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Crossloading Carabiners

I don't use a rack anymore as I don't do the sort of long drops that I used to. When I did I used a 10mm long maillon as the attachment and never had to use a spanner to undo it (maybe I was lucky). Looking at the size of the eye on the racks illustrated would it be possible, before setting off down after releasing the hard lock, to clip your short cows tail into the same eye as a backup 'just in case'? At a changeover/rebelay the rack would be under tension so clipping the short cows tail into the rebelay would only take the same time as clipping from the harness.
 
I think he's talking about using the end of the simple as a spanner (wrench in American speak ;) ), to undo a large maillon. I know a Stop works in this way, so assume a Simple would too, but I've never tried.

Personally, I've never used a spanner of any sort on the maillon on my rack, I just do it finger tight, so I can quickly remove it between use. I do sometimes use a spanner on my central D-ring, but only ɓecause it has a habit of getting a bit stiff and can be awkward to get a good grip on if your harness is tight.
Just so I understand... So I'll carry a Stop or Simple with me, to undo the mallion, that's connecting my rack to the D-ring? Seems a little excessive, donchathink?
 
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I don't use a rack anymore as I don't do the sort of long drops that I used to. When I did I used a 10mm long maillon as the attachment and never had to use a spanner to undo it (maybe I was lucky). Looking at the size of the eye on the racks illustrated would it be possible, before setting off down after releasing the hard lock, to clip your short cows tail into the same eye as a backup 'just in case'? At a changeover/rebelay the rack would be under tension so clipping the short cows tail into the rebelay would only take the same time as clipping from the harness.
It's not exactly answering the question as posed, but we typically use an extra ascender with racks, for assisting in changeovers. Personally, and most American cavers that I know of, go "alpine" and keep our foot/climbing ascender on our long cowstail.

If there's ever a question of the rack - starting out, after un-weighting, a rebelay, etc - one is technically supposed to do a "rappel test." This is where we'd throw an ascender on the rope above the rack, and do a short 1-2" rappel to prove everything out. One could use their foot/climbing ascender, or our extra ascender above the rack. In this way, if we did a "suicide rig" where we threaded the rack wrong, the ascender would catch our fall. If we simply clipped a short cows-tail to the rack's eye, it wouldn't catch us in a suicide-rig situation.

The extra ascender is handy for changeovers too, where it serves as a 2nd attachment point on the rope.
 
If there's ever a question of the rack - starting out, after un-weighting, a rebelay, etc - one is technically supposed to do a "rappel test." This is where we'd throw an ascender on the rope above the rack, and do a short 1-2" rappel to prove everything out. One could use their foot/climbing ascender, or our extra ascender above the rack. In this way, if we did a "suicide rig" where we threaded the rack wrong, the ascender would catch our fall.
Do you not do this every time?

Also I think it's not best practice to use your ascender for this because the teeth can break the sheath (maybe it depends on the type of ascender and I could be totally misinformed).
 
Do you not do this every time?

Also I think it's not best practice to use your ascender for this because the teeth can break the sheath (maybe it depends on the type of ascender and I could be totally misinformed).
I do actually. If I'm close enough to an anchor, you clip into it instead of use the ascender.

I do practice reps, changeovers, etc at home a lot. I use the ascender there. In reality, if I fell on the ascender, it would be less than a 1-foot drop, onto my cowstail, which is dynamic rope.
 
Just so I understand... So I'll carry a Stop or Simple with me, to undo the mallion, that's connecting my rack to the D-ring? Seems a little excessive, donchathink?
Mentioned just as a (hopefully) useful thing to be aware of if you carried a Simple or Stop, not as a main tactic for dealing with the cross loading issue
 
I do actually. If I'm close enough to an anchor, you clip into it instead of use the ascender.
With Alpine-style rigging, you are nearly always close enough to an anchor when doing a manoeuvre (as we don't have ropes to get onto other ropes protected by rope protectors) except when doing a changeover up-to-down (when the hand ascender is not removed until the descender is tested). Always testing your descender before committing is standard; it is also wise to test your ascenders (i.e. to have actually begun properly prussiking so you know the rope above is fully loaded and looks to be clear of any rub points/being caught on flakes etc.) before removing cowstails from the previous anchor.
 
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