Prussic Knot

[Rico]

If you have never used this knot for climbing into and out of your tree one should,great for safety allows you to remain attached to a safety line at all times depending on the length of rope.Once in the tree stand no need to unhook it will now be your safety line while in your stand.
With the unique knot one can slide the knot up and down the rope while climbing and still remain fasted to a safety line if one falls the knot simply tightens and holds one fast preventing a serious injury. I have used this with a simple belt or harness depending on the tree

[Barry Wensel]

I absolutely agree. If all hunters used it treestand safety would increase 100%. The knot is very simple to show someone how to make but hard to explain. Teaching it should be mandatory in all hunters education classes. We all need to learn it, use it everytime you climb and show everyone you know how to tie it. Mr Prussic should receive the Congressional Metal of Honor for inventing that one. BW

[Dano]

Here's a site that explains the knot pretty well.
 http://images.ebsco.com/pob/summit/catalog/instr_prussic.pdf

[vermonster13]

That site does have a good demo of it Dano.

[B.O.D.]

"prussik" is a great knot, I work as a tree climbing arborist and I use one called the "Blake's Hitch", alot easier to tie and it holds even better. Works on the same principle.
BD

[Dano]

Yep BD, that looks like a way better knot, so what is Arborist rope??
 http://www.iland.net/~jbritton/blakeshitch.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake\\'s_hitch

[Rico]

I've made up several of these of different lengths using climbing rope from EMS and such but I haven't really found the soft pliable ones from summits.

[B.O.D.]

Dano, an arborist rope is any rope that you use for ascending/descending a tree. It is also called the main-line. For hunting, I would use a section  of main line about 20 feet( unless you are sitting higher), climb the stand first using what ever method you use, tie the mainline to a crotch with a bowline.
tie a blake's hitch on a 6 foot length of good rope, NOT a poly-rope but a braided rope with a smooth outside.

Tie the other end of the Blakes' hitch to your saftey harness. You can then slide the blake's hitch up or down the rope as you climb or descend, if you stop pushing or pulling the hitch it will grab the mainline tight and stop you right away.
NEVER slide the knot itself, either push under or over it.
If you folks like I can do a pictorial showing how to use this technique for stand hunting with pics to show each step.
It is so easy to use that you could even climb down from your stand in a semi-rappel using the Blake's hitch to decend with saftey.
BD

[B.O.D.]

An even safer method would be to use a throwline to get over the crotch, then pull the mainline over it and have a buddy on the ground feed you line as you use the blake's hitch to climb to your stand, once in pull up the slack, tie to the crotch of the tree and let the excess dangle.
descend using your hitch and cut the excees main line to use in another tree, Make sure you tape and burn the ends of the mainline.
BD

[stringplucker613]

BD, that would be awsome if you would show us!!!!

[B.O.D.]

maybe tomorrow I'll do it, raining like the dickens here!
BD

[swampbuck]

Mornin Cary,Thats the knot I've been useing when I do tree work,never knew what it was called I was just shown how to tie it when useing a saddle.Actually I tie in twice for tree work since the saw can cut 1 line real quick like.The adjusatble linemans line is tied with this same knot(for adjustment) so I can look at it incase I forget how to tie it on the main line.

The nice thing about the prussic is it can be left on the main line at the tree.All ya hafta do is clip on and go

Be safe this season and GOOD LUCK!!

[Ray Hammond]

and just for giggles its actually a PRUSIK knot..pronounced PROO-SICK just in case someone actually cares.

I think it was invented for climbing up and down ship masts to repair riggings and sails, or something like that!

[B.O.D.]

Tom, you are supposed to cut ABOVE your line....          :p

[Mr.Magoo]

[Roadkill]

we used this knot for a variety of applications at teh USMC mountain warfare school.  I can show you how to make ascenders out of a couple!

[beachbowhunter]

It is a key component of my Seat of the Pants tree stand safety harness. I found it really easy to use and adjust.

[Al Dente]

I'm pretty sure last year someone had the idea of adding one onto Dean Torges' tree seat.  Instead of all the knots, just adjust the prussic knot to accomdate the tree.  Nifty!!!  And BTW, in NYS, we are not allowed to teach it in our hunter safety courses/Sportsmen Education classes.  The State does want the liability issue.

[Falk]

IMO it's wise to use the ORIGINAL name and spelling. Not only does this make it lots easier to find additional information on the subject (e.g. googling etc.) but it will also pay credit to the man/woman who did/invented the "something". The knot has nothing to do with Prussia as ...

  Dr. Karl Prusik  was an Austrian and the knot he "invented" in 1931, should be named accordingly: "Prusik-knot"

         


edit:
Sorry Ray - I overread that you already mentioned it ...

... and an other IMPORTANT thing I forgot:
The rope for the "Prusik" must be smaller in diameter - about 1/2 but not smaller then 1/3 - then the main rope. If to thick it will not 'bite' the main rope at all and if to thin it will not come loose again.

[B.O.D.]

the prusik is a good knot, but it has to be made into a loop first, it is only as strong as the connecting knot. a Blake's hitch has no weak area and does not need a carabiner to clip you to it, you can tie in using a bowline "or" a figure eight and a 'biner.
very few of us that use knots to stay alive while climbing use a prusik over a Blake's hitch.
just a thought...  :eek: