Occam Releasable Anchor

[Mojave Silence]

Intended use: First descents where you have to tie 2 or more long ropes together or anytime you don't have adequate rope for both the pull and rap line. Not intended for ghosting as this system (currently) leaves behind the QL and webbing.
I use 3mm Para Cord for the pull side. It's lightweight, cheap, and strong enough for the intended use. A small rope bag is essential for the para cord, I use a small ammo/utility bag from the army surplus store. To anyone trying this out at home; the system assumes, and works best, with weight on the rap line. It was tested in the garage with a 20lb weight hitched to the rap line. I've tested it in the field with as little as 40' of rope in play. I assume its obvious, but only a wiregate biner will work. I've tried all different shapes of wiregates and they all work well. (even the mini Metolius) Any suggestions for improvement are eagerly awaited.

[Renatomic808]

UN-RUNNABLE.... wait, i mean..

Low Hangin fruit brah..... err..

Respect the time br.... hmm

Strong work! There we go!

[tcott]

How do you think this would affect the system?

[Mojave Silence]

I think the outside gate would get hung up on the QL

[Deathcricket]

Better get a patent on that before Imlay gear nabs it.

Got a video of it in action?

[Summit2Sea]

The easiest modification to the occam would be to add an anti-cross loading clip to the bottom of the wire gate carabiner. No matter how big or small your figure 8 loop is. It keeps it from riding up the gate if you forget to weight or hold the rope when pulling the para cord and collapsing the system. You could also skip tying the para cord directly to the rope loop and tie directly to the clip. By tying directly to the clip you keep a smooth release. I tied the para cord to the anti clip on the back side of the biner. It gave it a nice angle to pull the wire gate open & releases pretty sweet.

[moab mark]

Need to shoot a video. I see how it would collapse the wire but will the biner pull out each time?

[moab mark]

Just looking at it, it seems like the para cord needs to be tied to the biner right below the wire?

[moab mark]

My bad looks like you tried that.

[Mojave Silence]

Short little video:
Note: 130' of Sterling C-IV tied to the rap side for weight, which equals a little over 4 lbs.
Moab Mark: Biner releases every time so far, couch canyoning and in the field.
Summit2Sea: No need to ever hold the rap line while pulling the para cord, assuming their is rope weight in the system, which there always would be
http://youtu.be/pfonpmEnd_k

[moab mark]

Nice

[bjp]

Wait, after the system is released, the pull cord still needs to be pulled all the way (entire drop length) through the quick link? I suppose the benefit of this system then is that pulling a thin pull cord through the system leaves smaller rope grooves than pulling the rappel rope through the whole system? (in which case, there would only be a benefit for using this system with paracord pull cord) Why not use a pin block or fiddlestick and skip pulling the pull cord through all together?

[Renatomic808]

This is a much more bomber method of setting an anchor, to rappel multiple ropes (passing knots) in my opinion. Unlike other releaseable anchors, if you mess up the setup on this, it won't be painful. This technique isn't meant for ghosting, or eliminating rope grooves. It's meant for getting out of the canyon as safe as possible. Just my thoughts.

[moab mark]

This is a much more bomber method of setting an anchor, to rappel multiple ropes (passing knots) in my opinion. Unlike other releaseable anchors, if you mess up the setup on this, it won't be painful. This technique isn't meant for ghosting, or eliminating rope grooves. It's meant for getting out of the canyon as safe as possible. Just my thoughts.

How are you passing a knot with this set up?

[Renatomic808]

Just think of tying multiple ropes together on the rappel side. Can't be pulled through like the conventional methods of rope-through rappel ring, as the knot gets stuck. There you'd come up with the releasable anchor methods. Fiddle stick, greasy Granny, macrame, Hook of death, etc.. All of which have a higher risk of messing up the setup. As long as the paracord/pull rope on this setup is clean.. no knots.. etc.. your ropes should come down. This Occam method won't release when weighted, and unweighted as well.

[tcott]

So how much paracord are you usually packing with this system? It would take a fairly large drop to merit having to pass a knot, unless you are only carrying shorter ropes.

[bjp]

Just think of tying multiple ropes together on the rappel side.

But this can be done with most retrievable methods as well

Can't be pulled through like the conventional methods of rope-through rappel ring, as the knot gets stuck.

I don't think I understand; what can't be pulled through what, and that's unlike what?

All of which have a higher risk of messing up the setup.

Seems like this might have a lower risk of accidental release (not sure; see below), but it's certainly higher risk of messing up the setup leading to an unretrievable rope.

This Occam method won't release when weighted, and unweighted as well.

It will certainly release when unweighted or it wouldn't be retrievable. If the rappeller unweights the rope, a small amount of force applied to the paracord will release the setup. This is the same as with most other retrievable setups.

This technique isn't meant for ghosting, or eliminating rope grooves. It's meant for getting out of the canyon as safe as possible.

Yeah, I could see that. The scenario is that the second to last drop in a canyon is really big and my ropes have gotten core shots so that I don't have a single length of rope as long as the drop. Everyone else can do a rap-lower but now I have to get down, and we really need the rope for the last drop to get out of the canyon. So, I rig this and the worst-case scenario when I rig it wrong is that we're stuck in the canyon. If I rigged a fiddlestick (for instance -- or most other retrievables appropriate to the situation), the worst-case scenario is more likely that I splat. I could buy that.

Still, I'm not 100% convinced that this setup is less likely to accidentally release than, say, a CEM.

[Mojave Silence]

Why not use a pin block or fiddlestick and skip pulling the pull cord through all together?

I consider the above methods to be marginally safe at best. Any system that can be released under load accidently by the last person on rappel is an accident waiting to happen. That's why I looked for an alternate way of doing it. Deploy the para cord prior to last person and vector it out of the way. Last person can not release my system while on rappel, even the person holding the para cord at the bottom couldn't maliciously or accidently release it unless the rappeler completely off-weighted the rope.

[Mojave Silence]

So how much paracord are you usually packing with this system? It would take a fairly large drop to merit having to pass a knot, unless you are only carrying shorter ropes.

This is designed (recently) mainly for big first descents where nothing is known about the canyon. I designed it with the idea that 2-300 ' ropes would need to be tied together. The added benefit of all that rope weight is that the Occam seems to release even better with more weight on the rap side. The beauty of para cord is its light and cheap. Got a group of 6, everyone carry 200'.

[Mojave Silence]

Seems like this might have a lower risk of accidental release (not sure; see below), but it's certainly higher risk of messing up the setup leading to an unretrievable rope

Occam is so simple to test prior to rappel, pull para cord; if nothing happens it's set up wrong. Less than 5 seconds to test it and reset it.