I recently took a friend for a SRT climb. He used my gear including my gri gri which left me with the figure 8.
I was dencending on my bluewater II++ 9.5mm rope with an 8 backed up by a prussic. In the last 5-10m the prussic started to grab but not completely. It added just enough friction to allow a slow descent. So I let it slide while watching closely.
Upon inspection of my rope I noticed a section of sheath (mantle) that is too baggy and doesnt sit neatly around the core.
Does anyone think I should be concerned about this?
Do I need to milk the rope right to the tip and re seal the end?
Cheers

Hi ZionTree!

the best way to "milk" the rope is to go to a football field, tie one end of the rope to a solid post, lay out the rope along the field. Then put on a pair of heavy leather gloves and graps the rope , starting at the anchor point. keep a tight grip and walk down the rope, pulling hard and steady as you walk. when you reach the end of the rope, have a friend cut excess sheath off and then heat seal the rope end. You may need to do this several times. (

you cna also do this with a rappell rack, its a little easier on the hands.

Hi Zion

What I do is tie one end of the rope to an anchor of some sort (_base_ of a tree, bumber of a car, etc.) and then attach a rappelling rack to my trucks bumber, then i thread the rope onto the rack as close to the anchor as possible. I leave the rope in a rope bag and attach that to the bumber as well. As i drive forward the rope gets fed out of the bag and the rack squeeze the 'foreskin' off of the rope. Simple and Clean
It's a very interesting situation you had with the rope milking above the figure eight. I've always seen it milk below the descender. I assume your prussic was above the 8. Either way I'd milk the rope a couple of times before melting the ends.


-phil

Originally posted by kinooni
... and then attach a rappelling rack to my trucks bumber, then i thread the rope onto the rack. . . Glad I caught this “Milk Truck” post.
I usually wouldn’t admit to such a practice for fear of getting trounced but since it’s been mentioned. . .
I have been known to milk my line using a lawn tractor.
I anchor the end of the rope to a tree (use a swivel), then put the line through a figure-8 which is attached to the back of the tractor and I belay the rope through the figure-8 as I walk beside the tractor, (son drives the tractor).

1.) kinooni, your method sounds much easier than mine since it seems to be a one man operation.
2.) It has been my experience that the best way, by far, to get the twist & milk out of a line is to find a high point and slowly repel down the line. After a few descents, the weird stuff, (twists & milking), is pushed down and out of the line.