Knotting/hitching skinny sewn slings?

[Lucky Larry]

I have had a few people tell me that you are never suppose to knot or hitch skinny sewn slings, that they can cut themselves through when loaded. :: Yet I see tons of climbers, really good climbers, doing this. What's the skinny on the skinnies?

Edited February 22, 2011 by Lucky Larry

[Lodestone]

If this is Spectra/Dyneema you're talking about then no, you shouldn't knot them to make a sling, lanyards, etc. It's not about the knot cutting itself but that the material is so slick that a knot will pull through under a heavy load. What have you seen that has been knotted out of Dyneema?

 

 

 

Chad

[Alasdair]

Knotting slings of any kind significantly weakens them. That does not mean it should never ever be done, but if you can avoid it you should. In almost all cases there is something you can do other than use a knotted sling.

 

As far as the really good climber thing goes. I would not assume that because a climber is really good that they understand technical systems. Over the past several years I have seen some pretty questionable stuff done by climbers who are on the top of the game in climbing right now.

[genepires]

there was something like this that happened a while back where two skinny slings were girth hitched together and used for a top anchor for a guy to rappel down and clean a route. The slings cut through at the girth hitch and luckily he had a backup. Maybe John Sherman?

[kurthicks]

here's more data about girth hitching slings. https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/climb//qc-lab-connecting-two-slings-together

[robertjoy]

The problem with dyneema knotting is obvious, but the real-world problem is with girth hitching dyneema to any other sling. See links provided by others here. In a pinch, who wouldn't be tempted to use a girth hitch to extend an anchor?