Dyneema sling as anchor?

I have just bought a 10mm dyneema sling with the intention to use it as an anchor in belay stations, but in the package there is a drawing that I don't understand (see attached pic).Is it forbidding using the slang as an anchor?null

Don’t fall on it without the rope in the system

It's better not to use it as a tether if you can avoid it (like when you can just clove in with the rope). And if you are using it as a tether, it absolutely should be weighted at all times. The picture shows a little bit of slack, which could result in a fall onto a static material, which obviously is not good.

eli poss wrote: It's better not to use it as a tether if you can avoid it (like when you can just clove in with the rope). And if you are using it as a tether, it absolutely should be weighted at all times. The picture shows a little bit of slack, which could result in a fall onto a static material, which obviously is not good.

There is also this drawing in the package:


Here is using it as a kind of quickdraw, which should be able to hold a fall. Isn't there any contradiction on that?

No, because the rope is part of the system

Oscar Garcia wrote:
Here is using it as a kind of quickdraw, which should be able to hold a fall. Isn't there any contradiction on that?

Many quick-draws or alpine slings are made of, or with, Dyneema fibres. This is fine, because the rope is the dynamic element in the system. If you fall with a system of you-rope-dyneema, then the rope takes on the shock. Just as it was designed to!

As for your question, yes you can use this as both an anchor and as a extension sling. When used as an anchor, be sure to not be in a situation where you would shock-load the sling. Dyneema is not dynamic, and cannot absorb very much (if any) sudden forces. So just make sure that you and your partner are connected to the anchor via your rope.

I use Dyneema slings for anchors and as 'quickdraws' all the time, it's fairly common.

Chris Hill wrote: No, because the rope is part of the system

This.

I have no idea what that picture is trying to convey.

My best guess is that you should not use your sling as a high voltage cable.

Sloppy Second wrote: I have no idea what that picture is trying to convey.

My best guess is that you should not use your sling as a high voltage cable.

That you can clip gear or bolts with it, or use it as pro on its own by slinging natural features.

To be clear: You can use dyneema as an anchor, but you must be attached to it by the rope

You cannot use dyneema as a personal anchor or tether, as it can break under a dynamic fall.

By having the rope involved in the system, the rope will stretch to absorb any dynamic force involved in the system. And yes, it is fine to sling things or use as an extendable draw. 

I took a factor 2 daisy whip on my dyneema daisies and the daisy was fine. While I'm not encouraging people to take fatties onto static slings I will say the idea that a dyneema sling will break in a ff1 climbing fall to be a bit silly (Don't link me the dmm video, humans aren't bricks). If your gear is up to it and your hips are up to it then your 20kn rated dyneema sling will be up to it.

James Willis wrote: I took a factor 2 daisy whip on my dyneema daisies and the daisy was fine. While I'm not encouraging people to take fatties onto static slings I will say the idea that a dyneema sling will break in a ff1 climbing fall to be a bit silly (Don't link me the dmm video, humans aren't bricks). If your gear is up to it and your hips are up to it then your 22kn rated dyneema sling will be up to it.

Fixed that for you. The UIAA standard for sewn slings is at least 22kN rating, while some are even rated up to 25kN. Also did you pop any of the tacks on your daisy? Daisy chains are a bit different than regular sewn slings as the stitching on the pockets are designed to rip out under high forces, kind of acting like a screamer. 

Metolius PAS is dyneema rated to 22kN... its used as a tether.   

Here is a video showing that dyneema is a pretty sketchy option to use as PAS. 20cm falls (well below fall factor 1) result in complete failure. Also, unlike what some people may advise on forums such as this, chain-link daisy chains are even worse than single-sling daisy chains (falining with FF1 falls).

 You should never shock-load a PAS, however it's comforting knowing that lanyards made of dynamic rope will hold even if shock-loaded with a FF2 fall.

Oscar Garcia wrote: I have just bought a 10mm dyneema sling with the intention to use it as an anchor in belay stations, but in the package there is a drawing that I don't understand (see attached pic).Is it forbidding using the slang as an anchor?null

Have a look at the video below. The best anchors are ones with master points. I like to use cordelette and use an overhand to make a master point. You can also make anchors out of the dynamic rope that you are tied into/climbing on. There's some good info on this on multipitchclimbing.com.

Jaren Watson wrote: “Don’t use dyneema for a tether” is repeated rather often. Why?

There’s no reason not to. What climbers should avoid is falling on dyneema without the rope.

I can count on zero fingers the number of times I’ve fallen when tethered at an anchor. Likewise, I don’t make it a practice to head off leading the next pitch while still tethered. 

If you can’t avoid falling when you’re not even climbing, dyneema’s properties are not your biggest problem.

I would tend to agree, although with one caveat: it's more important to eliminate extension when using a dyneema tether. I generally don't care if my anchors extend a little bit because 99% of the time it really doesn't matter for me, but if I were tethered in with dyneema then I might be inclined to eliminate any possibility of extension. 

James Willis wrote: I took a factor 2 daisy whip on my dyneema daisies and the daisy was fine. While I'm not encouraging people to take fatties onto static slings I will say the idea that a dyneema sling will break in a ff1 climbing fall to be a bit silly (Don't link me the dmm video, humans aren't bricks). If your gear is up to it and your hips are up to it then your 20kn rated dyneema sling will be up to it.

How in the world did you take a FF2 whip on your daisies?

Jaren Watson wrote: “Don’t use dyneema for a tether” is repeated rather often. Why?

There’s no reason not to. What climbers should avoid is falling on dyneema without the rope.

I can count on zero fingers the number of times I’ve fallen when tethered at an anchor. Likewise, I don’t make it a practice to head off leading the next pitch while still tethered. 

If you can’t avoid falling when you’re not even climbing, dyneema’s properties are not your biggest problem.

A probable scenario would be downclimbing off a lip when setting up a rappel from above. If you have a four-footer clipped and somehow pitch off the edge, it's close to a FF2. For some reason I always get majorly headtriggered in those situations, and end up tying in on the rope as well so that if I were to fall, something warm and fuzzy would catch me first. 

A similar situation is a rock tower we have in Belgium, ideal for training beginner multipitch climbers. At the top you have to rappel off the overhanging backside. There are some bolts and a chain, but very low to the ground. A slip while setting up yourself below the chain would easilly result in a factor 1 to 2 fall. Hmmm, we always use dyneema tethers here....

Don't be like mike. Don't fall directly onto static stuff.

The posted tests imply that reintroducing nylon runners and re-adopting old-school anchoring practices, such using a series of clove-hitchs and the climbing rope, itself, to attach to anchors, and then non-autobolck belaying off the harness loop might be worth reconsidering. The main disadvantage of those practices was the discomfort of holding falls and the difficulty escaping the belay.