Page Contents:
What’s a Lifeline?
Think of a Lifeline as a long tether which can also act as a rappel rope or a climbing rope. JRB recommends that all climbers use a lifeline instead of a tether, particularly when climbing. See the Safety page for additional info:
Features of a Lifeline:
- 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, and with minimal slack.
- Ensures fall prevention safety in the event of a stick or platform failure or loss of footing.
- Can be used as a rappel rope, providing a path to ground, either as a planned activity or in an emergency.
- Can also be used for SRT climbing or Hitch Climbing (details on other pages).
Components of a Lifeline
In addition to the saddle, bridge and bridge carabiner, there are 3 primary components to a Lifeline:
1: The Rope
Please review the information on the Rope page, which covers the different types of ropes, diameters and lengths, with product recommendations and discounts. Note that the rope length is chosen in conjunction with the climbing method and anchors used. But in general, 40′ of 9-10 mm rope is a solid recommendation for most climbers.
2: The Anchor
The anchor refers to the cinching connection of the rope onto the tree. A climber needs a retrievable anchor, allowing retrieval of the rope after the climber has safely rappelled to the ground. There are many choices, but as a general recommendation, JRB recommends the Bloodgood hitch for beginners and the Maverick Hitch (or variants) for more advanced climbers.
3: The Moving Connection
The carabiner on our bridge needs to connect to a moveable connection on the rope. There are two basic choices: a Friction Hitch or a mechanical friction device. JRB prefers the use of Friction Hitches. The Longhorn Agile Hitch or Formula Hitch with the Eureka Finish are the top choices:
Mechanical Device Considerations
If we are using a mechanical device, consider adding a friction hitch, (such as the Hedden Knot) installed above the primary device as a backup. Note that the Hedden cannot be broken under load. We need to get our weight off the Hedden in order to resume rappel.
Redundant Bridge Considerations
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.
Rappel
Friction hitch is not a rappel device
Warning: Do not attempt to use a friction hitch as a rappel device (on a stationary rope system). Attempting to do so can cause the friction hitch to jam/tighten and to overheat. During rappel, the friction hitch should be in a relatively loose state, manually tended by the climber, serving as a backup only. The climber can interrupt the rappel by gracefully allowing the friction hitch to hold, and can restart rappel by breaking the friction hitch.
Tending the Friction Hitch During Rappel
During rappel, the friction hitch should not be loose and easily moved (tended). It should not be providing braking friction, and should be act as a back-up only. If you need more than two fingers to tend the friction hitch during rappel, it’s not loose enough. Putting too much load on the friction hitch can cause it to jam (get tighter). Resist the instinct to balance manual resistance in your two hands. Concentrate on applying resistance on the braking hand and braking strand of rope, not the friction hitch.
Dual Bridges Recommended
Although rappel is feasible with one bridge, JRB uses and recommends 2 bridges on the saddle and independently connected to the rope. It is important that the two bridges are of different length and separated by at least 6″ in order to avoid interference.
Munter Friction Hitch
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:
It is important for the braking strand of rope does not flow into the Munter from below. This will cause twisting to be imparted in the rope. Instead, the rope should flow in from out and above. The climber will be able to feel if the rope is spinning and adjust the direction of feed in order to neutralize it. See videos:
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.
Unbreakable Friction Hitch
Be sure you can reliably break your friction hitch(s) and be prepared if you find out that you cannot while on a hunt:
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:
Ape Canyon Rappel Kit
If you prefer to buy a kit, Ape Canyon has one, and don’t forget your JRB15 coupon.