A Prize for Top Technical Tip

[undergroundHP]

Another top tip:-
Replace the closure cord on your tackle/rope bags with prusik cord.  You never know if you need more cords. ( Absails, hauling, deviation)
Try to keep the cord in good condition though as a shredded cord is no use in a emergency.

 

[GT]

Crude way to estimate the load on anchors when rigging (if I can figure out how to attach the image...)

 

[Peter Burgess]

GT - that's great. And useful in other areas as well. Thanks.

 

[Simon Wilson]

I've used this to repair oversuits and it works well but it's very dear.

http://www.hh66.co.uk/index.php

 

[Pegasus]

Thank you Spanset for the rope prizes - they've just sent through a photo so thought I'd share - so gold!!

 

[blackshiver]

Don't waste time running around in the rain trying to pick up muddy gear in the dark and stuff it into a leaky old plastic sack.

Buy a bombproof 42L laundry flexi Tub from Tesco for four quid. These are produced in various colours so can be colour coded to passengers in a car for ease of identification in the dark. A bit of tape and a snap buckle can be used to "cinch" the handles together for tight packing of clean gear into a vehicle for a quick getaway.

On exiting the cave, simply stand in the empty tub (no car mats or muddy feet) and wriggle out of SRT gear directly into the tub first. Then strip off all other gear, basically like skinning a banana, directly into the tub on top of your Wellies - which you finally step out of while still standing in the tub.

This is very quick with practice, the still clean tub can be lifted straight into the car and you can be sat with a cup of tea while others are struggling to find muddy gear and stuff it into sacks which end up muddy on the outside and leaking from the inside.

I pinched this idea by observing someone in our club, but after forty years of caving it was a eureka moment and I have not used poly bags for ages.

 

[cavermark]

Don't waste time running around in the rain trying to pick up muddy gear in the dark and stuff it into a leaky old plastic sack.

Buy a bombproof 42L laundry flexi Tub from Tesco for four quid. These are produced in various colours so can be colour coded to passengers in a car for ease of identification in the dark. A bit of tape and a snap buckle can be used to "cinch" the handles together for tight packing of clean gear into a vehicle for a quick getaway.

On exiting the cave, simply stand in the empty tub (no car mats or muddy feet) and wriggle out of SRT gear directly into the tub first. Then strip off all other gear, basically like skinning a banana, directly into the tub on top of your Wellies - which you finally step out of while still standing in the tub.

This is very quick with practice, the still clean tub can be lifted straight into the car and you can be sat with a cup of tea while others are struggling to find muddy gear and stuff it into sacks which end up muddy on the outside and leaking from the inside.

I pinched this idea by observing someone in our club, but after forty years of caving it was a eureka moment and I have not used poly bags for ages.

Cool tip   
3 for ?10 in BandQ    You can organise an exciting impromptu sledging race if changing on a tarmac slope when it's frosty!

 

[potholer]

Unless I have taken it off at the cave prior to a long walk back, I usually take my SRT kit off while walking back to the car - with a Superavanti it's easy to undo leg loops while walking, and unfasten the central maillon in time to just drop everything as soon as I get to a vehicle.

I'm interested why the harness fastening choice these days seems to be almost exclusively one of steel D versus expensive loop-crab-thing.

I've always used an alloy delta, which seemed to be quite common back when I started.
I don't find issues with gear bunching up, which seems to be the thing some people reckon is the possible drawback due to the lack of space at the top. Maybe my 'cowstails-on-right' setup helps in that respect.

The alloy delta is much lighter than a steel D (~50g vs 150g), and I don't recall ever having problems opening or closing any of the ones I've used, and I'm not an obsessive gear-cleaner.

In fact, I can fasten and unfasten it as easily when hanging from it as when it's unloaded - presumably the various forces tend to balance out and don't cause meaningful opening or closing.

 

[Bottlebank]

You have to be the right shape to do this I suppose, but I leave my harness fastened with all the gear on in the right place, and simply slip it on and off. I can usually be kitted up whilst most people are still trying to work out what goes where.

 

[cavermark]

The alloy delta is much lighter than a steel D (~50g vs 150g), and I don't recall ever having problems opening or closing any of the ones I've used, and I'm not an obsessive gear-cleaner.

In fact, I can fasten and unfasten it as easily when hanging from it as when it's unloaded - presumably the various forces tend to balance out and don't cause meaningful opening or closing.

When do you ever need to open it when hanging in it?

Alloy semi circle maillions are also available if you are desperate to save weight.

 

[martinm]

Aren't all these supposed to be posted in the Digging or Equipment sections? 

 

[potholer]

They are if they are considered useful/novel enough to maybe qualify for a prize.

It seems that here various lesser things are being mentioned, to avoid cluttering up forums with new threads.

 

[potholer]

Alloy semi circle maillions are also available if you are desperate to save weight.

Looking around just now, it seems that 10mm alloy deltas are not PPE rated, but the semicircular ones are, so possibly I should think about changing to a D at some point.

I guess when I bought my current one, that may not have been an issue...

 

[Mark Wright]

Mel,

This is the Equipment section.

Potholer,

Peguet, who manufacture Maillon Rapides, only have the most commonly used shapes and materials tested against the PPE directive. The others have a WLL (Working Load Limit) marked on them. Apart from the markings on them, they are exactly the same, so there's no need to worry about conformance. In order for Peguet to be able to sell Maillons Rapides for use as PPE in the EU they have to carry a CE mark, showing they meet the minimum requirements of the PPE Directive.

Mark

 

[nickwilliams]

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=6161.0

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The drain rod video cam. inventor nigel the tuesday diggers engineer.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Don't waste time running around in the rain trying to pick up muddy gear in the dark and stuff it into a leaky old plastic sack.

Buy a bombproof 42L laundry flexi Tub from Tesco for four quid. These are produced in various colours so can be colour coded to passengers in a car for ease of identification in the dark. A bit of tape and a snap buckle can be used to "cinch" the handles together for tight packing of clean gear into a vehicle for a quick getaway.

On exiting the cave, simply stand in the empty tub (no car mats or muddy feet) and wriggle out of SRT gear directly into the tub first. Then strip off all other gear, basically like skinning a banana, directly into the tub on top of your Wellies - which you finally step out of while still standing in the tub.

This is very quick with practice, the still clean tub can be lifted straight into the car and you can be sat with a cup of tea while others are struggling to find muddy gear and stuff it into sacks which end up muddy on the outside and leaking from the inside.

I pinched this idea by observing someone in our club, but after forty years of caving it was a eureka moment and I have not used poly bags for ages.

I like this one. I bought two today.

 

[Pegasus]

Hi All,

The deadline for the Top Technical Tip' competition is midnight, 19th December - so you still have time to pass on your top tip - and yes, maybe even win 50m of Spanset Gold!!

Good luck 

 

[Badlad]

Here's a good one - the two stop strategy.

A method for passing rebelays especially if you are carrying heavy gear like diving bottles, big rope bags, scaffolding etc., down pitches with multiple rebelays.  With such a heavy load it is often very energetic to lift yourself up to undo the short cowstail.

Use two stops both krabbed into your main attachment point.  Abseil down level with the anchor.  Place the second stop on the rope below the rebelay and lock off.  Lower on the first until fully weighted on the second.  Remove the first and on down you go.  It really is fast and efficient for the right kind of trips.  Used very successfully taking scaffolding down Death Head Hole a few years ago.

 

[Mark Wright]

Top Tip from Badlad. We used this same method of transporting scaffold tubes and boards down the Rowter Hole main shaft, through 4 re-belays. You crab your heavy load to your descender carabiner so there's never any weight on your harness.

Unfortunately Badlad your tips aren't eligible for a prize.

Mark