Just rope

Ok you gear weenies, here's how you climb without car parts.

1. Hangman's noose to throw the rope over a limp (use 10 - 12 raps instead of the traditional 7 and pull the noose through until it is just about to come apart).
2. Bowline on a bight for your harness (leave about a 4 foot tail for the Blake's hitch).
3. Blake's hitch tied using the tail.

That's it... just a rope.

unless the branch is out of throwing range

Momma raised me to be a gentlemen, therefore, Ladies First!

I've tried Swiss Seats made of harnesses and ropes, and they're incredibly uncomfortable -- in fact, they hurt like all getout on a certain part of the male anatomy.

I have no problem with minimalist climbers who don't want to haul all their gear into the woods or who are on a strict budget and can't afford a lot of goodies. But I'll stick with my big bag of equipment (actually it's an entire tool chest in the back of my pickup truck, with more stuff stacked in a corner of my bedroom) and the nice, comfortable harness from New Tribe that seems to fit me just right.

And, I like the looks on the faces of those Transportation Security Administration people when they scan my luggage at the airport and question the need for all those carabiners, ascenders, descenders and other metalic stuff.

Alright! A woman (I'm assuming Rachael is a female's name) of like mind.

I too prefer a minimalist approach, although I must admit that as time goes on I'm adding more and more stuff to my pack. The other two bits of gear I always add do make life in the tree a lot more comfortable.

They are a web harness (see the ASRC site for a really comfortable one that is even OK for men) and a prussik leg loop.

Sure makes the hike into the woods a lot easier. Plus I can take the whole set up with me when I go backpacking.

Climb on!

I am one-hundred percent in favor of a minimalist approach, particularly when going into wilderness areas where all equipment has to be carried on my back, or, in some cases, my canoe.

I agree with Rachael that a climb may be accomplished with nothing more than a rope, however, rather than sit in a loop created by a bowline/figure-eight-on-a-bight arrangement, I prefer to use the end of the rope to create a Swiss seat arrangement that is much safer. The tag end coming out of the Swiss Seat becomes my "bridge" and is then used to tie my Blakes Hitch. Footlocking will replace the footloop.

It works, but I must confess that I only do this when going into areas that are new to me and in which I have not already found trees to climb. Once I have found a tree that I like and want to climb again, I will bring along a standard bag of gear for the next climb. I don't mind carrying the gear if I know there is a good climb waiting at the end of the trail. The "rope-only" technique is purely for scouting purposes.

Liability issues/concerns require me to state that I do not recommend this technique to anyone. This is a matter of personal style and I accept personal responsibility for any mishap that might occur while I am using this method. If you do go out and hurt yourself using this idea, don't be blaming me!

Rachel, bowline on a bight looks like it would be interesting to try, but it also looks like one of those butt-asleep inducing set-ups. Do you separate the loops and stick one leg in each, or stick both legs through the double loop and then separate?

Joe, I think everyone should know how to make a Swiss seat, but I haven't been able to find good online instructions. Care to detail it here?

Harv

I had not thought about the bowline-on-a-bight creating two loops, one for each leg. The image in my brain was of one big loop of doubled rope creating a place to place one's big booty. Utilizing the two loops is not a bad idea; however, out of habit I would still prefer to stick with my old reliable Swiss Seat. If it ever stops raining here I'll go out and try the "two loop" method just to make sure that I'm not being unfair toward something that might end up having merit.

The Swiss seat when made from rope, as we have been talking about it here, can be quite uncomfortable and even painful. The Swiss seat, as with some other harness arrangements, can lead to "Harness Induced Pathology" or H.I.P., which is the medically correct way of saying that, yes, it will cause your legs to "go to sleep". A Swiss seat made from rope will probably be more likely to cause H.I.P. than one made from wider material. I agree with Dan completely that the wide webbing makes for a better, safer, more comfortable, and less painful Swiss seat.

The Swiss seat, as it is being discussed here for use in a minimalist approach to climbing, is something that I would never use for really long or high climbs except in an emergency situation. As stated, I would use it only for "scouting" purposes.

There are many ways to tie a Swiss seat. It seems that wherever I go I find different opinions on how one should tie the thing. Dan has detailed one way of tying the thing. The U.S. Army has their way. I have another that I use. None of us are wrong, they all work. It's another one of those things that qualify as "personal style".

When tying the type seat that I use I start with about a twelve-foot length of one inch tubular webbing. I then find the center and place it in the center of the small of my back. Since I am left-handed I will pull an extra foot of the webbing to my right. Right-handed people should pull an extra foot of webbing to the left. You end up with the webbing coming around your waist with one side being about a foot longer than the other. Right at your belly-button, tie an overhand knot in the webbing. You will now have the webbing around your waist, an overhand knot at your belly button, and two loose ends hanging downward. The loose end hanging down to your left will go under and around your left leg and come back to the front. The loose end on the right will do the same thing under and around the right leg and back to the front. I am now holding the two ends of the webbing in front of me. Since I am left handed I will then pull these ends over to my right hip and tie the seat off with a square knot over my right hip. Right handers will do the same thing to their left. I place half hitches on either side of the square knot to back up the square knot. The tag ends of the webbing get stuffed inside my waistline or into a pocket. Tying the seat off to the side keeps the knot out of the way of the main connection at the front of the seat, and allows the control hand to function without the possibility of becoming snagged in the knot. Connection to the climbing system is accomplished by placing a carabiner over the overhand knot at the front of the seat and between the two bits of webbing going downward and around the legs. The piece of webbing that comes around from behind the legs should also be within the carabiner. The seat is now ready for use.

For use as it pertains to the "one-rope" method described in this thread keep in mind that I am using the end of my climbing rope and I want to be sure and leave enough rope coming out of the harness to create my bridge and tie my Blake's hitch. Also, when used in this manner I will tie the harness off at the front rather than on the side so that when my weight is on the system I will be hanging "centered". Use of the climbing rope also implies a higher level of discomfort than one would experience using webbing.

Now. About the issue of pain and suffering: Mention the term "Swiss seat" and you will usually hear a lot of groans and war stories about just how terrible the things can be. I would like to say that most of the complaints come from people who are tying them too tightly. I tie mine snugly, but not overly tight. I won't lie to you and tell you that it is comfortable but neither will I accept the commonly accepted idea that a Swiss seat, in order to be safe, must be tied uncomfortably tight. Comfort is a relative state and I am willing to accept a small degree of discomfort in return for being able to leave a heavy harness at home.

On the issue of safety: I learned SRT ascent and descent over forty years ago and the only thing I had was a Swiss seat, tied exactly as I have described here. I have never had a problem with the thing. I will point out that when using a Swiss seat, I don't try to be "cute"; you won't catch me swinging wildly about just for the fun of it and you won't catch me doing upside-down hangs. When I use a Swiss seat, I am using it solely as a tool for ascent and descent, not for thrills. I do not recommend use of the Swiss seat as an "idiot-proof" means of harnessing oneself for a climb into the vertical environment. It should be employed thoughtfully. The possibility of Harness Induced Pathology is very real when using an arrangement of this sort. If at any time the climber begins to experience a loss of feeling in lower extremities, do whatever is necessary to take weight off the harness by standing up in a footloop until feeling returns, moving to a limb, or come back to the ground. Allow the feeling to return gradually.

Once more I will state that I do not recommend use of this technique to anyone. Those choosing to employ a Swiss seat do so entirely at their own risk. I would also suggest that those choosing to try such an arrangement do so very low and very slowly until sure that it is being done correctly.

Everybody have yourselves a happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanks, Dan. Practiced tying it. Your directions were good. I'd still like to mess around with the bowline-on-a-bight setup or other in-line ideas to max the minimalist aspect, but probably not until the snow stops here.

Happy T-day to all of you!

Thanks Joe & Dan,

In between the time I started writing the above and posting it, you both had added your posts. We must all be home for Thanksgiving.

I wonder how it would work to stick each bowline loop around a leg, cinch down a bit, and then take some of the tail to tie off around your waist before tying a bridge? I haven't tried any of this, just imaging in the brain.

The rain has moved on and I have been out in my practice tree playing with this thing.

The bowline-on-a-bight using the two loops as separate leg loops works just fine but is less comfortable than the Swiss seat arrangement. Using the one big loop as a place to sit works also but is rather uncomfortable, to say the least, and is not safe since it would be too easy to tipover backwards and fall out.

Cheers!

Just a few points on self-made harnesses:

1. 2 inch webbing is available and more comfortable.
2. "On Rope" 1996 page 309 has a similar reference for using a webbing loop to fashion a harness. (I need a loop with 12 feet of circumference)
3. Boy Scouts of America merit badge booklet on climbing has instructions on how to make other harnesses. These take 25 feet of webbing

Though I practice with these vertically low, I don't use them on extensive climbs. My goal is to use these techniques on backpacking rugged trails, where a self-made harness, carabiner, 8mm nylon kernmantle rope provide stability on a steep grade.

Regards,
JimK

Some of you are talking about using harness arrangement that are constructed from webbing and are useful only as harnesses.

My reason for using the Swiss seat arrangement that I have decribed above is that the piece of webbing can be multi-tasked. If I need a harness I can tie it into a harness; If I need a false crotch it can become a false crotch; it can become anything that a piece of webbing can be
and does not have to function solely as a harness.

Every arrangement described here is safe and works just fine. I simply tend to lean toward equipment and techniques that have a variety of uses and that reduce the amount of gear that I need to carry. A length of webbing tied or sewn into a permanent loop has less of a variety of useful applications than a length of webbing that can be tied into whatever configuration is necessary for whatever purpose at whatever time it is needed.

Everyone should no how to climb a rope/tree with just a rope.

You just never know....

love
nick