TOP 3 tree climbing friction hitches - Michoacan Hitch - Distel Hitch - Blake's Hitch

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

My go to friction hitch is the DISTEL hitch, easy to tie and grabs and releases very smooth. Do you agree?

[@ArrivaIlNonno]

Well done 👍a very clear video

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

Thank you for the compliment! Glad you found it useful

[@shermanhofacker4428]

I started using the Blake's hitch in the mid to late 70s. I tried the older steeple climbers hitch and found it inadequate. So my improvements resulted in the Blake's, but I did more wraps than you showed. The biggest advantage of the hitch is in the long tail allowing another hitch to be tied making it self tending.

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

Adding more wraps is an effective way of increasing the friction. It works well on almost every hitch. How well a hitch grabs depends on a lot of factors. I have heard of the method you described where the tail is used to tie another friction hitch but never actually tried that.

[@zapblamvern2317]

I use Michocanne. However the VT is by far the most popular with arborist here.

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

Yeah, lots of people go with the VT. I personally use the distel hitch often. Grips well but sometimes a bit difficult to advance when used in combination with a rope wrench and pulley. Also, more and more seem to move on to mechanical prusiks.

[@kevinjones2667]

Mine is the schwabich

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

That is a reliable hitch. Grabs well but can be a bit difficult to break. I usually combine the distel with the rope wrench. That takes a bit of the load as well

[@kevinjones2667]

@@WoodenShoesHomestead tends to be difficult to break when the rope is wet... for some reason or other idk y. ❤ from pnw oregon

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

Wet weather makes everything difficult. Nice rig in your avatar 👌 yours? Trucks in North America look so much better than the cabovers here in Europe

[@kevinjones2667]

@@WoodenShoesHomestead thnak you sir. It's a t800 kw with a c15 cat with bout 575hp straight piped. It was the truck the father-in-law started driving in. He's now in a mid 2000s pete with a cummins x15.

[@WoodenShoesHomestead]

Good stuff love it 🤩