For more information about rope tools take the time to read all of Gary's site.

http://storrick.cnchost.com/VerticalDevicesPage/VerticalHome.shtml

Wow! Gary's site is amazing. Who would have thought there would be so many products designed to accomplish the same thing? I can now see why descending devices arouse a good deal of passionate discussion. With all the different systems available and such a range of sizes, weights, and other specifications, I'm sure some devices work better than others for each individual. In the course of finding the best match, it makes sense that one might acquire a collection of devices. I wonder if Gary has an absolute favorite. The fact that he is still adding to his collection suggests that he may still be looking for the perfect fit. In any case, many thanks to all of you for helping me understand some of the setups and for including the details of safety backups.

cambium

Moss,

I tied this wrong. If you bring the two sides of the loop together while tieing a standard double fisherman's knot around them you can capture both legs instead of just one, making the ends identical AND adjustable. That way it doesn't matter which loop you use at the biner or as the hitch.