Petzl Connect Adjust

If the device is rotated, too small of a cord will bypass itself like the Slyde, 8.9 Swift Protect Pro did, it didn’t slide very well either, too much like a static rope maybe.

One thing to consider is whether the tether is going to be used for general anchoring purposes in multipitch climbing or in a big wall context as a type of adjustable daisy.  I mention this because the ability to release the gadget under load is at least somewhat related to these contexts.  I can't speak to the aid applications, but recall Kevin saying that in a free-hanging situation, it is extremely hard to release the Connect Adjust without faffing around to unweight it (which negates using it at all).  On the other hand, if one's feet are on a ledge or footholds or on a slab, releasing the C-A seems pretty easy to me, if perhaps counterintuitive.  The trick is to actually tighten up a tad, which rotates the plate into its release orientation, and then (firmly) hold the plate in that position while using body weight to pull through the desired slack.

rgold wrote:

One thing to consider is whether the tether is going to be used for general anchoring purposes in multipitch climbing or in a big wall context as a type of adjustable daisy.  I mention this because the ability to release the gadget under load is at least somewhat related to these contexts.  I can't speak to the aid applications, but recall Kevin saying that in a free-hanging situation, it is extremely hard to release the Connect Adjus without faffing around to unweight it (which negates using it at all).  On the other hand, if one's feet are on a ledge or footholds or on a slab, releasing the C-A seems pretty easy to me, if perhaps counterintuitive.  The trick is to actually tighten up a tad, which rotates the plate into its release orientation, and then (firmly) hold the plate in that position while using body weight to pull through the desired slack.

100%

I should have indicated "for bigwall use" in stating the Camp Swing is superior. It's only real advantage is in its ability to release under load in situations where you cannot gain purchase with your feet (ie: in a roof crack or wide traversing movement) 

Though I question the weight/cluster to benefit ratio for trad/sport climbing use of an adjustable tether, for one who chooses to utilize one, the Petzl Adjust is the best bet since there's very few situations where one would come up against the liability of not being able to release the device under load. 

I love the connect adjust.  It's the most functional option I've found that's a bit lighter weight.  By far, the easiest thing to adjust.  I clip it into the anchor and adjust it, then use a clove hitch adjusted to whatever length so I have two adjustable anchor points.  

One thing that also came up recently... I followed my trad mentor on a climb that was very long and above my grade. We linked the hell out of it with an 80m rope. He's taller than I am so some of his placements were really difficult for me to reach. One placement in particular, he was able to stand on a nice ledge, reach up and place, but I had to try and work my way a bit higher on some slippery slab to reach it with no stable position to pull it out. It took me forever...

Discussing the situation, he brought up that you can use a device like a connect adjust to help. Either place another piece of gear and connect to it and kind of haul yourself up, or if you can reach the biner of the stuck piece of gear, you could connect your connect adjust to that and kind of do the same thing. Obviously this only works in situations where you can gain enough purchase to pull slack through the device, but that would have been enough for me in this case (weighting the rope wasn't a suitable option because the 80M were out which made the stretch pretty crazy).

You can do that with an assortment of gear... but I feel like the connect adjust would make it a bit easier.  I can't comment on the CAMP competitor, but I do love the petzl.  I will say though, stick to the single arm. The dual arm is just too bulky and the fixed arm isn't much good imo.  Honestly, if I'm doing a day of sport at the crag and I know I'm going to be setting up and taking down lots of TRs, I bring it along too.  It's a great piece of gear.

Gina Schaefer wrote:

I love the connect adjust.  It's the most functional option I've found that's a bit lighter weight.  By far, the easiest thing to adjust.  I clip it into the anchor and adjust it, then use a clove hitch adjusted to whatever length so I have two adjustable anchor points.  

One thing that also came up recently... I followed my trad mentor on a climb that was very long and above my grade. We linked the hell out of it with an 80m rope. He's taller than I am so some of his placements were really difficult for me to reach. One placement in particular, he was able to stand on a nice ledge, reach up and place, but I had to try and work my way a bit higher on some slippery slab to reach it with no stable position to pull it out. It took me forever...

Discussing the situation, he brought up that you can use a device like a connect adjust to help. Either place another piece of gear and connect to it and kind of haul yourself up, or if you can reach the biner of the stuck piece of gear, you could connect your connect adjust to that and kind of do the same thing. Obviously this only works in situations where you can gain enough purchase to pull slack through the device, but that would have been enough for me in this case (weighting the rope wasn't a suitable option because the 80M were out which made the stretch pretty crazy).

You can do that with an assortment of gear... but I feel like the connect adjust would make it a bit easier.  I can't comment on the CAMP competitor, but I do love the petzl.  I will say though, stick to the single arm. The dual arm is just too bulky and the fixed arm isn't much good imo.  Honestly, if I'm doing a day of sport at the crag and I know I'm going to be setting up and taking down lots of TRs, I bring it along too.  It's a great piece of gear.

'This illuminates one of several advantages to having an installed tether, beyond using it for anchoring and rappelling,  Sadly, some gear needs two hands to remove, and the only good option is to hang.  Doing that on the rope is typically problematic.  Communication can be bad, the rope can run diagonally or over a ceiling, and rope stretch makes it hard to get positioned properly.  Tethering into a piece the second places or a fixed piece is far better.  Trying to do it with makeshift slings is awkward, more time-consuming, and may leave the second in a less than ideal position for working on the gear,  An adjustable tether is a fantastic help in this situation; I'd go so far as to say folks who haven't tried it don't know what they're missing in convenience, efficiency, and energy conservation.

As for the Connect-Adjust, Gina is (sort of) wrong about needing enough purchase to pull slack through the device.  If you can brace your feet on the wall (no holds required), you can winch yourself up into place while weighting the anchor, which is super helpful for getting in position to work on gear.  You can also lower down while weighted if you have a wall to brace your feet against, so you can adjust your position while working.

rgold wrote:

'This illuminates one of several advantages to having an installed tether, beyond using it for anchoring and rappelling,  Sadly, some gear needs two hands to remove, and the only good option is to hang.  Doing that on the rope is typically problematic.  Communication can be bad, the rope can run diagonally or over a ceiling, and rope stretch makes it hard to get positioned properly.  Tethering into a piece the second places or a fixed piece is far better.  Trying to do it with makeshift slings is awkward, more time-consuming, and may leave the second in a less than ideal position for working on the gear,  An adjustable tether is a fantastic help in this situation; I'd go so far as to say folks who haven't tried it don't know what they're missing in convenience, efficiency, and energy conservation.

As for the Connect-Adjust, Gina is (sort of) wrong about needing enough purchase to pull slack through the device.  If you can brace your feet on the wall (no holds required), you can winch yourself up into place while weighting the anchor, which is super helpful for getting in position to work on gear.  You can also lower down while weighted if you have a wall to brace your feet against, so you can adjust your position while working.

That's a quality correction.  It does work based on the friction of kinking the rope as opposed to teeth gripping onto it like progress capture devices so at the right angle, you can shift it while weighted.  

I'm still a bit newer to trad leading. Only doing lower moderates and haven't lead anything above 5 pitches myself. I'm sure more technically experienced climbers have various solutions for the things a connect adjust can do, but I think for someone newer to long multipitch routes, it's just insanely handy.

And yeah, I know OP already made his choice, but it's not like no one else will ever view this thread for information.

I apologize if this has been asked upthread. I didn't go through all pages and don't blame me for MP not entertaining my "Show All" request.

Does anyone know if the 2021 version of Petzl Connect Adjust (blue rope) is any different from the original (orange rope)? I've had and enjoyed my original one for years. It never leaves my harness. A few partners got converted to it too.

I also have the Dual Connect (for aid climbing). I like the smaller rope in that one. If the new blue rope is the same as what was in Dual Connect, I'd considered the "upgrade" and get the 2021 version. But really, Petzl Connect Adjust has been perfect for all the good reasons already laid out by others.

Mei pronounced as May wrote:

I apologize if this has been asked upthread. I didn't go through all pages and don't blame me for MP not entertaining my "Show All" request.

Does anyone know if the 2021 version of Petzl Connect Adjust (blue rope) is any different from the original (orange rope)? I've had and enjoyed my original one for years. It never leaves my harness. A few partners got converted to it too.

I also have the Dual Connect (for aid climbing). I like the smaller rope in that one. If the new blue rope is the same as what was in Dual Connect, I'd considered the "upgrade" and get the 2021 version. But really, Petzl Connect Adjust has been perfect for all the good reasons already laid out by others.

I have the orange dual and the blue single and I didn't notice a difference between them other than the number of arms.

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the best tactic for extending while weighting the Adjust is to pull on the "brake" side, and then right before you actually pull through more rope, tilt the cam and lower yourself down, extending the length.

Also, changing out rope can be done very easily. The cam will last a really long time, through many rope changes. 

Gina Schaefer wrote:

I have the orange dual and the blue single and I didn't notice a difference between them other than the number of arms.

My bad. I got the name wrong. There are three Petzl adjustable lanyards I pay attention to, which are most relevant to rock climbing, and they are:

1. Connect Adjust - single adjustable leg. One of the best climbing gear invented. 
2. Dual Connect Adjust - one adjustable leg and one fixed leg (Should have been name "1.5 Connect Adjust"). Personally, I see zero benefit (and plenty of downside) of this over Connect Adjust.  I'd cut the fixed leg off if I owned one. While rappelling, I use a sling for rappel device extension.
3. Evolv Adjust - two symmetrical adjustable legs. Designed for aid climbing. In my mind, it's as "dual" as it gets, so I in my earlier post, when I said Dual, I meant this one. Petzl messed up their naming, IMHO.

Yes, the first two use the beefier rope and the third one uses a smaller rope, which to me is actually perfect. If the 2021 version of Connect Adjust moves to the smaller rope, I'd buy it. For people who say swapping out ropes is easy, you are not wrong, but you are also not the first one to think of it. To me, it's just not worth it. I do like the clean/secure stitching in the factory lanyard. It looks aesthetic and is of a profile as small as it gets.

As for my Evolv Adjust, I was annoyed by the insanely long tails, which I'd never get to use (only needed for hardcore high end aid climbing by tall people), so I actually took it to a professional cobbler and had the tails shortened for my own customization. He did a good job stitching the ends to emulate the factory finish, but it does not look the same. In this case, I'm fine with sacrificing a little aesthetic appeal for practicality.

Mei pronounced as May wrote:

My bad. I got the name wrong. There are three Petzl adjustable lanyards I pay attention to, which are most relevant to rock climbing, and they are:

1. Connect Adjust - single adjustable leg. One of the best climbing gear invented. 
2. Dual Connect Adjust - one adjustable leg and one fixed leg (Should have been name "1.5 Connect Adjust"). Personally, I see zero benefit (and plenty of downside) of this over Connect Adjust.  I'd cut the fixed leg off if I owned one. While rappelling, I use a sling for rappel device extension.
3. Evolv Adjust - two symmetrical adjustable legs. Designed for aid climbing. In my mind, it's as "dual" as it gets, so I in my earlier post, when I said Dual, I meant this one. Petzl messed up their naming, IMHO.

Yes, the first two use the beefier rope and the third one uses a smaller rope, which to me is actually perfect. If the 2021 version of Connect Adjust moves to the smaller rope, I'd buy it. For people who say swapping out ropes is easy, you are not wrong, but you are also not the first one to think of it. To me, it's just not worth it. I do like the clean/secure stitching in the factory lanyard. It looks aesthetic and is of a profile as small as it gets.

 (image found on the Web)

As for my Evolv Adjust, I was annoyed by the insanely long tails, which I'd never get to use (only needed for hardcore high end aid climbing by tall people), so I actually took it to a professional cobbler and had the tails shortened for my own customization. He did a good job stitching the ends to emulate the factory finish, but it does not look the same. In this case, I'm fine with sacrificing a little aesthetic appeal for practicality.

2. - No need for an extra sling, just tie a clove hitch in the rope below the adjustable biner and put your biner with the rappel device in that. I do agree that the 'dual' is fairly pointless for climbing and the naming scheme is terrible.  They probably should have gone with connect adjust, connect adjust plus, and dual.

I was unaware that the evolv uses a thinner rope. my "dual" (or 1.5 :p ) connect adjust is probably about 5yrs old and I just bought the single (the blue one in the picture you showed) this year. I didn't notice a difference in the rope diameter using them. I'll have to get them side by side and show you a picture. Though honestly, you're the first person I've heard complain about the rope diameter in this particular device.

Brocky wrote:

Slightly slimmer would be a spliced rope, can almost get as close as the sewn.

Why not just tie a knot on the brake side? Whats the point of going through the trouble of making it "slimmer" if you are going to to add a extra carabiner to it?

A splice is stronger than a sewn, which is stronger than a knot.  This configuration has the Adjust connected to the harness, could use a soft shackle instead of the bottom carabiner for the soft connection of the girth hitch of the original.  This configuration also allows the climber to get farther than just arms length, and still be able to adjust the Adjust.

Brocky wrote:

A splice is stronger than a sewn, which is stronger than a knot.  This configuration has the Adjust connected to the harness, could use a soft shackle instead of the bottom carabiner for the soft connection of the girth hitch of the original.  This configuration also allows the climber to get farther than just arms length, and still be able to adjust the Adjust.

Ahh! If it's worn backwards, two carabiners make sense, otherwise it's just adding unnecessary weight.

I’m interested in Brocky’s setup but am not getting it, Brock’s can you further explain or image demo it on a harness/anchorI have the connect adjust though I do wish it moved a bit smoother and was way longer. 

Brocky wrote:

Slightly slimmer would be a spliced rope, can almost get as close as the sewn... A splice is stronger than a sewn, which is stronger than a knot.  This configuration has the Adjust connected to the harness, could use a soft shackle instead of the bottom carabiner for the soft connection of the girth hitch of the original.  This configuration also allows the climber to get farther than just arms length, and still be able to adjust the Adjust.

Neat! Kudos for the smart customization to better your own experience. Personally, even if I could do that good of a job splicing the rope, I know I would not like this configuration (for myself only apparently). 1) Whether using a biner or a soft shackle to connect to the harness, the Adjust biner will be close to the harness. I can imagine it might sometimes get in the way of the belaying rope/setup. Not too big of a deal, but it's never a problem with the original. 2) Now you have a very long tail to "carry". 3) There has not been a single anchor that I could not extend by using my climbing rope or slings to bring the clipping point within my arm length wherever I end up being and the Petzl Connect Adjust is used for the fine tuning of a comfortable position for me.

I'm curious:

1. How DO YOU carry that long tail, Brocky? 

2. I had to look up "splice climbing rope" and found this very impressive video. I didn't plan to but I ended up watching all the 12+ minutes of it without fast forwarding and found it mesmerizing. It's a craft; it's an art! What the guy achieved in those 12+ minutes might take me a life time and thousands of feet of climbing rope (if all I had for instructions was that one video). Was that you (Brocky=Pro Tree)? Your photo looks different, I assume you did a beautiful job of splicing the rope, but only wrapped the splice to further reinforce/anchor the splice point? 

3. I can't tell. What's the stopper at the end of that long tail? If another splice, I'd worry about it slip through the Adjust point; if a knot, I'd worry about it getting wedged in some crack when I'm climbing. 

4. Seriously, did you really find this configuration head and shoulder above the original for yourself, or did you do it just for the fun of it, Brocky? Regardless, impressive!

Gina Schaefer wrote:

2. - No need for an extra sling, just tie a clove hitch in the rope below the adjustable biner and put your biner with the rappel device in that.

What I meant was: I ALWAYS have at least one sling on me and when rappelling, that's what I use for extension and it's very comfortable. It's not an extra sling I need just for rappelling. I believe we both agree that there is no need for the extra fixed leg in the "1.5 Connect Adjust" (aka the misnamed Dual Connect Adjust). 

However, I'm not seeing the picture you described. "Tie a clove hitch in the rope below the adjustable biner." What is this "rope" you are talking about? You don't mean the free tail in the Connect Adjust (without a fixed leg), do you? You certainly are not talking about the rappel rope as that should be completely separate from your personal tether in a multi-pitch rappel scenario. Anyway, not important because I have a perfect setup for myself, but I can't help but being curious. Edit: Never mind. I only just saw in earlier pages (again, MP does not provide a "View All" option) a demonstration of what you were talking about. It will not work for the efficient multipitch rappel system that my partner and I employ, but I can see it used very occasionally when the conditions are right. 

I think the Connect Adjust with 2 legs are very convenient on multi pitch ice where you might need to change the load from a screw to something else, or when it is just more convenient to load rappel on a separate strand. It not something I carry for every climb, but in certain settings it's definitely worth the weight and more importantly bulk.

1.This was a quick wrap, the loop can clip to the loose carabiner, or another biner on harness.

2. Splicing is fun, not always successful, the chopped off eyes were “learning experiences”.  That is an older splice, the wrapping, called whipping is to keep the cover tight against the rope, no room inside for it. The double eye hitch is a recent example of a better method.  The splicing video you linked is not the best, almost threw up when he used the cork screw.

3. No stopper, in my use going off the end wouldn’t be catastrophic.

4. I need the extra length and shortening is like tending a friction hitch, same motion.

Last piece is also older, but something similar could be used to extend the device to a comfortable length.