Mar Bars???

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as for backing up, the lower set are typically not on a tether of any kind and are just pulled up by your feet as you do a crunch. that means if you're tied into the upper and the cam (either of them, actually) fails, you're headed for impact.

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If the upper set of mar bars failed wouldn't they stop running down the rope when they hit the lower set and stop?
 
i think there's a lengthy discussion of marbar backup somewhere on here, with mahk adams answering your question. from my experimenting: if a cam fails in such a way that the device comes off the rope, you are in freefall whether or not there is another cam or even knot below it. if one cam fails on a doubled cam ascent system (ddrt) and the other holds, you are still in freefall. picture holding both legs of a ddrt system one in each hand - let go with one and pull with the other, and you pull your line out of the tree. same concept i think. sort of counter-intuitive, but if you try it i think you'll see this is the way it works. don't know if that helps or not?
 
you could beaner in a gibbs accent controler to your saddle as a backup. it rides up the rope with no resistance, but if you or your marbars slip, it locks up. i use them sometimes if im just pulling myself up bodythrusting by hand without a prusic or friction hitch attatched.
 
After talking with the developer at length, IMO the likelyhood of cam failure, and all of the other additional things that have to happen in sequence, is highly unlikely.
 
I used these for the first time in KY and loved them. I can see where the other set below would back them up much like Mark did with his kongs in Minnesota for the AR. However I can see where if by some slight chance both cams were disengaged that it would be one heck of a ride. Is there a way to capture the rope so that it won't come completely out of the cams?
 
There has to be 3 independant motions to get the rope out, cam opening (which needs something to make that happen), rope coming out of cam housing, rope coming out from behind the bar/handle. Maybe Mahk can address this, I will try to post pics later.
 
When using the mar bar uppers with the rope just thrown over a branch, even though there are two rope ends and two cams, if either one or the other fails, they both fail.

If you add a knot into the system up above, such as an alpine butterfly, you will be climbing with a true redundant system - automatic backup.

Dave
 
Yes, you are correct. For those who use the uppers alone in a foot locking situation, this is a very dangerous tool. The addition of the alpine butterfly into the system or any similar knot that creates too independent lines makes this an incredibly safe tool. In my opinion, one of the safest.

I can only presume that you are correct when using the uppers and lowers together, that if the uppers failed they would catch on the lowers. But that seems it would be a very awkward, possiby muscle-pulling position. You would still have the shock loading, which could be detrimental to the rope sheath. Even when I used both, I tied off with the alpine butterfly.

Dave
 
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Not only do they make rope-climbing easier than foot-locking, they’re more ergonomic friendly, as well.

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I agree. I don't use Mar Bars specifically, but for 6 years I I've been using mechanical ascenders all the time for foot locking in a tree. Why? Simply because I recognized the usability right away and I noticed the ergonomic benefits.

So, when I competed at the Rocky Mountain Chapter for the the foot lock event, I was "slower than molasses in January."
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Simply put: I never practice on the field with cord when foot locking.

For the sake of doing better at the competition, I'm going to foot lock all the time on cord.
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when i get in position I just take the rope out of only one cam when I pull the end of my rope to me they are on the ground where they are retrieved by the ground

if I think it might be a while I pull the longer end to me this gives me more decent before they rise out of ground reach. otherwise they come back like a yo-yo and your left in the same predicament you started in or worse they are tangled in brush.
 
i think they are more efficient than any other method of entering the tree. i pruned three trees sat. over 90 ft. tip on all of the trees over 70 ft or higher. they pay for themselves. as far as removal detach one cam on each bar clip krab into slip knot above the top set and lower to the ground, tie in and go. just my thought.
 
the way i back up my mar bars is to tie an alpine butterfly mid line and run it up to the crotch, then tie a klimheist on a short tether and clip that into the positioning strap on the upper mar bar. is this acceptable in competition?
 
I have tried them but they are way to expensive and I like a prussic the best. A little note though, I know everyone is always talking about mechanical backup but the only time I have ever seen a guy fall out of a tree he was footlocking with a prussic. Prussic cord was not flexible enough so he would have had to set the knot for it to work, he pushed his knot up tight to the branch so the rope was exerting too much force in an outward direction, and he did not set his rope so that he had a place to step onto. No matter the system you chose I believe those are the type of issues to avoid. 35feet is a long way down!
 
leave em on the accent line. lower them to the ground on your climbing line. we all have groundies so this isn't a problem . on very large trees excurrent trees where i have to go up n down a few times i just run them with no back up and tie the tails of my accent line together then once i tie in with my climbing line i remove the cams on one side. when i need to go back up i just lower the marbars to me. re adjust rope and marbar back to the top. they are a great production climber tool. they work with your spikes on so no having to spur past that big nasty crotch on a take down, go up set a couple of blocks no big deal. foot locking you have to tie on your spurs to the tail or hang the from your saddle. mar bars rock bottom line
 
boy, i wish groundies wasn't on that list. you had me until that point. seems to me like working alone exposes a fine climber like you to unnecessary risk, not to mention makin an old dude work harder. just sayin. just cause i like you..
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k.
 
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