Thanks a bunch. I'm a 68 year old arborist. I like using the GriGri on my safety line that's chocked around the tree trunk I'm spuring up with my flipline. Adding the knut hitch above my GriGri will make me feel a lot safer, and I can trust the 1/2" safety line to be life support. Excellent explanation.
The proper orientation would be to install one eye on either side of your Gri Gri but then you sandwich the brake operation. Install both to opposite side of brake and go with a minimum of 30” hitchcord
Thanks a bunch. I ordered a Sterling Flex 30" hitch cord. If it's too short, I'll order a longer one and use the 30" with my rope wrench. I shared this video with another solo tree guy, and he also loved it and will incorporate it.
Thank you so much for all your videos. I repailed with my Gregory plus gold this year for the first time. And I love it is so easy to get down now. And I will add this new secondary immediate. Thank you again
This is great! It puts the last piece of the puzzle in place! I’ve been working on this very same technique and you guys, NY Saddle Hunters have put it all in place. Thank you.
Yes, intrigued me so I tried it and had the same problem as you did in the video when the top and the bottom got too close together. This does not happen with my schwabisch hitch so I will stay where I’m at. Thanks for the video.
I have been out in the woods setting pre-sets for hunting season this year. I can see that this is a better way to be able to hunt out of multiple trees and wind directions. Lots of fun so far. I have been up as far as 40 ft. Thanks again for the videos and instructions.
I tried every hitch and cord type / size I could come up with to find one that works well on the 8mm Sterling I use for tether/rappel. Finally settled on the 6mm eye to eye that came with my saddle, tied in a Felicitous hitch. I rappel w a carabiner, but to test this hitch combo, I rappelled down using it, stopping multiple times, it never slipped or jammed. No mechanical devices needed.
I am just getting into saddle hunting - I’m NYSH’s newest/biggest fan! Thanks for the multitude of videos and info like this. The reason I like this knut hitch - super strong and its one less carabiner to make noise in the woods! I will still prob tie a stopper knot below the device though. Can’t be too safe!
I usually use a Michoacon hitch but I will be getting that Virgo & the system to go with it from u in the next month. I take the month of January off so I can focus on gear. Then February & March I do all my late season scouting (weather permitted). I'm going to break in that new system with that gear then. Something I wasn't able to do with my gear I got last January due to the horrific MN winter we had last year. That Knut hitch is like a VT or the other variations of the VT with the stability of the Michoacon. Love the tending of the CT with this system ❤. Still hunting here & the patches of white shit r gone now after the nice rain we had last night. So 2 weeks left & I'm hitting it hard. All gun seasons r now over in MN. Thanks Scott for the tips. They aren't falling on deaf ears.
Joseph , Thankyou much ! I appreciate all the yrs of support . Yes the Knut is similar to a few . Closely related to the Michoacán and how I came upon it . The 2.0 is exactly where this journey needed to land in safety and versatility. Can’t wait for you to experience it I know you’re gonna be stoked .
Great video, & I’m going to get me a 30 inch cord & start using this for my backup. So my question is do I need to find a 7mm hitch cord for my 9 mm Canyon elite camo rope instead of 8 mm? I’ve heard that you need to stay 2 mm smaller than your rappel rope with the hitch cord is why I’m asking. Thanks
@@jameyfarley5696 2 “ is a good rule of thumb . 8mm has been working on our 9mm CIV and 9 woodlands . 7mm will bite harder / faster which may make it harder to release by hand if you forget to tend it by hand on your descent. Still easily released by adding Your hand ascender and advancing up enough for mechanical to engage it and release it .
@@chriswatts5604 somewhat similar, except the Cornell ends with 3 coils and the 4th being the tending action With the Knut It’s 4 coils and the 5th being the tending action .
@@NYSaddleHunterthanks, new to this but continue to read at least 2” differential for hitch cord. However, hard to find one longer than 20”. I have the 8mm 30” hitch on 9mm line. Seems this will work ok?
@@richratke9076 it all depends on what cordage is being used on what rope . I’ve found some that just won’t grab and others that lock up . I use Beeline and Flexcord both 8mm. I’ve used it on 9mm CIV for yrs . So when I switched to 9mm Woodlands I had some concerns but after testing out a few different ones . Beeline and Flex still worked great. I tried 6.8 TRC , It worked well but locked up to hard . A little thing I do also is befor I start my climb I’ll pull on the Vergos brake release and drop myself into the hitchcord just to set it good then start my climb . It’s also a good test to see if you tied it right or to loose
@@NYSaddleHunter Thanks! I have 9mm Canyon Elite, maybe a little less stiff than CIV and thicker even though both advertised 9mm? And Sterling Flex 8mm 30”. I will test it out but any initial thoughts?
Can you tie the knut hitch with the first tail on the left side and tie it the same way. the vergo that I got is a left hand . It looks like yours is a right hand vergo.
Yes you can tie it reverse. I tie everything as a lefty . I think you meant left hand CT Quick roll. You can use either left or right for the hand ascender . The Vergo is your belay / ascending device
Can this be used on a tether instead of a prusik knot? I have a rope tender for my prusik but after putting heavy weight on it it doesn't work so well.
Have been working with the Knut and my GriGri, that Clicking noise is getting to me. Can't seem to find the Trango Vergo here in Oz do you have any experience with the CAMP Matik in regard to noice when using it, no moving side plates and I like the fact it has the Panic function of a GriGri +
No experience with the Camp One of the many reasons I like the Vergo no clicking noise . The supply is dwindling down for the yr . I’ve got a few more coming in then it’s going to be hard to find till restocking in 24
Are you opening the vergo up and controlling the speed of decent with the hitch? I recently started one sticking and have used hollow block as well as just controlling the speed with my brake hand behind my back. I already purchased the madrock safeguard but plan to use this hitch with it
What I don’t like about this is that while rappelling you’re no longer using your hand as a brake since you’re tending the Knut the whole way down. Maybe I’m just missing something though.
@@ryansullivan312 your not ! It’s something different to get used to for sure. There is a technique ( hand position) you can use where you can manipulate both hitch cord and mechanical simultaneously and use other hand on tail end like your used to doing. Takes a little practicing but it can be done. I’ll do a short video on that subject
@@NYSaddleHunter Hey I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to a comment on an older video. I’m newer to one sticking, so don’t have all the prior rappelling and tree experience you do. I do like the idea of a hitch backup the whole time. But when I tried this I did not find it smooth or easy with the madrock. I either slipped faster than I wanted, or would load the hitch and would have to unbind. Is it easier with the vergo? For now I think I feel safest without backup, but tying an inline stopper/jam knot if it slips at height. Then I’ve just untied and used my hand as a brake. Again i welcome and want a better backup, but it still feels safest. Thanks again, and looking forward to the other video mentioned. Love your stuff, learned a lot from you guys that helped me jump from mobile hang and hunt to one stick and half lining.
@@ztkrx 👍. Of the 3 mechanical devices we climb on : Vergo , Gri Gri + , Madrock None of these should be used without some kind of backup especially while being stationary, for a long period of time .
If you had to in a pinch yes , slowly . Friction hitches build a tremendous amount of heat . I climbed and descended on a Blake’s hitch for decades . It works exceptionally smooth when paired with a mechanical plus offer each other redundancy
Let me just had what I’ve been doing. I haven’t actually killed anything. I’ve been trying to hunt for a couple years and I’ve never even seen a deer. That being said, I want stick up the tree I want to get into SRT and stuff but I thought I gotta say I just don’t have a time so until I can efficiently once they can come out of the tree in the dark without becoming tangled mess I’m gonna be sticking to one sticking And the problem I’m trying to solve is that I repel down and it be nice to go hands-free on the way down and I’m trying to stay away from devices want to keep the minimalistic approach
That’s the JRB Agile hitch?! NO i see the difference, very similar though, the Agile hitch has one end going through the other so you hook up to only one eye or, use a carabiner as a handle, the Agile can be tied with a cord without eyes, but the ends terminate in a bend like Hunter’s Bend. But essentially a variation of the Kleimheist hitch. Cool Ascender friction hitch that will push up but latch on your rope with weight. I like the 5-2-3 JRB Ascender even better, same sort of ascender hitch. Nice yes easy to tie, dependable, versatile. I use these in SRT with a foot loop on a second friction hitch of the same type, my preference is the JRB compact 5-2-3 on my bridge, and the jrb 5-2-3 in soft bridge mode as that is easy to tend upward by just pulling my rope up as I raise my leg to step on up .
I have an easier time pulling downward with a longer bridge than tending upward. When u use self tending u have less movement & it's just more practical in a hunting situation. My 🌳 trimming saddle has 2 bridges on it. So I have a climbing line & a safety line. That 2nd bridge is a double 8mm Ollux that is adjustable. Just lengthen the loop to make the bridge shorter if needed. It's pretty simple but redundant & self tending whether I'm working on one side of the 🌳 or another. If u wanted to use it in a hunting situation u could install it into a 🌳 that would never work with a climber, hang-on or ladder stand. Those kind of 🌳 r gold when bow-hunting out if a saddle.
The question is why wouldn't you do it? All it takes is once and you're gone, granted the failure you're preventing is rare....just once, you lose. Otherwise, this is almost not even an annoyance.
You should never be that much in a hurry that you omit a step that could potentially save your life . Your right , they work so well together there’s not one thing annoying about tying it
Thanks a bunch. I'm a 68 year old arborist. I like using the GriGri on my safety line that's chocked around the tree trunk I'm spuring up with my flipline. Adding the knut hitch above my GriGri will make me feel a lot safer, and I can trust the 1/2" safety line to be life support. Excellent explanation.
The proper orientation would be to install one eye on either side of your Gri Gri but then you sandwich the brake operation. Install both to opposite side of brake and go with a minimum of 30” hitchcord
Thanks a bunch. I ordered a Sterling Flex 30" hitch cord. If it's too short, I'll order a longer one and use the 30" with my rope wrench. I shared this video with another solo tree guy, and he also loved it and will incorporate it.
Thank you so much for all your videos. I repailed with my Gregory plus gold this year for the first time. And I love it is so easy to get down now. And I will add this new secondary immediate. Thank you again
This is great! It puts the last piece of the puzzle in place! I’ve been working on this very same technique and you guys, NY Saddle Hunters have put it all in place. Thank you.
Thank you! You guys have made hunting safer for me & I'm sure lots of others.
Yes, intrigued me so I tried it and had the same problem as you did in the video when the top and the bottom got too close together. This does not happen with my schwabisch hitch so I will stay where I’m at. Thanks for the video.
I have been out in the woods setting pre-sets for hunting season this year. I can see that this is a better way to be able to hunt out of multiple trees and wind directions. Lots of fun so far. I have been up as far as 40 ft. Thanks again for the videos and instructions.
Mobile hunting at its finest 👍
Your welcome 🦌
I tried every hitch and cord type / size I could come up with to find one that works well on the 8mm Sterling I use for tether/rappel. Finally settled on the 6mm eye to eye that came with my saddle, tied in a Felicitous hitch. I rappel w a carabiner, but to test this hitch combo, I rappelled down using it, stopping multiple times, it never slipped or jammed. No mechanical devices needed.
I am just getting into saddle hunting - I’m NYSH’s newest/biggest fan! Thanks for the multitude of videos and info like this. The reason I like this knut hitch - super strong and its one less carabiner to make noise in the woods! I will still prob tie a stopper knot below the device though. Can’t be too safe!
Thankyou for your support 👍
I usually use a Michoacon hitch but I will be getting that Virgo & the system to go with it from u in the next month. I take the month of January off so I can focus on gear. Then February & March I do all my late season scouting (weather permitted). I'm going to break in that new system with that gear then. Something I wasn't able to do with my gear I got last January due to the horrific MN winter we had last year. That Knut hitch is like a VT or the other variations of the VT with the stability of the Michoacon. Love the tending of the CT with this system ❤. Still hunting here & the patches of white shit r gone now after the nice rain we had last night. So 2 weeks left & I'm hitting it hard. All gun seasons r now over in MN. Thanks Scott for the tips. They aren't falling on deaf ears.
Joseph , Thankyou much !
I appreciate all the yrs of support . Yes the Knut is similar to a few . Closely related to the Michoacán and how I came upon it .
The 2.0 is exactly where this journey needed to land in safety and versatility. Can’t wait for you to experience it I know you’re gonna be stoked .
Do you need a mechanical device with this or could you just use this hitch to repel????
Great (new) knot. Thanks much.
Awesome video trango progress capture is amazing also use it while at hunting height thank you
Love that hitch, but didn't think of using it as a backup with the Grigri/ that really means hands free
👏👏 Great video 🙋
Great video, & I’m going to get me a 30 inch cord & start using this for my backup. So my question is do I need to find a 7mm hitch cord for my 9 mm Canyon elite camo rope instead of 8 mm? I’ve heard that you need to stay 2 mm smaller than your rappel rope with the hitch cord is why I’m asking. Thanks
@@jameyfarley5696 2 “ is a good rule of thumb . 8mm has been working on our 9mm CIV and 9 woodlands . 7mm will bite harder / faster which may make it harder to release by hand if you forget to tend it by hand on your descent. Still easily released by adding Your hand ascender and advancing up enough for mechanical to engage it and release it .
Great video! How do you feel this compares to the Cornell hitch? They both look similar and it appears they have the same action.
@@chriswatts5604 somewhat similar, except the Cornell ends with 3 coils and the 4th being the tending action
With the Knut It’s 4 coils and the 5th being the tending action .
Thanks for the video. This is why I've been looking for. What size of hitch rope do you recommend for a 9mm climbing rope? Thanks for your help
@@TK033 8mm x 30” eye to eye
@@NYSaddleHunter Thank you
@@NYSaddleHunterthanks, new to this but continue to read at least 2” differential for hitch cord. However, hard to find one longer than 20”. I have the 8mm 30” hitch on 9mm line. Seems this will work ok?
@@richratke9076 it all depends on what cordage is being used on what rope . I’ve found some that just won’t grab and others that lock up .
I use Beeline and Flexcord both 8mm. I’ve used it on 9mm CIV for yrs . So when I switched to 9mm Woodlands I had some concerns but after testing out a few different ones . Beeline and Flex still worked great.
I tried 6.8 TRC , It worked well but locked up to hard . A little thing I do also is befor I start my climb I’ll pull on the Vergos brake release and drop myself into the hitchcord just to set it good then start my climb . It’s also a good test to see if you tied it right or to loose
@@NYSaddleHunter Thanks! I have 9mm Canyon Elite, maybe a little less stiff than CIV and thicker even though both advertised 9mm? And Sterling Flex 8mm 30”. I will test it out but any initial thoughts?
Can you tie the knut hitch with the first tail on the left side and tie it the same way. the vergo that I got is a left hand . It looks like yours is a right hand vergo.
Yes you can tie it reverse. I tie everything as a lefty .
I think you meant left hand CT Quick roll. You can use either left or right for the hand ascender . The Vergo is your belay / ascending device
Could y’all do a go to video of a tutorial of knots and what you can use them for you may have done that already but I have not come across it thanks
Reminds me of the WLR hitch
Can this be used on a tether instead of a prusik knot? I have a rope tender for my prusik but after putting heavy weight on it it doesn't work so well.
Absolutely. I have it on my own . Had all my buddies switch over as well. Super easy to adjust even after sitting in it for hours
Have been working with the Knut and my GriGri, that Clicking noise is getting to me. Can't seem to find the Trango Vergo here in Oz do you have any experience with the CAMP Matik in regard to noice when using it, no moving side plates and I like the fact it has the Panic function of a GriGri +
No experience with the Camp
One of the many reasons I like the Vergo no clicking noise . The supply is dwindling down for the yr . I’ve got a few more coming in then it’s going to be hard to find till restocking in 24
This is a great video Scott, thanks.
Can you use this backup method above a figure 8 as well?
@@UpRiverOutdoors9413 never tried it but it should work.
Are you opening the vergo up and controlling the speed of decent with the hitch? I recently started one sticking and have used hollow block as well as just controlling the speed with my brake hand behind my back. I already purchased the madrock safeguard but plan to use this hitch with it
The Vergo releases so smooth. The hitch cord is your backup if you really needed it
I basically release it and let the Vergo do what its intended for.
The Vergo releases so smooth. The hitch cord is your backup if you really needed it
I basically release it and let the Vergo do what its intended for.
How do u like the cruzr saddle?
What I don’t like about this is that while rappelling you’re no longer using your hand as a brake since you’re tending the Knut the whole way down. Maybe I’m just missing something though.
@@ryansullivan312 your not !
It’s something different to get used to for sure. There is a technique ( hand position) you can use where you can manipulate both hitch cord and mechanical simultaneously and use other hand on tail end like your used to doing. Takes a little practicing but it can be done.
I’ll do a short video on that subject
@@NYSaddleHunter
Hey I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to a comment on an older video. I’m newer to one sticking, so don’t have all the prior rappelling and tree experience you do. I do like the idea of a hitch backup the whole time. But when I tried this I did not find it smooth or easy with the madrock. I either slipped faster than I wanted, or would load the hitch and would have to unbind. Is it easier with the vergo? For now I think I feel safest without backup, but tying an inline stopper/jam knot if it slips at height. Then I’ve just untied and used my hand as a brake. Again i welcome and want a better backup, but it still feels safest.
Thanks again, and looking forward to the other video mentioned. Love your stuff, learned a lot from you guys that helped me jump from mobile hang and hunt to one stick and half lining.
What is a good length for a tether ,I am 5 ft 9 in tall
8 ft is what most tethers are.
You can then decide what diameter you’d like. 8mm ,9mm or 10mm.
@@NYSaddleHunter Do you sell tethers, if so how much are they?
@@jerrysbs777 Yes I sell 8mm and 9.5mm. Any length you want . You can also use a 8mm hitch cord tied in a knut hitch on the 9.5mm tether .
that must be for just hanging in the same spot for a long period of time, cause why else would you do double redundancy unless you’re staying put.
@@ztkrx 👍. Of the 3 mechanical devices we climb on : Vergo , Gri Gri + , Madrock
None of these should be used without some kind of backup especially while being stationary, for a long period of time .
Hey can I use the knit hitch to repel down without a device?
If you had to in a pinch yes , slowly . Friction hitches build a tremendous amount of heat . I climbed and descended on a Blake’s hitch for decades . It works exceptionally smooth when paired with a mechanical plus offer each other redundancy
Tie a munter friction hitch and the break the Knut hitch
Then**
Let me just had what I’ve been doing. I haven’t actually killed anything. I’ve been trying to hunt for a couple years and I’ve never even seen a deer.
That being said, I want stick up the tree I want to get into SRT and stuff but I thought I gotta say I just don’t have a time so until I can efficiently once they can come out of the tree in the dark without becoming tangled mess I’m gonna be sticking to one sticking
And the problem I’m trying to solve is that I repel down and it be nice to go hands-free on the way down and I’m trying to stay away from devices want to keep the minimalistic approach
knut hitch is almost identical to the arbsession hitch.
The vergo that I have, I operate the brake with my left hand
Yes , that is the only way they come . Operate brake with left . Might right tends the hitch cord .
That’s the JRB Agile hitch?! NO i see the difference, very similar though, the Agile hitch has one end going through the other so you hook up to only one eye or, use a carabiner as a handle, the Agile can be tied with a cord without eyes, but the ends terminate in a bend like Hunter’s Bend. But essentially a variation of the Kleimheist hitch. Cool Ascender friction hitch that will push up but latch on your rope with weight. I like the 5-2-3 JRB Ascender even better, same sort of ascender hitch. Nice yes easy to tie, dependable, versatile. I use these in SRT with a foot loop on a second friction hitch of the same type, my preference is the JRB compact 5-2-3 on my bridge, and the jrb 5-2-3 in soft bridge mode as that is easy to tend upward by just pulling my rope up as I raise my leg to step on up .
I have an easier time pulling downward with a longer bridge than tending upward. When u use self tending u have less movement & it's just more practical in a hunting situation. My 🌳 trimming saddle has 2 bridges on it. So I have a climbing line & a safety line. That 2nd bridge is a double 8mm Ollux that is adjustable. Just lengthen the loop to make the bridge shorter if needed. It's pretty simple but redundant & self tending whether I'm working on one side of the 🌳 or another. If u wanted to use it in a hunting situation u could install it into a 🌳 that would never work with a climber, hang-on or ladder stand. Those kind of 🌳 r gold when bow-hunting out if a saddle.
The question is why wouldn't you do it? All it takes is once and you're gone, granted the failure you're preventing is rare....just once, you lose. Otherwise, this is almost not even an annoyance.
You should never be that much in a hurry that you omit a step that could potentially save your life . Your right , they work so well together there’s not one thing annoying about tying it
Good job Scott!
Redundancy in rope climbing is vital to your safety and so is self rescue. Keep up the good work.