Out of curiosity, of those of you who use hang-on stands, how many of you use a climbing/safety line like the HSS prussic knot line? How smooth is the knot moving up the line in cold weather, wet weather, dark, etc? Can it be cumbersome, or is it essentially effort less? I'm considering adding these to my hang-on setups this year knowing that although I feel secure climbing, it only takes one slip or wrong step.
Funny you should say that Matt. I was thinking about doing this to mine as well this year. I was planning on buying some climbing rope in bulk.
I have used prussic knots in th past with mixed results. This past year i started using an ascender and will never look back. They run 35-70 bucks and are available at all the online climbing stores.
I love the HSS Safety Line. I tie it off at the bottom of the tree steps and as I go up the steps the prussic knot is in my left hand. I can hold it and grab the the ladder at the same time, so climbing whether it is hot, cold, wet, etc. is easy. If you don't have it tied off at the bottom though you will have to take your hand off the ladder to slide it up every few steps.
NC, Two questions: What size rope do they offer in that? Do you stay connected and use it to hunt off of? Or do you switch to a tree strap when you get up?
I guess I am not grasping the concept. The Muddy (which I own) has a short section of rope with a prussic knot in it, but I am unsure of how to use it. I picture rope running up the tree (25 feet) and sliding the knot along with me as I climb. Someone inform me of what is wrong with my knuckleheaded thinking
Ben I don't know the exact size but it's diameter would be similar to say a 20 guage shotgun shell. The majority of the time I stay hooked up to it. It does not get in the way as much as the strap. Not that the strap is bad but I would just prefer to stay hooked up to the life line.
This. I have this set up on all of my permanant stands, ladder stands and hang ons alike. It is easy and safe. Its the only way for me.
Please do so Matt. After watching a close friend fall 25ft and break his back last year, i cant imagine not using anything and everything possible to be safer.
i love mine.. as mentioned jus tie it off on the bottom of the tree.. i have no proablems sliding the knot up an down in any kinda weather.. when i do get on stand i do swtich to the shorter rope( the one that comes with summit climbers) jus feel it gives me a lil more movement if needed..anyone that hunts out of a climber should consider one of these or something similar!
I start with a clove hitch and then add several half hitches. I always use my linesmans belt while attaching my ascender line.
All it took for me was a weld to break and my 6' 2" - 265 lbs. came 21' down flat on my back!! It is the most important thing you will ever by if you are hunting from a treestand.
Where did you purchase your rope from? I'm not a climber, but I'm assuming you can't have the static line tied off before hooking up like a static/prussic setup? The HSS system is $40, so that's about $200 for my stand setups. Climbing rope is PRICEY, so I'm not sure it would necessarily be beneficial to make my own unless I could find a low cost supplier.
I used to use an ascender until I banged it off my ladder one pre-dawn climb. After waking up the woods that day I decided to switch to a prussic knot. i've never had a problem with one and I won't look back. I buy my ropes at a hardware store and tie my own prussic knots.
This is what I use. I got the 3 strand nylon black in 5/8" I use a 5/16 for the Prussic knot. http://www.ropeinc.com/cat-premium-nylon-lines.html
i use hss lifelines on all my hang ons. out of the package, the rope has an odor. be sure to have these on the trees at least a couple months before season to allow odor to air out, and deer to get used to the slight nylon - "manufactured" scent. keep them rolled up neatly and stored in a plastic tub during off season. i like to put a couple of drops of non scented oil (dead down wind) on caribiner parts to keep them in shape. not real impressed with the caribiners on these, they seem somewhat cheap. they do begin to rust a small amount in some places on the caribiner (i do take all stands, steps, and lifelines out after every season), again, non scented oil and maybe some steel wool to clean up. prussic knots are very easy to use, however, after the first couple of hard frosts, they can be a struggle to get started. this has occured a couple of times on morning hunts. after getting to my tree in the dark, and prussic knot seems "frozen" on to the life line. BE PREPARED to spend a couple of minutes at the base of your tree loosening up the knot by flexing rope and from the heat of your hands, once knot is loosed up, it will go up the tree with you easily. you could keep the prussic knot loose, or opened up when not in use to avoid this problem, but i like to cinch the life line tight up against the tree and hook caribiner around screw in step (thus tightening down prussic knot) to keep everything from flopping in the wind.
