Posted By RJortberg on 30 Jun 2009 03:41 PM
A few questions-
1) Are people using a vehicle bumper as one static anchor? Strengths / weaknesses?
Necessity is the mother of invention. I did it once, and made certain I had the only keys in my pocket, note on door, etc.
2) As opposed to the GriGri, do people use a rappel device like Black Diamond's ATC instead?
The ATC is for a ground person to use - and my assistant would essentially use it as an absolute "hold" to anchor the line to his harness (rather than running the line out when you need slack, pulling it in when you need tension). In the real world of noise, leaf blowers, traffic, and communicating over tall roofs, despite radios-cell phones I prefer to adjust where I am at with my own gear attached to my harness. I like the Gri-gri and I also like the rope grab made by Gibbs (which I had not seen before meeting Kevin). I own both of them.
Descending with a Gibbs rope grab is not for the feint of heart, it is kind of an "on-off" grab without a lot of friction when you push against the cam that is "stopping" the rope. In addition to the Petzl ascender, Petzl makes a "rope grab" called the Rescue-scender which is similar to the Gibbs device.
As I mentioned before the Gri-Gri will work differently depending on what rope you run through it. I have a 10.5 mm static rope made by Bluewater that is very flexible, and runs through the Gri-Gri very easily but WILL stop you if you fall. Easy to ascend, but takes a foot or so to "catch" when descending. They call it 7/16 but most 7/16 line is 11mm and mine clearly says 10.5 on the end label...
My 11mm rope made by Sterling is very stiff, professional rescue rope and perfect for descending, very slow and controlled. If you "let go" and observe the Gri-Gri, it will halt you within a couple inches using that 11mm stiff rope. It is kind of a chore for ascending, but I use the stiff 11mm rope 99% of the time. The only reason I bought that brand is I came across a ton of it at a rare discount. It looks & feels the same as the more popular New England KMIII which you can see at this link
http://www.newenglandropes.com/PRD_...160; I believe that is what Kevin uses.
I would never consider using an ATC for the person climbing the roof. You have to keep one hand on the loose end of the rope at all times when using an ATC. that just would not work for the person climbing the roof, chalking the damage on shingles, etc.
In the last page I linked to 9 year old forum thread that described the GriGri. review that, and keep in mind what he is saying, you MUST ensure that the rope is threaded the correct direction through the device. When you change direction and go down the other slope, you MUST stop and change the direction that the rope is going through the Gri-Gri. The same is true of any rope-grab or ascender, they are a "one-way" device and you cannot simply march up one slope and down the other side without "swapping out" the direction that the rope runs through the device.
3) Bob- did you give up on the slingshot instead of the reel?
I still have and sometimes use the slingshot. I can "aim" better with it than the reel, but the loose line is a chore for me. One of the guys on our team had a ladder fall on his rod & reel, he had no other solution. I tend to hold on to tools, often find a use for them.
4) Are people using the Zorber to absorb the shock of a fall? Is that what Tony has attached between the harness and the ascender?
Right. in that photo Tony has a Petzl ascender at the end of the Zorber. And you can also in the photo I took of Kevin at class he has a Gibbs rope grap at the end of a Zorber
http://www.catadjuster.org/Forums/t...fault.aspx">on this other thread (click the link). Most adjusters I know simply use a short loop of webbing, but a Zorber doesn't cost very much. It is about 6 feet of "seat-belt" type material stitched together in such a way that it will gradually un-stitch if you put a sudden heavy load on it.
When I get to the top of the ridge and find a stable spot to sit down, I switch over to my Gri-Gri and attach it as close to my harness as possible (without any loop of webbing or Zorber). You will find your own style, but when I am pulling rope "out" from my Gri-Gri it is grief if the device is already 16 inches away from you. It is different with an ascender or rope grab because the main activity there is "pulling in" toward you.
5) How are you stabilizing the ladder at the top? A bungie cord?
first of all, I always tie-off, always. I use a pair of "quick-clamps" with about 8" capacity and prefer to clamp to solid fascia on both sides of ladder, and use about 6' of webbing to tie a few times around each ladder member and then to the clamps. If it is a boxed-in soffit and absolutely no-where else, I will rely on the gutter nail, but sometimes you don't even get that. I have old worn out cougar-paw pads that I save the 1/2 that still has rubber, fold it so that it is "pinching the end of the shingles", and use the clamp to force the rubber pad against the granules of the shingle. It will never pull loose, and I tie of to 2 clamps, one near each leg of ladder. I know that sounds bizzare, but it is better than nothing.
I have a 16 and 24' Werner with "Equalizer" legs. they add a lot of weight to the ladder, for taller ladders I just find level ground... Here is a clickable link to the thing you mentioned:
http://www.provisiontools.com/ and after watching their video, I would not personally buy one.
7) How about shoes? I use shoes like Tony's but I've thought about Tiger Paws. Not sure what works best in the rain.
http://www.cougarpaws.com">www.cougarpaws.com or you can get them at
http://www.bigrocksupply.com">www.bigrocksupply.com they are the only ones I use. Tony was lazy that day and wore something else, I don't wear anything else and don't care if I burn through them. I buy more pads.
8) Though I use a bowlen and an overhand knot for almost anything, are there a few other knots which are "must knows" to make life easier?
for webbing you will need a different knot - called the water knot.