Petzl "I'D" Descender the pro and cons

[Lava tuber]

I seen one of these a vertical practice over the weekend. What are the pro and cons of this device and is there any safety issues i would need to know about? I seen one a IMO it looked good to me but the cost is rather high at $185.00 comments

[NZcaver]

The Petzl I'D is really an industrial descender, but you can still use them for caving. Here's a few thoughts...

Pros
- relatively simple to operate/relatively idiot-resistant
- double-action stop
- easy to back-feed
- really easy to lock off
- can be used as a belay device
- smaller/lighter than a full-size rack

Cons
- expensive
- small "sweet spot" in the stop action can make it tough to do a smooth descent
- relying on an automatic function may not suit all users
- relatively small tolerance of rope sizes/cleanliness
- bigger/heavier than a stop or bobbin
- "sealed" clutch mechanism may not be immune to prolonged immersion in cave mud/grit
- maximum descent distance 200m

Gary Storrick's review on the I'D can be found here http://storrick.cnchost.com/VerticalDev ... in556.html

[hank moon]

Cons
- expensive
- small "sweet spot" in the stop action can make it tough to do a smooth descent
- relying on an automatic function may not suit all users
- relatively small tolerance of rope sizes/cleanliness
- bigger/heavier than a stop or bobbin
- "sealed" clutch mechanism may not be immune to prolonged immersion in cave mud/grit
- maximum descent distance 200m

Based on these cons, I'd say the I'D shouldn't be used for caving. Heck, I do say it! Get something else. If double-stop is what you want, I've heard the SRT double stop is good for fat, stiff, gritty ropes. Bonnie Crystal published a review of it somewhere 'round these parts. I'm too lazy to do a search right now...

[NZcaver]

If double-stop is what you want, I've heard the SRT double stop is good for fat, stiff, gritty ropes. Bonnie Crystal published a review of it somewhere 'round these parts. I'm too lazy to do a search right now...

That was a great review - I read it last year, but unfortunately it now seems to be a dead link. Wish I'd saved it to my hard drive...

[hank moon]

hey, i got unlazy for a couple millisex:

http://www.caves.com/SRT.pdf

[hunter]

Reviving a long dead thread since it came up in another one and got me curious, ...
Has anyone used the belay feature of this device? I'd be very interested in a review.

James