Ah, I was just about to start a thread on this too - so apologies if I repeat some of your points by simply posting what I was about to submit.....
"The other clever aspect of the new BD kits, is that unlike most via ferrata kits, the shock absorber will still function if you fall while just one of the carabiners is attached." (my bold)
Can you explain this statement please Jon? It's my understanding that most (all?) the commercially sold VF protection kits function like that.
Y-arrangements such as the Petzl Zyper-Vertigo have two clipping-tapes attached to a length of shock-absorbing rope - the rope will run through a friction device and absorb the load whether one tail or two happen to be clipped at the time of a fall.
Other arrangements run a single length of rope through a friction device to create two tails - in operation you only clip one tail at the time (except at change-over points) so that the length of the other tail can run through the device for shock-absorption. This arrangement would provide no shock absorption if you happened to fall while both tails were clipped.
It's not clear how the new BD set-up is any different. Or have they put the folded, stitched tape on both tails and done away with the friction elememt of the set-up altogether?
Posted: 21/08/2008 at 16:20
