UKC

What diameter of cord do people carry for emergency abseils, replacing in situ gear etc. for summer in the alps? How much do you carry? Thanks.

In reply to esoteric:

A selection of 5 6 and 7mm acc cord cut in 5 9 or 17 foot lengths.

Tied with a double fishermans into 60 120 or 240 slings.

Ideal for carrying over the shoulder and also used for runners or prussicks etc, multi purpose and accessible.

Easy to cut with a hammer over a rock edge, which also seals the end.

You are correct in suggesting cord as it is far more UV resistant than tape.

In reply to esoteric:


A bit of a " how long is a piece of string " question

In reply to Rick Graham:


More like money for old rope. Carry the same diameter as you do for your own prussiks.

In reply to esoteric:
Not less than 6mm and about 20 feet or so. Rick's suggestion about cut to lengths for ease of carriage and dual functions is excellent and I shall adopt it at once - well, next time away.

In reply to esoteric:

About 10m or so of 5mm, usually.

In reply to esoteric:

Whatever old pieces of tat happen to be lying around in the cupboard. Even 4mm can be doubled or even tripled up although I would prefer 5mm minimum.

Al

In reply to esoteric:

I like to have 20-30 feet of 6mm cord in the pack, uncut. I'm not a fan of cutting it up and tying it into slings, because over the years I've found I rarely want exactly the the length of a sling, and then I either have a piece that is too long or too short. Moreover, untying the knots can be a royal pain and time-waster, all the more so in stressful conditions. It is no problem carrying one of the small super-light knives for cutting the cord to the proper length and also for cutting down worn rappel tat. I usually don't have a hammer any more so that isn't a cutting option anyway.

I usually have some rap rings with me as well. This after a few very bad experiences when rap lines threaded directly through the cord wouldn't pull. (I wrote about one such experience in http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=893158&msg=893158... .)

In reply to rgold:

That's a great tale well told, cheers for that!

In reply to rgold:

What rap rings do you carry?

In reply to esoteric:

Possibly not a particularly productive question, give rgold's location.

The best UK option I've found (at least in terms of cost, performance and durability if not weight) is 50mm diameter, 6mm stainless steel high strength welded rings, from
http://www.makefast.com/acatalog/info_6156.html#SID=20

The only downside is the minimum order, but I've probably still got a few sitting around if you or anyone else only wants a handful.

In reply to esoteric:


The Ex-Engineer is right, I'm across the pond, so the information below may be of little use.

For emergency retreats I admit, somewhat sheepishly, that I carry these http://smcgear.com/descending-ring.html . They are cheap and very light, but are made of rolled aluminum, and so are not likely to stand up to a lot of abrasion from repeated rappels. As a nod to responsibility toward my fellow climbers, I'll usually install two of these rings at a rappel anchor with the hope that they both won't wear through catastrophically. Carrying the rolled rings and using them double really doesn't make a lot of sense, because two rolled rings weigh about the same as one solid ring. However, if in a real jam with multiple rappels required, I still have the option to use just one ring and so can make more anchors.

If I am setting up an anchor I know will be used repeatedly, I'll use a solid aluminum ring like this http://smcgear.com/smc-rigging-ring-grey.html or this http://www.omegapac.com/itemdetail.php?id=22&secid=14 .

In reply to esoteric:

Disturbing mixture of metric and imperial units on this thread.