(This is a post from a recent thread. I though it was worth repeating here for easier referencing. )


Safety knots work wonders!

You may have already learned this, but here it is again.

Place slip knots in your down rope as you ascend. They have to be oriented the right way. After tying the slipknot grab it and pull on the side coming from your climbing hitch. It should hold.

It should be able to be pulled loose when pulled from below.

Having these knots in your down rope prevents you from being able to descend passed the knot until it is removed. As you descend the hand controlling your descent will be on your down rope. when your hand hits a knot, stop. Remove your hand from the climbing hitch and use that hand to pull from below the knot and remove it. You can replace your hand on to your climbing knot and continue to descend. Your braking hand never has to leave the down rope.

Descending is one of the more dangerous aspects of tree climbing and safety knots are a well proven method of managing that risk.

A safety knot is not just useful as a "safety net" in DRT climbing. A climber can place one anytime he needs to provide extra security if a given system has the potential to slip.

Just remember it is VERY IMPORTANT to have the knot oriented the proper way. If it is tied backwards it serves no purpose .

Boy, DdRT is complicated.

Come on now Ron! We all know that you are a closet DRT convert. I bet you can even tie a Blakes hitch blindfolded.

I know that you know that safety knots work just as well on SRT as they do on DRT. You can use them to back up a lanyard too. Or even back up a progress capture.

They are definitely not a technique specific trick. I doubt a rack, GRIGRI, Cinch, ATC, or Unicender would pass one.

My intention is to inform the many new climbers that are contributing to the forum of a simple method that adds a level of safety to thier learning process. It works if they are learning to DRT or SRT.

Just some humorous ribbin' - not directed at you. I use safety knots on SRT almost every time I climb.

Slip knot is useful for managing rope during the climb so it's very multi-purpose. For instance when you want to hold some part of the tail of the rope but need two hands free for another task, just put a slip knot in, clip a biner on the bight and attach to your harness. Slip knot is a third hand for tree climbers. When I'm throwing a monkey fist in the tree and I want to remove the weight of the rope below the coil and monkey first I'm throwing, use the third hand.
-moss

I know what you are up too

This would be a great time for Jim K to step in with one of his excellent illustrations...

Shoot I forgot about that - yep - left or right hand oriented.

That's the kind of knowledge climbers need before moving onto more advanced systems! (If you do SRT instead of DRT, switchover blindfolded is equivalent)