Any suggestions on securing loaded cordage to a tree or similar? Will be needing to tie off a hoisted 40-50lb bear barrel and remember the past few years I just wrapped the loaded end around a tree until there was no slippage then tied a few slippery half hitches. Was curious if there might be a better way? I think a clove hitch would be difficult but a timber hitch might work although unsure if it will be hard to tie or untie?
Tension locking trucker's hitch with a couple of added slippery half hitches for security.Originally Posted by uninjured
The knots you choose are completely your personal choices. Most people use knots they already know, due to familiarity. Sometimes these choices are good and at other times-no
I choose different knots for different applications, based on:
Ease of Use—can I tie and untie this knot quickly and easily with no jamming. Can I remember this knot while I’m tired and or the weather is doing it’s thing—wind, rain, darkness, freezing rain and the sudden need for a Snickers candy bar!
A big factor in Ease of Use is, can the knot be tied without having access to either end of rope. I refer to this as, tied in the bight. This is a big time saver and eliminates many errors when you tie a knot—say in the dark while rain is dripping off brim of your hat! With a long rope, it’s easy to make errors if you are having to pull rope from end of rope through incomplete knot for each step.
Does the knot hold its place in the rope without slipping? Does the knot do the job you want it to perform?
You might want to watch my YouTube
David Hughes Phantom Grapplers Recommended Ties part one and part two
Lately I’ve been using Siberian Hitch with added daisy chain or monkey braid for knot stabilization.
Also Farrimond Friction Hitch with added daisy chain for knot stability.
Alpine Butterfly Loop is a good midline loop (tied in the bight) that resists ringloading. Ringloading is pulling loop in opposite directions from inside the loop. Its resistant to jamming and at same time will not slip!
Slipped Zeppelin Bend. Holds its place without slipping in spite of its name.
Does not jam-and can be tied midline without having to find ends of rope.
But if you forget how to tie Slipped Zeppelin Bend, tie a knot you already know, to join two ropes to hold your hammock suspension without fail——
Marlin spike hitch will do the job!
Hold both ropes in palm of hand, both short ends closest to you, while palm is facing up. Tie marlin spike hitch with both ropes in same motion and insert a strong smooth toggle. A toggle that won’t break-like a carabiner or a spoon handle will work.
A sturdy stick will work-but a twig will not work in this application. Marlin spike hitch is tied midline or in the bight and does not slip and does not jam!
Similar to Tensionless Hitch!? Sounds like your knot will do the job, has ease of use, will not slip and will not jam. A winning combination!
If you want to experiment with a different knot, a Siberian Hitch with added daisy chain or monkey braid for stability might work. If there is enough rope, maybe start with a round turn around tree. Or even a two turns around tree with a reverse thrown in after first turn—second turn goes in opposite direction to first turn around tree.
Then tie Siberian Hitch with added daisy chain.
But if your first way of securing bear barrel works, then that is great—no need to change, outside of having fun and expanding knot repertoire.
In the scouts, we practice the way you're doing it, wrapping the tail around a tree (with sticks as bark buffers) and tying off with slippery half hitches. The only modification is to put a loop in the middle, use that to hoist up the bear cannister and tie off each of the two legs to different trees so the bear couldn't get your food by attacking just one line. Requires more cordage but is our standard for places like Philmont.
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Why are you hanging a bear cannister? They are designed so a bear cannot get into it and are meant to be left on the ground. I put mine away from camp in a spot where it can't be knocked off a cliff or into a river. There have been instances where a bear got a cannister open but these are rare. If I'm not bringing a cannister I do hang my food-always.
I think this reply wins: no knot is certainly by far the easiest to tie and untie! In all honesty I hadn't even thought about that. The group I go camping with brings this bear canister and we always hung it. I've done some more research and indeed, it should be safe to move it outside of camp on the ground. I will definitely suggest this and hopefully they agree!
Regardless, we also have a 40-50lb soft Yeti cooler with frozen meat that we certainly do hang so the same method still applies.
Thanks for the replies. I had no idea that what I was tying was actually a thing with a name: tensionless hitch. My only variation is the 2 slippery half hitches to secure the tag end instead of a figure eight + biner.
The trucker's hitch is certainly a good idea although I suspect in many of my cases given the high load, the overall friction coefficient might be too high. I.e, just the friction felt on the branch to hoist up the load is noticeable but I suspect going around a sizeable tree (if that's what's there) would add too much. Granted this might change since switching to amsteel this year so it's certainly a worthy consideration!
Phantom: I watched your videos and learned some new knots, thanks!
To be sure, do you tie the tension locking trucker's hitch by feeding the tag end through the loop twice? If so then that's what I also do for any hope of maintaining tension on my lashit tarp CRL. Asking because I also found this method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKM5gaYJWN0 but it seems overly complicated.
i like your questions, uninjured, there ought to be a prize for best questions here. remind me to buy you a beer whenever i see you
first thing i'd do, as you're talking 50lbs, and this is already "significant(TM)", is look up "friction saver", this is something arborists use, it's a bit magical, it's not so hard to make one, and because of the magic it's fun to use imho. this will both protect the branch you're hanging the bag from, and save you the added friction and wear on your bearbag rope. you can easily make one yourself, with a bit of webbing and two strategically sized rings. i think this is the most important part, you know my style of posting by now, so the boring overengineered stuff follows, feel free to skip
i would make a loop of rope (of your choice, for this kind of load i think it need not be webbing or anything special), probably about 2m in length should do (or 6ft-ish?), make a fixed loop on one end (a modified bowline, or whatever you like), i'd use this as the "tree strap", wrap it around the tree, and using the end without the fixed loop, make a slipped buntline hitch, this will cinch nicely around the tree, and come untied quite easily (but if you have another quick release hitch you like better, go for that). now on the actual throwline/bearbag line, i'd use a uni-shackle rigged as a tensioner (so with the tending loop), tail tied around the bearbag line as a blake hitch, and going through the tending loop. you close the shackle part on the fixed loop of the makeshft treestrap described above, and then litterally walk away with the free end of the bearbag line, this will hoist the load (going smoothly through the friction saver), and will provide progress capture (if you let go of the line, it will just stay where it is). it's a bit more trouble to setup the unishackle at first than just tie a knot, but it's only three knots instead of one, and just once. after that, you litteraly just clip the uni-shackle into the fixed loop, and then walk away (so for repeated use, it's worth it i think). your friends will be impressed if nothing else, they'll also never want to leave that thing on the ground again, given this is so much more fun to do, but you can't have it all.
(do i make any sense?)
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