Well after practicing and trying the compact Longhorn agile friction hitch, have taken all jrb 5-2-3 compacts off my hitch rope and now will practice with only two compact Longhorn agile hitches, one to each end, with carabiners pre-installed and leave them (i just got some nice compact oval carabiners camo colors😊) they are almost the same size as rappel rings, and use my jrb garda foot loop. This really down sizes my hitch rope, 11 mm 50ft, much easier to carry and install in the tree without those two foot loops slopping around. The long horn agile is so easy to tie and remove as needed, so i will carry a couple long horn loops just in case. Using 9 mm Sampson hitch cord but in comparison to my 8mm tuefelberger resc tech rope, this cord seems actually less diameter, very close, these Sampson predator rope and Sampson hitch cord are tight and slick but tie nice, grab good but break easy. Liking this combination a lot.
@@jrbtc After a fair amount of test climbs trying the Longhorn zenith and agiles, various foot loops and the garda, reviewing your tutorials, evaluating how i will climb, and wanting good redundancy and safety being tied in at all times with a short connection as with garda and best friend, - my saddle hunting climbing has evolved to this : 1) DSRT on an 80 ft 8mm rope, two jrb 5-2-3 ascenders in soft bridge on my longer bridge doing the double shove and the garda long footloop with best friend on a short redundant bridge, having an extra tether and Longhorns handy - for trees and areas I know and have preset cords in place ; 2) 50 ft pole hitch 11 mm rope with two 5-2-3 jrb ascenders soft bridge at each end, two adjustable web foot loops on two of those hitches that i can adjust to have close on a short redundant bridge, garda , tether, and longhorns handy, 5- 20 ft telescoping pole to use exploring new areas and leaving preset cords for select trees. The JRB Ascender stays tied, is dependable, can accept a handle, will serve my needs quite well. Thanks John for all the tools we now have in our tool box!
Looks like with the short waist level bridge, after advancing/raising the Garda, you are actually PULLING the Compact Longhorn to about chest level as you stand, instead of pushing the hitch to arms length above your head, perhaps giving the climber a steadier more balanced feeling of equilibrium, interesting improvement, looks like a natural smooth action, I will give this a test with my hitch rig. Thanks John, keep em coming! The UNIVERSAL system is great but I am liking two distinct ropes, one for exploring new areas- dedicated HITCH SRT ROPE, 4 hitches , (2 foot loops, 2 ascenders) - and a dedicated DSRT ROPE , ( 3 ascenders plus Garda ), for returning to favored known trees.
That is a good observation. The purpose is twofold: 1. to get as high as possible, thus maximizing the span of each move. 2. to make sure that when we get to the top of our move, we are being held at a comfortable distance from the tree, making it comfortable and stable to stand there and rig our next hitch.
@@jrbtc yes! Thank you for your response and explanation. Haven’t had a chance to test a change in my hitch tactics since this last JRB tutorial, but will soon, down here in Mississippi our season starts Oct 1, we are on a countdown! Only three months to get all set.
Outstanding. By the way, as someone who is looking at alternative ways to put meat on the table, I've been learning about the ancient practice of "pollarding", which was used heavily by the Romans and many prior to procure "tree hay", I'm very happy to inform you that you have perhaps unknowingly assisted many to come after us who may be interested also in trimming trees for animal feed (perhaps even deer?) This is VERY significant, given what I know about the susceptibility of our power grid to solar storms now that our magnetic shield is significantly weaker..."Bravo" is an understatement. Respect!!!
Thanks for your comment. The majority of my viewers are Hunters but of course I recognized the opportunity to use some of this techniques in different applications like tree work.
@TheDarkfreak41 i have spent a TON of time on the website so please use it in conjunction with the channel to help you find what you are looking for. And i have much more upcoming work to show ya soon jrbtreeclimbing.com/
Great video, John! Who's behind the camera? Someday I hope I can find someone to film me. It would be really helpful. Filming myself all the time is a PITA.
Since starting my channel, I have taken advantage of too many of my best friends to shoot my vids. I had a new camera operator for this one, who is a neighbor and aspiring content producer. He did a great job. I am hoping to work with him on some more projects soon.
@@jrbtc I would agree. He did a fine job with this video! I would suggest that you next start filming in 4K if possible so that you can film with a wide frame of view and zoom in during post production/editing anytime you want to get in close without the footage looking under-pixelated and fuzzy. That's my next move as a videographer and content creator. But 4K also means enormous file sizes and if you don't have enough RAM on your computer, your computer will lag. I have 16GB of RAM and a great GPU, so I'm fine. But if you use something like Premiere Pro by Adobe, which is what I use, you can use a proxy and edit it at half or even quarter the quality so it doesn't lag and then render/export it in 4K. Just some thoughts. Looks like you mostly go for the natural look with very minimal editing. You had some nice transitions and some voiceovers in this video, but you kept it minimalistic. The bar for tree climbing content isn't that high, so, thankfully, if we both work harder at our videography and editing, we can easily stand out among the other channels! Some of my newer content now has intros with beautiful stock footage and music and moving graphic titles. I also spend a lot of time creating zoom and motion effects in editing to keep the viewer engaged. Also, I always now film from two or more camera angles (main camera and GoPro Hero 12 on helmet), and sometimes a third camera (my Nikon DSLR), which really helps engagement for my climbing videos! What software do you use to edit your footage? As always, my comments are never a quick read! I love you, John, so I enthusiastically support you and your channel. We are twin spirits with our desire to create new knots, hitches, and techniques!
See this page. My ropes are equipped with the "JRB End Loop" and there's also a Loop at the end of my retrieval line, and so I just clip em together with a mini carabiner. But there's other ways to attach a cord to a rope. jrbtreeclimbing.com/content/throwball-rope-rigging/
I’ve been repelling on a totem figure 8, it keeps the friction hitches cool. I am thinking more that friction hitches are better used for ascending. What are your thoughts?
Most friction hitches lack the necessary requirements to qualify as a single rope ascender. But the Longhorn Agile works great. Learn it, tie it, and I believe you will be impressed.
Another great video. So, I'm still at the stage of getting comfortable being in the saddle, only climbing a few feet off the ground. I've made only a couple of upward moves using the garda foot loop and the longhorn agile friction hitch, and I'm gaining confidence in the system. Today something in your video caught my eye: that was when you were standing on your platform with the garda foot loop still engage on your foot. This raises the following question for me: Is it necessary to maintain tension on the foot loop for the redundant safety aspect of garda foot loop carabiners to remain effective? Or, in other words, will releasing tension on the foot loop compromise the effectiveness of the 2 carabiners ability to hold the climber in the event of an unexpected drop? Thanks.
According to my testing, if we don't have our foot on the loop it's still going to serve its purpose as a backup via the best friend Loop to our redundant Bridge. When I climb, I tend to keep one foot in the foot loop. And if I remove my guard, I put in my munter as a backup.
The transformation loop stays on there all the time. Just slide it and clip it in the carabiners when it's used in normal mode. ua-cam.com/video/hEkciriZvuU/v-deo.htmlsi=EMH1JXMy23MbUsUt
@dougshort9721 it's pretty easy to bypass one limb in each move. Sometimes, we can bypass a few per move, but not always, and it will slow us down, because we might need to make smaller moves. But when I climb a tree with live limbs, I can typically get a throwball over the intended crotch on the first throw. And that's why I don't need to climb this way very often in a real hunting situation in Pennsylvania.
@dougshort9721 this video was made after your question and I meant to send it to you in case you didn't see it. ua-cam.com/video/33VonlOtBSw/v-deo.html
Well after practicing and trying the compact Longhorn agile friction hitch, have taken all jrb 5-2-3 compacts off my hitch rope and now will practice with only two compact Longhorn agile hitches, one to each end, with carabiners pre-installed and leave them (i just got some nice compact oval carabiners camo colors😊) they are almost the same size as rappel rings, and use my jrb garda foot loop. This really down sizes my hitch rope, 11 mm 50ft, much easier to carry and install in the tree without those two foot loops slopping around. The long horn agile is so easy to tie and remove as needed, so i will carry a couple long horn loops just in case. Using 9 mm Sampson hitch cord but in comparison to my 8mm tuefelberger resc tech rope, this cord seems actually less diameter, very close, these Sampson predator rope and Sampson hitch cord are tight and slick but tie nice, grab good but break easy. Liking this combination a lot.
@kennethrogers1129 for Longhorn Agile, I recommend 6mm Sterling TRC cord. Website has discount and links.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/
@@jrbtc After a fair amount of test climbs trying the Longhorn zenith and agiles, various foot loops and the garda, reviewing your tutorials, evaluating how i will climb, and wanting good redundancy and safety being tied in at all times with a short connection as with garda and best friend, - my saddle hunting climbing has evolved to this : 1) DSRT on an 80 ft 8mm rope, two jrb 5-2-3 ascenders in soft bridge on my longer bridge doing the double shove and the garda long footloop with best friend on a short redundant bridge, having an extra tether and Longhorns handy - for trees and areas I know and have preset cords in place ; 2) 50 ft pole hitch 11 mm rope with two 5-2-3 jrb ascenders soft bridge at each end, two adjustable web foot loops on two of those hitches that i can adjust to have close on a short redundant bridge, garda , tether, and longhorns handy, 5- 20 ft telescoping pole to use exploring new areas and leaving preset cords for select trees.
The JRB Ascender stays tied, is dependable, can accept a handle, will serve my needs quite well. Thanks John for all the tools we now have in our tool box!
I seen in your Garda Hitch Footloop Kit, you tied a Longhorn on the Loop👍🏼
Looks like with the short waist level bridge, after advancing/raising the Garda, you are actually PULLING the Compact Longhorn to about chest level as you stand, instead of pushing the hitch to arms length above your head, perhaps giving the climber a steadier more balanced feeling of equilibrium, interesting improvement, looks like a natural smooth action, I will give this a test with my hitch rig. Thanks John, keep em coming! The UNIVERSAL system is great but I am liking two distinct ropes, one for exploring new areas- dedicated HITCH SRT ROPE, 4 hitches , (2 foot loops, 2 ascenders) - and a dedicated DSRT ROPE , ( 3 ascenders plus Garda ), for returning to favored known trees.
That is a good observation. The purpose is twofold: 1. to get as high as possible, thus maximizing the span of each move. 2. to make sure that when we get to the top of our move, we are being held at a comfortable distance from the tree, making it comfortable and stable to stand there and rig our next hitch.
@@jrbtc yes! Thank you for your response and explanation. Haven’t had a chance to test a change in my hitch tactics since this last JRB tutorial, but will soon, down here in Mississippi our season starts Oct 1, we are on a countdown! Only three months to get all set.
Outstanding. By the way, as someone who is looking at alternative ways to put meat on the table, I've been learning about the ancient practice of "pollarding", which was used heavily by the Romans and many prior to procure "tree hay", I'm very happy to inform you that you have perhaps unknowingly assisted many to come after us who may be interested also in trimming trees for animal feed (perhaps even deer?) This is VERY significant, given what I know about the susceptibility of our power grid to solar storms now that our magnetic shield is significantly weaker..."Bravo" is an understatement. Respect!!!
Thanks for your comment. The majority of my viewers are Hunters but of course I recognized the opportunity to use some of this techniques in different applications like tree work.
Thank you again, John!
Look foward to more!
Enjoying the climb!
Yes! This is the one I've been waiting for!
@VTPharaoh7 sorry to keep you waiting, but I like to test everything thoroughly. And the new bridges and Garda improvements helped enable this.
Kit would be great for sure. Even if tying everything by hand ourself.
@TheDarkfreak41 Kits will be available at ApeCanyon for the 2025 season
@@jrbtc awesome! Can't wait. Just got into your videos a few days ago.
@TheDarkfreak41 i have spent a TON of time on the website so please use it in conjunction with the channel to help you find what you are looking for. And i have much more upcoming work to show ya soon
jrbtreeclimbing.com/
Thank you for being such an informative resource.
Your welcome and your comment is appreciated and motivating.
Great video, John! Who's behind the camera? Someday I hope I can find someone to film me. It would be really helpful. Filming myself all the time is a PITA.
Since starting my channel, I have taken advantage of too many of my best friends to shoot my vids. I had a new camera operator for this one, who is a neighbor and aspiring content producer. He did a great job. I am hoping to work with him on some more projects soon.
@@jrbtc I would agree. He did a fine job with this video! I would suggest that you next start filming in 4K if possible so that you can film with a wide frame of view and zoom in during post production/editing anytime you want to get in close without the footage looking under-pixelated and fuzzy. That's my next move as a videographer and content creator.
But 4K also means enormous file sizes and if you don't have enough RAM on your computer, your computer will lag. I have 16GB of RAM and a great GPU, so I'm fine. But if you use something like Premiere Pro by Adobe, which is what I use, you can use a proxy and edit it at half or even quarter the quality so it doesn't lag and then render/export it in 4K. Just some thoughts.
Looks like you mostly go for the natural look with very minimal editing. You had some nice transitions and some voiceovers in this video, but you kept it minimalistic.
The bar for tree climbing content isn't that high, so, thankfully, if we both work harder at our videography and editing, we can easily stand out among the other channels!
Some of my newer content now has intros with beautiful stock footage and music and moving graphic titles. I also spend a lot of time creating zoom and motion effects in editing to keep the viewer engaged. Also, I always now film from two or more camera angles (main camera and GoPro Hero 12 on helmet), and sometimes a third camera (my Nikon DSLR), which really helps engagement for my climbing videos!
What software do you use to edit your footage?
As always, my comments are never a quick read! I love you, John, so I enthusiastically support you and your channel. We are twin spirits with our desire to create new knots, hitches, and techniques!
Which video of yours actually shows where and how you attach your retrieval line before rappel? I’m missing that part of the process.
See this page. My ropes are equipped with the "JRB End Loop" and there's also a Loop at the end of my retrieval line, and so I just clip em together with a mini carabiner. But there's other ways to attach a cord to a rope.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/content/throwball-rope-rigging/
I’ve been repelling on a totem figure 8, it keeps the friction hitches cool. I am thinking more that friction hitches are better used for ascending. What are your thoughts?
Most friction hitches lack the necessary requirements to qualify as a single rope ascender. But the Longhorn Agile works great. Learn it, tie it, and I believe you will be impressed.
Another great video. So, I'm still at the stage of getting comfortable being in the saddle, only climbing a few feet off the ground. I've made only a couple of upward moves using the garda foot loop and the longhorn agile friction hitch, and I'm gaining confidence in the system. Today something in your video caught my eye: that was when you were standing on your platform with the garda foot loop still engage on your foot. This raises the following question for me: Is it necessary to maintain tension on the foot loop for the redundant safety aspect of garda foot loop carabiners to remain effective? Or, in other words, will releasing tension on the foot loop compromise the effectiveness of the 2 carabiners ability to hold the climber in the event of an unexpected drop? Thanks.
According to my testing, if we don't have our foot on the loop it's still going to serve its purpose as a backup via the best friend Loop to our redundant Bridge. When I climb, I tend to keep one foot in the foot loop. And if I remove my guard, I put in my munter as a backup.
I see you added the Transformation Loop on the End of the Garda… How did you Attach that and do you leave it on there it all times?
The transformation loop stays on there all the time. Just slide it and clip it in the carabiners when it's used in normal mode.
ua-cam.com/video/hEkciriZvuU/v-deo.htmlsi=EMH1JXMy23MbUsUt
@@jrbtc I just added it to my Garda Foot Loop👍🏼👍🏼
What do you do with a tree with a few limbs?
@dougshort9721 it's pretty easy to bypass one limb in each move. Sometimes, we can bypass a few per move, but not always, and it will slow us down, because we might need to make smaller moves. But when I climb a tree with live limbs, I can typically get a throwball over the intended crotch on the first throw. And that's why I don't need to climb this way very often in a real hunting situation in Pennsylvania.
@dougshort9721 this video was made after your question and I meant to send it to you in case you didn't see it.
ua-cam.com/video/33VonlOtBSw/v-deo.html
Kit