Good questions, Kevin, and I don't think there's a one right answer for you. This is a system that can go together a bunch of ways. I think the core idea is to get to the usefulness of a small rigging whoopie that can be installed from the ground and still be choked on a stem.
I've got X rings everywhere on all kinds of slings, but I still find this little rig to be very useful.
I love the X-Rings but you can't pass the pulley through for choking. And the big ring makes it easy to retrieve by just tying a knot instead of rigging a retriever
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Of the steel rings, the West Marines are a better choice than the Pennsafe. You don't need the climbing certification and the WM are stronger, fatter and more highly polished. WM shows SWL at 1350# per ring (I think that's very conservative!). 1/2" tenex is mbs=13100# or single ended rigging SWL= 2620# @ sf=5. So use two rings for bend radius and strength.
The Pinto at 50kN is SWL=2250# and is a better balance than the Omni at 36kN or SWL=1620#. Additionally, it passes through the rings. But especially, it's one tough little snot. I treat my Omniblocks like jewelry; I won't drop them. They are CNC machined and assembled with ball bearings. The Pinto is forged aluminum with a bushing (the small Pinto). I've been dropping it for years with no ill effects. Occasionally, tho, I do miss the mid-line snatch of the Omni.
When you push the Pinto asside and put on a 60kN rigging binner, you're getting up there for strength. Certainly strong enough to break any 1/2" stable braid you can thread up. But it's tiny compared to a pair of X rings, f'sure.
OF
