I am sure that most of my rappels have been done on dynamic (lead) rope while climbing or mountaineering, the normal practice in those pastimes. Modern dynamic rope is designed to remain relatively static under loads of normal body weight, up to 300 or 400 pounds, and then become dynamic under greater stress, the kind the rope would experience in a leader fall. Rappeling on these ropes is a fairly straightforward experience, given the lengths of the typical climbing rappel, about 150 feet or so.

It is different when you get into longer rappel distances, 250 feet or longer, where static ropes are best. My longest rappel was 580 feet and I was happy to use static rope, a fairly new development at the time. Static ropes are in common use in caving, where drops exceeding 200 feet are commonplace, and in rescue work, where the stiffness is essential for Z systems and the heavier loads common to that work.

If you can carry only one rope, I would carry the rope rated and certified for lead climbing, as it is far more versatile. Static ropes will tear the leader apart in a significant fall; that is the point in using that sort of rope in that situation. There are no problems doing it the other way around.

Needless to say, don't do any of this with rope from the hardware store.

"There are bold rappelers, and there are old rapellers, but there are no old, bold rapellers..."