"The Technical Rescue Riggers Guide" - Pocket Reference

The new revised edition Technical Rescue Riggers Guide by Rick Lipke is a great pocket reference and “borrows heavily from work done by Rigging for Rescue in Canada”. 126 pages, 296 clear illustrations and photos, from basic knots and anchors, to highlines and much more! This is not an instructional text, but rather a quick reference guide for personnel already trained and familiar with modern rope rescue. A portion of the sale of this guide goes to support volunteer mountain rescue.

"Release Devices: A Comparative Analysis" - Research Report

Release-devices (a.k.a. load release hitches) can be practically used in rope rescue rigging for a variety of uses, such as passing knots [bends] and releasing stuck belays. Generally, they can be used anywhere where the tension on a rope system must be transferred to another part of the system

• The ability to withstand a shock force
• Ease of lowering after a shock force
• Static breaking strength
• Ease of tying, inspection, etc.

In addition to a review and analysis of the existing release-devices, this work also led to the development of a new release-device, which has some significant improvements.

This is not a basic report. There are several tables for cross-referencing as well as a detailed appendix covering each device. Rescuers can use this databased report to help assess the safety of their current system and to determine if there might be a better release-device available to meet their team's needs.

"The What-If of Highline Failure...Is there a back-up?" - Video

©1997 Kirk and Katie Mauthner
27 minute video with accompanying 5 page report.
$39 US
*video is available in DVD or PAL format*

Is there a back up if the track rope fails? The use of highlines often invokes a word of caution - special training required - as excessive forces can be generated if the track rope is over-tensioned, causing track rope (mainline) system failure; this is indeed, a possibility. To better understand this risk, several highline components and variations are assessed for their performance when a track rope failure occurs. This study shares recent test results as well as recommended rigging techniques to improve highline system safety.

This is not a how-to video for highline rigging. Instead, it is a critical look at what would happen if the track rope failed on several commonly used highline techniques...is there a back-up?

"Gripping Ability on Rope in Motion" - Research Report

The ability of a belayer to apply enough gripping force to a rope to successfully arrest a falling rescue load is of prime importance when using any belay device that requires a positive gripping response on behalf of the belayer. Belays using figure 8 plates, slot type belay plates, the Münter hitch and others, all require different levels of belayer gripping ability for different levels of impact forces. The minimum levels of gripping abilities exhibited by the population raise serious concerns about the use of any such belay device in rope rescue work. To add to this concern is that the weaker grippers are not readily identifiable by obvious features such as their size. This report is the summary of over 300 tests conducted to assess human gripping ability as it specifically relates to rescue work.