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Yates Exped Picket - How to use..?
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So I bought a few Yates Expedition Pickets (not the cabled ones). There seem to be a lot of benefits to the pickets, but I can’t really get a clear answer on how exactly to hitch/clip them properly.... Their instructions are terrible as well. (These are all girth hitched, but I’ll use the instruction terminology of “clipping” in this post.)  Top clip    I’m mostly unclear how to use any of the other clip points. The first image of this will twist the picket under load a tiny bit. Not horrible, but it seems like there may exist more potential for significant twisting if it jiggles around and the hitch loosens. The second one can easily slip out and seems super sketch, but this is the only way I’ve seen it done in the wild. |
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REI to the rescue |
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While the shape of these pickets is fantastic for storing in/on your pack, I've never understood the holes. The top two holes are big, but not big enough for most carabiners. The lower holes are super small and not aligned. It make no sense. I wish I had access to a Bridgeport or something to enlarge all the holes and make some more. Anyway, I typically stow them in the wand pocket of my pack, nested. When racking them I keep them on my ice clippers, via the top holes. During use I girth hitch the top two holes (connecting to the middle is the strongest but it's a PITA) |
Pat Lightwrote: lol....pretty certain I know how to place a picket. Thanks for posting a snarky comment without understanding the question though! Specifically wondering if my hitching is what the manufacturer is intending here. Specifically the non-aligned holes that Drew A also pointed out. |
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Anyway to your original question: I think all your methods are fine but I'd only use the girth hitch around the whole picket in a deadman situation. Your other alternative is to tie some small cord around the spots you're mostly likely to use and attach with a biner. I honestly think they made the non aligned holes primarily to save weight. |
drew Awrote: Yeah, agreed with the deadman. But then the center holes work pretty well for that as well. I think you are correct that the holes seem more for weight saving that useage. I think I’ll stick with my photo #3 for now unless somebody has a cool mind boggling method that is totally not obvious haha |
Chris Cwrote: I would agree with using it this way. I use the Yates Cable Pickets and have never had any issue. The cable seems to self trench. If I have experienced any movement, it seems to dive deeper. I think the idea behind the expedition picket was weight saving by omitting the cable. I didn't see this as an advantage myself. I preferred the cable, as I could run it over my shoulder and clip, then unclip and draw it out and place and clip. if you want to clip near the top, just run the cable up the inside and through a top hole. |
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Chris C: I'm working on a carbon fiber dyneema composite picket. Home brew. I'm having good luck with 12 stranded 4.0mm (or 3.0mm for uberlight) Amsteel dyneema cord for the connection point. You can do a locking eye splice for the connection to the picket (through the holes) and then another eye splice for the end clip in point. You could probably just rig two strand (one mid, one top) and have them both ready to go with little weight penalty. Youtube has lots on how to do an eye splice. Boat people use this stuff all the time and 3.0mm is rated to 2500lbs! The eye spice maintains all the strength of any cord, opposed to girth hitching or knotting, which reduces strength significantly (20-50%). |
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Thin Spliced Amsteel is likely the most ideal and lightest “cable” attachment option. To OP’s attachment pics above: (basically confirming your own thoughts) 1. Is the most decent girth version, but it’s at the top (as you know) 2. The V is wrong direction of pull for greatest strength 3. Pull will torque/twist the picket, potentially weakening the placement 4. Best girth strength at face value, but potentially weakest overall in terms of ultimate anchor load strength. As load is applied, the girth could slip down one side of the picket as it shifts/settles, and then accelerate quickly to pulling completely off. Seems you’d need everything perfectly centered and ideal loading directions to avoid this. I’d never choose this over the others. |
Mark Smileywrote: Looking forward to see how that CF picket turns out! If you manage to get it on the market, I’m definitely a buyer! |
Mark Pilatewrote: Thanks for the Feedback, Mark! That’s what I was thinking as well, so nice to confirm that I’m not crazy haha |
