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Nut tool tethers?

Gunks Jesse · · Shawangunk Township, NY · Joined May 2014 · Points: 111
Tom Sherman wrote: Thread over
Nobody said clip it to the rope while you work. Coil tether, or whatever tether you want, clip it in to the rope or the piece (assuming the piece is still clipped to the rope, but this isn't always practical, especially in a directional scenario - otherwise you might jam it loose and lose the whole thing if you aren't careful), and work away.

Just think it through every time until you get comfortable Old Lady H.
don'tchuffonme · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 26
Ryan7crew wrote:Just don't drop it like the rest of your climbing gear.
Bingo. Not trying to dissuade you, but it's not very practical. It is if your leader is great at placing and never falls and doesn't weld anything in, but that will happen eventually. And if you need to hang at a weird angle and bang a stopper out with a cam or rock or what have you, you'll find that either you need a long, cumbersome piece of cord to get that angle, which is a PITA in and of itself, or, more likely, your cord will be too short. Just don't drop it.
MichaelChad · · Broken Arrow, OK · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 20
Tom Sherman wrote: Why didn't this thread stop when this guy hit the nail on the head? This was a great idea, we all know what it is you need, he called it out as a product. It's cute to say "do or don't use one" but regardless, that's the item. I was fortunate enough to find mine, it's a keeper cord for a casino card, apparently the ladies at the slots can clip it to them and still swipe.... Anyway I have the keeper so I can intentionally drop my tool. Used a spare lightweight nano here, cuz otherwise your wasting weight. If your bail biner isn't light you'll notice it feels stupid on your harness pretty quick. Last useless criticism I have to offer: nut tool with wiregate clipper, and wiregate biner, you can attach keeper keyring to the gates, that way theres no chance of them coming off. Cuz if your keeper pops off while your doing your thing, than its even more useless. Can pics if you want... Thread over
Thanks, but I think there were some thoughtful and valid views after it, including yours.

To be fair, I use a harness with an extra ice tool carrier loop between the front/rear gear loops (Corax); where I rack my nut tool and a few other things on a biner that doesn't come off with the tool, and doesn't get mixed up with everything else. I think the tether would drive me crazy if I were racking it amidst my other gear. Were I to use another harness, I think I'd go back to racking it bare and just don't drop it, which frankly worked fine. I've never dropped it anyway.
csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330

I've never dropped a nut tool while holding it, but I've had one (and maybe 2, never knew for sure about the 2nd) come unclipped from my harness.

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492

I imagine we'll keep debating this until Arcteryx comes out with a $35.95 tether.

(Or DMM, Grivel etc...)

Tico · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 0

The lightest nut tools weigh less than a lot of these tether ideas.

Optimistic · · New Paltz · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 450
Gunks Jesse wrote: Nobody said clip it to the rope while you work.
Yeah, why didn't anyone suggest that? ;)
aikibujin · · Castle Rock, CO · Joined Oct 2014 · Points: 300

In the interest of having dual purpose gear on me, I use a long piece of 6mm (or 5mm? I forget...) cord for my tether. One end is tied directly to the nut tool, on the other end I tie a rather large figure-8 on a bight. When I’m seconding, the tether is attached to the climbing rope by tying a prussik knot or klemheist using that figure-8 on a bight. This allows me to slide the tether up or down the rope in front of me as needed, and the 6mm cord is long enough to reach gear placement on either side of me. When I need an actual prussik, I tie this piece of cord into a loop and voila! It is potentially more annoying to have this long cord getting in the way in front of you when you’re climbing, but this way I’m not carrying a prussik that dangles on my harness uselessly most of the time.

Luc-514 · · Montreal, QC · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 12,506

No tether, and if I'm getting pumped I just clip it to the rope, along with the couple pieces I managed to clean but don't have the stamina/stance to clip on my harness yet.

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

To each there own. I say what ever works for the individual is the answer. I carry a nut tool with a tether sometimes and sometimes if I'm on a moderate route I carry a nut tool without.

I don't understand why people say the tether gets in the way. If I'm following I clip the tool and tether to the very front of my harness. As I climb the gear I clean goes behind it. It's only one pitch of gear so it ain't much. If the route is steep I use a sling to clip all pieces I clean. I hang the sling on the opposite side that the nut tool is on. Even less cluster fuck. What am I missing?

James Schroeder · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined May 2002 · Points: 3,166

I roll with some 11/16" webbing tied through the third hole in my nut tool for a few reasons:

1. Tying through the first hole would reduce the bottle-opening utility.
2. It's a section of my first piece of climbing gear from way-back-when - so it's got some sentimental value.
3. It's tied in such a way that I can use the beefiness of two layers of webbing over the "palm end" of the nut tool and can thereby pound on it with my palm and not feel like I'm breaking my hand.
4. I can use it as a "mini-funkness" by using a 'biner clipped to the other end of the webbing as a handle and shocking the tool in the desired direction.

#ShockTheTool

Overview

Third Hole

Pound Town

rocknice2 · · Montreal, QC · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 3,847
Luc wrote:No tether, and if I'm getting pumped I just clip it to the rope, along with the couple pieces I managed to clean but don't have the stamina/stance to clip on my harness yet.
From what I remember Luc, you used to use a tether a few years back. You learned quickly after following a few of my leads... snicker, snicker ..
Luc-514 · · Montreal, QC · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 12,506
rocknice2 wrote: From what I remember Luc, you used to use a tether a few years back. You learned quickly after following a few of my leads... snicker, snicker ..
A 4inch loop of 4mm cord with an accessory biner is not a tether.

Are you leading Erect Direction soon? I'll take pitch 1.
Ashort · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 56

I don't use a tether. If I need to really work on a piece I might clip the tool to a sling.

Lynn Evenson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 60

Piece of flat shoelace tied into the tool at one end and a loop tied into the other end. Clip that loop into a biner. Clip the tool-end loop into the biner, too, to shorten it. Let the whole thing live on your harness. In use, clip it onto the rope, then extend for easy manipulation. Cheap, quick, compact, weightless, functional.

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374
James M Schroeder wrote:I roll with some 11/16" webbing tied through the third hole in my nut tool for a few reasons: 1. Tying through the first hole would reduce the bottle-opening utility. 2. It's a section of my first piece of climbing gear from way-back-when - so it's got some sentimental value. 3. It's tied in such a way that I can use the beefiness of two layers of webbing over the "palm end" of the nut tool and can thereby pound on it with my palm and not feel like I'm breaking my hand. 4. I can use it as a "mini-funkness" by using a 'biner clipped to the other end of the webbing as a handle and shocking the tool in the desired direction. #ShockTheTool
Thanks! I think this is getting in the ball park. I am going to be one of those who wants everything on the harness to do as much as possible, especially if/when you are in a situation where you need every bit of it.

So, as I only have one sling, a second sling wouldn't hurt. Is there a carabiners I will wish I had on my harness down the road? Or, (yes this is ignorant, but I'm new, okay!), are there small biners that will still hold body weight? I've already learned the cleverness of ropes, knots, and minimal hardware, and that you can do just about anything with not much, if you are careful what that "not much" is, and chase after a lot of learning!

For all you advised various key chain type things, you also helped! I'm one of the masses who has to have a security badge on me, yet do pretty active things while it actively tried to attack me. All of your suggestions beat a lanyard by far!

Best, H.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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