Does anybody regularly use a Petzl Shunt?

I just picked one of these up last week. I bought it to make my life easier while taking photographs on rappel, and to make rappelling safer for any novice friends that I take out.

I rarely see these on people's racks though, and I'm wondering what people generally use them for other than rappel backups. Does anybody use them for self-belays on TR? An ascender in a pinch? Hauling?

I have a Shunt, well used for all of the above with the exception of hauling. I mostly use it to back up raps, and I have found it very advantagous to put it below the rap device. If it is above the rap device sometimes it won't lock -- if some weight is on the rap device as well as the Shunt.

I prefer a Petzl Basic for TR solo but the Shunt works as well and is MUCH easier to unload after weighing it.

One thing to be careful of when using the device as a rap backup (especially for noobs). It is very difficult to train yourself to "let go" when a rap gets out of control. I grab the device very lightly as it slides down the rope and I have practiced letting go.

Also, for your use (stopping and hanging on a rap) I would get into the habit of tying a big, quick knot below the device for a back up while stationary.

Biggest use is probably cavers who rig it as their upper ascender in a frog style ascending system. It was most likely designed specifically for that application. Some people also use that system for jugging on walls when the pitches are steep.

I know a couple of people who use them for TR soloing, rigging it to a makeshift chest harness. See people using the Basic in the same way.

This doesn't have to do with the shunt (sorry), but here's another way to rig for photography on rappell that is pretty affordable. On a single fixed line, I find that using a grigri and a prusik system work very well for both rappelling and then quickly ascending, as there is no changeover between modes.

I will rig the grigri as normal, but then will use my adjustable purcell prusik "daisy" connected with a biner to another short prusik that is tied on the rap line. This is rigged above the grigri. I can then tend the grigri lever with one hand and the prusik with the other while rappeling.

When I want to ascend, all I have to do is weight the prusik, yard on it, using the biner as a handle, and at the same time, pull the rope throgh the grigri with my other hand. This method of ascending works very well when one is on a vertical to less than vertical wall. If you are free-hanging, however, I can guess that this method will not work at all, as it is necessary to be able to kick off the wall when ascending.

Obviously, this isn't the ideal rig. But for minimizing gear, having a backup, and having no gear changeover between ascending/descending, it works well for me.

The Petzl Shunt is pretty commonly used in 2-rope industrial rope access on the back-up rope both while ascending and descending.

As a rope grab, they are pretty ideal because the locking mechanism features a camming device rather than sharp teeth like on the Petzl Ascension. This makes the Shunt less likely to shred the rope in a shock-loading situation.

The Shunt does require some extra caution when used as fall-protection. With 2-rope industrial rope access, you generally should never touch the body of the Shunt once it has been applied to the rope. You should only drag it up the rope with its tether and only slide it down the rope with its release cord. These rules prevent accidentally defeating the locking action in a fall.