I never cared for brake bars either... I have a set and know how to use them, but I always felt like they were overrated. I guess if I were doing a 600' rappel into a pit while wearing an 80 lb pack, I'd want it. But I never found myself in that situation in the Cumberland Gap.

My rescue-8 has always been more than enough. I even had to pull some frozen chick off the side of a cliff and bring her down with it. It was even more than enough for that job.

Oh, I just remembered! I did use my brake bar once when I thought it was truly handy. I tied it to a tree and used it to slowly lower a couple hundred pounds worth of equipment down a mountain face. Somehow I think my rescue-8 would have worked there too, but I felt better having more "control" on that one.

Like hikerdon, this is all hypothetical to me... I think there's a 20 story building around here somewhere (downtown), but I don't work in it. Even my house is a ranch! <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />