How to increase friction on a quickdraw?

I'm often belayed by a climber who weighs a lot less than me, and it would be helpful to have and Edelrid Ohm or similar. However, the Ohm runs $130 which seems pretty steep for what it is.

I've seen lots of different ways to belay with carabiners, or increase friction on an ATC style device with carabiners. I was wondering--is there a way to do a similar thing with a quickdraw? Preferably, like the Ohm, it wouldn't significantly increase rope drag unless there's tension from the belayer. I tried out some ideas at home with a quickdraw and an extra carabiner but they are all kind of fiddly and seem like they'll increase rope drag.

EDIT: Let me be clear here: I am NOT looking for solutions to the weight disparity. In the gym I anchor the belayer to a sandbag, and outside I anchor them to a directional. I am aware that solutions to this problem exist, I am using them, and I will continue to use them unless a better solution emerges.

I'm specifically looking for a way to increase friction on a quickdraw during a fall but not during normal climbing.

Z clip the first two bolts. Boom. Friction. 

What's the weight difference? I regularly climb with people who weigh at least 70 lbs less than me and it hasn't actually been an issue, of course they get picked up on big falls but not enough to hit the first piece/draw

David Kerkeslager wrote:

I'm often belayed by a climber who weighs a lot less than me, and it would be helpful to have and Edelrid Ohm or similar. However, the Ohm runs $130 which seems pretty steep for what it is.

I've seen lots of different ways to belay with carabiners, or increase friction on an ATC style device with carabiners. I was wondering--is there a way to do a similar thing with a quickdraw? Preferably, like the Ohm, it wouldn't significantly increase rope drag unless there's tension from the belayer. I tried out some ideas at home with a quickdraw and an extra carabiner but they are all kind of fiddly and seem like they'll increase rope drag.

Increasing friction can help with controlling the rope, lowering a big guy on top rope, say, but I am not picturing it being helpful as you are leading.

Thinking about it, simply put, your extra weight pulls up their weight, correct? Let's say that's "a lot" and make it 90 or 100 pounds. For that to be mitigated, you would need that 90 or 100 pounds of extra friction? With the Ohm, it only happens in a fall. Everything else, it would be all the time.

Not fun for you or the belayer, I'm guessing.

I may be totally off on this, but it is what seems reasonable to me. Remember, in a good whip, even a similar size belayer will be pulled up. It shouldn't be a big deal.

If this is everyone you climb with, you might consider the Ohm. But if it is your regular.partnet, they should know what they are willing to risk, have thought this out, and may already have it worked out. Maybe talk to them, if that is the case, and see what they say.

I've had several big guys make assumptions based on my size, instead of just asking. Maybe it's like asking directions, eh? ;-D

Best, Helen

By the way, I can guess a guys weight within five pounds now, lol!

I would wait for the Ohm to be on sale and fork over the bucks for it. Mine was 25% off. Some of my climbing partners are 70 lbs lighter than I am, and I recently got the Ohm and they all love it. Not since the advent of the Hitachi Magic Wand have I seen so many women get so excited over some contraption.

Ryan Bowen wrote:

Z clip the first two bolts. Boom. Friction. 

Best solution ever to a problem that only people who have no idea what they are doing think is a problem.  Belayers, learn to fly.  It happens.

Tape sandpaper to the biners.

Uhh maybe have your belayer put on the pack you brought your gear in, or have it under them but clipped to their belay loop? Thought this was pretty standard. 

Clip the first bolt on a neighboring route and then clip the correct first bolt. This adds a nice amount of friction and additionally keeps the belaying/climber from colliding.

Also it shouldn't cause too much rope drag for the leader because it's very low on the route.

Old lady H wrote:

With the Ohm, it only happens in a fall. Everything else, it would be all the time.

The Ohm isn't magic, the forces it creates can be reproduced. I'm wondering if there's a way to do it with other climbing gear.

Ryan Bowen wrote:

Z clip the first two bolts. Boom. Friction. 

Boom. Ground fall.

Ryan Mac wrote:

Uhh maybe have your belayer put on the pack you brought your gear in, or have it under them but clipped to their belay loop? Thought this was pretty standard. 

If the now-empty pack weighs enough to make a difference, nobody wants to carry that.

David Kerkeslager wrote:

The Ohm isn't magic, the forces it creates can be reproduced. I'm wondering if there's a way to do it with other climbing gear.

Hey, this is one of the things I enjoy, your willingness to actually think about possibilities.

So? The Ohm has the whatever it is that acts only in a fall, but lets the rope move otherwise, right? That seems pretty tough to replicate with biners and hitches, something that only happens in a fall, but it's a good thought.

Something that does a half ass job as a belay device, letting rope slip, basically.

Sorry, but a bad belayer who lets rope run through the device does come to mind, lol!

Best, Helen

Austin Donisan wrote:

Clip the first bolt on a neighboring route and then clip the correct first bolt. This adds a nice amount of friction and additionally keeps the belaying/climber from colliding.

Also it shouldn't cause too much rope drag for the leader because it's very low on the route.

Hmm, I'm not sure I buy those physics--why does it being lower on the route mean the rope drag it causes for the leader would be any less?

That said, the belayer can just unclip the bolt on the neighboring route once the leader starts to get significant rope drag, and the normal drag that happens on the route would do the job. This might actually solve the problem.

David Kerkeslager wrote:

Hmm, I'm not sure I buy those physics--why does it being lower on the route mean the rope drag it causes for the leader would be any less?

That said, the belayer can just unclip the bolt on the neighboring route once the leader starts to get significant rope drag, and the normal drag that happens on the route would do the job. This might actually solve the problem.

You want your belayer climbing up to unclip while belaying?? 

:-D

Ryan7crew wrote:

Best solution ever to a problem that only people who have no idea what they are doing think is a problem.  Belayers, learn to fly.  It happens.

Yes, it happens. And when it happens, there's a possibility that the belayer hits the first draw and loses control of the rope, or (on lower bolts) the belayer flies high enough that the climber ground falls.

David Kerkeslager wrote:

Hmm, I'm not sure I buy those physics--why does it being lower on the route mean the rope drag it causes for the leader would be any less?

not because it's lower, but because it's first.

First clip off to the side: 2 bends, lower friction.

middle clip off to the side: 3 bends, higher friction.

David Kerkeslager wrote:

Yes, it happens. And when it happens, there's a possibility that the belayer hits the first draw and loses control of the rope, or (on lower bolts) the belayer flies high enough that the climber ground falls.

skip or backclean the first bolt so that the belayer can fly higher.

Old lady H wrote:

You want your belayer climbing up to unclip while belaying?? 

:-D

One hand on the brake strand, one hand on the stick clip!

Chris Blatchley wrote:

not because it's lower, but because it's first.

First clip off to the side: 2 bends, lower friction.

middle clip off to the side: 3 bends, higher friction.

I should clarify what I meant here: yes a first clip to the side is lower friction than a middle clip to the side, but what I want is for the friction to be lower while the climber is climbing than when the climber is falling.

Old lady H wrote:

Something that does a half ass job as a belay device, letting rope slip, basically.

Yeah, basically.

Sorry, but a bad belayer who lets rope run through the device does come to mind, lol!

Perhaps we put a bad belayer between the good belayer and the climber. :D