How to Tie the JRB Hitch (Exploding)

How to Tie the JRB Hitch (Exploding)

Usage

Use the JRB Hitch when you need a load-bearing trunk or bar anchor that you can release completely and remotely — one pull frees the whole hitch off the anchor, leaving nothing wrapped around the tree behind you.

A friction wrap around the trunk or bar carries the load; a highwayman's-style trigger loop tied on the release strand locks that wrap in place and, on a pull, frees it in one motion.

Why Learn the JRB Hitch?

It's the easiest of the inventor's own trunk-anchor designs for remote retrieval, because it's the one that separates completely — no strand left wrapped around the tree, unlike several of his other anchors. That's why it's the one used when a rope has to come down clean from the ground.

Common Uses

Arborist & SRT Climbing

• Basal anchor for single rope technique (SRT) tree climbing, set at the base of the trunk.
• Horizontal-bar or smooth-object anchor, using extra wraps to make up for friction a rough trunk provides on its own.
• Trunk anchor for a saddle-hunting tether, used by an active practitioner community as a real working technique.

Category Arborist / Tree Climbing · Trunk Anchors · Saddle Hunting

Notable Features

• Highwayman's Trigger: The release loop is, in the inventor's own words, a highwayman's hitch tied on two parallel strands rather than a single line.
• Prusik-Style Wrap Count: On a smooth bar, extra wraps distribute friction the way a Prusik does, judged by feel rather than a fixed number.
• Full Separation on Release: Unlike several of the inventor's other trunk-anchor designs, this one explodes completely off the tree with nothing left behind.

Similar Knots

Highwayman's Hitch vs. JRB Hitch (Exploding)

The release trigger on the Highwayman's Hitch and the JRB Hitch's trigger loop are the same mechanism; the JRB Hitch adds a separate load-bearing friction wrap in front of it that the plain Highwayman's Hitch doesn't have.

• Advantage: Carries real load around a trunk or bar, not just a light temporary tether.
• Disadvantage: A mis-routed release strand can turn the load line into an unintended second release line — a failure mode the plain Highwayman's Hitch doesn't share.

Security Level

Locked with a carabiner or stopper knot on the release line, the inventor and his practitioner community use it as a working basal SRT and rappel anchor. No standards body has tested or certified it, and at least one practitioner has publicly disputed trusting a hitch that can accidentally release. Treat it as a working anchor inside a backed-up system, never a standalone life-support anchor.

Downsides

• Mis-Routing Risk: If the release strand isn't routed behind the load strand, the load line itself can act as an unintended second release line.
• Manual Setting Only: It can't be advanced with a pole, unlike several of the inventor's other designs.
• No Independent Test Data: No lab or strength testing exists for this hitch anywhere.

History

The JRB Hitch was devised by Jon, the Pennsylvania arborist and saddle hunter behind JrbTreeClimbing.com, as one of several named trunk-anchor designs for tree-based rope work. He submitted it to the International Guild of Knot Tyers' New Knot Investigations board in January 2021 — a 21st-century invention with no pre-modern pedigree.

How to Tie the JRB Hitch (Exploding)

Step 1

Take a length of rope and designate one side the load side, the other the release side — this is a convention only; it transposes.

Step 2

Pass the rope around the back of the tree trunk with no overlap between the two strands, until the top two lines are touching.

Step 3

Form a highwayman's hitch on these two strands using the release line — reach through the outer loop formed when the rope passed around the trunk, bring it up and over, then take the release line up and around the back and up again, forming a loop inside that bight — the trigger loop.

Step 4

Dress by grabbing the trigger loop in one hand and the load line in the other, pulling the load side firmly while ratcheting the release side left-right — this snugs the hitch and draws it tight to the tree at the same time.

Step 5

Inspect: confirm the two strands don't overlap around the back of the tree, and confirm a 'loop into a loop into a loop' structure.

Step 6

To release, pull the release line — the hitch spills off the anchor in one motion.

Step 7

To lock against accidental release, clip a carabiner through the release line's loop-lock point, or tie an overhand or figure-eight knot on the release line instead.

A rotated multi-wrap variant for a smooth horizontal bar follows the same sequence with extra wraps judged by feel; it isn't taught here.

FAQ

What does "exploding" mean for the JRB Hitch?

It means the whole hitch separates completely from its anchor on a single pull of the release line, leaving no strand wrapped around the anchor.

Is the JRB Hitch safe for life-safety use?

No standards body has assessed it, and no independent test data exists. The inventor and an engaged practitioner community use a locked form for their own life-safety anchoring, but at least one practitioner publicly disagrees — treat it as not-recommended for a rappel anchor without independent backup.

Is the JRB Hitch just a highwayman's hitch?

It contains one. The release trigger is a highwayman's hitch tied on two parallel strands, but that trigger holds nothing — the actual load is carried by a separate friction wrap around the tree or bar, which the trigger only locks and frees.

How do you stop it releasing by accident?

Lock the release line — clip a carabiner through its loop-lock point, or tie an overhand or figure-eight stopper on it. That trades the instant release for a secure hold, which is the whole point of locking it.

Is the JRB Hitch related to the Running Highwayman's Hitch?

Both extend the same highwayman's release mechanism into a bigger job, but along different lines. The Running Highwayman's Hitch turns the loop itself into a self-adjusting noose; the JRB Hitch keeps a fixed friction wrap and uses the trigger purely as a release valve for it.

Important Notes on Safety

• If the release line isn't routed behind the load line before forming the trigger loop, the load line itself can act as an unintended second release line under load.
• The reorientation step during dressing isn't cosmetic — skip it and you may need to reclimb the tree to recover the rope.
• Unlocked, the release line is a live trigger the entire time the hitch is loaded — a snag or an inadvertent pull can spill the whole hitch off its anchor in one motion. Clip a carabiner or tie a stopper knot on it whenever accidental release must be prevented.

The Knot IQ app is a handy reference for the strand-routing sequence, and a length of Bear Essentials Premium Bushcraft Paracord is a fine choice for drilling the wrap-and-trigger sequence at home before you take it to the tree.