Show us your home-brew Petzl Connect-Adjust (or other) setup

Alex Fletcherwrote:

Asking to clarify, are you saying you use a single strand of 5.5mm cord as your personal life supporting tether?

And just incase I may have misread, you’re also saying that other people being concerned for your life is a bonus of using the aforementioned critical life safety system?

My bad, it's 5mm, not 5.5mm - I misspoke. That's correct, I use a super durable 5mm cord with a technora core that has a breaking strength of ~21kn as my personal life supporting tether and I'm not the only person. In fact, earlier in this thread there's mention of others using 5.5mm Sterling Powercord for their tethers. 

It provides me with a laugh that many folks ignorantly oversimplify in their minds that just because something is thinner, it is somehow not safe despite having done zero research on the matter. It's not for the sake of "trolling" people by scaring them with a thin super strong cord, it's just unfortunate that there is baseless fear in a lot of climbing gear.

If maxim cord is that strong, so be it, I just hope it’s being closely inspected and replaced frequently.

You all know what happened to Todd Skinner.

Worn out soft goods are dangerous and skinny soft goods wear out faster.

I’ve watched my sun shirts, boots, backpacks, and tents became faded from UV exposure.

I have worn out and retired many harnesses, core shot cordelettes, broken sun bleached anchors under less than body weight, and even once pulled my hollow block to break in my bare hands.

Strong gear is fine when it’s new but if it’s a soft good it’s going to need to be replaced at intervals. 

Cole Ingwrote:

LOL everyone got triggered all at once

It was not my goal to get everyone flustered but that seems to be my end result 

Alex Fletcherwrote:

If maxim cord is that strong, so be it, I just hope it’s being closely inspected and replaced frequently.

You all know what happened to Todd Skinner.

Worn out soft goods are dangerous and skinny soft goods wear out faster.

I’ve watched my sun shirts, boots, backpacks, and tents became faded from UV exposure.

I have worn out and retired many harnesses, core shot cordelettes, broken sun bleached anchors under less than body weight, and even once pulled my hollow block to break in my bare hands.

Strong gear is fine when it’s new but if it’s a soft good it’s going to need to be replaced at intervals. 

100% dude, it's a good reminder and I'm with you - it's critical for us all to be inspecting our soft goods on a frequent basis and erring on the side of caution when it comes to retiring them if there's any doubt. Avoiding tying the fig8/bowline/etc. in the exact same spot and reinforcing the tie in point with webbing are easy safety precautions to implement as well.

Max Rwrote:

Bit of a thread grave dig, but i’m stoked on my new setup. These are Amazon knock offs of the connect clamp. Nearly identical to the petzls. Allegedly rated to 9kn. Using 8.5mm beal opera, cloved to a petzl cock ring. Super smooth releasing. Probably going to put some cord through the eyes.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0GH7TZS5Y?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Hey bro. I am rocking something similar. Instead of the clove hitch on the cock ring, try an alpine butterfly with a tiny loop. This lets it slide/rotate well on the ring. 

John Shultzwrote:

Hey bro. I am rocking something similar. Instead of the clove hitch on the cock ring, try an alpine butterfly with a tiny loop. This lets it slide/rotate well on the ring. 

Good tip i’ll try that. The clove is a little weird. I mostly bought these knock off connects to play with because i was curious. Going to see if i can find someone to pull test one of them. 

Max Rwrote:

Good tip i’ll try that. The clove is a little weird. I mostly bought these knock off connects to play with because i was curious. Going to see if i can find someone to pull test one of them. 

Nice, hombre. Is that pic from the West Face of the Monkey's Face? That's good mini-big wall climbing. I wanna get back there and bivy in the cave this year.

Quinn and I have discovered we can ditch the Alfifi with the smoothness of the modified Adjust setup. We generally clip one side to our harness, waiting in reserve, and then just use the other side like an Alfifi. You get the benefit of being leashless, but you're much less likely to drop anything because you're clipping with a carabiner. It's honestly just at good, IMHO. It makes your whole system so much more streamlined and lighter. Oh, and Quinn is rocking the same type of units as you, like the purple ones.

Tanner Jameswrote:

Alex Fletcherwrote: 

Hey Alex, yes that’s correct. The Maxim tech cord is rated to 4700lbs (21kn) and the technora core and polyester sheath makes it extremely abrasion resistant. It’s actually a chore in itself to cut the cord even with scissors which is nice to see. I understand the optics can be unsettling but I can’t justify something thicker just because it seems weird when the numbers dictate otherwise

The aramid core is self abrasive, the knot and girth hitch would be of some concern, but the 180 degree bend around the carabiner, especially if the wear is concentrated in a small area of the rope, would greatly accelerate the internal abrasion.

Hollowblocs probably break so quickly because the inside surfaces of the tube rub against each other, along with the braids against each other.

Roughly 3mm of core wouldn’t take long to part, plus aramids give no advance warning of weakening, no fuzzing or thinning, plus it’s hidden inside the cover.

Brockywrote:

The aramid core is self abrasive, the knot and girth hitch would be of some concern, but the 180 degree bend around the carabiner, especially if the wear is concentrated in a small area of the rope, would greatly accelerate the internal abrasion.

Hollowblocs probably break so quickly because the inside surfaces of the tube rub against each other, along with the braids against each other.

Roughly 3mm of core wouldn’t take long to part, plus aramids give no advance warning of weakening, no fuzzing or thinning, plus it’s hidden inside the cover.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's a few significant claims being made without citing a source. I'd sincerely like to check out this information if you've got it

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's a few significant claims being made without citing a source. I'd sincerely like to check out this information if you've got it

In the late eighties, Chouinard or Black Diamond started selling Kevlar cord for slinging hexes. It was eventually found to drastically weaken after repeated flexing crumbled the brittle aramid fibers hidden inside the nylon sheath. Reports of similar problems of using Kevlar cord in sailing applications had already surfaced. In response, BD eventually came out with Gemini cord, cored with a blend of Technora (aramid) and Spectra (dyneema), which was similarly lightweight and strong. The manufacturer of Technora claims that it can withstand repeated flexing, but the tests Mr Rogers posts (below) contradict this claim. I recall a recent MP thread in which the brittle nature of aramid cord was discussed. 

Article from CMC pro on flex fatigue of aramid fibers.

Brockywrote:

The aramid core is self abrasive, the knot and girth hitch would be of some concern, but the 180 degree bend around the carabiner, especially if the wear is concentrated in a small area of the rope, would greatly accelerate the internal abrasion.

Hollowblocs probably break so quickly because the inside surfaces of the tube rub against each other, along with the braids against each other.

Roughly 3mm of core wouldn’t take long to part, plus aramids give no advance warning of weakening, no fuzzing or thinning, plus it’s hidden inside the cover.

We tie in with an 8 each day and untie at the end to prevent hot spots, have never used a girth hitch. The abrasion around the carabiner where it’s pinching is not consistent either as it’s spread out over the length of the cord as is its function as an adjustable PAS. I change out my cord every year and have had no issues or concerns of any kind in regards to durability. As long as you’re inspecting it as any other soft good I don’t see a reason why this would be a different.

ETA if anyone’s interested I’m happy to send you a used cord after a years wear to test and share results 

Tanner Jameswrote:

We tie in with an 8 each day and untie at the end to prevent hot spots, have never used a girth hitch. The abrasion around the carabiner where it’s pinching is not consistent either as it’s spread out over the length of the cord as is its function as an adjustable PAS. I change out my cord every year and have had no issues or concerns of any kind in regards to durability. As long as you’re inspecting it as any other soft good I don’t see a reason why this would be a different.

ETA if anyone’s interested I’m happy to send you a used cord after a years wear to test and share results 

Yup I'll make the same offer with mine

Tanner Jameswrote:

We tie in with an 8 each day and untie at the end to prevent hot spots, have never used a girth hitch. The abrasion around the carabiner where it’s pinching is not consistent either as it’s spread out over the length of the cord as is its function as an adjustable PAS. I change out my cord every year and have had no issues or concerns of any kind in regards to durability. As long as you’re inspecting it as any other soft good I don’t see a reason why this would be a different.

ETA if anyone’s interested I’m happy to send you a used cord after a years wear to test and share results 

Biggest issue is many people don't do move their tie in around or inspect the hot spots. Just blind faith in the material and strength and no time of use retirement. You are doing things right Mr. James.

TOU retirement is a responsible way to go about safety with super skinny cords that use technora cores, which you do.
Tehcnoras self abrasion is a known concern in the performer flying world and TOU is standard for retirement, and in many cases is a 1 and done scenario for higher budget operations, or more accurately- higher net worth talent.

Is it something to be worried bout in the real world of PAS use by the climbing community? IDK.
But the known drastic reduction in technoras strength through flex fatigue, is a well known property of this aramid.

John Shultzwrote:

Nice, hombre. Is that pic from the West Face of the Monkey's Face? That's good mini-big wall climbing. I wanna get back there and bivy in the cave this year.

Quinn and I have discovered we can ditch the Alfifi with the smoothness of the modified Adjust setup. We generally clip one side to our harness, waiting in reserve, and then just use the other side like an Alfifi. You get the benefit of being leashless, but you're much less likely to drop anything because you're clipping with a carabiner. It's honestly just at good, IMHO. It makes your whole system so much more streamlined and lighter. Oh, and Quinn is rocking the same type of units as you, like the purple ones.

Sure is! The first pitch crack is wicked. Next time I'm going to bring my TRS setup to try it. That sounds like a good system so long as they release smooth. Planning on climbing Virginia in April and I'll have to try it. Even though I am emotionally attatched to my alfifi. I'll have to drop Quinn a message. Glad to hear they haven't exploded on him yet!

Alex Fletcherwrote:

If maxim cord is that strong, so be it, I just hope it’s being closely inspected and replaced frequently.

You all know what happened to Todd Skinner.

Worn out soft goods are dangerous and skinny soft goods wear out faster.

I’ve watched my sun shirts, boots, backpacks, and tents became faded from UV exposure.

I have worn out and retired many harnesses, core shot cordelettes, broken sun bleached anchors under less than body weight, and even once pulled my hollow block to break in my bare hands.

Strong gear is fine when it’s new but if it’s a soft good it’s going to need to be replaced at intervals.

Ultralight == ultra short service lifetime.

Dudes who optimize for weight uber alles are either gonna spend a TON of money constantly replacing their gear -- or more likely, edging closer and closer to disaster without realizing it.

But if there's anything that triggers the UL cultists, it's pointing out that they're only optimizing for ONE variable, in an equation where there's clearly more than one variable.

Ryan Lynchwrote:

Ultralight == ultra short service lifetime.

Dudes who optimize for weight uber alles are either gonna spend a TON of money constantly replacing their gear -- or more likely, edging closer and closer to disaster without realizing it.

But if there's anything that triggers the UL cultists, it's pointing out that they're only optimizing for ONE variable, in an equation where there's clearly more than one variable.

Shrug. I'm not a UL cultist and I don't feel triggered. I just like my low bulk tether and I accept the risk and responsibility that comes with using my chosen method. 

Ryan Lynchwrote:

Ultralight == ultra short service lifetime.

Dudes who optimize for weight uber alles are either gonna spend a TON of money constantly replacing their gear -- or more likely, edging closer and closer to disaster without realizing it.

But if there's anything that triggers the UL cultists, it's pointing out that they're only optimizing for ONE variable, in an equation where there's clearly more than one variable.

Out of curiosity, do you use the term “sheeple”?

Max Rwrote:

Good tip i’ll try that. The clove is a little weird. I mostly bought these knock off connects to play with because i was curious. Going to see if i can find someone to pull test one of them. 

Would be curious for a pull test but also a system that only sees body weight and is advertised around 8 kn I wouldn’t be too worried, more how it interacts with the cord 

Slim Pickenswrote:

Out of curiosity, do you use the term “sheeple”?

Yes, but only in relation to the Sheep-Human hybrids which offend both nature and God.