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SMC Escape 8
By Matt Smith
Some of the
most spectacular canyons are found miles from anywhere. On top of all
your gear, you may have to carry a couple of days worth of water. Believe
me, your pack can get very heavy in a hurry. Throw in several hundred
feet of rope into the picture and now your pack is almost unbearable.
One of the ways you can reduce weight is to use smaller diameter ropes.
Unfortunately, sometimes the standard rappel devices are a little fast
on small diameter ropes, and can make the entire experience very invigorating,
very scary or even fatal.
SMC has designed a small, lightweight Figure 8 called the Escape 8. It
is called the Escape 8 because it was designed as an emergency rappel device
for firefighters exiting burning buildings on 7 or 8 mm tag lines.
I used the Escape 8 in a variety of situations ranging from short, low
angle rappels to very long, free air rappels. In a few cases, I rappelled
with only my body weight on the device. In most cases I rappelled with a
full overnight pack and large rope bag. In all cases I was rappelling on
either single or double strands of 8 mm static rope. In some cases the
rope was dry, in some cases the rope was saturated; the device spraying
me with a coarse mist as the wet rope slid through it.
I found the Escape 8 to provide excellent control and braking on
double 8 mm ropes. There was no need for extra carabiners to increase
friction. The feed was predictable and smooth. On single 8 mm strands,
the device slides much more easily. On one occasion while rappelling on
single 8 mm rope with a heavy pack, I used a carabiner through the leg
loop of my harness to increase friction.
The Escape 8 weighs 48.2 grams and costs around $15.
Summary: The Escape 8 offers excellent control on smaller diameter ropes at about the same cost and weight as a standard Figure 8.
Matt Smith is a contributing edtior at GearReview.com and specializes in canyoneering.
For more information, contact:
SMC
12880 N.E. 21st Place
Bellevue, WA 98005-1910
800-426-6251
smc@smcgear.net
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