Adjustable personal tether, releasable under load?

Gunkiemikewrote:

Question - with all these viable options, are aid climbers using something like this as adjustable daisies?

Aid climbers are all over the board with adjustable daisies.  Some use the Petzl Evolv Adjust, some the Metolius Easy Daisy, and some go daisy-less + an Alfifi.  There are positives and drawbacks to every system, so you should consider what you plan on doing and how comfortable you are doing it.  

Personally, I use the Evolv Adjust because of the dynamic rope and it being rated for being a personal anchor system.  I also have a fifi so I don't have to adjust the Adjusts all the time.  The only thing I would advise is to attach the tether to the aider hand loop rather than the aider carabiner.  The Adjust can get wedged if you have it on the aider carabiner and it becomes a pain to release.

I've seen a pic of a modified Petzl Connect Adjust. Dude drilled a hole in the hardware through which he threaded a thin loop of cord. Pull the cord, lengthen the tether. Totally not the intent of Petzl, buuuuuut sounds good.

The two Michoacans were easier to tie, Stichts will work. The tenders are part of the hitch and chain links replace the rap ring for compactness.

Scott Gilliamwrote:

I've seen a pic of a modified Petzl Connect Adjust. Dude drilled a hole in the hardware through which he threaded a thin loop of cord. Pull the cord, lengthen the tether. Totally not the intent of Petzl, buuuuuut sounds good.

I have one side of my Petzl Evolv Adjust rigged similarly only I skipped the drilling part.  I used a very stiff, thin cord (something like 2mm) tied tightly against the device with a loop to grab or clip a biner to for releasing the device.  Haven’t tested it out yet and the cord diameter may prove to be problematic due to durability.  If it works I’ll try replacing it with 3mm or 4mm cord to see if there is enough room for those to fit without the lanyard cord rubbing against them. 

Has anyone used the Climbing Technology Tuner I or the Fixe Manso? Both are essentially the Connect Adjust, but appear to be releasable under load. I've seen hints around the internet, but never one actually available for purchase or in real life. Curious if I should wait for one of those or pick up a Connect Adjust. Thanks!

I had not seen this thread when I posted this configuration separately.  Under load the rope pulls smoothy through the Slyde, and it's compact and light.  I like the fact that if the hitch cord is cut the stopper knot will still catch.  So far I have not had the friction hitch bind, allowing me to release it under load, but I believe Brocky that it will "eventually bind up with use."  What's the least bulky way to improve this so that it will always release under load, without giving up the ease of shortening under load that I already have?

Methods considered:

Brockywrote: The friction hitch is clipped to your harness and tied to a separate rope that goes to the anchor and then comes back and is clipped to your harness. The two ropes going from the anchor and the climber allows the lanyard to be lengthen under load as both share the load. This isn't possible with just a single rope. Ideally at the anchor would be a pulley on a carabiner to improve the bend ratio but just a carabiner or ring would work.

This looks good for limb walks but I think it is too bulky for a simple short tether.

Brockywrote:

The Sticht Hitch looks like it will not shorten under load as easily but I don't have the smaller ring used to configure it.  Can the rope be folded across that ring and pulled smoothy, or does it slip to the side?

Webfootwrote:

I had not seen this thread when I posted this configuration separately.  Under load the rope pulls smoothy through the Slyde, and it's compact and light.  I like the fact that if the hitch cord is cut the stopper knot will still catch.  So far I have not had the friction hitch bind, allowing me to release it under load, but I believe Brocky that it will "eventually bind up with use."  What's the least bulky way to improve this so that it will always release under load, without giving up the ease of shortening under load that I already have?

Methods considered:

This looks good for limb walks but I think it is too bulky for a simple short tether.

The Sticht Hitch looks like it will not shorten under load as easily but I don't have the smaller ring used to configure it.  Can the rope be folded across that ring and pulled smoothy, or does it slip to the side?

The Sticht needs the ring in front, but not the tube in back,which only aids shortening.  Not sure what you mean by shortening under load, you would be pulling the rope through a compressed hitch, nearly zero friction.

Beal’s 5.5mm Kevlar cord for comparison, 1” ring from hardware store. Picture at top of post, not my choice of location!

Also would work with the hitch at the anchor point instead of clipped to the harness.

Picture for demonstration only, don’t trust your life to a little velcro strip.

By "shortening under load" I mean with the hitch on the opposite end from my harness, and pulling the tail to lift my body while free hanging. For this a pulley is ideal, giving 2:1, but the Slyde is good enough and smaller/lighter/cheaper.

Picture for previous post, guess I can’t post a picture with quote. The hitch at the anchor would act like a pulley.

Noel Z wrote:

I'm in the EU. The CT Tuner I was available in some online stores for a short time, but is now out of stock. The Fixe is available, but only from very niche stores. Damn that Fixe is elegant looking! The Fixe is €15 cheaper than the CT and Petzl and looks like it isn't so fussy about carabiner choice.

can you point any link to the fixe manso??? it really is low profile and elegant, just dont know if it releases under tension, specially with such small size.

So, for now we basically dont have any of the new devices that allow releasing under load avaible right?? im looking forward to the CT tuner I, or the edelrid switch adjust when/if it becomes avaible.

Purcell Prussik.  

The EDELRID Switch Adjust offers a controlled release while fully loaded.  I used a preproduction version, and it was pretty awesome, although a tad bulky.  Unfortunately the production seems to keep getting bumped.

https://youtu.be/fA3oXv3B2F8?t=118

https://youtu.be/U0CiunpFZQk?t=40

Not sure if it has already been mentioned but, you can make yourself a Purcell Pruski out of cord that does the same thing as the petzl adjust. I have used one for years. 

Thread was too long to read if the Yates Adjustable Daisy has been mentioned, but many of these cannot be released under weight like this one can. Just make sure you have a hand on the slack side so you dont go zipping all the way to the end because these things drop you on the double when you hit that button.

https://www.amazon.com/Yates-Gear-Adjustable-Daisy-Chain/dp/B008TVESZK

Zach Eitenwrote:

Not sure if it has already been mentioned but, you can make yourself a Purcell Pruski out of cord that does the same thing as the petzl adjust. I have used one for years. 

This is my preferred solution.  

Kevin DeWeese wrote:

The early 2000's called and they want their shitty version of adjustable daisy back 

I agree they suck by modern standards, but it's the only thing that fits the bill given that a purcell prusik is no good for him.

Kevin, I'd be interested to learn more about what cord and how you set up the camp swings with it to make them easily adjustable.

I made some DeWeese beta Camp Swing daisies. I used 8.9mm Edelrid Swift Protect single rated rope for the daisies. They work pretty OK but don't release under load nearly as well as the Yates, and seem quite position dependent-- sometimes when fully weighted they release with moderate pressure, and sometimes they require a huge amount of effort to release. Kevin says he used 8.8mm rope I think, so maybe the extra .1mm makes a significant difference? 

I've been using them and most of the time I can remove some weight to release them, but mine at least do not operate nearly as easily as Yates daisies, so I consider them more of a side grade than a true upgrade. They have significant advantages over the Yates but do not release as well when fully weighted. Also it's essentially a single rope going through an ATC in guide mode, so it's incredibly bomber. Would definitely be interested to learn if other ropes work better.