My biggest problem with buying a GRCS (aside from the serious commitment of cash,) is that I have to trust my groundies to use it properly. As a contract climber, I work with several different crews, and pick up random work off of craigslist and such. I always set the port-a-wrap or bollard myself before entry, and with one of the companies that calls on occasion, I have to go over proper operation at the start of every job. The two companies that regularly work with, both understand how to set a mechanical advantage above the lowering device (to apply tension like a GRCS,) but half of the time I have to walk them through tying a prussic hitch or VT... a week ago I had to repell out of the tree to show them how it's done.
This lack of consistency is also my biggest complaint about freelancing. I don't blame the guys I'm working with... I do my best to share my knowledge and do a bit of training every time I work with each crew. But I seem to be the only contract climber these guys work with, that takes the time, and only seeing them once or twice a week, isn't enough to reinforce the lessons... or maybe they're just morons.
...woah, tangent.
I dream about buying a GRCS, and having a crew to help me take advantage of what it can do. I mainly work in the dense suburbs, in northern Virginia, outside of Washington DC, and I see good uses for the tool on at least 50%+ of the jobs I do.
