User:PhoenixofMT/Shock Absorbing Sling

A shock absorbing sling (commonly known as a screamer, their original trade name) is a device used in climbing to reduce the shock load on an anchor. It consists of a sling of webbing that has been folded on itself and stitched in such a way that when placed under sufficient load, the stitching fails in a controlled manner, thus increasing the distance over which a load is applied and reducing the resultant shock force.

= Use =

Shock absorbing slings are used anywhere an anchor, the protection, or both are suspected of being too weak for a hard fall. One example is in ice climbing, where ice generally has less tolerance for large shock loads. Often a screamer will be placed in the ice near the belayer to reduce the load a factor 2 fall would place directly on the belayer's anchors. In rock climbing a screamer might be placed on a piece of protection that is rated for small loads (i.e. less than 9kN), such as micro nuts or cams, especially if such protection is the only option right before the crux.

Links:

Yates

Petzl

Mammut

Kirkpatrick

Hill, Pete. The Complete Guide to Mountaineering. David & Charles. p. 175

About.com - Slings

Rock Climbing Micro Nuts - A Comparison