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ginshun
Apr 26, 2005, 1:16 PM
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What knots do you guys use in your set ups?
Which knots can you get out after walking on the line, and what knots end up as permanent features in the lines?
Do you take all the knots out of all your lines every time you take them down?
Any other advise?
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slacklinejoe
Apr 26, 2005, 2:55 PM
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Well, preferably no knots by either using sewn loops or using friction hitches that won't weaken the line. However without adjustable hardware on the line like the slide locks we use, sewn slings won't be as adjustable other than wrapping them around the tree extra times or tying a knot in one end which defeats the purpose of having it sewn.
However, no knots just usually doesn't happen for most people so you'll usually find 8 on a bight and clove hitches most frequently used.
The clove hitch is what most people use to adjust the length of their main line and sometimes at the anchors as well since it is one of the easier ones to get undone. If you use a clove hitch, use it around 2 carabiners so you can get the knot unwelded by working the carabiiners apart.
8's can end up permanent, but in some places you might not care if it is. An overhand will definately be permanent if it is in there for long.
Personally, I like using a bowline knot on tree slings since I've had better luck removing it, but I'm a minority in using it on slacklines. Once you get used to the knot I feel it comes apart the most consistantly.
Of course, all of this is dependant on your exact setup since there seems to be over a thousand prefered ways of setting up a primitive tensioning system on a slackline. With my stuff, I almost never use knots.
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gymslackerclimber
Apr 26, 2005, 4:32 PM
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i use an overhand knot that i keep in the line and a clove hitch at the other end.
How long before you should start to worry about a permanent knot breaking..?
heres a question about webbing on webbing, so i have my line set up, on the side with the overhand, i put a sling around the line and use a girth hitch above it on the tree, and make it however tight i can by hand, then i tighten my line up on the other end. will the sling and the webbing rub to breaking point?
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eljay
Apr 26, 2005, 6:04 PM
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Another vote for using bowlines, I put one in both ends of my tree slings, and often in one end of the slackline. They are usually easy to untie, and super bomber if you leave a bit of a tail.
I would not really worry to much about knots breaking if you are using them in a low line situation. Just kind of the usual precautions to check the lines and knots for wear every once in a while.
lebnjay
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slacklinejoe
Apr 26, 2005, 8:53 PM
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In reply to: How long before you should start to worry about a permanent knot breaking..? heres a question about webbing on webbing, so i have my line set up, on the side with the overhand, i put a sling around the line and use a girth hitch above it on the tree, and make it however tight i can by hand, then i tighten my line up on the other end. will the sling and the webbing rub to breaking point?
I wouldn't worry about the knots breaking while the webbing is in good shape. Over time it will likely be the failure point though.
As for nylon on nylon friction, yep - that's a bad thing overall. Some people have had good luck with nylon on nylon, but others have burnt through lines or melted them together in under 30 minutes of surfing (I'm one of them).
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coldclimb
Apr 26, 2005, 10:12 PM
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Water knots in my runners, or bowlines if they're rabbit runners, and a frost knot at one end of my line. No knot has ever become a permanent feature of my slacklines. ;)
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ginshun
Apr 27, 2005, 9:32 PM
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I thought water knots would bind together and be super hard to get untied.
Am I wrong or do you just have a trick for getting them out?
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lb4123
Apr 27, 2005, 9:35 PM
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You can always put a carabiner in a knot (desireably overhands and 8s) becuase then its cake to get them out.
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coldclimb
Apr 27, 2005, 10:19 PM
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In reply to: I thought water knots would bind together and be super hard to get untied. Am I wrong or do you just have a trick for getting them out?
Some people put biners in them, which works.
I personally don't like a bunch of extra biners all over my system, so I take my aiding hammer and pound the knots against something hard. Any knot tied in webbing will come out after some pounding. Just roll the knot and beat it. If you go crazy and turn into a frenzy of pounding, you'll melt the webbing, but take it easy, and you can have any knot out in a minute or so.
I do have a knot welded into rope. That one was anchoring one end of a 125 foot line that I walked on. I haven't spent a ton of time trying to get it out, since it's just a short section of rope, but it didn't come loose in just a couple of minutes, so I set it aside.
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niles
Apr 28, 2005, 4:19 AM
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On frost knots. Do they have to be overhands? I've heard different things both ways about overhands vs. 8's on which one is stronger :? . But I tie my frost knots with a figure 8. Is it better to make them overhands for some reason? ~Niles
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coldclimb
Apr 28, 2005, 6:37 AM
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I use overhand. It has a neat trick to it that makes it easy to untie, and I've taken a lot of highline falls onto them. I trust them.
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yamama
Apr 28, 2005, 7:13 AM
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I take it we are talking about Slackline'n. that said i use an overhand knot at the anchor end and a clove hitch with two biners in it so i can get the knot out when i'm done. (just pull the biners appart and the clove hitch comes undone)
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niles
Apr 28, 2005, 3:40 PM
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In reply to: I use overhand. It has a neat trick to it that makes it easy to untie...
What's the trick?
Regarding knots becoming permenant features, I'm with coldclimb. I've had some pretty steely knots come out with not too much working. I've found it helps to soak them in water some, or grab the knot at both ends and twist it and bend it around for a while. You can also whack it against a tree a few times. Just be careful not to tear the webbing.
Does anyone use a Munter hitch to tie off their non-tensioning end?
~Niles
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coldclimb
Apr 28, 2005, 8:54 PM
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The trick is tough to describe. You've got your big beefy frost knot in front of you. If it's dressed nicely, it'll be a four layered overhand. The top layer on the knot is usually not too tough to slide off the pile and roll over the loop itself. Then you have a nice handle that gives you some leverage to pry and unty the knot. Hurts your fingers sometimes, but I very rarely have to do any pounding to get this knot undone. Hope I've described it well enough here... :?
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altelis
Apr 28, 2005, 9:23 PM
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i have a suggestion/question:
i mainly set up looser lines than uber tight ones, so this might not work for those really tight ones, but instead of using a clove-hitch, which requires a second biner to keep it from becoming welded in place, i use a truckers hitch to get my friction....so instead of tying a clove-hitch, you make a loop in the webbing, then pass a bight from the side that you will pull through the loop....clip a biner into the loop, then wrap the webbing around the tree, clip into biner and pull....you can make a higher looser line with one person, or a tighter lower line with two no problems....and there is NEVER a problem of the hitch getting welded....no matter how tight i've pulled the line, loosen the line and just pull without the biner in the hitch...it just pops out...
was this helpful?
is there something i'm misssing? b/c i think i'm the only one who uses this method...which sometimes makes me think its not "safe"
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chalkfree
May 5, 2005, 10:52 PM
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The trunkers hitch seems pretty smart, it does seem to be possible for catastrophic failure, but if you're out in the back yard what's the difference eh?
I didn't think of it before, but that's what I'll be using tomorrow instead of a clove. Thanks
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danegerous
Jun 6, 2005, 4:19 PM
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what if i used a bowline at the wrap end, and a load-releasing hitch to a water know on the other? i saw this setup at a local gym...
or maybe instead of a bowline, maybe a taughtline hitch?
any and all suggestions appreciated.
thanks
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