Moderator: Tim White
bronzzhorse wrote:WHAT IF...... you DROPPED your DESCENDER????
NZcaver wrote:bronzzhorse wrote:WHAT IF...... you DROPPED your DESCENDER????
Fair comment - but personally my descender always stays attached via carabiner to my harness maillon, even when ascending. I keep it secured off to the side out of the way using a small bungy loop, but I never actually disconnect my descender during changeovers. Do you?
bronzzhorse wrote:....when I change over, i just rig as if I were on solid ground.... I take the loop of bight and put it tru the 8 and then firmly grab the loop, eliminating ANY chance of the descender falling, BEFORE I ever disconnect the crib. That way it is only disconnected for a split secont for me to take the loop over the shaft of the 8and then IMMEDIATELY reconnect it to the crib.... I have funny ways of doing things I guess.
NZcaver wrote:Good idea.
I have a small suggestion, one which somebody shared with me many years ago. If you keep the 8 clipped to your harness via the big hole, you can rig to the rope completely before unclipping the 8, flipping it over, and clipping back into the harness. I tried a quick Google search for pictures of this, but only found my post from the last time I described doing this (in an old figure 8 topic here on the forum).
bronzzhorse wrote:Sweet idea..... dont know why i never thought of that....Now i have to go throw a rope up a tree.... thanks... u just caused me to stop being a couch potato
Bill Putnam wrote:I hope that I would never be reduced to using a device that had to be disconnected from my harness in order to rig or de-rig.
graveleye wrote:I worship at the Alter of the Almighty Rack.
It is the One True Descender.
Amen.
NZcaver wrote:bronzzhorse wrote:Sweet idea..... dont know why i never thought of that....Now i have to go throw a rope up a tree.... thanks... u just caused me to stop being a couch potato
Mission accomplished!Bill Putnam wrote:I hope that I would never be reduced to using a device that had to be disconnected from my harness in order to rig or de-rig.
For me personally, I pretty much agree. If you click on the link in my previous post, you'll find a few pages of discussion back and forth on figure 8's. Though much of it was about the finer points of non-linear descenders twisting the rope and what havoc that may wreak.
I actually did my first rappelling (but not technically caving) on a figure 8. I still own a couple, but virtually never use them. To their credit, I can understand why Figure 8's may appeal to some cavers. The aluminum models are a fraction of the size, weight and price of more conventional caving descenders, and are available virtually anywhere climbing gear is sold. A significant number of US cavers seem to use them for convenience on simple, short drops. Heck, even many seasoned Lech cavers bring them to use after they stash their racks at the bottom of Boulder Falls or wherever. But not me. I'm the one dragging a Stop around everywhere. And I haven't dropped it - yet.
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