Emergency backup rope

[shagster]

Just wondering what your choice of emergency rope is? I am looking at getting a backup/emergency rope for an unexpected emergency that hopefully never happens, but you never know.

I have been looking at Petzl rescue rope in 5mm, this thing is small enought to fit in a small stuff sack and weighs next to nothing. Would you trust you life on this rope in an emergency?

[ratagonia]

Just wondering what your choice of emergency rope is? I am looking at getting a backup/emergency rope for an unexpected emergency that hopefully never happens, but you never know.

I have been looking at Petzl rescue rope in 5mm, this thing is small enought to fit in a small stuff sack and weighs next to nothing. Would you trust you life on this rope in an emergency?

The 5mm rescue rope is for a fire-fighter evacuating a building, where the alternative is dying within a minute. It is for one-time use, has its own set of descenders, and might cut easily over an edge. So the answer is "no".

Your lightest fully-usable alternative is the Bluewater Canyon Pro, with the Imlay 8mm being not far behind and somewhat less expensive. For guiding, at ZAC, each guide carries a "rescue rope" at all times, which is an 8mm rope 1X the height of the longest rappel. Since we sometimes have clients rap on two strands, it is necessary to carry a 1X rope resource for effecting rescue should the need arise. I used mine once, when I got the rope stuck on the long rap in Water Canyon, to extend the other side so the client could anchor it from the far side of the pool, while I climbed the primary rope to reset the rappel.

Once you get used to it, it is not a lot of rope or weight or bulk, but it does mean carrying the next size up in packs than you might otherwise carry.

Tom

[nat]

Just wondering what your choice of emergency rope is? I am looking at getting a backup/emergency rope for an unexpected emergency that hopefully never happens, but you never know.

I have been looking at Petzl rescue rope in 5mm, this thing is small enought to fit in a small stuff sack and weighs next to nothing. Would you trust you life on this rope in an emergency?

The 5mm rescue rope is for a fire-fighter evacuating a building, where the alternative is dying within a minute. It is for one-time use, has its own set of descenders, and might cut easily over an edge. So the answer is "no".

Your lightest fully-usable alternative is the Bluewater Canyon Pro, with the Imlay 8mm being not far behind and somewhat less expensive.
Tom

I agree that 5ml is not appropriate; almost impossible to descend safely with normal gear. However, for an emergency cord, if you are really interested in decreasing weight I think you can go to 7 ml (perhaps even 6 ml). I had a 75ft 7ml cord that I used many times (with Black Diamond ACT and figure eights), even occasionally single strand, with no problem. Obviously you have to be more careful with abrasion and speed of descent. I also remember once lowering Ryan down a pretty good drop in Pandoras with a 6 ml, in order to recover another fixed rope.

[ratagonia]

I agree that 5ml is not appropriate; almost impossible to descend safely with normal gear. However, for an emergency cord, if you are really interested in decreasing weight I think you can go to 7 ml (perhaps even 6 ml). I had a 75ft 7ml cord that I used many times (with Black Diamond ACT and figure eights), even occasionally single strand, with no problem. Obviously you have to be more careful with abrasion and speed of descent. I also remember once lowering Ryan down a pretty good drop in Pandoras with a 6 ml, in order to recover another fixed rope.

Since no one (to my knowledge) makes a 7mm "rope", do you have a particular brand of 7mm accessory cord you have found performs well?

One of my concerns is that one of the rescue techniques 'likely' to be used with a rescue line is a pickoff, which puts the weight of two people on a single strand of the rescue line. 7mm with two people? Doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.

Tom

[nat]

Since no one (to my knowledge) makes a 7mm "rope", do you have a particular brand of 7mm accessory cord you have found performs well?

One of my concerns is that one of the rescue techniques 'likely' to be used with a rescue line is a pickoff, which puts the weight of two people on a single strand of the rescue line. 7mm with two people? Doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.

Tom

I don't remember the brand, I junked it about 5 years ago, but I think I bought it at IME in Salt Lake. I seem to remember it was rated to about 3,000lb? It worked well for me, for relatively short raps, and once as a fixed line that I re-ascended. Obviously (as I posted earlier) you have to be careful with abrasion.

[Brian in SLC]

Since no one (to my knowledge) makes a 7mm "rope", do you have a particular brand of 7mm accessory cord you have found performs well?

One of my concerns is that one of the rescue techniques 'likely' to be used with a rescue line is a pickoff, which puts the weight of two people on a single strand of the rescue line. 7mm with two people? Doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.

Yeah, there's what you'd recommend on a public forum, then what you'd use with friends, then what you'd guide with. All pretty different, methinks.

I've used a 7mm rope but was a prototype and I can't recall the manuf. Was a static. I have a 7mm 100 section of PMI dynamic rope for glacier travel that I've used for short rappels (and some climbs). Might have been a custom job, though.

That 6mm Espirit Alpine Escape rope "was" awsome (I munched mine, but, the balance of it is still useable). My current rappel cord I use as a pull cord but have rappelled on doubled is a 6mm 60m piece of kevlar cord. Burley. Tough to control friction. Smaller volume than the Esprit. Darn nice in a small bag for emergencies or long rappels, though, where I want to use a single climbing rope.

One I'd probably recommend for an emergency rope is the Mammut Twilight. Its 7.6mm (I think) but has nice hand and seems to work fairly well. Dynamic. Climbed on mine a bunch (party of three as a single or doubled with another one in a twin rope system). I carry it as a spare rope every now and again. Volume is a tad large for clipping to a harness, but, fits in a pack nicely.

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

[Scott Card]

Being someone who has no real qualification, certification or reputation, my backup rope for my 8mm rope is ummm.... well..... another 8mm rope.