Kernmaster DdRT

McGuarantee

TreeHouser
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
130
Location
Nashville, TN
Hey everyone

I've started using kernmaster 11mm recently and am loving it. I've used the rope wrench as well as the DdRT hitch climber set up on it and both work well. I've read that DdRT is ok and safe with kernmaster due to it's ability to stretch if shock loaded.

Anyone else out there with some DdRT experience on kernmaster?

I have previously climbed almost exclusively with a spiderjack on tachyon. Anybody have any idea how the spiderjack kern combo might work?
 
I wouldn't use it for DdRT only because the cover (the mantle) is so thin compared to the cover on a typical arb rope (think of the strands of 16 strand rope or blaze compared to Kernmaster
 
Ok Nick, You are very much a rope guy so I listen but I don't follow your answer. Why would the ratio of core to cover actually matter regarding use for DdRT? FWIW I have a piece of KMIII that I have abused the snot out of as a pull line and a lowering line just running it over a steel biner and natural crotches....and after years of such use it still has very little visible cover wear. Seems to me that the handling of the line is important but relative cover thickness is moot.
 
I'M RIGHT! DO AS I SAY! :|:

The cover is designed to take the abuse. Thicker cover more tightly woven can handle more abuse. If you're running a friction hitch over it, that's a lot of friction concentrated on a small area. I'm not saying it's not gonna work. I'm just saying it's not what the rope is designed to do- there are better ropes for the job. With the high-heat tolerant hitch cords, I've seen ropes damaged on a single descent. This is more likely to occur the thinner the cover fibers are.
 
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  • #6
Didn't work well at all in the spiderjack anyways. It pays to try things and learn (low and slow).

Isn't running it SRT with a hitch/wrench what a lot of people do with kernmaster? (i use the 11mm safari/10mm beeline blue)

So would the hitch easily damage the rope in that application Nick? What about DdRT with hitch cord? Seems like a similar situation as far as hitch cord/rope contact.
 
I'm actually impressed with how little wear it's showing and it's working well with the hitch hiker. Doesn't flatten like cougar blue which got so flat my haas was slipping and wouldn't grab.
I've read other posts that seem to rate it's wear as well.
 
You know, there's some different dynamics going on with the rope wrench where the device absorbs a lot of the friction. This sorta happens with your own body weight when you climb DdRT. To talk in more detail about where there's more friction, I think we would need to go out and do some testing. Any volunteers?!
 
Kernmaster isn't designed for DRT. That being said it will work, however will wear from friction much faster. I would absolutely advocate using a friction management device of some sort, vs. natural crotch climbing.

With SRT your hitch only moves half distance compared to DRT.
-Descend 100' on SRT, and 100' of rope goes through.
-Descend 100' on DRT, and 200' of rope travels through the hitch.

Assuming similar speeds, its a lot more heat.
 
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  • #12
thanks for all the help guys! got a new tachyon rope for all my DdRT and spiderjack needs. will just have to climb more SRT to enjoy my kernmaster! that shouldn't be a problem...

thanks to treestuff.com for my beautiful new pink tachyon line with a nice hand splice. it really stands out in the tree!
 
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