howNOTtoHighline

Climbing Bolts - Is Expired Glue Dangerous???

DON'T use expired glue that other people are going to depend their lives on.  This test and our others is just to see what the limits are in case someone does.  We have not seen lower results because of expired epoxy from Hilti v3 500 or in this video Dewalt AC100 Gold+.  The chemicals seem to separate and are not mixed correctly during the first few squirts from the gun.  Be sure your adhesive is mixed correctly as that is the number 1 concern about it becoming unsafe. &n...

NO CHARGE TO PATRONS... How Not To Budget Revealed and Channel Update

As of 5/31/21 we have received about $15,000 in donations and we have spent about $9,000 with about $10,000 of expenses (tower and load cells) coming up over the next few months.  This video isn't too fundraise for anything but to be accountable and transparent to all those who donate time and money to us.  Please do NOT donate if you are broke or in debt up to your eyeballs.  If you love what we are doing, you can invest in our stoke and projects 2021-05-31 13:29:26 +0000 UTC View Post

Cave break tests - 40 year old Pit Rope vs New!

We test zepplin vs modified zepplin knots.  We test 40 year old pit rope with new pit rope.  And we test soft shackles as lightweight anchor connectors.  John Fioroni from Cave Exploration sent us some zeplin knots to test and the soft shackles.  

Get 5% off at https://www.caveexploration.org/gear if you use the discount code HOWNOT2.   (using code also helps out the channel)  ...

How NOT to Haul on El Capitan - Big Wall Tips

Step 1: stay attached to the cliff Step 2: set up a pulley system Step 3: grunt when you pull down on the rope  

Ok, more helpful tips: Dock the bag on the side of the anchor in the direction of the next pitch.  Dock the bag to the tail of the rope using a munter with half hitches to lock it off so you can release the bag even if it wants to swing over.  Pull up on the bag strand and down on the loose side to get bags up easier.  Add a quickdraw to backup the pulley,...

100 feet ABOVE huge rock fall on El Capitan

Ryan Sheridan (@ryansheridan) tells the story of being only 100 feet above the huge rock fall that happened on El Capitan in 2017.  A lot of this footage was from Pass the Piton Pete who wrote the in depth Big Wall Book “Hooking Up” that you can buy by messaging him on passthepitonspete@hotmail.com (tell him you heard about his book from HowNOTtoHighline). 

Rocks continued to fall for days while they finished the climb and you can still see the rock scar today.   ...

How to Fix Bashed Bolts

If bolts are damaged or there are mistakes or in order to leave less trace, it can be nice to bury an old hole under the P of a new glue in you are installing.  We tested in this video if "too much epoxy" was bad as the recommendation is just to use only a small amount.  It is better to use the right size hole as it saves a ton of glue but we wanted to know if it was super good enough if you didn't.  Spoiler Alert: Our tests showed it was fine. 

All tests were done w...

Climbing Sling Myths

The image of a sling straight vs doubled vs girth hitched and it's relative strengths float around and is taken as doctrine.  So we tested it.    BD 18mm nylon slings were 22kn MBS found at https://amzn.to/3eHXAUt  

Straight (broke 30%+ above MBS or the same as the chart) Test 1: 29.02kn Test 2: 27.62kn Doubled (should get around 56kn) Test 3: 53.58kn Test 4:52.26kn Wrapped 3x (should get around 56k...

Channel Update for Patrons!

You guys are the lifeblood of keeping this thing sustainable and it's not just about the money but also the appreciation I feel from you for the effort.  I generally post 1 video a week so I have time for more complex tests, projects, or general life but when I have successfully caught up and have a store of banked content, I like to post twice a week.  

Last october/november I got to be part of a new show for Discovery Plus called Pushing the Line found at 2021-05-17 17:30:29 +0000 UTC View Post

Petzl Coeur Pulse Tested - $70 Bolts!?!?!

We were able to break $70 bolts because of Jake Torren and Thomas Hollinghurst were so generous.  The Petzl Coeur Pulse (https://amzn.to/3bjDQEf) is a removable bolt that does not require any tools... after a perfect 12mm hole is drilled and cleaned).   Thank you Bobby Hutton and Mike Rogers for destroying things for science with me.   MBS is 25kn in shear and 20kn in tension. We got 47kn in shear and it...

Highline Rigging Example 2021

This is How NOT to Highline after all, so here is a rigging example A-Z to get the big picture of highline rigging.  Michael Melner found this area and this was a line he established prior.  It is rigged all natural meaning there are no bolts installed so we wrap trees and boulders.  With BFKs or Big Fat Knots, each anchor point is independent.  Main webbing gets tensioned, and backup webbing does not.  Everything is redundant.    

➜10% off Rock...

Climbing Nut & Hex Break Tests

We busted some climbing nuts at slacksnap.  Nuts appear to be rated based on the wire attached to them.  

Let us know what else you want to see!  6kN Nut Tests: 8.8kN (Brassie), 7.2kN, & 7.98kN 10kN Nut Tests: 11.36kN, 13.28kN, 13.34kN, 14.78kN Wired Hex collapsed at 13.38kN, wire failed at 11.92kN Webbing & Hex: 12.62kN, 12.08kN Nut & Rope: 16.78kN, 20.10kN Tricam: webbing 12.62kN and roll pin 18.62kN  

00:00 - Intro 00:36 - Stuff we are breaking 0...

Human Testing - What happened to Bobby???

In this podcast style episode Bobby shares about a 100 + foot tumble he took recently. We are lucky enough to be able to laugh about it.   Takeaways Get a helmet that fits and wear it.  Be careful near cliff edges (duh) Invest in wilderness medical training, you never know when you will be a first responder.   NOLS: https://www.nols.edu/en/coursefinder/cour...

Caving vs Climbing

I went caving with Rachel Saker, Ian Reuter, and Ethan Reuter and noticed a few differences from climbing... obviously. ➜It's dark... all the time.  Don't run out of light.  The sun isn't coming up in the morning. ➜It's constant temperature.  The cave we were in is cold enough to get hypothermia if you sat around long enough without a jacket.  But that also means you can do it year around. ➜You practice climbing indoors (in a gym) and you practice caving outside on r...

Rope Access: Is the death knot a myth???

Mikey Stevenson and I collabed to learn more about the scaffold knot which is commonly used in the rope access industrial world. It cinces up against the carabiner to make a knot with a lower profile and it holds the carabiner in place. We also use it in highlining on some leash rings that are designed as thimbles.   We tested it tied normal of course but also the tail strand put in between the loop.  It had no affect on how the rope functioned or its strength.  We also ti...

Big Wall Climbing: How NOT to Poop on El Capitan

The number one question when climbing El Capitan is how to #2.  Pooping in a bag might sound awful, and you're right if you are unprepared.  Have a system for double bagging and have a knife and duct tape to put the double bagged treasure in an empty water jug that you brought up.  Squat and hold the bag behind you with both hands and try to go in the morning while you are on a ledge before your adrenaline kicks in for the day.  Wet wipes are a 10 out of 10 recommendation!...

I Hate Amazon's 12kN Carabiners

The 12kn carabiners being made today look and feel like climbing carabiners and can easily get mistaken as life supporting devices.  Even the description videos and reviews on these products mistake them for climbing use.  You need your aluminum stronger than you need it so it doesn't get fatigue and suddenly snap on you.  The carabiners we broke were all higher than 12kn in this episode but that doesn't mean they are proof loaded and meet the standards for climbing today. &nbs...

CAVING forces - how much force does rappelling put on ropes???

Rachel (@PetzlPrincess) took me pit bouncing in a cave and we measured the forces on the rappel and ascending of the super static 11mm Pit Rope with extra extra sheath.  Rachel at 130lbs (with gear) puts no more than 256lbf on the line or 1.14kn.  It doesn't perfectly equalize between 2 bolts when there are two but is roughly half the force on each one.  When I ascended up with my 160lb ass, I put a peak force of 362lbf (or 1.61kn).  Based on this, a 250lb dude would put a...

Climbing harnesses vs beal dynaloops - what breaks first?

Alex Sardo donated Dynaloops from Beal Climbing (https://amzn.to/39RfxwZ) rated for 22kn.  Bobby Hutton tested these as personal anchors, attached to a harness directly attached to both hard points and the belay loop (donated by Joshua McElderry).    

TEST 1: Dynaloop attached to the hard points on 15 year old-ish Petzl Corax harness (https://...

How NOT to Trad Climb

Sun came out, so we went climbing.  This is a start to finish example of a traditional or "trad" climb with some thoughts given along the way.  Trad climbing is where you have to place your own "pro" or protection and in this video we used cams which is actively placed pro as opposed to nuts and hexes that are placed in constrictions passively.    The beginning was a skit inspired by a funny video called "Sew it up" found at 2021-03-31 13:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Fixe Hardware's New 316L Stainless Climbing Hanger

Yes I moved, Yes we removed this concrete.  Almost done releasing episodes from the old house!    

Bobby visited Fixe Hardware's Bishop, CA store and they showed him their new hanger which is a result from the new standards in Europe since PLX has come and gone.  3.5mm round stock (instead of 4mm) with rounded edges and a concave feature with dimples to act like a built in lock washer.  So... thinner and fancier and a better stainless.   

Ha...

5 Awesome Knots that are hard to find on the internet

Zach Moore (@slackmoore) and I show and test five knots that are hard to find on the internet. The unfinished 9, the scorpion hitch, bernese anchor, double girth hitch (or bGebz) and BFK (big fat knot).  After tensioning the unfinished 9 at (10.15kN or 2282LBF) Zach and I tried to untie the knot. With no success we tried again at a tensioning force of 4.2kN. After testing the sketchy unfinished 9 (A KNOT THAT SHOULDN'T BE USED) we then show you more creative ways of anchoring with a few ...

Highlining 101: Section 7 of 7 - Highline Logistics Part 2 of 2

Welcome to the original reason I started this channel… Highlining 101 or “How to use a highline that is already set up.”  This is 80 short videos squished into 6 categories and 7 videos.  You can skip along in the chapters in the timeline or watch the whole thing.  If you are a pro, we recommend you share this series with new highliners before you take them out for their first adventure.  This also would be great if festivals recommended this to anyone arriving that ...

Are permanent quickdraws with deep grooves dangerous?

Sooooo.... I moved and got sooooo busy I forgot that this was my transition video to share the big change with everyone.  This is my last episode in front of the old gear wall!!!   Sam Warren (@lifetime.warranty) pulled these draws off Super Soul Sureshot (https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105988238/supersoul-sureshot) in Arkansas because the quickdraws had deep groov...

Drop Tower Prototype

How do you build a drop tower.  I have no idea either.  This is a prototype of the design that has evolved over the last few months.  I’d love to have ideas on how to make it cooler, better, more functional, safe-ish-er, and tests you want to see on it.   Footings will be 2x2x3 feet of concrete Bed will be gravel or sand a foot or two deep, flush with existing concrete Steel posts and beams will be ¼” steel 8x8 or 6x6 or I-Beams depending how we do it Master poin...

Highlining 101: Section 6 of 7 - Highline Logistics Part 1 of 2

Welcome to the original reason I started this channel… Highlining 101 or “How to use a highline that is already set up.”  This is 80 short videos squished into 6 categories and 7 videos.  You can skip along in the chapters in the timeline or watch the whole thing.  If you are a pro, we recommend you share this series with new highliners before you take them out for their first adventure.  This also would be great if festivals recommended this to anyone arriving that ...

Totem Cams TESTED!

We use pulleys and stoke to pull on some brand new Totem Cams.  Marginal placements would pull out around 2kn.  When pulling on one side in a bomber crack, we got 8kn.  When pulling properly when it is placed in a bomber crack we got 14.35kn.  MBS is 13kn.  Would Whip!  

You can find Totems at https://amzn.to/3uCkUZA (affiliate link really helps us out)  

Donate: 2021-03-03 14:30:59 +0000 UTC View Post

Highlining 101: Section 5 of 7 - Highline Etiquette

Welcome to the original reason I started this channel… Highlining 101 or “How to use a highline that is already set up.”  This is 80 short videos squished into 6 categories and 7 videos.  You can skip along in the chapters in the timeline or watch the whole thing.  If you are a pro, we recommend you share this series with new highliners before you take them out for their first adventure.  This also would be great if festivals recommended this to anyone arriving that ...

How to Build a Break Test Machine

This is a video about how our 3rd version of a break test machine works.  Sometimes they are called tensile testers or slow pull machines but basically they pull a sample slowly until it snaps which is why we called ours SlackSnap.  Carabiner tested here was a Hiatt England Steelie with a rumored MBS of 58kn donated by Luc Zavestoski.  Soft releases pulled in these tests was standard tubular webbing with an MBS of 20kn.   Here are links to the things we discuss in thi...

Real Estate Investing - Rentals vs Syndications vs REITs

I like to have a piece of my investment pie in real estate.  There are multiple ways to invest in real estate.  Owning rental property, Syndications and REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts is what we cover in this episode.    

➜Owning a RENTAL takes a lot of capital (your hard earned money) as a down payment, a lot of work to fix up and find a tenant but you can build a lot of wealth doing this.  Hiring out the repairs and management can make it more p...

Highlining 101: Section 4 of 7 - Using your highline gear

Welcome to the original reason I started this channel… Highlining 101 or “How to use a highline that is already set up.”  This is 80 short videos squished into 6 categories and 7 videos.  You can skip along in the chapters in the timeline or watch the whole thing.  If you are a pro, we recommend you share this series with new highliners before you take them out for their first adventure.  This also would be great if festivals recommended this to anyone arriving that ...