Häst Picket Bar and Pickets

While there are other styles of picket bars available, we chose to design our own to especially work with our bipod or other frames. The reasons for this are two fold: First, other bars produced are design for loads that are near the ground. Thus, they can be flat because there are no upward forces on the bar. However, when working with, for example, a bipod, where the top of the frame may be as much as 20 feet above the ground, these upward forces may bend a bar that is flat. Second, other systems suggest a 15 degree angle between the picket stake and the ground. Again, while this angle is acceptable for rigging lines that are on the ground, this angle will not work for elevated frames. Consider the example below:

As one can see, there is a 26.5 degree angle between the ground and the rigging line. If a picket is placed in the ground for this scenario at a 15 degree angle, there will be forces present that will want to lift the picket out of the ground. Because of this, we have chosen instead an angle of 30 degrees for the picket stake. This steeper angle prevents any upward forces that may be present from wanting to pull the picket out of the ground. The angle of the picket must be GREATER than the angle of the rigging line! (Note: We mention in the instructions for the bipod or monopod that the anchors, if at ground level, never be placed any closer than 40 feet from the base of the frame. Anchors closer than 40 feet will may place high loads on the rigging lines as well as on the frame itself. We want the angle between the rigging line and the ground to be as low as possible.)

With that being said, now look at the picture below. Note that the pickets are angled so that the rigging line does not place any forces on the picket as to try to pull it out. This is because the rigging line is at a lower angle than the picket angle.