Random Tips and Tricks Thread - not spray

[bstach]

When forced to stay in a hotel, make us of the complimentary stove.

 

 

That is awesome :tup:

 

I've boiled eggs with the in-suite coffee maker. It takes about two hours to get them fully hard-boiled and most coffee makers auto shut off after 1 hour. So be aware you need to cycle the power after and hour.

 

A few boiled eggs plus a bowl of Cheerios and OJ == bfast of champions. (milk and OJ kept cold in the ice bucket, of course)

 

[JBo6]

What happens if you use a prussik cord that is smaller than 2/3 of the main rope? Won't grab?

[chucK]

I've got 7.5mm rope. I got all concerned about the small-diameter prussik thing and bought 5mm prussik cord (Man that's thin! Not very confidence inspiring).

 

Afterwards, I thought about it and just tried out ascending the rope with 6mm prussiks. Worked just fine for that application.

 

Moral of the story is: It's good to be cautious and listen to doomsayers on the internet, but don't blindly trust them all the time.

 

 

(Hopefully it goes without saying that it's even worse to blindly trust foolish optimists on the internet. If you do decide to take 6mm prussiks and an 8mm rope, then you really should at least try it out in your backyard first before getting to the dangling in a crevasse part.)

[KaskadskyjKozak]

What happens if you use a prussik cord that is smaller than 2/3 of the main rope? Won't grab?

 

if it doesn't, try an extra wrap.

[ivan]

What happens if you use a prussik cord that is smaller than 2/3 of the main rope? Won't grab?

tried ascending a 8 mm'ish rope w/ my 6 mm'ish prusiks in the dark near the top of the snow creek wall (yummy pressure chamber!) - this produced extreme terror as they didn't grab b/c of my phat ass - they did work if i just increased the # of wraps, but that makes them very difficult to tend to.

[Bug]

The more tension on the rope, the less grab the prussicks can acheive. The Prussik knot works best when it can bend the rope a little.

 

Ivan should NOT be prussicking.

[sobo]

JBo6 -

What chucK, 5K, and ivan said.

 

They might not grab; then increase the wraps. More wraps make it harder to deal with. Try it before you "buy it".

[hafilax]

It also depends on the friction knot used. One experiment indicated that the autoblock worked best for most applications.

[Kraken]

klemheist, dudez!!!111 easier and quicker to tie whether dangling in a hole or holding the weight of a fallen climber. Prussiks are hard as hell to tie quickly when trying to tie it between and behind your legs. A klemhiest is simple to wrap and clip off.

 

 

[hafilax]

The study I mentioned above found the Klemheist to be the worst of the friction knots. YMMV

[Kraken]

ok, but what kind of real-to-life loads are we talking about here?

 

If we are talking a crevasse rescue situation, you are talking

 

A: body weight, if part of self rescue

 

or

 

B: a load of maybe 1000 pounds in a hauling system (3:1, 5:1)

 

AND, I'm thinking of two person glacial travel.

I've practiced it enough to find the klemheist significantly easier to tie when looking under your legs, as your thighs burn with the urge to rip you out of your stance. I've never had it slip.

 

How is it that the autoblock came out on top as the friction hitch with the greatest holding power?

 

Can I see the study you mentioned?

 

Also, I'm not trying to fight or flame, I'm just curious!

 

EDIT: this is also considering that you don't travel with a rescue hitch already attached to the rope. If that is the case, then a klemheist is not optimal hitch, as it is omnidirectional, where the prussik is multidirectional. Then you can belay your partners in/out as needed.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Kraken

[hafilax]

A scientific study of common friction knots.

The focus of the study was primarily for backing up rappels. They seem to recommend the autoblock (AKA French Prusik) and the Bachmann friction hitches.

[mwalker]

But traveling with people that think EVERYTHING they have is a fucking "carry-on," this inconveniences and endangers everyone else on the plane.

 

If you are flying overseas (esp. to/from Australasia & Europe) don't fucking try the dumbass american massive carryon. They'll inspect it and make you check it one way or another and then you are fucked.

 

Learn to travel light. It doesn't take many $25-$100 overweight bag fees for things to add up.

 

Learn to budget for the total trip. How much will the flight cost? Your luggage? Transport?

 

The last airline I flew with, air new zealand, had a weight limit for carry-on as well as the checked baggage. Pacific Blue and the others that fly to Australia have a similar policy.

 

On the way home I'm planning on wearing my boots and a couple of extra layers. Will make for an uncomfortable flight but I figure it's probably worth it.

[Dave C]

If taking dehydrated meals, I like to cut open the packages before a trip and seal them in a smaller, more compressible, plastic bag. I keep the small instruction sheet to know how much water to add and for how long. This way things pack up much smaller, and with less weight.

[rbw1966]

On the way home I'm planning on wearing my boots and a couple of extra layers. Will make for an uncomfortable flight but I figure it's probably worth it.

 

Ship it to yourself.

[JohnGo]

Hey moderators,

 

How about a new Forum on "Tips and Tricks"? This single post clearly has a lot of interest. We climbers have lot of tips to share. There are a few gems in this post, but they are buried under all the others. Good tips would be easier too find if they were seperated more by topic, in a separate forum.

 

Whaddya say?

[Ron Mexico]

But traveling with people that think EVERYTHING they have is a fucking "carry-on," this inconveniences and endangers everyone else on the plane.

 

If you are flying overseas (esp. to/from Australasia & Europe) don't fucking try the dumbass american massive carryon. They'll inspect it and make you check it one way or another and then you are fucked.

 

Learn to travel light. It doesn't take many $25-$100 overweight bag fees for things to add up.

 

Learn to budget for the total trip. How much will the flight cost? Your luggage? Transport?

 

The last airline I flew with, air new zealand, had a weight limit for carry-on as well as the checked baggage. Pacific Blue and the others that fly to Australia have a similar policy.

 

On the way home I'm planning on wearing my boots and a couple of extra layers. Will make for an uncomfortable flight but I figure it's probably worth it.

 

Carry your boots over your shoulder. Counts as a "personal" item (i.e.like a purse) on most airlines so you can still have a regular carry on.

[G-spotter]

On the way home I'm planning on wearing my boots and a couple of extra layers. Will make for an uncomfortable flight but I figure it's probably worth it.

 

Ship it to yourself.

 

I shipped via sea from NZ to Canada and it took 3 months.

[max]

For hot days in the icicle, fill a nalgene 1/2 with grapes, 1/2 with crushed ice and top off with water. By mid day, the ice will be a cool sip of water, the grapes will be a nice sweet treat, and the whole thing won't weight anything more than a bottle of water.

[cbcbd]

To increase friction when rapping on thin or single ropes: clip your rap device to the end of a runner girth hitched to your belay loop. The longer the runner, the greater the friction.

Another way I use to increase friction:

When using a runner girth hitched to your belay loop with the belay device at the end - clip a biner to your belay loop and run the rappel ropes through that and break "up". If you need to add more friction just clip another biner to your belay device biner and run the ropes through that and now you are breaking "down" and have put 2 more bends in the rope = tons of friction.

 

Another rappel setup tip:

Girth hitch a runner to your belay loop. Tie an overhand in the middle of it. Clip your belay device to the loop in the runner closer to you, clip a locking biner for anchoring to the top loop. Lean back on that, setup your rappel, when ready just unclip the top biner from the anchor - use the same biner to clip at the next anchor before going off rappel.

 

 

Dulfersitz:

For light days where you might get cliffed out and have to rappel but are not planning on pitching anything out with protection - leave the harness, take some anchor building materials (slings, biners, rings, webbing...), and a rope. Learn the Dulfersitz.

Even if you might need to use the rope for protection just tie it around your waist and use the terrain for protection and for belaying.

[Maine-iac]

Dulfersitz:

For light days where you might get cliffed out and have to rappel but are not planning on pitching anything out with protection - leave the harness, take some anchor building materials (slings, biners, rings, webbing...), and a rope. Learn the Dulfersitz.

Even if you might need to use the rope for protection just tie it around your waist and use the terrain for protection and for belaying.

 

Have you ever done a Dulfersitz???? sure in a pinch i would do it, but never for fun. I mean if you like friction burns on your crotch and shoulders, and burning holes in your gear, than ya go for it.... I practiced it once, and i couldnt decide between having my ass on fire, or all of my weight on my balls.

 

 

[jmace]

When forced to stay in a hotel, make us of the complimentary stove.

 

 

That is awesome :tup:

 

I've boiled eggs with the in-suite coffee maker. It takes about two hours to get them fully hard-boiled and most coffee makers auto shut off after 1 hour. So be aware you need to cycle the power after and hour.

 

A few boiled eggs plus a bowl of Cheerios and OJ == bfast of champions. (milk and OJ kept cold in the ice bucket, of course)

 

Get a real job so you can afford to eat out like normal folks is also an alternative

[Dannible]

In most cases real jobs limit how much climbing you can do. Screw jobs.

[jmace]

Must open your mind young jedi..im sittin at 6 weeks with access to 2 months LOA

 

 

[denalidave]

When forced to stay in a hotel, make us of the complimentary stove.

 

 

That is awesome :tup:

 

I've boiled eggs with the in-suite coffee maker. It takes about two hours to get them fully hard-boiled and most coffee makers auto shut off after 1 hour. So be aware you need to cycle the power after and hour.

 

A few boiled eggs plus a bowl of Cheerios and OJ == bfast of champions. (milk and OJ kept cold in the ice bucket, of course)

 

Get a real job so you can afford to eat out like normal folks is also an alternative

Or just hit the free continental breakfast that most hotels have nowadays.