Beal escaper, how do we really feel?

I'm so tempted to get this beal escaper, it would save soooo much time in big rappels. Its just seems so sketch idk why, but I wanna get some opinions on here about what people think about it, and people who've been using it. 

Have you seen this one yet?  Pretty in depth testing, albeit in a single pitch, low angle environment, so not super thorough, but it does let you see it in action.

HowNotTo Beal Escaper episode

Gear junkies website review states:

Beal doesn’t intend the Escaper for typical rappels. The Escaper is for dire situations. Climbers should not use it as a primary rappel method. 

If you really want to do longer rappels seems like carrying your rope lengths of 1/8" spectra and using that as a pull cord with a carabiner block would be safer. I have used that for a number of canyoneering rappels and we got pretty quick with it.

Some people use them routinely. I don't really know how that's possible though. The slightest of obstructions puts you in a truly terrible situation: it's most of the way pulled out, but not all the way. It isn't safe to go up it, but you can't get it down. There is a route I've rappelled twice with the escaper and gotten it stuck like this both times. Both times I ended up having to fix the bottom of the rope and LRS up the route to retrieve the rope. 

The great obstacle preventing the rope from coming down? A ledge about a foot wide about four feet below the anchor. It isn't a low angle route, it doesn't have lots of obstacles, but I pulled about 150 times once and the ledge just made it so it wouldn't work. 

When I finally got up to the ledge both times a gentle pull outwards caused the rope to free itself of the escaper. 

It will work great if you know for certain the terrain you are rappelling on. It is NOT a reliable device in less than vertical or featured terrain. If you want a reliable way to rap full lengths without a second rope invest in a tag line. 

The device has saved my bacon before and I like it and use it, but find it to have much more limited application than I originally hoped for. 

Look up the fiddlestick used in canyoneering. 

jacob m s wrote:

Look up the fiddlestick used in canyoneering. 

The fiddlestick accomplishes a completely different purpose than the Escaper.  The Escaper lets you rappel a full rope length and still retrieve the rope, but you leave the anchor behind like a typical rappel; a fiddlestick allows you to pull the anchor (specific type of anchors only), but requires 2X the amount of line as the rappel length because you need to use a pull cord.  Totally different applications.

I have used an Escaper.  They work great when applied correctly, but I wouldn't choose it as my primary method for day-to-day rappels.  If you want to do long raps, use 2 ropes or a tag line.

it is a good idea to have the first person down do a few test pull and releases to see if it is working properly 

I would agree that it is not my go to rappel system but works in certain situations 

be safe out there

peace

jacob m s wrote:

Look up the fiddlestick used in canyoneering. 

Also look up fiddle stick use for redirects in tree work, can pull from ground using only a single strand of rope and stick.

I use a beal escaper and I am comfortable with it.  However you will not be saving time.  It takes quite a while tugging on it to get it to release.  I think double ropes is quicker overall.  It does save weight over double ropes. 

anyone use 2 escapers -one on each rope end- for multiple rappels? like a slinky walking down a set of stairs? 

Alex Langfield wrote:

I'm so tempted to get this beal escaper, it would save soooo much time in big rappels. Its just seems so sketch idk why, but I wanna get some opinions on here about what people think about it, and people who've been using it. 

Just rap like a normal person please.

I have used an Escaper approximately 180 times.  Several of my friends have used their Escapers over 400 times.  I have never had it fail to release.  Mine comes down anywhere a two rope rappel will pull down.  The Escaper is a replacement for a second rope when doing full length rappels.  If your rope hangs up on a feature as it falls, you don't have a second rope to lead back up with.  You need to know how to anchor the stuck rappel rope to your partner, connect yourself to the rope with a prusik loop, and slide it up as you climb while placing gear in case the rope pops free as it often does. 

Tradiban wrote:

Just rap like a normal person please.

Jordan Day wrote:

I have used an Escaper approximately 180 times.  Several of my friends have used their Escapers over 400 times.  I have never had it fail to release.  Mine comes down anywhere a two rope rappel will pull down.  The Escaper is a replacement for a second rope when doing full length rappels.  If your rope hangs up on a feature as it falls, you don't have a second rope to lead back up with.  You need to know how to anchor the stuck rappel rope to your partner, connect yourself to the rope with a prusik loop, and slide it up as you climb while placing gear in case the rope pops free as it often does. 

Interesting. 

What about low angle routes? I bailed on a low angle route last year from the top of P1 with the Escaper and had to scramble up a rock to get up higher so that the rope line was more direct and there was less friction, only then did the rope come free. Must have taken me fifteen minutes to get the rope down? Had that been the same rap but on a multi I would have been fucked. 

You haven't had any experiences like that?

Jordan Day wrote:

I have used an Escaper approximately 180 times.  Several of my friends have used their Escapers over 400 times.  I have never had it fail to release.  Mine comes down anywhere a two rope rappel will pull down.  The Escaper is a replacement for a second rope when doing full length rappels.  If your rope hangs up on a feature as it falls, you don't have a second rope to lead back up with.  You need to know how to anchor the stuck rappel rope to your partner, connect yourself to the rope with a prusik loop, and slide it up as you climb while placing gear in case the rope pops free as it often does. 

The actual fear is it releasing too early.

Tradiban wrote:

The actual fear is it releasing too early.

Have you used one? This would be very difficult to accomplish in practice.

Ricky Harline wrote:

Have you used one? This would be very difficult to accomplish in practice.

It only takes once to die.

Tradiban wrote:

It only takes once to die.

Good thing it can't happen once, then

what a joke of a device...speaking of adding completely unnecessary complication to a simple procedure! if this device somehow saved you time in rappelling, work on your transition at each rap instead!

It saves weight, not time. 

Tradiban wrote:

It only takes once to die.

good thing that it mechanically cant happen.