I admit it. At this year's NCRC weeklong in Virgina, some gear was deliberately abused - and I caught it all on video.
Here's a taste of the Petzl Rescucender slipping under load (a little too easily...)
We then set up a Haul Cam Test Rig to check out the Petzl Rescucender slip-and-grab, and the Triple Wrap Prusik slip-and-grab.
As a bonus, we also discovered the Petzl Rescucender damages rope. Seriously! That clip shows how a Rescucender with a worn cam can cause critial damage (in this case we believe the off-center groove was the culprit). The Rescucender did not slip at all until the peak force reached 2055 lbf (9.1 kN). Upon slipping, it shredded a short section of the sheath of a new 11mm low-stretch rope.
Here's a shot of the worn cam and the rope damage:
We also confirmed that a Tandem Prusik catches the load and a Rescue 540 belay catches the load. They really do!
And back a year ago, some of us took a field trip to Seattle Manufacturing Corporation during the Convention to watch them make and break gear. If you can handle the poor video quality (apologies), check out this clip Destruction testing of hardware at SMC.