What do you bring in case you epic on route?
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Chalkbag pocket always has knife, e-lite and small lighter. Roll of tape on my chalkbag belt. If I'm carrying a pack up a route there will probably be a small tube of superglue in there instead of a bunch of bandages. |
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My basic "epic proofing" menu: |
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I'm going to look into that chalk bag/pocket idea. Plus, the webbing belt with rap rings pure genius. |
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What I bring depends on the route, how long, how remote, how equipped, mountain or desert, etc---I have no one-size-fits-all kit. The only things I always have, permanently stashed in a zippered chalk bag pocket, are two small prussik loops and a small knife. |
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Rap rings (or an old biner or two) make it easier to pull the rappel. This can be a critical consideration, especially when rappel ropes get soaked in a storm. |
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Extrablue wrote:I guess my comment still stands. You are carrying 'biners already. You can leave them. Carrying rap rings seems unneeded.Personal preference, lots of items could fall into this category. Rap rings are pretty darn light, and carrying 2-3 of them doesn't cost much in terms of weight. No one is saying you have to carry them, just that they do. |
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rgold wrote:...but then a deluge hit and by the time all four people were down the rappel absolutely would not budge.Wet rope friction can be an issue even if the rope is through biners or rap rings if the rope goes over enough rock leaving the anchor, particularly basalt or sandstone, and can be quite a pain. |
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The smc ring in use are everywhere. I have found at least 12 of them in a year... so I have them because they were free. I mostly got them while replacing tat with chain. |
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Extrablue wrote:I guess my comment still stands. You are carrying 'biners already. You can leave them. Carrying rap rings seems unneeded.Lots of folks aren't enthusiastic about leaving an expensive carabiner, maybe two, and if you are in the back-country, sacrificing carabiners off your rack might ruin the trip. So many people will carry something to facilitate pulling the rappel. If they choose an old carabiner, it will probably weigh 2 oz or so, and that's the same as about five SMC descending rings, or ten rings if you have to use two biners with gates reversed. If a long retreat is in the offing, I suspect most climbers would go for the descending rings as by far the most efficient solution. |
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I've had various types of epics and fortunately not the mountain rescue kind. Usually our epics were from being unprepared for descending in the dark and had no more than lighters and decades later cell phones for light. Would have avoided checking if partners brought a flashlight. Rappelling throwing ropes into trees or dropping them into rock fissure cracks were epics with ropes stuck. I had rock protection smarts during thunderstorms because couldn't see what I was doing. First aid kits are bad luck for us and knowing advanced first aid makes our luck. We to bring an ace bandage or two they have many uses. A flatten as a pan cake weigh nothing down jacket and windbreaker pants and hooded jacket also weighs nothing and a couple of 33 gallon trash bags will rainproof enough the body and a hat and scarf in the winter. Its all about getting out best and fast and alpine lightest is safest. Hypothermia didn't happen as long I kept moving or I got to where I could hold up for hours somewhere. Know how to make a fire in the rain and in winter a can of sterno will do wonders on frozen hands. Bring overnight gear and its highly likely it will make you stay overnight. I learned to climb almost anything at night and anchored to the ledge on gear my extra supplies have worked in three seasons. I wear no cotton. Like gummies to keep my mouth wet. Best thing I've brought is my sense of humor. Hiking in bad weather is a great place to learn what is necessary while escape to roadside is easy. |
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powhound84 wrote: I have to think the friction of the wet rope through nylon is far more than if it were run through a rap ring or biner.It is. Through slings wet rope is intractable; with rings over enough rock it is still highly onerous to wrangle - even with jumars or prussicks. Ditto bare on tree trunks. |
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powhound84 wrote: I have to think the friction of the wet rope through nylon is far more than if it were run through a rap ring or biner.That turned out to be the case in our epic. We were able to pull the sodden ropes once a biner was employed. As Joe says, it still wasn't easy though. |
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Ryan-G wrote:Insulation is so lite these days it seems ridiculous not to bring some on longer routes in the mountains.Dead bird nuclei hoody is just a hair under 11 ounces and warm enough that I've used it instead of a sleeping bag during the summer a few times. 80gm synthetic insulation on the body, no stitching through the outside fabric so it blocks wind better than many of the lighter coats. Of course if you have to pay retail, well you're gonna pay. |
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Nick Drake wrote: Dead bird nuclei hoody is just a hair under 11 ounces and warm enough that I've used it instead of a sleeping bag during the summer a few times. 80gm synthetic insulation on the body, no stitching through the outside fabric so it blocks wind better than many of the lighter coats. Of course if you have to pay retail, well you're gonna pay.I usually bring a really cold bag from early spring to fall and rely on my jacket to stay warm as well. Dead Bird? Sounds sweet...but I am not going to buy it, i am not going to buy it...i'll probably buy it.:) |
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This is a really helpful, interesting thread. |
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"DON'T BRING THOSE damn cams," Yvon had grumbled over the phone. "Don't need them. A few stoppers and hexes, that's enough. And don't bring those heavy ten-millimeter ropes. Ridiculous!" |