A Prize for Top Technical Tip

[maxf]

Maybe  a bit late now but hey ho...

Found this waterproof paper for printers, great for printing, topos, surveys or descriptions out on if your that way inclined....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memory-Map-Toughprint-Waterproof-Paper-Inkjet/dp/B000MMUA4C

 

[Pony]

If you carry a few spare bars of choccy or whatever for emergencies, wrap them up in aload of gaffa tape. Just incase you go "hmm, feeling a bit peckish" and then you end up with no stash and an emergency later. I seem to go caving with diabetics somehow  :

 

[cavermark]

Maybe  a bit late now but hey ho...

Found this waterproof paper for printers, great for printing, topos, surveys or descriptions out on if your that way inclined....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memory-Map-Toughprint-Waterproof-Paper-Inkjet/dp/B000MMUA4C

Does it need special waterproof ink too though?

 

[martinm]

Maybe  a bit late now but hey ho...

Found this waterproof paper for printers, great for printing, topos, surveys or descriptions out on if your that way inclined....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memory-Map-Toughprint-Waterproof-Paper-Inkjet/dp/B000MMUA4C

Does it need special waterproof ink too though?

My thought too. Also why not just laminate them? 

 

[Maj]

No special ink required, just use as normal in your ink jet printer.
Muddied surveys etc can be washed in a stream whilst underground just as if laminated. But they are more flexible, fold up better and don't really suffer for being stuffed in a pocket.

My thought too. Also why not just laminate them? 

Laminating requires an extra process, are then much stiffer and not so easy to fold. Water will eventually creep in-between the lamination. Light reflects off the shiny surface.

Maj.

 

[Simon Wilson]

This sounds great but are you sure about the inkjet?

Every inkjet printer I've used is not waterproof ink whereas laser print is waterproof.

This says Toughprint can be used with laser printers and surely it needs to be laser print.

http://www.toughprint.com/

 

[sluka]

Maybe you, but I have different experiences. There are many of inkjet printers (better say inks) which are waterproof. The best I know is DuraBrite ink of EPSON. One may print on normal plain paper it is still waterproof. If you need something as ToughPrint you may use impregnation as described here: http://http://cachtice.speleo.sk/impregnation/ You may use this method for impregnation of geographical maps or maps of cave systems, etc.

 

[HardenClimber3]

Tough Print do two sorts of paper.
I've (only) used the Laser printer version (and printed to it with a laser printer!), and it works really well. Compared with laminated sheets, you can fold it up etc and it is less bulky & won't split/leak.
I would have thought you'd need 'waterproof' injet ink (some are certainly more water resistant than others), but I've no experience of using the inkjet paper.

 

[Maj]

Since I haven't actually got round to printing on the paper myself, but have used surveys etc printed on waterproof paper, I thought I'd double check the details, with my caving colleague that has printed on it, and who's surveys I've used.

Yes, you do just use your ordinary printer and no you don't rquire special ink. Just print as you would for ordinary paper. You need to get the correct paper for your printer (Laser or Inkjet).
http://www.toughprint.com/what-is-toughprint/

Maj.

 

[TheBitterEnd]

I regularly use this for surveys and rigging guides

http://www.theinkjetpapergirl.co.uk/a4-260g-dartmoor-waterproof-outdoor-resin-coated-inkjet-paper-gloss-20-sheets-444-p.asp

it is as tough as old boots and NO you DO NOT need waterproof ink, just print on it with ordinary inject ink (it even works in my laser even though they say it is not for lasers, but I guess it depends on the fusing temp of the laser). Just fold it printed side out before you stick it in your oversuit otherwise it tends to stick together when wet.

 

[cap n chris]

A thread of top technical tips will continue to have relevance even after a competition, here's a little reminder for anyone getting involved in new fangled rope techniques to have a double look-see when kitting up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ugkY-PqkLw

 

[Leclused]

In one of our discoveries in Belgium we had a delicate passage where the kitbags needed to be transported over some "gours". The risk of dropping them was too high so we decided to build a removable bridge. When the bridge is in place kitbags can be easily slided over it 

A write up of the installing (in dutch) can be found here but the photos will tell the story.

http://scavalon.blogspot.be/2010/02/de-lange-wapper.html

In the same write up some photo's of conservatieon techniques are also shown. So Perhaps this should be in the conservation subgroup.

But

 

[Amy]

When rigging a tensionless, make sure the load is coming off of the appropriate side (top or bottom) so that it does not cross the other wraps. If the other wraps are crossed it puts load on them not only creating rope on rope rub but also making it more difficult to break into should there need to be a rescue. The nature of tension less rig when done properly the tail end with the bight back around the main side should be under zero load. If rescue is needed, you can use the same tree and rig a haul or lower system right next to it, and once safety prussiks set on the main line, the tensionless (as there is no load) can be undone, slowly unwrapped from around the tree, using the friction of the wraps to gently Lower the load into your haul or lower system. Quick and efficient but only able to be done so easily if the tensionless was rigged properly at the start as if the wraps are crossed by the load bearing side it will pinch it off and make this much harder!

 

[SamT]

When rigging a tensionless, make sure the load is coming off of the appropriate side (top or bottom) so that it does not cross the other wraps. If the other wraps are crossed it puts load on them not only creating rope on rope rub but also making it more difficult to break into should there need to be a rescue. The nature of tension less rig when done properly the tail end with the bight back around the main side should be under zero load. If rescue is needed, you can use the same tree and rig a haul or lower system right next to it, and once safety prussiks set on the main line, the tensionless (as there is no load) can be undone, slowly unwrapped from around the tree, using the friction of the wraps to gently Lower the load into your haul or lower system. Quick and efficient but only able to be done so easily if the tensionless was rigged properly at the start as if the wraps are crossed by the load bearing side it will pinch it off and make this much harder!

I've tried putting this in Google Translate, but it still fails to translate it into a single word I understand.   

 

[royfellows]

If lamp go out, not punish lamp by beating

 

[ah147]

When rigging a tensionless, make sure the load is coming off of the appropriate side (top or bottom) so that it does not cross the other wraps. If the other wraps are crossed it puts load on them not only creating rope on rope rub but also making it more difficult to break into should there need to be a rescue. The nature of tension less rig when done properly the tail end with the bight back around the main side should be under zero load. If rescue is needed, you can use the same tree and rig a haul or lower system right next to it, and once safety prussiks set on the main line, the tensionless (as there is no load) can be undone, slowly unwrapped from around the tree, using the friction of the wraps to gently Lower the load into your haul or lower system. Quick and efficient but only able to be done so easily if the tensionless was rigged properly at the start as if the wraps are crossed by the load bearing side it will pinch it off and make this much harder!

I've tried putting this in Google Translate, but it still fails to translate it into a single word I understand.   

I think she's talking about the no-knot knot.

I.e. Wrap rope around tree a few times and clip back. If you wrap it round enough, there's no weight on the actual knot.

Then rescuing from the system with an extra rope.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ah147]

If lamp go out, not punish lamp by beating

So that's what I've been doing wrong!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MarkS]

When rigging a tensionless, make sure the load is coming off of the appropriate side (top or bottom) so that it does not cross the other wraps. If the other wraps are crossed it puts load on them not only creating rope on rope rub but also making it more difficult to break into should there need to be a rescue. The nature of tension less rig when done properly the tail end with the bight back around the main side should be under zero load. If rescue is needed, you can use the same tree and rig a haul or lower system right next to it, and once safety prussiks set on the main line, the tensionless (as there is no load) can be undone, slowly unwrapped from around the tree, using the friction of the wraps to gently Lower the load into your haul or lower system. Quick and efficient but only able to be done so easily if the tensionless was rigged properly at the start as if the wraps are crossed by the load bearing side it will pinch it off and make this much harder!

I've tried putting this in Google Translate, but it still fails to translate it into a single word I understand.   

http://www.animatedknots.com/tensionless/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

 

[Kenilworth]

When rigging a tensionless, make sure the load is coming off of the appropriate side (top or bottom) so that it does not cross the other wraps. If the other wraps are crossed it puts load on them not only creating rope on rope rub but also making it more difficult to break into should there need to be a rescue. The nature of tension less rig when done properly the tail end with the bight back around the main side should be under zero load. If rescue is needed, you can use the same tree and rig a haul or lower system right next to it, and once safety prussiks set on the main line, the tensionless (as there is no load) can be undone, slowly unwrapped from around the tree, using the friction of the wraps to gently Lower the load into your haul or lower system. Quick and efficient but only able to be done so easily if the tensionless was rigged properly at the start as if the wraps are crossed by the load bearing side it will pinch it off and make this much harder!

I've tried putting this in Google Translate, but it still fails to translate it into a single word I understand.   

I think she's talking about the no-knot knot.

I.e. Wrap rope around tree a few times and clip back. If you wrap it round enough, there's no weight on the actual knot.

Then rescuing from the system with an extra rope.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep. But, it's easy to release no matter which way you wrap, and the "rope on rope friction" that results from doing it the "wrong" way is static and therefore harmless.

 

[Disgusted from Cornwall.]

Here's my technical tip. (A considerable part of my background is in chemistry, before people start getting hysterical.....it's fine).

When you wash your ropes, use very little detergent, if any. The key is lots and lots and lots of rinsing. A really good thing is attempting to get as much muck off gently before machine washing. Anyway, the name of the game is conditioning. Ropes turn into sticks if you don't condition them. This is meant to be a good thing, we are meant to use special rope shampoo sold by gucci brands for a fortune. Is this just Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate in a fancy pot? (I expect so). When we have used and washed our ropes a number of times, they take on this stick like appearance, knots become difficult to tie and in the end, they don't like flowing through descenders. THIS IS GOOD BECAUSE YOU MUST ONLY CLEAN YOUR ROPE THIS WAY!!!!

Fabric conditioner is the name of the game and a lot of it. Get the strongest "double concentrate" you can and use a load of it. It makes old ropes like new and keeps ropes supple and user friendly. When you consider the core of the rope, there are tens of thousands of fibres, these need to move over each other and when rope comes from the factory it has residual gunk which gradually washes out. When you add soap, it washes out quicker and in the end, you have a load of fibres which do create a lot of friction when rubbed against each other. The way to coat these fibres, reduce friction and associated wear is to use fabric conditioner. It works a treat and has the added bonus of making the rope nicer to descend as well. "Squeaky clean" is not what we want.

Top Tip:- Wash your ropes with lots of concentrated fabric conditioner.

Where do I collect my prize?