Chalk bag belt of cord?

I use a square knot. If you're feeling particularly "belt-and-suspenders" you could use a square knot to get the right length and then back up both tails with a fishermen's for security.

King Tut wrote:

Because the belt with the snap buckle is useless for anything but a chalk bag belt.

Tied cord can be used as a prussik or as a bail sling in any number of ways. Tied through your belay loop it also backs up your harness buckle(s) etc.

Figure out what works for you, but everything you take up a route should ideally have some utility other than it's primary purpose. Some little chalk bag buckle belt is pretty much a one-trick pony.

Yes, I have rapped off my chalk bag cord.

Thank you for the response but that was not what I was getting at. I understand the concept of having cord as a means to carry your bag and as a back up. I was more so asking in what scenario would it be useful. The only plausible scenario I could see is if you were at a hanging belay and somehow fell after handing off ALL your gear to your partner or at the very end of an overhanging pitch on which you used every piece of gear you had. The idea of it backing up you harness seems a bit of a stretch to me....not that it couldn't in theory but if you need a piece of cord to back up your harness you need a new harness. It's early though and I havent had coffee.

my favorite material to use for a chalk bag belt (as well as the waist belt for my pants) is that 1/2" light weight webbing.  it's very light and not bulky.  i use a 9 foot piece folded in half for the belt.  so, this gives me a total of 18 feet of bail material at very little weight penalty (i would have needed both belts anyway).  this has come in very handy on a lot of alpine routes that have complicated descents.

I use webbing with a couple rap rings configured like a quick adjust harness.  Gives me everything I might need for replacing tat, and I won't forget to bring it with me.

Mike Brady wrote:

Thank you for the response but that was not what I was getting at. I understand the concept of having cord as a means to carry your bag and as a back up. I was more so asking in what scenario would it be useful. The only plausible scenario I could see is if you were at a hanging belay and somehow fell after handing off ALL your gear to your partner or at the very end of an overhanging pitch on which you used every piece of gear you had. The idea of it backing up you harness seems a bit of a stretch to me....not that it couldn't in theory but if you need a piece of cord to back up your harness you need a new harness. It's early though and I havent had coffee.

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking but I will expand a little bit...

The cord itself is useful precisely because it is strong enough for anything (6mm), but cheap enough to be one of the first bits of kit left behind.

It is **always** useful to have something ideal as a prussik on your person. This can be used to escape the belay by lowering the force onto it, or used to ascend a rope, or back up a steep and unknown rappel or be used in other rescue techniques (tending pullies etc).

Anchoring oneself with a bit of sling (looped flake/knob/branch) is also always useful. I do always have some tied runners on the rack, but the second should always have one of **something** at all times that can be untied and then tied into something else, imo. You can't always clip into some mank, having something on hand at all times that can be threaded is handy and 6mm cord is ideal.

A bit of cord may uniquely be ideal (jam a knot, thread a hole etc). Having sling material of different thicknesses is the same idea, they make different thickness knots that can be jammed.

Backing up the harness is something I have carried over from "BITD" from before the first harnesses came out that even used buckles and we only used tied. We didn't trust buckles and I still don't completely. You may have to just ignore this but if you have hung in space for 5 days on El Cap this idea of having redundancy for everything can creep into your thinking and its hard to get it out. Same with belay loops. My bigwall harness has it backed up too....This idea that you should "just replace it" really doesn't carry water (to me) given the wear that big walls put on harnesses and belay loops. Every modern big wall harness has extra reinforcement  of the belay loop for just this reason and on day 3 I don't want to be concerned about harness wear...cause you can't replace it then. Of course, modern testing of belay loops shows much of this is mostly unfounded...now that tests of partially cut belay loops are published...40 years after they were first introduced...

So much of this is being old school and brought up in the day when **everything** was tied, rather than sewn or buckled. It may just be old habits die hard, but you also end up with a "bag of tricks" that tied runners allow that I think the sewn runner generation doesn't have.... And if you have added countless slings to rap anchors over the years you like having one more thing that can be tied into what-have-you rather than having to use two sewn runners to get into both bolts, for example. You almost never have too many slings to leave behind in the Alpine of course..

Pretty much none of this applies to Sport-wanking (as much fun as it is) of course. One old crank's experience on the random trad routes.

Guy Keesee wrote:

Mike Mellenthin wrote:

I've lost two chalk bags to square knots in cord coming undone in OW, but maybe I'm also just stupid.

I lost one just rapping.

I ended up taking 3/8 tubular webbing and sewing on regular buckle ends. Ease of use and still have full strength webbing if need be and just leave the buckles. 

King Tut wrote:

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking but I will expand a little bit...

The cord itself is useful precisely because it is strong enough for anything (6mm), but cheap enough to be one of the first bits of kit left behind.

It is **always** useful to have something ideal as a prussik on your person. This can be used to escape the belay by lowering the force onto it, or used to ascend a rope, or back up a steep and unknown rappel or be used in other rescue techniques (tending pullies etc).

Anchoring oneself with a bit of sling (looped flake/knob/branch) is also always useful. I do always have some tied runners on the rack, but the second should always have one of **something** at all times that can be untied and then tied into something else, imo. You can't always clip into some mank, having something on hand at all times that can be threaded is handy and 6mm cord is ideal.

A bit of cord may uniquely be ideal (jam a knot, thread a hole etc). Having sling material of different thicknesses is the same idea, they make different thickness knots that can be jammed.

Backing up the harness is something I have carried over from "BITD" from before the first harnesses came out that even used buckles and we only used tied. We didn't trust buckles and I still don't completely. You may have to just ignore this but if you have hung in space for 5 days on El Cap this idea of having redundancy for everything can creep into your thinking and its hard to get it out. Same with belay loops. My bigwall harness has it backed up too....This idea that you should "just replace it" really doesn't carry water (to me) given the wear that big walls put on harnesses and belay loops. Every modern big wall harness has extra reinforcement  of the belay loop for just this reason and on day 3 I don't want to be concerned about harness wear...cause you can't replace it then. Of course, modern testing of belay loops shows much of this is mostly unfounded...now that tests of partially cut belay loops are published...40 years after they were first introduced...

So much of this is being old school and brought up in the day when **everything** was tied, rather than sewn or buckled. It may just be old habits die hard, but you also end up with a "bag of tricks" that tied runners allow that I think the sewn runner generation doesn't have.... And if you have added countless slings to rap anchors over the years you like having one more thing that can be tied into what-have-you rather than having to use to sewn runners to get into both bolts, for example. You almost never have too many slings to leave behind in the Alpine of course..

Pretty much none of this applies to Sport-wanking (as much fun as it is) of course. One old crank's experience on the random trad routes.

Thank you for the non-flame thorough response. I guess the length of your casualty free career speaks for itself :) 

gavinsmith wrote:

I actually have a double fisherman tied at just the right length so that I can put it on with the knot 'tightened', and then pull the halves of the fisherman apart to tighten it a bit around my waist. It's been tied for a couple years or more and I've never had to anything beyond pulling it apart and back together when I put it on/take it off.

+1 here

Mike Brady wrote:

 I guess the length of your casualty free career speaks for itself :) 

I could just as easily be dead 3 or 4 times over with very close calls.

It makes you old. :)

Kyle Tarry wrote:

I have done it the way Gavin and John describe, using the double fishermans as a length adjuster and never untying the loop.

However, I have gone back to just using the webbing with buckle that comes with the chalk bag in 99% of situations.  I have plenty of slings/webbing/cord on me anyway (draws, slings, anchor material, etc.) to bail on, and the weight savings is just inconsequential, so I don't bother.

In situations where I am likely to need to build rap anchors (first ascents, obscure alpine climbs, etc.), I just make sure I carry some cord or webbing, either on my harness or in my pack.  I find that for most climbing, this isn't necessary.

Yep. If I'm heading deep in the alpine I might drop the belt and use cord to save a couple ounces, but otherwise it's just much easier to use a buckle. In the event I need a surprise desperate rap at the local crag I'll use some tat off my harness or choke up the $ for a replacement sling.

I have used a cord to hold the chalk bag for many years and on at least 3 occasions it was very convenient and once very important. I also carry a cold shut or leaver carabiner.

I wrote on MP about the crucial incident once before but don’t have time to search for it now. We had climbed a short moderate route that had a 3rd class down climb. A sudden lightning storm blew in. The heavy rain blocked off the down climb. We were able to thread the cord through a hole and make an immediate rappel from a dangerous situation-lightning striking the top of the cliff. It would have been difficult to get other material through the hole.

Thanks to those suggesting better ways to tie the cord.

Rob.calm

I just always wear pants / harness that has a loop on the back and clip it in with a biner.

Uz da liquid chalk and go bouldering. Profit!

you tried hitting the gym's lost and found? bet you can grab a chalk bag belt from there