Yep, if you take a large fall SRT you're screwed no matter what device you're using.
-moss

Reviving this thread, some pretty interesting stuff here, also people we haven't heard from in awhile.

With regret I've officially retired my tethered Microcender SRT rig. It's held up well but now that I'm climbing full tilt after recovering from my shoulder problem I'm somewhat de-conditioned, on a recent 80' ascent I felt like I was working too hard, the climbing "fun factor" was reduced too much. I've done a 190' ascent on it in the past and survived but I want to do better than survive when I climb

This leaves one gaping hole in my climbing toolkit, I really like the tethered Microcender for an SRT traverse rope grab. More thought needed.

My main issue with the tethered Microcender is that I had to use my arms too much to hold myself vertical on rope. A climber who I facilitated recently is a "tri-athlete" and she made the very smart observation that the more your arms are raised above your head during your climbing motion the harder your heart is going to have to work. This can make a big difference on a long ascent.

For now it's back to my treefrog system (handled ascender/footlop, Croll, Pantin) or minimal frog (ascender/footlop above, hitch below, Pantin on one foot).

The chest roller with handled ascender/footlop, hitch and Pantin is the most efficient system I've climbed on but I've been resisting wearing the chest ascender, I may just give in and accept wearing it.

My overall criteria is I want to minimize as much as I can, the entire SRT kit including rappel device should fit in to my NT zippered bag and it should be efficient enough that I won't get beat up too bad on say an 80' SRT ascent.

Onward and upward,
-AJ

I've tried every ropewalker I can get my hands on. For me, i.e. for me, IOW, for me, they are all tiring because I have to support my upper body with my arms, even with a good chest harness.

Now that i'm older, protection of muscle and joints take priority over everything but safety and usually those are not in conflict. I've found for those purposes, NOTHING is better than a frog sit-stand due to it's perfect body symmetry ans lower joint/tendon/muscle impact. Plus I can determine how much force I want in my legs/arms to a large degree. So it's possible to do an arm intense climb one climb and more of a leg intense the next climb.

When Hunbku and Patrick were here, they watched a rope climbing competition at a caver's event. Of all the contestants and systems, the guy that won was on a frog sit-stand, and IIRC, he won pretty convincingly.

Not saying all should rush to switch to a frog sit-stand, just reporting that it's really good. It's about the only thing I climb on now and it only requires a handled ascender and a chest ascender (no chest harness required). Of course there are the footloops and other software. And you'll need a descender, but that's true for any SRT system. It's just that the RADS and Rope Wrench use the same ascender/descending device.

So even a chest roller is not giving you better upper body support on rope? To be clear, a chest roller doesn't hold you up better but it provides leverage when you stand up on your footloops, allows more of your push to come from your legs and core, takes pressure off your arms. Whether you do a sit/stand or alternate feet with a rope walker I think the efficiency is very similar if you're using a chest roller.
-AJ

I'm not using a chest roller on a frog sit stand; that's not a common cofiguration. The roller woukl limit the stroke too much.

Very good info Moss. Keeping your arms straight instead of bent will also help on long climbs. Here is a link....
http://allirainey.suite101.com/rock-climbing-training-to-improve-climbing-fast-a89890

Just caught up with this thread so here is how i'm keeping things minimal and efficient at the moment.

SRT up on my cinched rope with a hitch and lanyard over the should to pull up the hitch. Under that a croll on a short footloop (croll about knee height) with a bungee from the top of the croll to the chinstrap on my helmet.. Pantin on the other foot.

Get to the TIP, stow croll/footloop/bungee, Install cambium saver and go to work. I don't need do traverses much though moss! But could you use your pulley and hitch for progress capture on a traverse instead of the microcender?

Castration bands would work instead of the band-its. They are available at Tractor Supply and other local farm supply stores. They are a little cheaper, available locally(at least in my location), and easy to install. I usually use two to do the work of one Band-it. They even have the tool which Sherrill Tree sells to install the bands but is priced considerably cheaper. Or you could always use a snap ring tool as suggested earlier.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/livestock/livestock-health/livestock-veterinary-supplies/surgical-equipment-supplies/ideal-instruments-castrating-bands-pack-of-100-2221563

That would work, it's just that a Microcender on a short tether is the most perfect progress capture I've used yet for traversing. Quick on and off, advances very easily and always grabs. Hitch is a good minimalist solution.
-AJ

So do you have a pulley on rope as your anchor and hand over hand your way across shunting the microcender forwards with your hands?

[quote="Greenluck"]Castration bands would work instead of the band-its.

OUCH!!!

That's it. I can also auto advance the Microcender with a HUT (bungee setup) which is even better.
-AJ