Solo Aid: Double Rope bucket or Two seperate Rope buckets w/ tagging the lead bucket.

Because Mark called us all out, here's a topic. 

I use the continuous loop system when aid soloing. I've always used a double rope bucket (FISH Snakecharmer) with the lead rope in the bucket on the side of the climbing and the haul line in the other bucket. Recently a friend of mine talked about a different rope bag method. Basically: 

Loose end of the lead cord is stacked in the rope bucket that’s clipped to the tag bag.. haul line is stacked in separate bucket that stays clipped to the anchor
So as you climb away from your tag-bag (whether it’s at the main anchor- or a mid pitch) the lead rope is feeding out of bucket at the tag bag it's connected to, so the haul cord only feeds out when you drag the tag bag up to the next interim anchor or at the end of the pitch if you never tag. 

I don't normally solo tag but I'm thinking I need to start because I'm so out of shape after the covid crap that climbing heavy like i normally do is much more exhausting for my aging frame. 

Any experience you guys have with this? positives? negatives? unforseen clusterfucks (beyond the normal litany of clusterfucks that walk hand in hand with soloing generally)?

Sounds like you have to bring up the tag bag mid pitch if you climb more than a half pitch?

k t wrote:

Sounds like you have to bring up the tag bag mid pitch if you climb more than a half pitch?

On my solos I tied and 40 foot section of 8mil to the end of my lead line, which was then tied to the (top) end of the haul line. Climbing with a 70m rope you could be 115 feet (a 70 is 230 feet, so 115 is half of that) and then all of the 40 foot tag line before tagging became mandatory. 115+40=145 feet. In actuality, not many pitches are even that long. 

I now have a double rope bag I’m producing.  It can be ordered with cinch top closures to keep the rope from running out when blown around by the wind.

I have lots of bright colors that will surely make Mr Evans happy to take your picture.

Check out my website 

skotswallgear.com

or email me at skotrichards@yahoo.com 

 

Skot Richards wrote:

I now have a double rope bag I’m producing.  It can be ordered with cinch top closures to keep the rope from running out when blown around by the wind.

I have lots of bright colors that will surely make Mr Evans happy to take your picture.

Check out my website 

skotswallgear.com

or email me at skotrichards@yahoo.com 

 

I've got one, fantastic craftsmanship. (And probably at least a year or three faster to get the product than going with FISH)

Also. 80s era cheetah print material or stfu Skot!

That's how we do it.

I lead with a 5 mil 60 meter tag line with a Microtraxtion. I pull up the " rtfn  " bag with all my kit and hauling gear and haul line on that tag line, using it mid pitch as needed.

Then I use the rtfn bag that weight about 5 lbs with water/jacket as a weight on the slack end of the haul line, when doing a 2:1, Attached to the rope with a sling and rope grab.

i can't imagine ever climbing with a haul line again.  We bag the 5 mil line in medium sized wall bags from run-out customs.