Method Assorted hanging questions

[Preh1storic_Rib]

I'm pretty settled on this method, its just the most accessible and I hopefully have most things already on hand. I have a few questions though. A lot of posts on the topic here seem to contradict eachother, so I'm not sure what to treat as useful.

I was more active a while ago and at the time, partial suspension hanging seemed to be deemed unreliable. Is this still the case? finding something to support your whole body weight in full is not fun.
On that topic, how to tell if something can support your full weight, weight for partial? My apartment only has a sliding bathroom door, no closet bars. But my shower has this random beam (not for the shower rod, its cubic and thick) I don't think its solid, but it also doesn't feel empty. And the bathroom has loads of handrails and bars, though most are at an angle and low to the ground since they're for getting up.
Would I maybe have better luck renting a cheap motel room? Outside isn't really an option for me. I don't have a car and the streets are still busy at night around my area.
Alternatively, could I use one of those doorway pull up bars? I'd have to buy it obviously, but it seems reliably sturdy.

I have a rope I think should work, but the cord is thicker than I've seen discussed. I imagine this might be a problem? Its very slippery, 3 strand, I nicked it off my mother's boyfriend before moving out, who is an arborist. I'm fairly sure it was used for hauling.

knots? I've seen the noose knot and slip knot thrown around the most, to my knowledge these are the same thing. Please correct me if I'm wrong and their differences.

I'll also just take any resources I might not have seen. Conflicting information is better than none.

 

[weallhaveourghosts]

I've seen pull up bars as suggestions if you don't have anything else. Also, seems partial isn't suggested a lot because SI can kick in and you can get out of it as opposed to full where after you get up and knock the chair or whatever away there's no going back (supposedly, someone said they attempted full and was able to stop)

 

[evanescent_eva]

Hi! I'm no expert, but I've been a longtime lurker and I've read some stuff. My best attempt at answering your questions! (Sorry in advance for the wall of text):

1. "Unreliable" is a somewhat subjective term, but for sure it seems that partial hanging is less likely to result in successfully ctb than full suspension. This is for a couple reasons:
   (i) With partial, as mentioned by @weallhaveourghosts , there's more opportunity for SI to kick in. You can pretty much always choose to stand up after starting the process but before blacking out; by contrast, with full, you can create a setup (e.g. by dropping from a chair and kicking the chair away) where it's nearly impossible to stop once you've started.
   (ii) With partial - due to the variability of angles involved and not using your full body weight - it's apparently much harder to apply sufficiently strong, evenly distributed force around the carotid arteries (necessary to ctb). This is much easier to achieve with full, where your full body weight is applying force and the rope (should) pull straight up.
   (iii) Most people's bodies tend to convulse after they pass out. As a result, with partial, you can do everything right, only to spasm while unconscious into a position where the rope is no longer applying enough pressure on your neck to maintain hypoxia, eventually causing you to wake up. This isn't really an issue with full, because there's no ground upon which you can push up to alleviate the pressure on your neck.
   
   
2. To see if a potential anchor point can support your body weight for full suspension, tie your rope around your anchor, grab the spare end of the rope with your hands (please not your neck), pull yourself off the ground, and swing/shake around for a few seconds. If things feel solid, then your anchor will support your weight! If not, then not! For partial, I imagine you wouldn't pull yourself off the ground, but instead would hold onto the rope while positioning your body in the way you would for an actual partial attempt - though everything else should be the same.
   
   
3. Rope is a weaker point of my knowledge base, but I'd imagine that if your rope was used for hauling trees, then its breaking point is far greater than your weight, and therefore it's probably fine for the purposes of sturdily supporting your weight? The width of your rope could be a problem, though. You didn't provide specifics, but generally speaking, the wider the rope, the less pressure it will apply to your carotid arteries (because pressure is inversely proportional to the area over which it's applied). If you're not sure if your rope will work, it's not (thaaat) hard to acquire new rope.
   
   
4. Regarding a motel room vs your apartment, that depends on if any of your apartment anchor points seem strong enough after you test them. If they don't, then I'd consider a slightly-on-the-fancier-side hotel room, as those tend to have thicker doors that you can create makeshift anchor points out of; alternatively, I'd consider an airbnb, where you can see pictures of the inside of the place before renting it. "Evelyn's complete guide on how to hang yourself with both partial and full suspension hanging" on SS has a section about airbnbs that might be worth a read!
   
   
5. I've read that doorway pull-up bars by themselves might be unreliable, because as mentioned above, you will probably convulse when you pass out. This matters, because convulsing will apply horizontal force to the bar, potentially to such an extent that the bar rattles off the doorframe it's resting on. However, I've read that you can mitigate this problem by nailing/screwing the pull-up bar into the wall for added stability. Regardless, if you decide to go the pull-up bar route, test the bar in the same way you would test any other anchor point before you ctb!
   
   
6. I've seen "slipknot" and "noose knot" refer to many different - and sometimes overlapping - knots. Basically for the noose, you just want an adjustable knot that tightens when you apply force to the side of the rope attached to the anchor point (i.e., if you make a noose using your knot and then tie the remaining rope to an anchor point, you want the noose to constrict when you pull down on it). I just searched for slipknot/noose knot tying tutorials until I found one that worked. For the knot around the anchor point, I've heard that a snuggle hitch works, but I'm sure lots of other knots do too.
   
   
7. The best resource I've seen is the one I mentioned above: "Evelyn's complete guide on how to hang yourself with both partial and full suspension hanging". It's a collection of threads that's very comprehensive and well-reacted-to. Best of luck in whatever direction you decide to go <3

 

[monetpompo]

@Preh1storic_Rib thank you for making this post because i've also been researching this method lol

@evanescent_eva, regarding full suspension, i'm really curious how i can drag a chair/stool around a forest or somewhere outside since it would be probably heavy. could i use a low tree branch? i don't know how to go about that part at all.

 

[evanescent_eva]

@evanescent_eva, regarding full suspension, i'm really curious how i can drag a chair/stool around a forest or somewhere outside since it would be probably heavy. could i use a low tree branch? i don't know how to go about that part at all.

@monetpompo I would search online for a "lightweight portable stool". I found collapsible ones with adjustable height for pretty cheap that weigh less than 3 pounds, and I even found some that come with a strap so you can carry it / wear it like a handbag. The height of the stool doesn't really matter, so long as it's tall enough such that when you step off of it while hanging, your feet aren't touching the ground. Indeed, it doesn't have to be a stool or a chair at all - it can be anything, so long as you can stand on it, step off of it, and not touch the ground upon doing so.

As for finding the right tree branch, the height of the branch isn't super important, as you can still tie a knot around a branch you can't reach. You just need a rope that is long enough to throw over the branch you've chosen, and long enough so that the end you threw falls back down to where you are. Then, with the tail end you threw over the branch, you tie a Running Bowline knot to the rest of your rope.

For really detailed information on this and other tree-related matters, I'd *highly* recommend the SS thread "Trees to use for hanging - from a tree expert". It contains information not just on how to tie knots around hard-to-reach branches, but also (i) which trees are safe to use and which trees aren't, (ii) which tree branches to use on safe trees, and (iii) where on the tree branch to use as your anchor point. (I'm new here so I don't know if I can post a link - the rules/FAQ said no links? I guess lmk if you can't find the thread, and I'll copy+paste info into this one? Or if I can post links to SS threads, I guess let me know that instead?)

 

[monetpompo]

(I'm new here so I don't know if I can post a link - the rules/FAQ said no links? I guess lmk if you can't find the thread, and I'll copy+paste info into this one? Or if I can post links to SS threads, I guess let me know that instead?)

hi newbie! ^^
i'm preetty sure you can post links, since there's a link posting function. you can also copy and paste and link the post if you want. people can link youtube videos and other posts. i've browsed evelyn lane's hanging guide and the trees to use for hanging post, but i've been meaning to reread them.

 

[evanescent_eva]

hi newbie! ^^
i'm preetty sure you can post links, since there's a link posting function. you can also copy and paste and link the post if you want. people can link youtube videos and other posts. i've browsed evelyn lane's hanging guide and the trees to use for hanging post, but i've been meaning to reread them.

hi yourself ^w^

Alright then, here's the link to "Trees to use for hanging - from a tree expert". Hope you get all the info you need from it, and feel free to ask if you run into any more questions! And if the mods warn me for putting a link in my post, I'm blaming you :P

 

[monetpompo]

And if the mods warn me for putting a link in my post, I'm blaming you :P

i will take the blame

"lightweight portable stool". I found collapsible ones with adjustable height for pretty cheap that weigh less than 3 pounds, and I even found some that come with a strap so you can carry it / wear it like a handbag. The height of the stool doesn't really matter, so long as it's tall enough such that when you step off of it while hanging

people are small shaming the portable stools in the reviews... there was a post a while ago that said this kind of stool:



wasn't good because it didn't lay flat on the ground outside, so i've been looking at camping stools. what do you think of the fabric seats they typically have? people also recommend ladders, by they're heavy because they're metal or aluminum (ough).

 

[AreWeWinning]

"Unreliable" is a somewhat subjective term, but for sure it seems that partial hanging is less likely to result in successfully ctb than full suspension. This is for a couple reasons:
(i) With partial, as mentioned by @weallhaveourghosts , there's more opportunity for SI to kick in. You can pretty much always choose to stand up after starting the process but before blacking out; by contrast, with full, you can create a setup (e.g. by dropping from a chair and kicking the chair away) where it's nearly impossible to stop once you've started.
(ii) With partial - due to the variability of angles involved and not using your full body weight - it's apparently much harder to apply sufficiently strong, evenly distributed force around the carotid arteries (necessary to ctb). This is much easier to achieve with full, where your full body weight is applying force and the rope (should) pull straight up.
(iii) Most people's bodies tend to convulse after they pass out. As a result, with partial, you can do everything right, only to spasm while unconscious into a position where the rope is no longer applying enough pressure on your neck to maintain hypoxia, eventually causing you to wake up. This isn't really an issue with full, because there's no ground upon which you can push up to alleviate the pressure on your neck.

Just wanted to say that this is very well written, and I agree with most of what you say. It describes the situation well. If I were to do partial, I would only do it in a standing position (i.e., not sitting, kneeling, or lying) – there is less risk of failure.

I've read that doorway pull-up bars by themselves might be unreliable, because as mentioned above, you will probably convulse when you pass out. This matters, because convulsing will apply horizontal force to the bar, potentially to such an extent that the bar rattles off the doorframe it's resting on. However, I've read that you can mitigate this problem by nailing/screwing the pull-up bar into the wall for added stability. Regardless, if you decide to go the pull-up bar route, test the bar in the same way you would test any other anchor point before you ctb!

I haven't tested these myself, so take what I say with a pinch of salt. From a mechanical point of view, I would say they should be pretty strong. The ones I looked at online have a weight rating up to 100 kg. Plus, most manufacturers include safety margins to avoid unexpected accidents and lawsuits. I'm guessing they'll hold at least 200 kg, possibly more.

These doorway pullup bars usually work by having a bolt inside the bar, and the bar screwed wider and wider until there is so much force that the bar can't slip down on the frame. In addition, there can be some adhesive added too on the contact surfaces. That bolt inside can exert a very significant amount of force, and the two effects combined (adhesive + force) make these pretty strong and stable. When you say "horizontal", I'm not sure if you actually meant "vertical", but a horizontal force is not an issue. It's mainly about the downward force.

Anyway, if I were to use one of these, I would just get two since they are pretty cheap. That would make the setup twice as strong. Also, as you said, even adding a few small screws can make them significantly stronger.

I've seen "slipknot" and "noose knot" refer to many different - and sometimes overlapping - knots. Basically for the noose, you just want an adjustable knot that tightens when you apply force to the side of the rope attached to the anchor point (i.e., if you make a noose using your knot and then tie the remaining rope to an anchor point, you want the noose to constrict when you pull down on it). I just searched for slipknot/noose knot tying tutorials until I found one that worked. For the knot around the anchor point, I've heard that a snuggle hitch works, but I'm sure lots of other knots do too.

My opinion on this is that the Slip Knot and the Noose Knot are not the same. Confusing the two can lead to making errors with the setup. Although the only difference is which end is the Loose End and which is the Standing End (the weight-bearing end), this is an important difference. If someone looks up how to tie a Slip Knot while the goal is to tie a noose, it can lead to tying the knot the wrong way. I think the correct terminology should be used, and I don't like when the two terms are used interchangeably.

I agree that the attempter just needs a noose, and a Noose Knot is not the only way to tie a noose. A noose can be tied in multiple ways.

@monetpompo I would search online for a "lightweight portable stool". I found collapsible ones with adjustable height for pretty cheap that weigh less than 3 pounds, and I even found some that come with a strap so you can carry it / wear it like a handbag. The height of the stool doesn't really matter, so long as it's tall enough such that when you step off of it while hanging, your feet aren't touching the ground. Indeed, it doesn't have to be a stool or a chair at all - it can be anything, so long as you can stand on it, step off of it, and not touch the ground upon doing so.

There was another post where the person said these collapsible stools don't work well. They said when they stood on it, it felt weak and very unstable. A 4-legged plastic stool is better, I think. (That's what I have and will use.)

Regarding the height, I agree that it just has to be high enough. However, it's important to keep in mind that the rope has some elasticity, and the knots and the noose will move a little as well under load. These need to be taken into account too, and it's best to plan with a safe margin of error.

 

[purelydaft]

I would also recommend something 4-legged. Doesn't have to be a stool specifically... I have a foldable camping chair that's pretty rigid and sturdy, but they typically come with bags and shoulder straps so they're still easy to transport (and not that suspicious).

 

[sadpigeon]

partial suspension isnt preferred typically because it is easier for it to go wrong and it is easier to escape, however it's still not impossible for it to work. for example, robin williams died via partial suspension with a belt.

 

[identity0]

I've just been trying partial with a bar in my closet. It's so hard to commit to it without any hesitation, SI gives such strong feeling of terror, nausea and dizziness