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The Why
This review begins with four disclaimers:
(1) Standard daisy chains (which are used in aid climbing) should not be used as a personal anchor system (refer to this Black Diamond video to see why). With that said, the CAMP Daisy Twist eliminates one of the concerns of a standard daisy chain (i.e. what happens when the stitching breaks) via spiral construction and double stitching on both sides of the chain. You should use two separate, independent carabiners in a chain system (also explained in the Black Diamond video). This provides redundancy, especially when you clip each carabiner into separate points in the anchor (Do NOT clip one carabiner into the second carabiner as demonstrated in the video).
2) If your PAS is not redundant, it is recommended to use a second back-up system, such as the rope, when at a multi-pitch anchor. You can make the CAMP Daisy Twist system completely redundant by adding some webbing to the tie-in point (see the photo and description at the bottom of the page).
(3) I am not a safety expert, but I do care very much about safety and try to think carefully about and investigate the equipment that I use. I will always pick safety over weight savings, but I also try to find gear that has multiple practical uses. In the sub-bullets below I describe the multiple uses for the Daisy Twist on multi-pitch climbs.
(4) People will argue to not use a static material as a PAS (like the polyester used in the CAMP Daisy Twist). The argument is, if you fall the force will go into the body and injure or break the back. This can be avoided by never allowing slack in your PAS which could result in a fall and shock load of the PAS and anchor (i.e. clip yourself as close to the anchor as possible - allowing enough room to move and belay - and do NOT position yourself above the anchor while connected to the PAS).
This review begins with four disclaimers:
(1) Standard daisy chains (which are used in aid climbing) should not be used as a personal anchor system (refer to this Black Diamond video to see why). With that said, the CAMP Daisy Twist eliminates one of the concerns of a standard daisy chain (i.e. what happens when the stitching breaks) via spiral construction and double stitching on both sides of the chain. You should use two separate, independent carabiners in a chain system (also explained in the Black Diamond video). This provides redundancy, especially when you clip each carabiner into separate points in the anchor (Do NOT clip one carabiner into the second carabiner as demonstrated in the video).
2) If your PAS is not redundant, it is recommended to use a second back-up system, such as the rope, when at a multi-pitch anchor. You can make the CAMP Daisy Twist system completely redundant by adding some webbing to the tie-in point (see the photo and description at the bottom of the page).
(3) I am not a safety expert, but I do care very much about safety and try to think carefully about and investigate the equipment that I use. I will always pick safety over weight savings, but I also try to find gear that has multiple practical uses. In the sub-bullets below I describe the multiple uses for the Daisy Twist on multi-pitch climbs.
(4) People will argue to not use a static material as a PAS (like the polyester used in the CAMP Daisy Twist). The argument is, if you fall the force will go into the body and injure or break the back. This can be avoided by never allowing slack in your PAS which could result in a fall and shock load of the PAS and anchor (i.e. clip yourself as close to the anchor as possible - allowing enough room to move and belay - and do NOT position yourself above the anchor while connected to the PAS).
- With that said, here is why I like using the CAMP Daisy Twist as a PAS:
- It is long (available in 48" and 54") which is helpful if a belay station is on a ledge and the anchors are high above you.
- It has a lot of chains (loops/rings), which allow quick length adjustments to accommodate arrangements at different anchors. For a multi-pitch climb every anchor-to-body orientation is different. The different loop lengths allow for quick, efficient set-ups and take downs, saving time (which can be important on long, multi-pitch climbs). I also like the extra loops to clip the rope to a spare carabiner when cleaning a route.
- When you use two separate, independent carabiners in different loops (at least one is locking), the twist and double stitch arrangement provides excellent redundancy. If one loop breaks anywhere in the system, the other will remain in tact and still attached to the anchor. This is not necessarily true in other PASs. In some chain-style PASs if you are clipped into two loops and the loop closer to the body breaks, both anchors are gone (so if you are not backed-up, you are falling). This problem is virtually eliminated with the CAMP Daisy Twist.
- The only non-redundant part of the CAMP Daisy Twist is the harness tie-in point. If you are concerned about this, and don't want to use the rope as a back-up, you can easily make it redundant by putting extra webbing through the first chain loop and also through your harness (see photo at the bottom of the page).
- When I am cleaning a route and need to tie-off the rope (in order to not lose it/drop it), I often attach the rope to a third carabiner in one of the spare loops.
- On multi-pitch routes, the longer length allows me to flake the rope over the PAS when I am belaying up the second (or third) person. This allows for clean rope management and quick rope turn-over for the next pitch.
- It is strong, rated at 22kn - which you will never reach anyway because you have all the slack out of the system and you will not fall on it!
PHOTO: For those who are concerned about redundancy in all aspects of their PAS (and do not want to use the rope as a back-up in their multi-pitch anchor system), then you can add a piece of webbing at the tie-in point. This photo shows a small piece of green webbing going through the harness tie-in (next to the light grey PAS tie-in). The green webbing is connected to the PAS via a carabiner in the first small loop. You can eliminate the carabiner by tying a water knot, but doing so does not make it any less bulky. With this configuration you at least have a spare carabiner.