Please let me know what you all think.

Thanks,

Kelly

That´s the worst, most complicated and pointless way of joining three pieces together I´ve ever seen.

Aside from the over complication and reinventing the wheel issues, you have nylon on nylon in a position to slide in the event of a shift in direction under tension.

Think you might get the same functionality out of this less complicated rig.

Thanks for the constructive input!

I understand the issues with nylon on nylon. And I see now that eventually equalizing the long loop through the the two inline-8 loops will eventually wear those loops down especially if I leave them pre-tied.

But I'm not sure where you see stuff shifting under tension. From my living room experiments, both the inline-8 knot and the overhand knot (assuming you position it correctly) tighten like an overhand knot would in a standard cordelette setup. Can you clarify?

And I'm sure a rope setup is super fast but I like the idea of my anchor being a separate system from my rope so it's easier to handle a self-rescue situation should I ever encounter one.

Ah, the Quad. I actually love the Quad. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for a 3-point anchor system...

This is just an idea that I have. It is yet another variation to the Equalette. I've only set it up in my living room, clipping to random things in my home. I haven't tried it out in the field yet.

1. Tie an inline figure 8 near your double-fisherman's knot in your cordelette. The two loops in the inline-8 portion should be about 8 to 10 inches long. As a result of tying the inline-8, you will have a short single loop and a long single loop. The short single loop created (shown on the right side of the attached SAM_1284.jpg image) should be about 1 to 1.5 feet long. This part should probably be pre-tied and shouldn't get untied probably ever.
2. Clip the short single loop to your pro. Clip a biner through the two inline-8 loops and through 1 strand of the long single loop(see SAM_1286.jpg)
3. Push a loop from the long single loop through the the two loops of the inline-8 portion splitting your long single loop into two new loops (shown in SAM_1090.jpg). (Side note: If you wanted a 4-point anchor you could actually create three new loops if you push an additional loop out between the two inline-8 loops).
4. Clip in the two new loops (shown in SAM_1293.jpg) to your pro.
5. Pull down to make a V at the end of the two inline-8 loops(shown in SAM_1295.jpg) manually equalizing your two new loops as though the V was going to be your power point. This is done because you'll lose cord real estate once you tie the overhand knot described in step 7.
6. Unclip the two new loops so you can tie your overhand knot described below. (see SAM_1296.jpg)
7. Tie an overhand knot on top of the ends of the inline-8 loops (see SAM_1297.jpg). Reclip your loops to your biners. Tying the overhand knot is a little tricky because you have to tie it so the inline-8 loop ends are on the side of the overhand knot that is away from the center of the system (shown in these close-up images from different perspectives SAM_1298.JPG and SAM_1299.jpg).
8. If you are using this as a TR anchor, you can clip another opposed and reversed locker through the same 3 loops that the first biner was clipped through in step 2 (shown in SAM_1302.jpg).

As I see it, here are the pros and cons, of this system:

Pros:

* You can clip your biners to the same strands in the middle so they sit well against each other.
* You have a single power point.
* You have loops at each piece of pro. (I prefer this to making 2 arms of the system from a single loop)
* If the loops are too long you can use clove hitch them to tighten them up.
* You have two beefy knots, that is, an in-line 8 and a multi-stranded overhand.
* No loose single strands floating in space which is what the Triplette looks like it has and although, according to what I've read, that's fine, it still makes me uncomfortable.

Cons:

* If you tie the overhand knot incorrectly (that is, so the inline-8 loops ends are on the side of the overhand knot that is closer to the center of the system), I'm not sure what would happen.
* Eats up more of your cord
* It's harder to tie the overhand because it's beefier

Please let me know what you all think.

Thanks,

Kelly

It does if you know how to rig it as such. Still not my preferred anchor though, but it addresses many of the shortcomings of your set up.

I assuming the rigging you're referring to results in an anchor system that doesn't have 3 independent arms. I like the idea of having 3 independent arms for trad gear anchors. If my assumption is wrong, please let me know. Thanks.

If anyone who currently is not satisfied with the 3-point anchoring solutions out there would care to comment, please do. Thanks.

This is just an idea that I have. It is yet another variation to the Equalette. I've only set it up in my living room, clipping to random things in my home. I haven't tried it out in the field yet.

Ok. I'm starting to sense that people think my proposed anchor system is too complicated... :)

So, I definitely agree that it's more complicated than the usual lot for 3-point anchor systems (that is, rope anchor, standard cordelette, equalette, triplette, ...). Even though I currently still use the standard cordelette system, I'm not happy with it or any of the others for various reasons.

Assuming my proposed method is a viable solution, I do like it over the others. You can take a lot of the complexity out by pre-doing things and that would also make the anchor setup quick.

Since I went overboard in my initial explanation, I've re-written it the way I think a normal person would have explained it. See images below.

If anyone who currently is not satisfied with the 3-point anchoring solutions out there would care to comment, please do. Thanks.

Your anchor has two independent arms, not three.

If you think dynamic equalisation will occur then you are loading the pieces unequally.
Since dynamic equalisation won´t occur anyway you are better off just clipping the lot and tying an overhand,

Better still is to use a simple, faster, versatile system ... this is called the rope.

Dynamic equalising systems aren´t taught or used by most organisations for good reason.

Have you used this 3-armed Quad before?

It looks like it wouldn't be that simple to adjust the 2 arms on the left using clove hitches because those 2 arms are fixed in length and because all 3 arms are about the same length, plus it doesn't help that the arms of a Quad are short from the cordelette being doubled before being tied. I suspect you'd probably end up using more gear to extend placements before being able to adjust the arms with clove hitches. If your experience is otherwise, please let me know.

It is interesting that all you rope anchor builders are satisfied with just using the rope...

I find it more interesting that so many people are not satisfied with just using the rope for the majority of cases.

You will get some equalisation but not as much as you probably hoped for! But the general concept nowadays is that avoiding extension is preferable to the partial equalisation you achieve in most cases.

Even though I currently still use the standard cordelette system, I'm not happy with it or any of the others for various reasons.

With a setup as you have shown the load has to be at least 15° offset to one side before the karabiners start moving as the friction is considerable...

What reasons do you have for not being happy with the standard three-point equalized cordelette system that most climbers use?

Is that number, 15°, from tests you've personally performed or is it from studies published somewhere?

That is not what I expected at all. If that's the case then what I'm calling the 3-Armed Quad (that is, the system that the Edge described in his posting) won't cut it as well. And I was so hopeful for that one...

I was pretty happy with it until I read John Long's latest Climbing Anchors book where he talks about the equalization issues with it and introduces the Equalette as a better solution.

I was pretty happy with it until I read John Long's latest Climbing Anchors book where he talks about the equalization issues with it and introduces the Equalette as a better solution.

ROPE STRETCHING PITCHES

The other thing that makes a cord anchor useful.

But by that point in time (rope stretch ) there is typically more than enough gear between belayer & climber to simul-climb the rest.

Classic!

I usually just untie and use the cordelette to gain another 20' of rope