly referred to by most as a Girth Hitch). This anchor is easily destabilized. Adding any kind of link to the end just makes the system even easier to destabilize.
- Not used properly. Most saddle hunters are not using the tether until they are at height, exposing risk during ascent and descent. A Lineman’s belt does not provide adequate protection in the event of a loss of footing.
See the Safety page for additional info:
Components of a Lifeline
1: Saddle / Bridge
Choosing the optimal system and technique is dependent on how our saddle is set up. JRB recommends having 2 bridges on our saddle, particularly for rappel and emergencies. It is important that the two bridges are of different length and separated by at least 6″ in order to ensure that rappel on a Munter friction hitch can be executed without interference between the bridges.
2: The Anchor
The Anchor. There are many anchors for a rope in a tree, but for a rappel system, the climber needs a retrievable anchor, allowing retrieval of the rope after the climber has safely rappelled to the ground. JRB recommends the Bloodgood hitch for beginners and the Maverick Hitch for more advanced climbers.
3: The Rope
Please review the information on the Rope page, which covers the different types of ropes and product recommendations and discounts.
3A: Rope Length
The rope length is dependent on the anchor. For a single rope system, we need enough rope to go from the ground to the highest anchor we will use, plus the amount needed to form the anchor, and on the thickest trees.
JRB recommends a minimum 40′ of rope. Rationale:
Example: Assume the hunter has a platform at 24′, the anchor set at 30′, and that the tree is 2′ in diameter (6.3′ in circumference):
- If the Maverick Hitch is used as an anchor, 42′ of rope is recommended: 30+6.3+5 = 41.3
- If the JRB Hitch is used, 48′ of rope is recommended: 30+6.3+6.3+5 = 47.6
- If the JRB Cinch is used, refer to the JRB Cinch page.
3B: Rope Diameter
If using a mechanical device, refer to the specifications for that device. See the info on the Rope page for a recommended minimum diameter based on your weight.
3C: Sewn Eye
A sewn eye can be used with a Quick Link (or equivalent anchor) but is not necessary in the creation of any of the recommended cinching trunk anchors, covered below.
4: The Friction Hitch
Warning: Do not attempt to use friction hitch as a Rappel Device. Performance characteristics vary greatly amongst friction hitches, but in general, they can ‘jam’ (get tighter) if we use them as the single source of friction in a rappel, which could cause the climber to get stuck. JRB recommends that although the friction hitch should be present as a backup during rappel, the majority of the friction should be absorbed by the friction device, and the hitch is just ‘along for the ride. In an emergency, even a crude loop around our foot to create a footbrake can absorb 50% of our weight, allowing us to slowly step down the rope. Be sure you can reliably break your friction hitch(s) and be prepared if you find out that you cannot while on a hunt:
4A: The choices
Assuming we are not using a mechanical rappel device, initiating a rappel (or self rescue) when nothing is under our feet is much easier if we are using a hitch that is breakable under the full weight of our body. See the dedicated page for all the choices:
4A: Longhorn Agile Hitch
The overall recommendation for a friction hitch is a Longhorn Agile Hitch, tied with a cord that is approximately 75% the diameter (or roughly 2mm smaller) than the rope. If we have two bridges, we can fashion a fairly compact LA. But if we have only one bridge, we need an LA with loops approximately 6″ long, in order to give us room for the Munter carabiner. See:
4B: Hedden Knot
If we are backing up a mechanical device, or if we want to back up a friction hitch, a Hedden Knot installed above the primary device will do the job. Note that the Hedden cannot be broken under load. We need to get our weight off the Hedden in order to resume rappel. See the Self Rescue Playlists for additional info.
The Hedden can also be tied with only one hand in an emergency situation:
Rappel
See the Ape Canyon Products here, and use the JRB15 coupon code: Ape Canyon Ascenders and Descenders
Munter
JRB prefers using a Munter Friction Hitch for Rappel, requiring only a large, pear shaped carabiner to serve as the friction device. See page for recommendations:
Dual Bridges: JRB uses and recommends 2 bridges on the saddle. It is important that the two bridges are of different length and separated by at least 6″ in order to ensure that rappel on a Munter friction hitch can be executed without interference between the bridges.
Or on a single bridge. Note that the single bridge design is more difficult to use if the friction hitch can’t easily be broken.
Here is a similar demonstration, but on a DSRT system with a doubled rope:
Figure 8
JRB has several figure 8 rappel devices, but does not recommend them for use in saddle hunting. Rationale:
- In order to attach them, they need to be loose in our hands, offering the possibility of dropping them or losing them. This leaves us in a tree (often in growing darkness) trying to come up with a plan B.
- Contacts a Carabiner, allowing metal on metal contact and related noise potential.
- We need a carabiner to use with the Figure 8 device, and the carabiner makes a fine rappel device itself. (use the Munter!)
Other devices
Here’s a simple friction/rappel device. The same technique can be used with many devices, including an ATC or Figure 8.
The Retrieval Cord
Once we have executed our rappel, we need to retrieve our anchor. Although Paracord and similar products in the 2-3 mm range do work for this, JRB prefers a (minimum) 30′ length of 4-5 mm Nylon Utility Cord. The additional bulk is minimal, and that cord can be used in many different emergency applications. JRB ties a small Bowline on each end in order to make it easy to attach with a mini-carabiner. See product choices here: