Cordelette size

[telemarker]

I started out using a 7mm cordelette, like 10' or so, but found it too stiff to tie off quickly, and almost impossible to tie in to three pieces plus a tie-in knot on a belay station. I've since been using a 5mm cord, about 15', and it's great and never kinks up. Am I compromising safety by using a smaller dia. cord? Obviously, it's not going to take a dynamic fall, so what diameter do other climbers use for cordelettes? Is 5mm too small?

[Dru]

use a spectra webolette or 5.5mm tech cord or what the hell, just tie in with the rope.

[lizard_brain]

I used 7mm x 24', but I wish I'd used 6mm or even 5.5mm Spectra - but the Spectra costs about three times as much as the Mammut.

 

[JoshK]

5.5mm Spectra x about 25'(??) feet has always worked well for me. It's always long enough, even when you have widely spaced pieces in an anchor and I can just double it up if need be.

 

[Dru]

i used to use 4m of 5.5mspectra cord but mostly nowadays I just use a double-shoulder length sling and a daisy chain.

 

that's belaying off the harness though. if you are gonna be using a reverso or b52 or whatever using a 'lette becomes more important to get the high power point to belay from.

 

i guess my point is, if your cord isnt long enough, extend the pieces out with slings then tie off the extensions with the 'lette.

[Peter_Puget]

Just wondering what routes you guys are using these guys on.

[erik]

quote:

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Originally posted by Peter Puget:

Just wondering what routes you guys are using these guys on.

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freeway gunshow

[telemarker]

But, I think the cord I have is regular nylon, and not spectra. Insufficient or adequate?

[bellemontagne]

Mtn Tools Web-o-Lette's rock. A spool of Maxim Tech Cord or 25' of 5.5mm BD Gemini II (They're both the same material-Technora). Just be sure to read this:

Comparative Cord Strength Tests

[Dru]

metolius and onsight make webolettes that a re cheaper than the mtn tools one i do believe... especially if you buy the onsight one at MEC.

[Lambone]

I have the maxim chord that you can buy in a 25' spool. it works well.

[Dru]

i would be kinda leery of using regular 5mm instead of 7mm as it is significantly weaker. i advise you to chop up that 5mm cord into prussik or rap slings and buy yourself either spectra or a thicker chunk of regular static cord like 7mm or better yet, a webolette.

 

i mean, a 5m length of spectra 5.5 costs like $20 bucks CDN at MEC, yeah thats 4x more than the 7mm but it is much lighter. and a Dyneema daisy chain costs $20 too nowadays.

[Ben]

5mm nylon cord is about half as strong as the 7mm. I wouldn't be comfortable using it for this purpose. I use about 18-20 ft of 6mm nylon cord. A decent compromise -- not too bulky and reasonably strong. Another nice thing about using nylon cord is that you can easily cut it into 2 or 3 rap slings if you're bailing. This may or may not be important to you, especially if you climb with mainly sewn slings...

[BigWave]

One other bonus to nylon is the ease of using it as rescue gear; escaping the belay, friction knots, etc. Webolettes rock bot they are pretty slick if ya try to use them as friction\rescue gear.

[texplorer]

The size cordelette you use is inversely proportional to the size of your horsecock or ehhumm... snakecock, whatever you may be.

[Coondog]

Maxim tech cord works well, but seems damn stiff for tying and slick -- recommend 3" tail. 22-25' of el cheapo 7mm comes in handy for all sorts o things.

 

Anybody seen these wonderful webolettes cheap anywhere yet? Seen them in use, and there's definitely no better way to secure your horsecock, they're just spendy...

 

--Unemployed Coondog.