Personal Anchor Systems Before we go any further, there is one rule to follow: Do not fall onto your tether!
There are valid arguments against carrying a dedicated tether:
It adds weight and bulk to your harness.
You are already carry slings and/or quickdraws that can do the same job.
It is another piece of gear to potentially misuse.
It is another piece of gear to spend money on.
Despite the reasons stated, many climbers are happy to use a dedicated tether, myself included. In the past, I’ve made the effort to keep my harness tidier by abandoning my dedicated tether—I eventually returned to one.
The Metolius Personal Anchor System (PAS) has been so successful in North America that climbers often just call any cowtail/tether/lanyard a PAS. Now, many climbing companies offer a personal anchor of some sort. Some are made from interlocking loops of nylon or dyneema, and others use a length of rope/cord. Here are some of the choices available in Canada:
Metolius PAS/Alpine PAS
Grivel Daisy Chain
Sterling Chain Reactor
Camp Daisy Chain Twist
Petzl Connect/Dual Connect
Beal Dynaconnexion
Simond La Vache/Double Adjustable Lanyard
Kong Slyde
It’s great to have choices, but be aware that you don’t absolutely need to have one. You could simply do what many climbers already do and use a knotted sling. A good resource on many of the personal anchor systems can be found here: Review of Adjustable Lanyards
You could also consider making your own tether. Something we see very often in Quebec is this set up:
Another DIY option is the Purcell prusik; very common in some areas, a rare sight in other places.
My personal choice over the past eight seasons has been the Purcell prusik. Repeated tests have shown that in the event that I ever take a fall onto my tether, the odds of surviving the experience is higher on a Purcell prusik than almost anything else. That is the clincher for me with the bonus of only costing about $10.
Drop Testing Purcells for the gear geeks out there.
Purcell prusiks are typically tied using 3.5 to 4 meters of 6-7mm cord. I use a dynamic rope (8mm or so) to make all my purcell prusiks, making it a bit bulkier but significantly stronger. How to tie a Purcell
The force generated in even a short fall can be high enough to break a tether. In the event your tether survives, a lot of the remaining force that needs to be absorbed has nowhere else to go but your body.
Black Diamond recently conducted drop testing on some of the most common tethers in the market. Black Diamond Personal Anchor Tests
Regardless of what strength rating you see printed on any tether, do not fall on them.
***I've recently been using the Kong Slyde and will have a detailed review soon.
