Cavechat.org

I am considering adding a Petzl Pantin to my frog setup. Does it matter which foot to get the ascender for? Or is it all about preference? I currently have a petzl serpentine chest strap holding my petzl croll to my petzl superavanti harness. My right handed ascender hooks to my cowstail and my petzl foot tape.

During ascending I usually put my right foot in the foot loop and use my left to balance on the rock. So I guess I’m right foot dominant?

Any thoughts on the pantin and how to choose which foot to attach it to would be appreciated.

I seem to be much more efficient in climbing with the Pantin leg than with the foot loop leg. I would say it is probably better to put the Pantin on your dominate leg.

I love the Pantin btw. For long climbs I also use a chest harness, which I clip around the rope and into the hand ascender. It holds me upright all the time and it's just like having a rope walker.

I've tried both, I think I've had a bit more luck with a right footed one.

I tend to frog with just my left leg in my footloop, so a right-footed pantin tends to even things out. But I've only done a few practice climbs with one. Never in a cave. So take my advice with a huge grain of NaCl.

Couple ideas on this...

If you are right handed then you may use your footloop on the left foot: R hand up, L foot up, then Pantin goes on other foot.

Alpine Caving Techniques has some arguments for the Pantin based on the fact that most people who rig are right handed, and will tend to rig a pitch to the R of the drop, and therefore it is good to have the Pantin on the R foot so as a you leave the rebelays you have that extra stroke with the Pantin on the lower rope, also that it is an aid to leaving a difficult pitch head. They also mention the arguement that the R foot is usually dominant, and it makes sense to use it to pull the rope tight through the Croll - like KeyserSoze said. Conversely they present the arguement that the L foot is good because after we leave a rebelay, we will have a few strokes with the footloop alone, and that might as well be with the stronger leg... Ultimately they recommend that it is up to the user to decide!

If you are used to having your R foot in the loop, then no real reason to change? Except once you have the Pantin, you will find that the footloop foot becomes the more mobile one - to be used for fending off, unless you kick the Pantin off, and go back to regular Frogging.

Confused yet?

My self, I am right handed and use the Pantin on the R foot.

I am right handed. Use a left pantin. I bought it because Bruce was sold out of rightys at the time. I like it. Very much so. Frogging has never been easier.

Discussed previously on CaveChat: Buying a pantin - Should I get right or left?

Thanks Driggs,
I'll try to do some more searching in the future before posting repeat threads.