Hand ascender laynard

[emr]

Assuming everthing is rated, is it acceptable to girth hitch a webbing sling to a hand ascender for use as a laynard? I have been using a biner, but want to eliminate one piece of hardware.

 

[Zac]

I used to do that until I spliced one out of tenex. Sometimes I would girth hitch the sling to the sliding D on my bridge, no biners necessary.

 

[TreeBarber]

Good question, I use to girth hitch the sling to my ascender but I was worrried about wear on the sling from the edges of the hole in my Petzl ascender. Now I use a delta link.

 

[NickfromWI]

emr- what ascender?

 

[emr]

Right now I have a Petzl lefty, which I know do not have rated holes. So my question is partly theoretical and partly to see if I should get a new ascender.

 

[familytree]

i was always told not to girth hitch the sling directly to the ascender because the ascenders hole creates too much of an edge (talking about the petzl ascenders). and the webbing isnt spread flat across, instead its bunched up so if there was to be a problem somewhere in the middle of the webbing attached to the ascender you wouldnt be able to see it

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Webbing has been girth hitched to the handles for many years in caving and mountaineering and seems to be standard practice.

When I do that I make sure that all of the odd folds are dressed out of the girth hitched portion of the sling.

Sure, there is an efficiency loss that would be reduced/eliminated by using a biner/link there. If this system is analyzed for efficiency you'll start out with a sling that is rated over 5k# and reduce from there. I will bet that you'll find that the system still has plenty of reserve because of the initial strength.

 

[moss]

[ QUOTE ]
...If this system is analyzed for efficiency you'll start out with a sling that is rated over 5k# and reduce from there. I will bet that you'll find that the system still has plenty of reserve because of the initial strength.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. The dyneema slings are stong and narrow so you don't get the bunching in the attachment hole. I could never find one that was the right length for my arm though.
-moss

 

[Mahk_Adams]

[ QUOTE ]
is it acceptable to girth hitch a webbing sling to a hand ascender for use as a laynard?

[/ QUOTE ]


and


[ QUOTE ]
Right now I have a Petzl lefty,

[/ QUOTE ]


So you want to use a handled ascender as a lanyard adjuster? Seems awkward.

I think there are other, better, options.

I would worry about the rope popping out of the ascender unless the cam is secured with a keychain carabiner. And things interfering with the cam.

 

[Zac]

I think he is asking about a lanyard for the ascender(ascender to saddle), not the standard safety lanyard....