Optimal number of potshots

[spinesnaper]

I am getting a little more technical in my canyoneering (including heaven help me, taking courses). It occurs to me that a single pot shot is not really a sufficient piece of equipment for any number of reasons including one pot shot may or may not get the job done or stay in one piece for that matter. Lets just say that flinging 10 pounds of sand and rock in a fabric sack is foreseeably going to cause the thing to bust open one day.

Is there any collective wisdom about this issue? Is there an optimal number of pot shots to carry?

(Honest Tom, I am not just kissing up and trying to make business for you)

[Iceaxe]

You will be amazed at what you can accomplish with ONE potshot. I've done Quandary Direct several times and I only carry one potshot in that canyon.

I normally only carry one or maybe two potshots into a pothole canyon. I figure I can use backpacks if things get bad and I need more. YMMV.

But to answer your question the correct number of potshots is however many it takes.

[Scott Card]

I am getting a little more technical in my canyoneering (including heaven help me, taking courses).

I find that with training and courses, my prayers are a little shorter and less intense while in a canyon.

(Honest Tom, I am not just kissing up and trying to make business for you)

Don't be ashamed, Tom's stuff is the best stuff out there for canyoneering. I am a happy volunteer self appointed sales rep for Tom.

And to answer your question, like Ice said, it depends. I can see how one potshot in Quandry would work with the geometry. Other places you need more. Based on my donut habit I would need yet a couple more than the skinny minis around here.

[Iceaxe]

Based on my donut habit I would need yet a couple more than the skinny minis around here.

Also a lot of other factors involved besides weight and geometry. Many of my partners are young and very talented climbers, those types of talented individuals normally require only a minimal amount of "cheating" to escape some pretty nasty potholes.

Or to put it anther way.... everything was going along just great until I ran out of talent!

[ilipichicuma]

Based on my donut habit I would need yet a couple more than the skinny minis around here.

I hear that. I'm uncomfortable with less than two period.

[ghawk]

I hear that. I'm uncomfortable with less than two period.

Just remember cliff, you can always count on that "belly Jam" to get you out of there.

[ghawk]

Also, when we did headless hen we used potshots for both getting into and out of potholes. we don't have a sandtrap YET so we rigged the potshots to dump the sand out when we pulled them. We took 4 and that worked well for us in that situation. depends on the canyon.

[ratagonia]

I find that with training and courses, my prayers are a little shorter and less intense while in a canyon. Don't be ashamed, Tom's stuff is the best stuff out there for canyoneering. I am a happy volunteer self appointed sales rep for Tom.

And to answer your question, like Ice said, it depends. I can see how one potshot in Quandry would work with the geometry. Other places you need more. Based on my donut habit I would need yet a couple more than the skinny minis around here.

To address the original question: I take 2 as a minimum. Even the new ones that are reinforced, if they fall too far, they can burst upon impact. The second one you can throw with greater caution, or try another trick, such as Scott's pack

Two minimum for a little potshotting. Three or four minimum as potshotting becomes more important.

By the way, a call out to Hank Moon for a great name! "Nutsacks" was not going to carry the day...

Tom

[spinesnaper]

By the way, a call out to Hank Moon for a great name! "Nutsacks" was not going to carry the day...

Tom

Just reading that name causes a cremasteric reflex.

[forum8fox]

Used upto 7 in no kidding and was happy to have them.

[ratagonia]

Just reading that name causes a cremasteric reflex.

Ah, life is grand. Learn a new word every day!

T

[spinesnaper]

Used upto 7 in no kidding and was happy to have them.

OK, I think this discussion confirms my suspicion-gun slingers don't show up to a fight without a gun. In this case 3 to 4 guns.

Ah, life is grand. Learn a new word every day!

T

Only too happy to contribute.

Ken

[moab mark]

Also, when we did headless hen we used potshots for both getting into and out of potholes. we don't have a sandtrap YET so we rigged the potshots to dump the sand out when we pulled them. We took 4 and that worked well for us in that situation. depends on the canyon.

I agree it depends on the canyon. We hauled 4 pot shots when we did the canyon that is shown in the pot hole video. In the video where we had the trap hanging on the wall, that has 4 potshots full of sand in it. We had to ferry that sand about 100 yards thru several pot holes to get it there. It would of been a pain in the butt if we would of had to send them back up stream to be refilled. Hopefully in the near future someone will come out with a water bladder to slip into the trap for those situations where all you have is water. Most of those potholes we used a single potshot for the last guy to rappel in. We also used several of the potshots to stuff our short ropes into when in the canyon.

Mark