prusiking with dyneema slings

i'd avoid using dyn/spectra for anything involving friction (unless you're in a bind--then i'd consider chucking it)....i scored some "technora" off a guy in vegas....essentially a kevlar-like sheath over nylon core....can't burn/melt the sheath, strength of nylon core--perfect prussik material!

The klemheist is advantageous for uni-directional travel. Two initial examples might be:

1) Travel on a fixed line where the rapid removal of the sling in necessary to re-affix it beyond a hard knot/bolt, such as fixed lines/j-lines on 4th class traversing terrain.

2) In a rescue situation as some sort of progress capture, such as a ratchet on your haul system if managing a site from above, or as a progress capture hitch if ascending a rope for a counter-balanced ascent to a stuck climber when used in tandem with the gri-gri.

That said, I think dyneems and spectra are horrible materials to use for these applications because of both their static nature (read:low-elongation), and for their low heat tolerance (read:they melt easier). I use either nylon or cordelette for and klemheist I might tie. Sometimes I'll use hollow-block, but it tends to bind up, as mentioned above. Hollow block however does make a great third-hand for rappelling.

Jesse Davidson wrote:I carry little 7mm prusik slings when I'm on multipitch just in case I need em for something. I use 24" mammut dyneema extendos, and was wondering if anyone has any experience trying to prusik with these things so maybe I can forgo that one extra thing on my harness.

Again - prussiking with a material that has low tolerance to elongation and heat means that any significant dynamic load nearing a factor 2 fall, or one that absorbs much heat of any kind might melt your dyneema/spectra. Now, is it going to just melt apart as you ascend? NO, of course not - but IMHO, nylon is superior.