D Mc

Marc, the Rope Wrench is most definitely going to reduce wear and increase the lifespan on the Unicender. It is by how much that I cannot say as I have not been using it long enough yet. I can wear a Uni enough for a rebuild in about a year. With the combo I'm hoping to stretch that to two years. Will see. Nothing special in what I am using, other than the tether and the sholder bolt mod on the Uni. My coments on "not being able to use" had more to do with availability and certification of the Unicender. And the acceptance by inspectors of the combination. I don't know. Maybe this will not be a problem. Dave

Sorry, Old MT, but I wasn't sure that my rambling on about something that many on this site would not be able to use, would be appreciated. But since you asked... Everything I said in #1013 still holds true and then some. It has a silky smooth feel of a rappel rack but will automatically stop when released. It has zero friction in upward movement and locks off with no set back. It can be put on or taken off any part of the climbing line in less than 10 seconds. It is a very fun combination and I do not foresee separating the two any time soon. Dave

Yes, hand made (sewn) from 4 layers of 5/8" nylon web with a 1" steel ring. Dave

But being able to load and unload the line with no chance of dropping the Rig is one of its best features. Dave

Hahaha! That was a funny post! I can just about guess at the appalled look that accompanied it. Deer Man was right in that it is just an experiment. With all the talk about the RW I really had to try one. I used it in the proper manner first ( with a hitch and pulley ) to get the feel for what it could do. It was nice, just not nicer than what I was used to with the Uni, and my climbing style. But the Unicender is not perfect either so I combined the two, just because I could. My first thought was as stated, a wear reducer that could be left on all the time and not interfere with the normal function of the Uni. It has not been in use long enough to determine how much it will do for this but there are some things that became evident immediately. Control is dramatically improved! I could control the Uni with one hand before with a wrap, but it is much easier with the Rope Wrench, and with no wrap. Not only is it smoother but it allows control from a variety of hand positions. It fair-leads and captures the rope at the top cam of the Uni. This is kind of a big deal as it enables better and safer movement when working at off angles. The hole setup feels very rope friendly.

Can you sew? A short and stiff tether works very well with the Rope Wrench. Dave

But I thought rules and regs were not supposed to stifle innovation? Rope access workers have rules relevant to what they do. Our work is not the same, so will not be safer or benefit from their work procedures. Know what you do and why you do it. If you find a better way, and can prove it, be vocal and willing to fight for it. Advancement cannot happen without going against the status quo. Dave

Attach load cell to top bolt/pin, pull from bottom bolt and do a straight pull. Just because this would not be achievable in normal use, it is still the only possible loadable configuration. Dave

A Maillon Rapid properly attached to an Alpine Butterfly is a far better choice then a carabiner for a mid-line connector. Dave

The answer lies within the last sentence of my post, "... refines and simplifies control and will reduce wear, big-time." Many people have given up on the Uni because they could not master one-handed control with it. Dave

Have you tried the RW with your Uni? I have and will do a post on it soon. Suffice it to say that the Unicender, being able to work a single rope by itself, adds hugely to the safety. Adding the RW refines and simplifies control and will reduce wear, big-time. Dave

Same as the big pin, your choice. Dave

Not for me. I have used the LJ and it is a nice tool, so I understand why people are so interested in combining the Jacks with the Rope Wrench in their SRT work positioning systems. But like I said, I have not seen any research on how the Jacks hold up under SRT conditions. Until that is done, using them for that application may not be such a good choice. On line 4 of the RW instructions it specifically states to test the hitch on the rope by itself without the RW installed. The reason for this is clearly printed on the side of the ZK1, "not for primary life support ". So even though the RW and friction device work in combination, you must be assured that your friction device will be safe in the absence of the RW. Used as designed, with a properly tied hitch the RW works great, why not just start with that, and give it time for someone ( maybe send one or two to Drew? ) to do some SRT response testing on the LJ/SJ. Dave

Just remember that single line characteristics are beyond the engineering that went into the Jacks, I believe. Some testing on point and type of failure should be done to ensure they are acceptable. Dave

The Torse is what I use. It is worth taking the time to get used to wearing a light weight shoulder strap like either one of these. Most climbers wear their climbing harness too high because that is the only way they can keep them up. With a shoulder strap system, you not only gain an upper attachment point for tending things, you will also be able keep your harness lower on your hips without it falling off. Dave

Nice, Reg. Dave

This needs clarification. The RW is not intended for life support so your primary friction device be it a hitch, LJ,SJ or whatever, must function on a single rope in a totally reliable manner as the life support system. The RW is only there to allow smooth and fluid movement. If what you are using will not hold you safely without the RW, rethink your setup. Dave

Do a search on SRT work positioning. If you want to ease the wear and tear on your upper body, make the switch and climb for as many years as you want to. Dave

If you are climbing on a one way ascender system that requires a changeover before you can descend, and have a short rope, a trunk wrap base tie that can pass a knot is very good. Once set for ascent, just tie both ends together with a Zeppelin bend or a Butterfly bend to form a continuous loop. If you are climbing on one of the many, instantly reversible SRT work positioning systems, the odds of you needing assistance to descend are reduced dramatically. In this situation I prefer a simple choked base tie with two Alpine Butterfly knots tied about two or three feet apart and close to the choked base tie. This enables the use of a predetermined rescue system of your choice without compromising the safety or simplicity of your day-in day-out base tie. Dave

Steve, how much experience do you have with tools such as the Unicender or Petzl Rig? Dave

And in my opinion a better one. With base-tying making a ground-based rescue a possibility, too many go overboard with a complex setup. A rescue should be a very rare event, while the safety of the tie off needs to be 100% every time it is used. With a base tie, after climbing up to the redirect crotch, it is not uncommon that it needs to be moved. If it is to be the primary support point of the climb it is worth pulling up the tail and run it through the new crotch. It is in this simple maneuver that can cause a complex base tie to fail. As you pull up the tail for the new support point, all of the rope, knots and hardware on the base tied side will fall into a mass of coils at the tree base. It is more than just a possibility that as you re-tighten the line for use, things will not be as they were. So for this reason, base ties must be able to pass, what I call a flop test. Can all the components and configurations of the base realign without compromise after being loosened and jumbled on the ground? Drew, even on the simple one you just pictured, I would make the eye of the choker knot smaller so as not to allow the butterfly or hitch to become snagged on it. Dave

Hey, Drew. One of the things I have heard on toothed vs. non-toothed discussions is that the toothed is designed to shred the rope instead of cutting it and by doing so absorb more of the shock load without total rope failure. Have you found that to be true and if so what % of strength did the remaining damaged rope possess? Dave

Yes there are! If your Unicender spends most of its time on your bridge, you would find the tail trapping mod of this thread most useful. Dave

Thanks for that information, Drew. One of the things I have always liked about the Uni is its ability to grab the rope fast in a fall or a slip and not shred the rope and that it is safe to use with the arborist ropes that can absorb shock much better than the static kernmantle rope used with toothed ascenders. Dave

I don't know the answer, Drew. Have you had a chance to break test a Croll on arborist line? I have a hand on the rope between the Croll and Uni so they are normally separated by one to two feet. I have also had a redirect crotch fail and dropped 10' while base tied. With approximately 100' of line in the system it was a total non event with no damage. It seemed in that incident the Croll, Pantin and Uni with foot loop all grabbed pretty much at the same time. It seems often that when the chest ascender and Pantin are engaged, there will be a sharing of the load. I have actually changed out the Croll for the Kong Futura and am sampling that. But it looks like it could be more rope-friendly? Dave