Prusik that stays on Tech Line

I recently got some 1.9mm Tech Line from DIY Gear Supply, and was having a hard time getting a prusik knot to hold on it. I was originally trying to get a prusik of 1.9mm Tech Line to hold on itself, but it wouldn't really hold very well.

What I eventually did was take 3 strands out of a length of 550 cord, braided them together, and tied them with a double fisherman's. Voila! Holds pretty well, but will slip under really heavy load. I'm using it on a 14' cat cut tarp as an "over" ridgeline. It didn't slip from ~5-10mph wind and me pulling/tugging on the tarp. However, if I pull directly on the biner clipped to the prusik it will give. We have some 15-25+mph winds and rain coming up soon so we'll see how it does then.

I'm testing out all my new gear so hopefully I made everything correctly and set it all up correctly :laugh:

Hope the Tech Line prusik info helps someone else.

Ah. I am having the same problem and a newbie so any info you get will aid me as well.

Sweet! FWIW, I had to do 5 turns on the 550 cord prusik for it to stay.

This was the quick method I used to make my prusiks. I pulled out about 4 feet of the inside 500 cord. Braided the whole length and tied it off. Then I tied off sections of different lengths with two knots and cut in between the knots. The reason I tied off different lengths was to make larger and smaller loops for prusiks of different lengths/wraps.

If "~" is braided section and "*" are knots, it was like this:


(knot on end)~~~~~~~~~~*~*~~~~~~~~*~*~~~~*~*~~(knot on end)

I only give a detailed explanation of the knotting, because the first time I tried cutting the braid without knotting off sections.....and it all unraveled and I had to start over.

I used the cheap nylon (non coated) cord that came with my guide gear tarp.

think any non coated material should work as long as you don't have two coated, it should work fine as a tie out.

I have used a prusik with that tech line a few times. Use it right now on my Molly Mac Gear Box. It will definitely will hold, just need more wraps. I think I get 3 or 4 to hold. Also, if using a continuous loop, make sure only one strand is wrapped, not the part which has a bury, making the cord thicker.

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Originally Posted by fallkniven

I have used a prusik with that tech line a few times. Use it right now on my Molly Mac Gear Box. It will definitely will hold, just need more wraps. I think I get 3 or 4 to hold. Also, if using a continuous loop, make sure only one strand is wrapped, not the part which has a bury, making the cord thicker.

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+1 on more wraps, that should do it

Braided mason's line from Home Depot will also work. I even have some small continuous loops of the braided line that work well on the tech line as prussics.

I have used both sizes of the tech line and have had no issues with it holding. I am currently using the 1.2 on one of my cuben tarps tie outs, line and prussic are made from the 1.2 and hold perfectly fine, I think mine has 5 or 6 wraps. Also the line is fairly stiff when new, after a bit of use it softens a little (just enough to grab and work better than it did when new).

Personally, I like the klemheist knot. It is easier to tie and holds a load in one direction only...

http://www.animatedknots.com/klemheist/index.php

It uses the same prussik loop, I have been successful with braided mason's line..... works on zing-it, too....

My own experience: If line for the prussic loop is smaller diameter than what I am putting it on, I loop the prussic twice.
If the lines are same diameter, I loop the prussic 3 times, which seems to hold well.

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Originally Posted by Mountnman

+1 on more wraps, that should do it

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The better option if you don't want the prussic or other friction knot to slip under tension is to use a smaller diameter line for the prussic loop.

That is how they are designed to work.

Cheers

Brian

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Originally Posted by JohnSawyer

Personally, I like the klemheist knot. It is easier to tie and holds a load in one direction only...

http://www.animatedknots.com/klemheist/index.php

It uses the same prussik loop, I have been successful with braided mason's line..... works on zing-it, too....

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I agree with Mr. Sawyer here. The klemheist will hold on some of the slipperiest of ropes. Some times, you have to add a few extra wraps, but if all you have out on the trail is the same rope, then the Klemheist is my go to knot.

Mr. Sawyer?? Who's that... :rolleyes:

The reason The Klemheist works with fewer wraps, I THINK, is that the wraps tighten up in one direction only, thus making the knot effective with half the wraps of a prussik.

I've done prussik's to zing-it. It just takes 4 wraps, and like others said above, it works best with a smaller line wrapped on a larger one... I find wrapping prussiks more than 2-3 times to be hard... but it's probably my fat fingers and failing eyesight.

John

What great info! I think I need to work the "newness" out of my tech line, or work on my prusik technique more.

I wonder if it would be better to try a prusik loop made out of just a single inside strand of 550 cord on the tech line, rather than my three strand braids?

Anyone know if a single strand of 550 would be strong enough to hold the tension of a tarp ridgeline? By strong enough I mean both breaking strength and prusik friction strength.

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Originally Posted by Rgray107918

What great info! I think I need to work the "newness" out of my tech line, or work on my prusik technique more.

I wonder if it would be better to try a prusik loop made out of just a single inside strand of 550 cord on the tech line, rather than my three strand braids?

Anyone know if a single strand of 550 would be strong enough to hold the tension of a tarp ridgeline? By strong enough I mean both breaking strength and prusik friction strength.

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I tried that before, a single inner strand from paracord for the prusik, and some solid 3/16" generic cord. The prusik cord was way too small, and wouldn't loosen up after loaded. Had to cut them off.
The real way to use a prusik, is with a smaller diameter cord, that;s hollow and soft, to really grab. Although, it's also because people climb with it. To hold up up your tarp, you can use whatever you have.

Below are pictures of a prusik I use on my molly mac gear box, that supports the weight of all my gear. It's with that 1.9mm tech line from diy gearsupply. Works great.

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Originally Posted by old4hats

Braided mason's line from Home Depot will also work. I even have some small continuous loops of the braided line that work well on the tech line as prussics.

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Just be careful not to adjust a mason line prussik too quickly or the friction will melt the nylon.

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Originally Posted by Detail Man

Just be careful not to adjust a mason line prussik too quickly or the friction will melt the nylon.

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Thanks for the heads up, but not to worry, I have never moved that fast, not that I remember anyway.

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Originally Posted by JohnSawyer

Mr. Sawyer?? Who's that... :rolleyes:

The reason The Klemheist works with fewer wraps, I THINK, is that the wraps tighten up in one direction only, thus making the knot effective with half the wraps of a prussik.

I've done prussik's to zing-it. It just takes 4 wraps, and like others said above, it works best with a smaller line wrapped on a larger one... I find wrapping prussiks more than 2-3 times to be hard... but it's probably my fat fingers and failing eyesight.

John

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It must be my if 3 wraps is good, then 6 is great. I guess less is more. :)

Everything held nice and tight, even through rain and wind. :laugh:

Here's some pictures of it all set up! First time I had it all together so I'm all proud and happy and stuff :D

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Originally Posted by OneThing

I agree with Mr. Sawyer here. The klemheist will hold on some of the slipperiest of ropes. Some times, you have to add a few extra wraps, but if all you have out on the trail is the same rope, then the Klemheist is my go to knot.

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I like this knot as well. I have had issues with it locking up though. Usually when its wet. As long as a prusik is wrapped on a larger diameter line it works fine. One solution I learned from my old hennesey setup. It really assisted a prusiks hold and reducing its potential to lock. After you wrap the line if you wrap the tail of the prusik through the stationary end of the prusik it creates a sort of hitch that keeps the wraps taught on the line.

I have found some stuff that seems to grab really well on just about anything. That's the black polyester drawcord that DIYGearsupply sells. It is dirt cheap at .21 per yard, small, light & strong, and it has a rough surface that seems to grab well. It has a small diameter that makes it ideal for using on tech line and zing-it too. I like it. That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

Why not just use 1.2 mm tech line? Since, as others have already said, prusik loops are designed to work on ropes bigger than the rope the prusik is made of just dropping to the next smaller size in tech line should do the trick. Could be wrong, it's happened once or twice before ��

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Originally Posted by TheIrishmanHangeth

Why not just use 1.2 mm tech line? Since, as others have already said, prusik loops are designed to work on ropes bigger than the rope the prusik is made of just dropping to the next smaller size in tech line should do the trick. Could be wrong, it's happened once or twice before ��

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You're right on... but more wraps normally takes care of that issue.

I also have some 100lb dyneema braided fishing line that works great... I think I paid less than $10 for 100M... from ebay...

OK now for the rope geek answer. The reason your prussik will not hold is the diameter of the ropes are the same. In order for a prussik to properly hold, the main line that you are attaching to should be at least twice the diameter of the prussik, or pretty close. If you need to attach small prussiks to small rope, then you will need to double to line that the prussik is going around. This creates enough surface area for the prussik to do its job. The number of wraps should be dependent on the load that the prussik sees. A one person load on a 13mm rope with 8mm prussik gets two wraps, a two person load with the same ropes gets three wraps. If this is not clear, I can try to clarify it better, it makes sense to me.

Jason

This had been my experience as well. I use the 1.2mm techline with good success.