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  1. #11
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Mytischi,Russia
    Hammock
    Dutch chameleon + Amok draumr XL
    Tarp
    Warbonnet Superfly
    Insulation
    UGQ Bandit 20F
    Suspension
    UCR + SPIDER/POLY
    Posts
    47
    Quote Originally Posted by nanok View Post

    i just realized you turn twice, why not just once, did you try? i like that much better from my testing, when used "inline" of course (so the continuous loop in your pic has no ring loading, but has linear load on it, as when you larkshead it to some object thus creating a version of "this thing"
    Two turns helps keep this loop more open and stable ,so it is easier to put button knot in this loop when operated one handed.
    And this is mostly because I am using 1,8 mm zing-it for soft shackle which are smaller and somehow fidly to operate.

  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    old dirt
    Posts
    444
    Quote Originally Posted by shichimi View Post
    Two turns helps keep this loop more open and stable ,so it is easier to put button knot in this loop when operated one handed.
    And this is mostly because I am using 1,8 mm zing-it for soft shackle which are smaller and somehow fidly to operate.
    ah, yes. this is why i add the "tactile helpers" you see in the pics, they help a lot to remove the fiddle factor. two turns i didn't like, as it seems too insecure, i guess for non critical loads maybe ok (it can be released under load with a gentle push, so for some applications maybe it is what you want)

    here's a pic of the tensioning for the ridgeline, the green additional vt is for mechanical advantage, and is optional, the white one is enough generally

    IMG_20200722_110210.jpg

    and here is o e with (one of) the tarp centering vt also using "this thing" (but a quick knotted one). i find the prusik horrible for centering the tarp too, with the vt i can adjust even after it is fully loaded. this setup is what i slept under last night, didn't budge

    IMG_20200722_110859.jpg

    sorry for the crappy quality, direct from field testing etc, we take our r&d seriously here

  3. #13
    New Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Fort Worth, TX
    Posts
    5
    IS there a how to on this? I am interested in how you got VT integrated.

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    old dirt
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    hey there. no howto as such, but it is quite simple (although, i personally moved away from using this version of soft shackle, the next version i came up with is a lot more versatile and simpler)

    integrating the VT is very simple in a sense: the VT is an "un-knot", if you remove its support (host rope), the VT will disappear and you'll be left with a loop, so to integrate it in this softshackle, effectively all i did was leave a long enough loop, and then i figured out a way to tie the VT using a closed loop; this is not hard, but it's a bit fidly, and it requires access to the end of the host rope, it's something you want to do once, and leave it there for further use (which is fine because the other end is a quick release soft shackle, so it's easy to disconnect it on the other end, no need to untie/retie the friction hitch)

    if you want to try it, i'd suggest going about it this way: take some paracord or whatever accessory cord you have handy and like to play with, and get either some pole (broomstick, whatever you can find around), make sure you have access to one end without obstructions (that is, remove the broom ); of course, it can be done with some thicker rope as support too, whatever you have handy; now tie the VT on this support, and when done and happy with it, tie the two strands together with a simple overhand knot (don't tighten it). now slide the vt off the support, and unravel it (this step will "prove the point", and is fun); next step, do it all over again, but this time slide it off the support slowly, and try to imagine how to put it back on, coil by coil, it will be evident once you have it in front of you.

    it's not a howto, but if i had to teach to somebody how to tie the VT on a bight, using this method, i would have them do exactly this, i think it is more fun and also gives you insight into how the knot works, in a way which will mean you'll also never forget it.

    having said all this, i moved on since to using this kind of soft shackle, which i came up with so that i could tie it in the end of any line (i use it daily, for various purposes, not just hammock camping):

    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...(uni-shackle-)

    this thing can be tied in under one minute or so, once it's clear how it works, and while it is deceivingly simple, it has a really nice combination of properties.

    one use for it is a line tensioner for the tarp, or a ridgeline attachment for the tarp, in combination with a blake hitch or some other good friction hitch. i described that particular use here:

    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...hitch-variant)

    i guess the question is what do you want to use it for? that might make a difference to what you chose.

    if you like the properties of the vt for tensioning (as a friction hitch) a lot -- i know i do, so i get it -- then there might be a way to get something similar with the latest quick softshackle i linked, it's basically a VT-like friction hitch that can be tied with one strand, and works when tensioned on one strand, but this one i only came up with the other day, so i need to test it a bit more. what i really like about the VT is the way it releases and how "jam proof" it is, while at the same time very reliable under tension, the blake is really really good, but it doesn't quite match it, so that's what i'm trying to fix with this new knot. it will take a while though, so i'd say, if you haven't plaid with the blake yet, in the configuration i show in the last link, do give it a try, you might be very pleasantly surprised.

    let us know how you go, and welcome to the forums

  5. #15
    New Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Fort Worth, TX
    Posts
    5
    Thanks for the response, I thought it might be a longshot on such an old post… the idea is to use it on CRL and leave it set for tensioning tarp. After I saw this, I found a Klemheist Knot - looking for a knot that won’t jam. Have you tried that?
    Thanks for the tip on the VT -excited to try it.

  6. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    old dirt
    Posts
    444
    no worries, you're welcome.

    klemheist: i didn't try it for crl, i plaid a bit with it a few times, i recall i never quite liked it for this kind of purpose; long story short, in my quick testing the klemheist doesn't work very nicely with same/similar diameter rope. but with the CRL being typically tensioned already when the klemheist would be loaded, i think it might work a bit better;

    CRL tarp attachement: yeah, good that you're looking around, there's many things a lot better than the prusik; i'd say some options would be

    - blake hitch with a uni shackle like i described above (very simple to tie and operate, quick release, light weight)
    - blake with a semi-permanent attachement to the tarp (like bowline, buntline hitch or anchor hitch or such), if you just want it simple, and intend to keep the tarp connected to the crl anyway
    - VT maybe if you really like it/want to play with it; for the tarp attachement to the CRL i find the VT a bit too "inprecise" (weird, i know). VT has a bit of "sitback" when loaded, this is also what gives it the amazing release capability, even under load. but when you're positioning a tarp on a ridgeline, that's more annoying than useful (minor annoyance, not a problem); it's great for guylines though, or the ends (tensioning part) of the CRL itself, as it gives this butter smooth release.
    - this knot i've been playing with, which i am not sure if it has a name already, or i just gave birth to it; it's in the "family" of the VT, it's very similar with a knut hitch, but with one tail free (so it can be used instead of the blake); in my testing so far, it seems to release much like a VT, and holds its position much like a blake. i have more testing to do though, it might misbehave when loaded near line strength (i didn't have time to break test it yet)

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