Edelrid Protect vs Petzl Rad/Pur

I’ve been using a 6mm polyester pull cord from Canyoneering USA for years.  Stiff, static, cheap, incredibly durable.  But time to replace.

I’ve been in the situation where we were nearly very screwed by the knot getting hung up leaving us stranded in the middle of 5.9 slabs with only 6mm static line to try and lead out with.  (Luckily knot got unstuck)

Which makes the Edelrid Protect sound very attractive with its dynamic properties.   Not a lot of info/comparisons on the two.

Any alpine nerds out there try them all?  Is the slight dynamic nature of the Edelrid a significant hinderance to pulling/hauling?  How is the texture of the sheath?   The supposed slippery nature off PUR line seems like a detraction to actually handling the line.

Esprit APER is my first choice, I've gone through 3 rap lines and it's really tough to beat. There's been a few threads on this (search em if you want), IMO the idea that a "slightly dynamic" line is going to put you at ease having to use it to lead back up to a stuck rope is not really a consideration to me. If you're having to do that, it's a "NO FALL" situation, period. Or just leave the other cord and come back for it or eat the loss.

Have yet to get the APER stuck after about 60+ raps on it, but that's not very many, so ymmv. Also, it's luck of the draw getting one, I lucked out and got their last one (had some middle mark bleeding, which I couldn't care less about), my buddy has been waiting 3mos for his... but worth the wait, IMO.

I've used both the Edelrid Rap Line (not the newer protect version though) and the PUR.  The slippery nature of the PUR is definitely a little harder when stacking it on precarious ledges, but otherwise I've liked it.  The Edelrid is very supple and of the various rap lines I've used, arguable more likely to hang up because it's so soft/prone to wrapping around features.  It fuzzes pretty quickly which actually makes it easier to grab and handle in general.  I didn't have a noticeably harder time pulling it or hauling with it.  I don't currently own an APER, but have always found them to be really good when I've climbed with folks who had them.  Between the three, the Edelrid (unless it's changed with the upgrade) is the most supple, the PUR slightly less so, and the APER the stiffest by an order of magnitude.

I have the newer Edelrid protect rap line. I can only compare it to the BD 6mm tagline (and the twin and double ropes I've used before as a rap line). The Edelrid line is definitely the stiffest (most cable like) of them. It's also pretty textured and rough to the hand... enough so that I had no problem doing a regular rap through a tube device when paired with a 9.5mm lead line. There was a little bit of creep at the anchor, but nothing major. Pre-rigging the second's rap device was plenty to stop it. It also feels completely static under normal conditions of light hauling or pulling it down. I'm quite happy with how easy it's been to manage. Keep in mind that it's 2 fall dynamic rating is only when used as a twin (I think). I've been in your situation before, and have had to lead out on the single strand of the old 8.5mm double rope I was using as a rap line to free a stuck knot... not a fantastic feeling but probably okay. I definitely wouldn't feel great about leading on the Edelrid line, but at least it's an option if absolutely needed.

The Edelrid line is "static" under normal use like rapping and hauling. It is only dynamic once the sheath breaks, for instance in a lead fall. As mentioned above, it is rated for 2 standard falls in twin setup. Personally, my conclusion is that getting ropes stuck is just as much of a nightmare whether you have this or any other cord, and something to be prevented at all cost. I like the option to use it for shenanigans like death loop soloing, if for instance I brought it along to rap off of a route I was soloing.

Really like it for rapping off long easy ice routes. Handles like a rope, not a cord. It is stiff, which makes it super easy to use, but also bulkier to pack. I find myself regularly carrying shorter/lighter rap lines for instances where I'm not certain I will use it. It is also the most expensive rope I own, which just seems unexpected for a rap cord.

OP, the alpine nerd you are looking for is named Colin Haley. He did a big review of rap cords on his blog. Definitely worth the read. As a Petzl athlete, he has a lot of knowledge on the differences between the two Petzl cords.

https://colinhaley.com/nugget-1-the-petzl-purline/?amp=1

For the uninitiated.

I have a RLP and have used a RAD Line. My RLP hasn't seen extensive use yet but straight out of the box it is fairly stiff (though it's gotten more packable with use) and the sheath feels just like a brand new climbing rope. As J C mentioned above it feels like a static rope unless the sheath breaks. The RAD is not as stiff and feels more slick than the RLP. The RAD is crazy light, if you have the budget for it. I have rappelled and practiced ascending on both with a Reverso and it works fine, you just need to add a second locking carabiner to the rappel device to add some additional friction. 

If you go with the Maxim PER or Esprit APER the stiffness allows you to rap normally i.e. not a reepschnur; and as a result you can set your raps so that you pull your lead line and not the PER/APER. If your knot or rope gets stuck you have the lead line available to go sort it out. This may [does NOT- thanks Christian] apply to the Petzl PUR line as well, although I have no personal experience with it.

Linnaeus wrote:

If you go with the Maxim PER or Esprit APER the stiffness allows you to rap normally i.e. not a reepschnur; and as a result you can set your raps so that you pull your lead line and not the PER/APER. If your knot or rope gets stuck you have the lead line available to go sort it out. This may apply to the Petzl PUR line as well, although I have no personal experience with it.

This does not apply to the Petzl PUR. It’s actually so slippery that when then PUR is threaded through the rap rings, it auto-lowers because of the friction difference between the ropes in the ATC. This means you have to re-tie/rig the lead rope through the anchor every time, which is kinda a huge pain in the ass. I swapped mine for an Esprit and am really happy with it, much better for tons of rappels, easy to pull, never gets stuck. 

as others have mentioned, the second biner on the rap line is a significant help in balancing the two ropes out. Using the esprit APER and a lead line, threaded through a gigajul and edelrid bulletproof triple FG, I then can add a small bulletproof screwgate to only the APER strand and it acts like I'm on two strands of 8.8, instead of one strand of 8.8 and one of 6.0 APER. Seriously impressed by the efficacy of the 2nd biner method. Obviously this can be mitigated by simply having the 2nd pre-rig, as several have mentioned, but worth having in the toolbox. Not sure that it would work well enough to prevent the slippage that seems common with the PUR though... perhaps others will chime in on that