Best heat resistant hitch cord

[will.morris]

Would like to know what peoples experiences are with regard to glazing on different hitch cords. I've gone through several different types of both 10mm and 8mm cord due to extensive glazing. My most recent is 8mm beeline because I thought it was meant to be a very heat resistant cord ... however I did one aerial rescue this morning, very slowly from about 15ft and now the cord is knackered More so then my cord that was failed at the northern atc for being too glazed.

 

I use a distel with only 3 turns so its not like I'm putting massive friction on it.

 

Is it just a case of I should'nt have used 8mm cord for a single line rescue or do I generally need to slow down my descents?

 

Bought the beeline because i thought it was meant to be super heat resistant ... SJ would be cheaper at the rate I seem to be changing my cord!

[Tom10]

Would like to know what peoples experiences are with regard to glazing on different hitch cords. I've gone through several different types of both 10mm and 8mm cord due to extensive glazing. My most recent is 8mm beeline because I thought it was meant to be a very heat resistant cord ... however I did one aerial rescue this morning, very slowly from about 15ft and now the cord is knackered More so then my cord that was failed at the northern atc for being too glazed.

 

I use a distel with only 3 turns so its not like I'm putting massive friction on it.

 

Is it just a case of I should'nt have used 8mm cord for a single line rescue or do I generally need to slow down my descents?

 

Bought the beeline because i thought it was meant to be super heat resistant ... SJ would be cheaper at the rate I seem to be changing my cord!

 

One rescue and its knackered? Something is very amiss and its not the cord surely?

 

8mm beeline is fine for a rescue (who cares what it is if it was a real rescue) the same as 8mm prussic would be fine, its all a friction hitch, just variations on a theme so I cant see the knot making a difference.

 

What rope you on?

 

I have been using Imori with OP 8mm on a distel / HC set up and its been going strong for a while with no glazing? Are you being a girl and putting it in the scrap before its done its work, or is it genuinely knackered?

 

Seems very strange to me your decents would have to be constantly and always unbelievably fast to ruin hitch cord that quickly? or am I just a girl and being too slow

[will.morris]

It had done a about a weeks work on a marlow gecko rope and then its been on my strop for about 3 weeks.

 

Today i was using on yale xtc.

 

Well I was happy to use my 10mm beal regate in the condition it was until the loler inspectors at the 3atc comp told me it was unsafe to climb on and now my beeline is in slightly worse condition ... If it hadn't been pointed out to me I'd have carried on using it, but I'd be a fool to ignore people that have more knowledge than me.

 

Was'nt in bad nick before I did the rescue, wonder if 2 peoples weight on it just caused too much heat?

[Peter]

The problem with high melting point hitch cord is that they still get hot, and melt fibres off the climbing line. The glazing on your beeline is probably off the climbing line.

 

Doubling the load on your hitch will effect the wear rate drastically, as you have found out, and less wraps will make the problem worse as each wrap is taking proportionally more load. I would suggest using a fig 8 or similar to take some of the load when practising rescues.

 

I use armor prus day to day, lasts months and I am brutal on hitch cord. Normal polyester db lasts me for one or two trees.

[Tom10]

It had done a about a weeks work on a marlow gecko rope and then its been on my strop for about 3 weeks.

 

Today i was using on yale xtc.

 

Well I was happy to use my 10mm beal regate in the condition it was until the loler inspectors at the 3atc comp told me it was unsafe to climb on and now my beeline is in slightly worse condition ... If it hadn't been pointed out to me I'd have carried on using it, but I'd be a fool to ignore people that have more knowledge than me.

 

Was'nt in bad nick before I did the rescue, wonder if 2 peoples weight on it just caused too much heat?

 

I dont think a tiny resuce (if you descended slowly) should of killed the cord. Im sure its more about speed than weight!

 

You could tow a truck with a hitch cord its about the heat build up between the ropes which obviously gets massive when going fast - like carpet burn on your bum, or knees, or face if your kinky.

 

Dont blame you for not ignoring fellow arbs but just seems strange?

[Tom10]

The problem with high melting point hitch cord is that they still get hot, and melt fibres off the climbing line. The glazing on your beeline is probably off the climbing line.

 

Doubling the load on your hitch will effect the wear rate drastically, as you have found out, and less wraps will make the problem worse as each wrap is taking proportionally more load. I would suggest using a fig 8 or similar to take some of the load when practising rescues.

 

I use armor prus day to day, lasts months and I am brutal on hitch cord. Normal polyester db lasts me for one or two trees.

 

Normal polyester lasts one to two trees? what do you do, eat it?

 

I must be being a girl on loads of small trees as mine is holding up (at least I think it is! )

[will.morris]

I might give that stuff a go then as I much profer 3 wraps over more.

 

Out of interest how would you guys define what levels of glazing is acceptable and what is not? Will try a search to see if its been spoken about before as well.

[Peter]

I bin it when the core falls out.

 

(joke)

 

Several factors:

 

two or more severed cover strands

 

memory (does it hold the shape of the hitch off the rope)

 

abrasive wear through the sheath, difficult to quantify but if there are lots of broken individual fibres equivalent to 2 cover strands then its probably time to bin.

[will.morris]

Hmm see based on what you've just said to me it seems fine, just quite shiny from the glazing

[Peter]

Loler inspectors (especially at comps) will always err on the side of caution. That doesnt mean you can ignore them though.

 

The two issues are does it do the job, ie hold under normal loading, and is it strength compromised?