UKC

In reply to UKC Articles: Instead of coiling the rope double I prefer to coil it single. For the rest the method is similar. I find that when coming to the rock it's much less likely to tangle.

In reply to michaelja:

I agree! I've never been convinced by this idea that it saves time by coiling ropes doubled. Despite years of scoffing from my trendier friends it's always been demonstrably true that any time saved during coiling is less than that lost uncoiling, attempting to run the rope through, and untangling the mess that results.

Of course, it is useful if you really need to get off in a hurry for some reason and don't care if you need to sort the rope out later.

In reply to UKC Articles: If you use the method as shown, and you have to carry the rope any distance, the arm loops can become uneven and the rope can pull to one side, which can be annoying and distracting if down climbing. To avoid this, make the arm loops by crossing the rope across the centre of your chest and it will be much more stable.

In reply to UKC Articles: I always coil single strand now. It's no slower and you can still wear it like a rucksack by uncoiling the end strand a couple of meters.

In reply to UKC Articles: I like this method: youtube.com/watch?v=WfvioMwTVUo& It takes a little longer to coil but you don't have to "uncoil" it when you start climbing so if you add up the total time it's quicker.

In reply to UKC Articles: Single coils for me too these days, marginally slower to coil, but much quicker to sort out ready to climb.

In reply to UKC Articles: A sloppy demonstration, misinformation about amount of tail needed resulting in too much tail....

Much easier and less tiring if you actually leave your hand by your side, as she says but then does not do, when coiling.

The loops around the rope to finish were too low and loose, result a sloppy rope after a short period of walking.

A reef knot or even a bow to finish will allow you to adjust the snugness of your rope backpack so it fits well.

When you come to use a double coiled rope, in this fashion, if you reverse the finishing process and lay the rope down open, ie in a straight line where the section that was around your neck is the middle of the line and the loop ends are the ends of the line, the rope will always coil out without knots, no need to recoil.

I would not be so critical of someone at the crag or a friend for that matter but this is supposed to be an instructional video....

In reply to the flash:
Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.

Why on earth they produced this 'so-called' instructional video without your input escapes me.

In reply to andyathome:

How do you work out which end of the rope is the top and which end is the bottom....

In reply to the flash:

You missed the obvious one (that everyone seems to miss): you do not need to take the rope tails through the bite to finish off. Just drop the bite back over the top of the coil and pull snug. Not only is it quicker, the resulting backpack sits higher and flatter on your back.

In reply to GrahamD:

Definitely the neatest and most practical way to finish it off.

I'm a bit anal about coiling ropes, the example on the vid is messy. Starting from the middle rather than ends means you get all the coils the same length.