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#187918 - 11/10/09 12:22 AM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: ]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
OK, we're at the stage where we all need to quit talkin' about this - and go TRY it out. That's the whole point of this forum right? Real answers to survival needs ... demand real testing.

So - do we have any volunteers?

Please DO use an extra safety rope when you experiment with unusual rappel techniques. Better still ... have a buddy put you on belay. That way you can totally focus on the rappelling, and your friend can focus on keeping you safe.

Pete


Edited by Pete (11/10/09 12:23 AM)

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#187924 - 11/10/09 12:54 AM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Pete]
clearwater Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/19/05
Posts: 1177
Loc: Channeled Scablands
If you don't know enough about it to even spell it right---

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#187925 - 11/10/09 01:20 AM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: clearwater]
Oware Offline
Newbie

Registered: 10/23/09
Posts: 42
Loc: 49th parallel
In practicing for when the lifts got stuck, we used to rap out of chair lifts with a tube webbing diaper sling,
locking carabiner, and 6mm perlon.

http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/produc...+Accessory+Cord

Note the breaking strength of 6mm is 11 kN. And it was considered marginal for a repshnur.

Real 550 cord is about 2 kN.

We used a munter hitch---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munter_hitch
and wore our ski gloves. Also passed the rope
between our legs and around our hip for a bit of increased friction.

Comrades would give a bottom belay by tugging on the rope from
below if we got out of control.

Those with search dogs lowered the dogs first.

http://www.owareusa.com/images/brookhangdog.jpg

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#187958 - 11/10/09 02:36 PM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Oware]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
By the way ... I was referring to trying the rappel using webbing. Not using paracord. I still don't think the thin paracord is a good idea - for reasons already explained.

Pete

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#187980 - 11/10/09 06:59 PM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Pete]
Lasd02 Offline
Member

Registered: 12/14/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Pasadena, Calif.
Wow! The original post is over 2 years old and still going strong. Twisted Kevlar Thread #800 has a minimum breaking strength of 225lbs. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...

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#187982 - 11/10/09 07:50 PM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Lasd02]
Tjin Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/08/02
Posts: 1821
Originally Posted By: Lasd02
Wow! The original post is over 2 years old and still going strong. Twisted Kevlar Thread #800 has a minimum breaking strength of 225lbs. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...


Thats why i didn't take to much time to answer the question.

225lbs is nothing. Thats just for static loads. Repelling is dynamic and create a lot more force than that. It's also not just the strenght of the cord, but also if you can control you rappel. So you need a certain thickness for a belay device.
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#187992 - 11/10/09 09:16 PM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Tjin]
Lasd02 Offline
Member

Registered: 12/14/05
Posts: 130
Loc: Pasadena, Calif.
Originally Posted By: PC2K
Originally Posted By: Lasd02
Wow! The original post is over 2 years old and still going strong. Twisted Kevlar Thread #800 has a minimum breaking strength of 225lbs. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...


Thats why i didn't take to much time to answer the question.

225lbs is nothing. Thats just for static loads. Repelling is dynamic and create a lot more force than that. It's also not just the strenght of the cord, but also if you can control you rappel. So you need a certain thickness for a belay device.


You're exactly right PC2K, when it comes to suspending yourself from, say a 10th floor landing, 225lbs. breaking strength is nothing.

That's the problem with written communication, it's very difficult to convey sarcasm. I would never seriously advise someone to trust their life to 550 cord or Kevlar thread so when I post silly comments like these I'm acting on the assumption that those reading my post clearly understand it's ironic nature.

I'm confident that you, and probably most ETS readers, understand this but it is a good reminder to me that often young or naive readers might visit this page and get the wrong idea. So, for the record, I do not advise using paracord or Kevlar thread for repelling.



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#188024 - 11/11/09 03:49 AM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Lasd02]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
Folks .. with due respect.

If you want to add on to the end of a thread - how about checking earlier comments? We've already beaten this subject to death. It's vitually suicidal to rappel on a piece of low-strength paracord. The risk of breaking the cord due to dynamic loads is just too high.

However, the subject branched off when one of our readers pointed out that they have rappelled off 1-inch tubular webbing. That's an interesting technique - because webbing is quite light in weight and easy to carry. So the issue boils down to EXACTLY how you do the technique with webbing.

Therefore - back to what I said above.
Enough jawboning - time to go TRY it out. Safely, of course.
Report back when YOU Have got an answer for the forum.

Finally, "rappel" is a valid spelling of the technique.

Pete


Edited by Pete (11/11/09 03:51 AM)

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#188139 - 11/12/09 06:46 PM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Pete]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
Things got quiet here :-)
Hopefully we've got a few people out trying these alternate rappel techniques ... using 1-inch webbing..

If not - I'll do it myself and report back to the forum in the futue. But it might take a few weeks (or months) because right now i am working on a different set of survival skills. I will post those in due course as well.

Good luck to everyone!

Pete


Edited by Pete (11/12/09 06:47 PM)

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#188149 - 11/12/09 08:33 PM Re: How do you Repel Using Paracord? [Re: Pete]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
When you do this, I would be curious to know how various ascenders or prusik knots work with 1 inch webbing. Use of these devices could be called for in case of a knot in the rappel webbing, jamming of the rappel device, etc., even in an emergency situation.

I have encountered more than a few rappelers who had no idea of how they would deal with a knotted rope, end of the rope situation, or a jammed shirt in their rappel device. I judge their training to be incomplete.

I am sure we haven't reached the end of our ro...er, thread, yet, by a long shot....
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