munter hitch vs figure 8

If you have leg dee rings why not just pass a bight of rope through one and clip a carabiner through the bite? No extra gear and the hitch acts as a safety. Fwiw I love the munter. Quick for the rappel and quick for the lower. For the rappel it should be backed up with a hitch. I prefer the footlock prussic with a munter for a straight rappel off a stem, but if I am blocking I like the hitch climber/leg belay/monkey tail for in tree reteival. I have a cinch but it doesn't run well on fat ropes IMHO. What happened to a leg rappel with a biner clipped to the leg strap and the safety hitch cliped to the center safety support?
 
As for your hand slipping, if the carabiner does a spin, you should keep your breaking hand down by your hip (goes for all breaking devices), and that won't be a problem. And to pass the whistle test, just back it up with a prusikk above or below the device, or make a groundie hold the rope. If something goes wrong, the groundie tightens the rope and you're locked to the rope.
 
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I don't think that the aluminum alloys used in climbing gear have any sort of heat issues. These alloys have been used and improved for decades with a good track record.

What can happen is that a fast, long descent is completed and the climber leaves their rope on the tool. Since the metal is hot and the rope isn't moving there's a good chance that the rope may get melted.

A multi-meter I have has a built-in spot thermometer. It doesn't just measure ambient temp, it can be aimed to 'shoot' a surface temp too. I should have that along when I'm going to do a long, fast descent on my Uni. I bet I could get temps off of each clutch face...with or without the YoYo Barrel!

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I believe you Tom. In this case and I think you pros are pointing out why, it just is not a good idea to regularly use a Munter.
There is also, rope on itself rope friction, that seems always too be avoided.
Let me know if you ever get some temp readings on that Drum, that would be interesting to me.
 
I dont know why people would say the munter is unsafe. Is it the ideal solution for every situation? Absolutely not. The munter hitch like the f8, tube belay device, and stitch plate has decades of proven results, dependability and function.

Like many descent/lowering options, if you let go it lets go. This is a fact of life, in most cases an autoblock or suitable prusik can negate this risk. To compare a munter to a GriGri isn't sensible. Given the choice between lowering on two ropes, one with a f8 and the other with a munter I will choose the f8 every time, why not. Same reason I would rather use a nail gun, yet I still know how to swing a hammer.

The munter hitch is simple, easy to tie, reliable and can be of tremendous value in a pinch. It operates on, and highlights core fundamentals of how ropes and knots work. Knowing it makes you a better rope worker and not knowing it leaves you lacking.

I would sincerely hope that anyone reading this thread that doesnt know the munter isnt persuaded not to learn it, or convinced it is 'dangerous'. In a world of knots the munter is a must have IMO.
 
Oak (Sam Johnson) and I climbed together a few years back in Doug Firs and Coasties and each day played, " what equipment can we leave behind and still climb and still rescue each other". The Monster Munter was the failsafe, for when we left behind almost everything...
... works well, easy to control your descent, and I probably would never use it on a daily basis, and I don't...

Tom,
Post those temps!
 
If you are descending, it seems to me that a F-8 may be the better choice.

The Munter has the advantage if you want to ascend, as well as descend on the same setup.

If you JUST want to descend, why not just put 2 or 3 wraps on the HMS biner, instead of a Munter hitch ?

It seems that this might eliminate some of the rope-on-rope friction with the hitch configuration
Obviously this would be slightly simpler.

I guess the multiple wraps could get over-lapped, which might temporarily stop the decent.
???
 
The issue of rope/rope friction isn't really an issue with the Munter since the point where the rope crosses itself is constantly changing. No different than any rigging or using a false crotch.

There could be a chance of the biner getting so hot that it might melt a spot in the rope if a fast descent is stopped suddenly. In all of my years of reading about using descenders I've never read even one reported case of this though. My conclusion is that if this was an issue it would have surfaced in discussions about military type rappels.
 
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The issue of rope/rope friction isn't really an issue with the Munter since the point where the rope crosses itself is constantly changing. No different than any rigging or using a false crotch.….

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Thanks for the clarification. I see your point.
 
I have had loads of climbing gear over the last few years, Because I buy and sell it.

I have had alot of alloy belays, they are ok for rec climbing, but I would not trust one in the tree work scenarios.

Also had the rock exotica mini figs, they are ok, but again there are other better methods and tricks.

IMO, the only winner is a grigri/grigri2 or grillon (if you got the skill)

As for the unlucky fella who descended with the wrong munter, look up 'fast roping' always a neat trick to help in an emergency.
 
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