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Cargo Hook
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Anyone ever use one of these?  Vermin Cargo Hook Andy Kirkpatrick was looking for one here a few months ago. It appears that Vermin no longer makes them and I got one in the late ‘90s. It’s a little bit like a fifi hook but is intended for tagging up gear by a solo climber, rather than as part of a leader’s daisy system. A solo climber can leave extra lead hardware and/or a bolt kit hanging on a cargo hook at a belay and can tag it up during or at the end of a pitch. A smaller diameter tag line is clipped to the top hole in the cargo hook and gear is clipped to the bottom hole, in addition to a full-size haul/rap line. The slot in the hook allows it to be hung from a biner at a belay and the hook disconnects easily when the tag line is pulled up; the shape of the slot makes the hook more secure than a traditional fifi hook. I’ve used the cargo hook on solo FAs and it works well. It’s nice to not have to carry the entire rack on lead and have the option to tag additional gear as needed, especially when one may not know what specific gear is needed. If gear is tagged up mid-pitch, the cargo hook and any unneeded gear can be left to hang on a protection piece, however the full length of the tag line is then left dangling and might cause a mess if it’s really windy (I haven't encountered any problems when doing this but it's something to keep in mind). For FA pitches that require drilling, I’d typically lead with the 1/4” bolt/rivet kit and then tag up the 3/8” belay kit at the end of the pitch. Although it’s a bit dicey and potentially prone to complications (to say the least), the cargo hook can be used to set up a rap-haul system on straight-up pitches whereby the haulbag is hung from a cargo hook at the belay and is not tied-off with the haul line or backed up; the bag is then hauled on the haul line as the climber raps on a separate rap line and the climber hauls and raps the pitch simultaneously. This system requires the climber to trail two ropes, in addition to the lead line (uggg). The system is shown in a diagram on page 88 in the 1990 Climbing Big Walls book, edited by Mike Strassman, and the same diagram and a description appear on pages 106 and 107 of the 1994 Long-Middendorf Big Walls how-to book. It’s also in the late ‘80s A5 Adventures Big Wall Tech Manual, but I can’t find my copy at the moment. I’ve never tried this hauling system and am not sure it’s worth the headache and cluster should something go wrong. And it's only suitable for reasonable haul loads and obviously wouldn't work to haul an excessive junk show. So, with all of that said, in addition to Andy, would any of you be interested in getting a cargo hook if they become available again? |
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Bryan, This is what I use (and no doubt tons of others) for solo tagging and drill tagging these days https://www.petzl.com/US/en/sport/packs-and-accessories/fifi  Jeremy |
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I’m interested, especially if the price is comparable to the Petzl setup. |
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The Petzl fifi is a brilliant design, even if it requires a dedicated quick link to fit through the too-narrow slot. |
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Thanks, guys. The Petzl fifi design is interesting and I see there is a discussion relating to it in this thread. How often have you run into a situation where there was a downward pull on the Petzl fifi from the tag line and the slot design prevented a headache? Is the slot a necessity or more for peace of mind ‘just in case’? The Vermin Cargo Hook is way stronger than the Petzl when loaded from top hole to bottom hole or biner slot to bottom hole but maybe overall strength is not as important for typical uses, especially considering that the fifi can be backed-up with the tag/haul line. |
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I made Andy a copy of my Vermin Freight Hook. Here's the pics, the black and white paint is the Vermin, and the pics that appear to be just one hook are both hooks stacked on top of each other.      |
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Mocked up a CAD file from those pics. Not 100% accurate. |
Desert Rock Sports wrote: Are you saying the CAD is not 100% accurate, or that the copy that I made was not 100% accurate of the original Vermin hook? If it's the later, I wouldn't expect it to be 100% accurate as I made it by hand in my garage. Link wouldn't work for me, says it has been deleted. |
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Try again?: |
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I am currently making a small batch of slightly modified cargo hooks. Made in the USA with quality US steel, heat treated, hardness tested, all edges chamfered. Price is TBD. Very sure it’s going to be less than the Petzl Fifi. Lead time is about two months. |
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These cargo hooks are the bomb for big wall soloing and ground up FA’s to leave the drill on bolts below you. FYI you don’t need 3 ropes to solo haul with these guys. Just rap the lead line with the end of the haul bag attached to your belay loop. I have done this several times but it’s always been slightly terrifying to consider the consequences of your haul bag coming unhooked while you are leading the pitch. Time saved is probably not worth the potential PTSD. |
Bryan Law wrote: It's all Big Wall Theory til it happens! Fortunately it has not yet happened to me. I quite liked the device on my last solo of El Cap - I brought a third rope, and as I rapped down to clean the pitch, a 2/3 body weight load went up for free! Super worthwhile, made hauling the main load a breeze, and fewer days to move main load hauling from 2:1 to 1:1. The slot design definitely lets you relax a bit.... at least in theory. |
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If you really want one, I know the owner of Vermin personally and he still has a small stock pile of all his gear he made back in the day.  |
Tim Wheatley wrote: Would love to see some pics of it! Also shot you a PM |
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I didnt buy one but when i was at his house i saw them and didn't get one. (Im pretty sure he had these)  (My personal haul) - Mega hook, Half rurps, offset rurps, a few micro heads, free duckbill, and a nut tool heat treated and hardened to the point you can use it as a piton and rap off it. (according to him) |
 In the works. |
Theron Moses wrote: Fantastic! |
