DawgsgoCaving wrote:What kind of hangers have y'all been using with petzl 8mm self-driving anchors? I can only find 8mm aluminum hangers and a few other varieties from different vendors. I can't seem to find a good stainless one. Anyone have any experience with this?
I generally only use self-drives for remote exploratory caving, and I just use the Petzl aluminum hangers. The self-drives are weaker in shear than many other options, and generally not suitable in tension (e.g. ceiling placements), and if left for an extended period they will corrode. The self-drive sleeves are usually plated steel, and you can use them with a 8 mm stainless bolt and standard SS hanger. These hangers usually have 10 mm (~3/8") holes, but I think they're fine to use with a hex-head bolt. If the placement is intended for repeated use over a longer period of time (e.g. more than a year), then I'd suggest using fully SS hardware and something with greater embedded depth (e.g. 3/8 x 3" wedge bolt), but the specific bolt and hanger type should be based on direction of pull and rock quality. It's still possible to hand drill these placements, it just takes a bit longer.
Posted: Sep 8, 2015 10:07 am