UKC

Any suggestions / links to how to tie an overhand knot on a bight one-handed?

When self-belaying I want to tie backup knots in the dead rope but don't want to weight the rope whilst doing so, which basically means single handed.

Before anyone warns me not use the backup knot technique, I am NOT using a shunt (which is not strong enough to take the potential shock load).

Thanks in advance

In reply to Clinger: Just out of interest, what are you using as a device? Microcender?

In reply to Clinger: just use your teeth to hold the initil bight about half way down

In reply to Clinger: twirl the rope around your arm/wrist acordingly before pulling through.

In reply to Oli:

So far, I have tried the following...

Minitraxion
I hated this and it also failed on me on my first session with it causing it to be declared unusable by the UK distributors (whom I returned it to). To be fair, it did lock very well and travel very smoothly but the teeth on the actuating cam are vicious and you could see on a rope afterwards where it had gripped and penetrated the sheath. The reason it failed was that I used a standard krab so my fault I guess. Still didn't like it though.

Reverso in autoblock mode
Like this but you have to pull rope through very firmly and rerig for abseiling down.

Shunt
Good device, but personally didn't get on with it. Also should be read up on and researched fully beforehand as there are issues you would be well advised to be aware of before trying it.

Grigri (non-modified)
Bought this very recently and have only used it a couple of times but really like it. As it is unmodified I have to pull rope through, but this is MUCH smoother than the Reverso, and I find pulling the rope through is good practise for finding positions to clip from! It is strong enough to take a fall onto backup knots in the event of some sort of failure (unlike the shunt), and I put a lot of trust in its ability to hold a fall having played quite a lot with jumping onto it from various heights / angles.

I may modify this at some stage and if so will happily report back my findings.

In reply to vscott / Marts:

Thanks, I'll try both of those tonight. Sounds like a stupid question to ask now, but I just couldn't suss it out the other day.

In reply to Clinger: Was only really interested. I have a shunt, but don't really use it that much, tend to go bouldering when on my own. (I have researched it etc... so no its limitations.

Have tried a gri gri, but found it was a pain in the arse to feed, and didn't reallfy fancy modifying it. Also have the possibility of leading with it....

In reply to Clinger:

Can you give me a rough idea of the 'problems'?
Thanks...

In reply to Clinger:
Another possibility is to use a clove hitch attached to a crab on your harness.

Resetting the clove hitch can be done one handedly - plus no knots to catch in anything as you climb (just a potential loop to trip over!).

In reply to Duane:

Not sure what you mean by problems. Do you mean the issues when using a shunt? If so then the main issues from a safety perspective appear to be...

1) You should not climb overhangs as the actuating arm can get pressed in against the body causing the device not to lock. I have not experienced this and find it hard to visualise, but it is clearly stated by Petzl and others.

2) The device is not strong enough to take really big shock loads so you cannot extend it when using it to self belay, nor can you allow too much slack to enter the system.

3) At high shock loads, but less than would break the device, the device can slip causing the rope to glaze.

4) Becaus of point 2, you can't use backup knots and must use something else if you require a backup.

None of these particularly put me off using the device as I was doingso in a very safe environment but as previously stated, I believe users should be aware of the device's limitations before using one in anger.

In reply to Clinger:

Oh, forgot...

5) Apparently some people grab the unit out of panic in a fall (or when trying to grab teh rope) thus holding the cam open and causing the device not to lock as per point 1.

In reply to anonymoss:

Yeah, I see. I'll give that a go too.

So far the teeth thing worked but is a bit clumsy at present, probably 'cos I'm not used to it yet. The wrap it round the arm thing I can't quite work out still. Talk about slow eh?

In reply to Clinger: Dont bother, tie a bowline, its easy if you practise it.

In reply to Clinger:

Careful if you just slump onto a grigri, they have been known to fail if the shock loading effect is not high enough.

In reply to FredMead:

Yes, I've read that elsewhere too. In fact it's what convinced me of the need to tie backup knots. Now all I have to do is learn how to do so one-handed!

In reply to Clinger:

Yeah fair enough. Sorry, I dont know how to do one hander overhands.

I am normally working routes when i am on a shunt or grigri, so I sit on the device and tie a knot then carry on, then link it all together with a belayer.

Fred


P.S. I mean tie a knot and clip it to my belay loop before you say a knot can cause a shunt to disintegrate!