Doubles or Twins? and not in your dreams.

[scrambled_legs]

Looking for some opinions on whether to buy a 7.5 twin or an 8.0 double for a rope that would be used for everything from the Bug's, to Robson, to ice cragging. Wondering whether I should go with the twin or the double and is an 8.0 big enough for a double?

[catbirdseat]

If you are doing much rock climbing, the doubles (half ropes) would be much more durable and more versatile. I'd get larger than 8.0 however.

[COL._Von_Spanker]

If I had a dime for every time someone asked that....

 

(Same with "using a gri-gri for solo aid?")

[stinkybritches]

Go to the pro mountain sports website it will explain for you

[tomtom]

Get 8mm ropes that are rated as doubles and twins.

 

Problem solved.

[VacPacTunaYum]

twins were designed for half clipping on hard sport routes, when both clipped in they have pretty high impact forces, depending on who your chekin'. Half ropes have everything you need: low impact force, half the wet weight in your pack, and a great tag line when it gets sketchy.

[abalch]

VacPac, you made a mistake. Twins are clipped as twins, IE both ropes into each piece. Doubles, also sometimes called half ropes, are clipped into seperate pieces of pro. I won't argue the higher impact, because I can't be sure of the numbers off the top of my head.

 

Don't confuse the young padawan that came to everyone with his question.

 

All that said, I would go with doubles, because the rope is more versatile, and more durable. They work great when doing full length rappells with your normal rope. Just make sure to tie the ropes together with a double fisherman's if you are rappelling on two ropes of different diameter.

[vanisle]

Go with half ropes (double). There are many cons with twins...the only benifit that I can think of is that twins are slightly lighter.

I don't see whay you would ever want to use twin ropes

[VacPacTunaYum]

Sorry abalch, but you misunderstood me. What I meant by half clipping is when your in a bad fall situation on a sport route you can take one of the strands still clipped as twins and clip it onto the next bolt, that way only one strand is being slacked out therefore shortening the fall in the case of a misclip. Once your set at your stance you still need to clip the short line in an continue clipping as a twin. It's an early 90's thing. Thats one of the two only good things about twins, the other is you a full length abseil with a setup that only weighs a little more than a single line.