Rabbit Runners, Wiregates, and WC Hexes

[Blake]

I've got a few gear questions, maybe you all can straighten things out for me.

If tying my own runners with regular 1" tubular webbing, is a rabbit runner tied with overhand knots weaker than a sling tied with a water or a beer knot? Rabbit runners allow me to use less webbing for equal lengths.

 

When Wiregate 'biners get stressed under a lot of weight, do they bend to the point where the end of the gate is pulling on the "hook" of the carabiner? If not, I don't see what load-bearing function the gate serves at all.

 

When using slung WC hexes, has anyone tried pulling the loop of dyneema through the hex some or most of the way before placing the piece? This way in the event of a fall, the dyneema loop must be pulled through the drilled holes in the hex before the hex is really stressed. This would only work when placing the piece endwise, or such that the holes don't touch the rock. This would seem to act similarly to a screamer (although absorbing less energy, but still some).

 

Thanks for the input.

-Blake

[marcus]

1) Overhand knots have a comparable strength to water knots(about 50%) - but a full-length runner allows many more creative options with minimal weight addition: rap slings, hitching or slinging natural pro(e.g. bushes, knobs). Spend the xtra buck and save the rabbit runner for yer anchor.

 

2) Wiregates are structurally as strong as solid gates - don't kid yourself, any biner's strength is significantly less in a direct load on the gate itself - and they are much less likely to open as a result of 'rebounding' from a shock load on the biner. They're lighter and function better when frozen than solid gates as well.

 

3) Leave the slings on your hexes fully extended. Doing otherwise could have the unintended consequence of pulling your piece in an unintended direction and compromising the placement before loading the piece.

[tomtom]

The answer to #2 is yes.

[Kevin_Matlock]

When using slung WC hexes, has anyone tried pulling the loop of dyneema through the hex some or most of the way before placing the piece? This way in the event of a fall, the dyneema loop must be pulled through the drilled holes in the hex before the hex is really stressed. This would only work when placing the piece endwise, or such that the holes don't touch the rock. This would seem to act similarly to a screamer (although absorbing less energy, but still some).

I have a thought on your last question: this just sounds bad to me. One of the reasons why a screamer works is because it SLOWS down the falling load (you!) by ripping the stictches. What you've described would actually shock your placement since the cording is basically static and you wouldn't get that slowing effect from the drag of the cord through the holes (or at least not much).

I also don't think it's wise for the cord to rub in the holes. I know it's a short distance, but why put the sheath through the abuse?

[catbirdseat]

The answer to #2 is yes.

Look on the spine of your carabiner. It shows the rated strength with gate open, usually 7 or 8 kN and closed, somewhere between 22 and 26 kN. If you take a whipper, you better hope that gate is closed, or the biner is going to break.

[Dru]

CBS post of the day!! Isn't there some way to test it, maybe with some reagents and a petri dish?