New SRT Climbing Without Mechanical Ascender or Descender
I have quickly found there is no one way to rope climb a tree, and so I made it a goal to find a new SRT climbing method without the mechanical ascenders or descenders often used. I started out with DRT or Double Rope Technique climbing because it did not require any mechanical metal devices to climb. It is also a lower way of getting into rope climbing. The ability to go in lightweight with a quiet climbing system is very appealing to me. DRT climbing is great and this leads me to SRT or SRS climbing.
Why New SRT Climbing for Saddle Hunting
I have an earlier blog post explaining the different methods of climbing trees used by many hunters HERE. The advantages are still the same with my new SRT climbing method, and I have added a couple.
SRT Climbing allows you to use less rope than DRT (less weight), You have access to climbing more trees because the girth hitch on the tree carries the weight and not a limb for DRT climbing. With the method I show you here, I have removed the mechanical devices often used. This means less initial cost and potentially more quiet. One disadvantage here may be that it will take a little bit longer to descend from your hunting height. I am working on that, 😉
My Method of SRT Climbing – No Mechanicals
Remember my latest adjustable bridge / Whoopie Sling post. Well by building two of these whoopie slings with ¼” Dyneema or Amsteel, You have the ability to climb using the SRT. You can tie a Prusik knot with the fixed Brummel loop end to your climbing rope for each of the whoopie slings. Then attach the top whoopie sling to a short bridge on your saddle and the whoopie sling to your foot to be used like an aider. Then simply step up, move your saddle Prusik up, sit back, and move your step aider prusik up. Do the reverse in order to descend from hunting height. I made a video showing this method ABOVE.
WHY I DO THIS
I give 25% of income received through affiliates to Conservation, Community and Simply Helping Others! Use this link in your next Amazon Purchase. https://amzn.to/2QE5hxM
To understand why see my Focus and Vision Page! http://diybowhunting.com/vision-and-focus/
Response to "New SRT Climbing Without Mechanical Ascender or Descender"
How do you keep the whoopee sling from squeezing your foot? Also how big is the bummel loop and overall whoopee sling ? Thanks
I have had to add a rubber tube (I printed a wider step) similar to my rope aider steps to keep the whoopie open a bit. The Brummel loop is just big enough to feed the rope thru for the prusik knot (~4″ diameter). I have recently moved away from this climbing method. It works, just a lot of work to climb a tree when the same amount of movement can be achieved with a set of sticks or even one sticking method.