First Time footlocker

tall can t

Before I begin, I would like to first say that I'm aware of the limitations when foot-locking using a three wrap, 6 coil Prusik on a doubled rope (two standing ends running parellel) and plan to carry a descender. I hear that 12 feet of cord is a popular length assuming you have to tie it together and set the prusik. simplicity is appealing and I don't mind spending a few extra bucks for splices to eliminate knots so I was considering this product from sherrill.

http://tiny.cc/jagvl SherrillTree Tree Care Equipment


I am 6'0 tall, which size would be optimal and how do I measure this? What knot is pictured? it doesn't look traditional. I've heard prusiks are hard to break when loaded, is grabby bee line going to amplify this effect? maybe there are better products on the market? Let me know what you're thinking is, I'll need all the suggestions I can get. Thanks

Pat h

Hi
Serious injury or death may result from attempting to footlock. Master EVERYTHING without ascending . Feet on the ground slide prusik up line , hang on prusik , attach fig 8, lower yourself.

Most important rule : DON'T PLACE YOUR HANDS ABOVE THE PRUSIK.
SOME PRUSIKS WILL RELEASE AND YOU WILL FREE FALL DOWN THE LINE TO THE GROUND BEFORE YOU REALISE WHAT HAPPENED.

When footlocking you have a separate self belaying device. figure 8 or suitable caribiner to use a munter hitch.
Figure 8 is recomend or pirana (sherrill )

Should you need to decend while ascending by footlocking. Suspended by prusik place figure 8 in ascent line below prusik. DON'T TOUCH PRUSIK.
Use a 2nd SEPARATE caribiner and attach figure 8 to your harness. Lock off line in fig 8 release prusik and HOLD TAIL of ascent line before releasing lock on fig 8. Decend with figure 8 and keep prusik on line.

Need ANTI CROSS LOAD on caribiner that attaches prusik to harness. As you foot lock the prusik line slackens and then is stretched out again. The caribiner can slip sideways and cross load. An elastosized ( stretchy ) tether can be attached to the biner and clipped to front of shirt collar. This keeps the biner vertical even as the prusik line slackens.

Watch climbers at treeclimbing competitions.

That was the easy part. Now grab the rope(not with hands, your feet ) and push yourself up. Ok use your hands to keep yourself vertical.

Do NOT Hold your breath,: BREATH : BREATH ,or your muscles will become oxygen starved and you will have to hangout while the muscles re oxygenate. No matter how fit stong conditioned you are . You will not ascend to 50 foot in less than a minute if you don't BREATHE. So learn it right from the start.

So how do you foot lock ????

Stand on the ground ,slide prusik up line, hang on prusik. hold line to keep yourself upright.
Now teach your feet.
Step1:
Slightly point your toes down ward. X your Shins , Knees slightly rolled outward. Doubled vertical ascent line hangs striaght down . Move left shin behind line ,with the line touching shin just above anckle bone.Line remians vertical . Slightly lift left foot by rotating your knee outwards and left foot rotated pionting down. Your right shin is still X behind the left calf muscle. The line is now still vertical and between the tops of your boots.

Relax stand on the ground.

Tie a fig 8 knot as a weight in the line 1" off the ground . This helps the line hang vertically .

Practise step1 at least 5 times before trying the next step.

Step2
Hook right big toe under left little toe. Hook top of rightfoot towards right shin.Line between bottom outside edge of left boot and top of right boot.

Stand practice 5x

Step3
Keep right anckle hooked towards shin.Slide right boot from under left boot by rotating right knee out up and in (across to the left).The line should now be wraped under the left boot around to infront of the left anckle,on top of the left boot and under the rightboot. The tail of the line hanging over the top of the right boot down to the ground.

Stand practise 5x

Step 4
L & R inward anckle pressure . Gripping the line between the top of the left boot at the anckle and the instep of the bottom of the right boot.

Stand practise 5x

So how do you foot lock ????

See if you can master this.
Its all about muscle memory ie Touch your nose with your finger.

Cheers

tall can t

Hey, thanks for the walk through..there were a few steps that I hadn't yet considered , so it was quite informative. Now if anyone can point me towards a nice spliced foot locking cord that is going to be the correct length. Please refer to my first post and click the link to Sherril tree. (let me know if it doesn't work) Thanks

TrevMcRev

Maybe start without a splice, that way you can make some adjustments till you get it just right for you. Then measure & order the closest size or get a custom one made.

Pat h

Cord : Technora / Polyester , 8mm , 900 deg melting
Double fishermans knot to form loop

Blue Bandit plier and bands.

DMM Boa binner and Cardiac arrest desender (if I drop decender am still able to decend with munter hitch in boa biner )

DMM Shadow girth hitched to prusik loop with bandit bands

Tiny red binner with black elastic hair tie ( helps prevent shadow biner cross loading in small swivel at saddle bribge attachment.)

Klemheist knot tied to double vertical assent line with Technora / polyester loop.

Have photoes but have not managed to upload.

dov

Very important to have good prussik cord. Not just any cord sold as 'prussik cord' will do. I use 5/16 beeline myself and it is one thing that I don't mind spending money on as I've had the experience of climbing and having a prussik slide on me. Thankfully no injuries, but I had new prussik cord by that afternoon!

Buy the best prussik cord you can and make sure it works well with your rope. It should grab at the very slightest weight, but slide easily when adjusted.

Levi Parkin

The knot pictured is a klemheist. It's what I prefer to footlock on as it breaks and slides easily. As far as figuring out what length you need, there's really no formula to figure it out really. A good way to guess is to just measure from about your belly button to the end of your fingers on an extended arm. If you want an exact way to measure it, just take any piece of chordage, 12' is a good place to start, tie a prussik or klemheist on your doubled line and figure out roughly how much you need to go back to your bridge (or carabiner if you prefer) then unwrap your knot and measure the lenght of cordage needed to do that. As Ekka said, just buying the 12' loop to start with and playing with it is a great way to start. It's inexpensive and it's a good place to start, it's where most of us start. I actually just spliced my own footlock prussik so I could have the exact length that I want.

arborjockey

after reading those post footlocking sounds like life n death. My only suggestion is as you pull the rope up with your foot tuck the rope between the standing end and your boot. Don't try to pinch the rope between your feet. Im 6'4 and can footlock with 3" heels no prob..

arborjockey

6'2 or 6'5 with boots. then again if I have my hard hat on.....oh height doesnt matter. weight does

Willard Holmen

Learning to footlock on static rope is tough, plus you have to switch over to a split tail dynamic system when you get to your work position in the canopy.
Learning to footlock from the ground on a dynamic system [with a blakes... etc hitch advanced by a micro pulley] may be half the speed as the double rope static. But half the effort is used especially when a double ring friction saver is used. Plus your ready to roam when you get to the top.
Willard.