Pulleys help assist climbers, arborists, and mountaineers by reducing the friction inherent to any type of hauling or hoisting - including the transport of weight of a climber or their gear up or down a slope, incline, or cliff. While many opt for carabiners instead of pulleys during their climbing excursions, pulleys are easier to work with if you’re hauling large loads during climbing or working on a rescue mission for an injured or incapacitated climber.
There are a few options to choose from with climbing pulleys that can make your outdoor excursion safer and more comfortable. Not to mention, pulleys can also improve the work positioning systems of your climbing gear.
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Design
The design of a pulley achieves the same type of result as looping a rope through a carabiner but with the added benefit of a mobile wheel, helping to reduce the friction and increase smoothness during use.
Wheel
Axl/Shaft
Bearing
Sideplates
Rope or Carabiner Hole: Make sure that if you’re attaching a carabiner directly to the pulley, then you’ll want the carabiner to fit comfortably through the hole.
Using pulleys throughout your climbing system can help reduce the overall friction present and improve the efficiency of your climbing. Keep in mind the breaking strain specification for your pulley, as it will determine the loads that you’ll be able to haul (including your own weight). Breaking strain is typically measured in kN, and 1kN = 224 pounds.
So for instance, if the breaking strain in self locking mode is 4kN and 1kN = 224 pounds, then the breaking strain for that pulley is about 900 pounds when loaded. You can utilize multiple pulleys to reduce the strain on each pulley and increase the load weight total.
Types of Pulleys
At the heart of a good doubled-rope climbing system is your pulley, so choosing one that fits your needs is essential to gaining the most benefit from your pulley. Using a pulley to tend your hitch frees you up for one-handed slack-tending. There are two main categories of pulleys that can benefit different styles of climbers and needs: Simple and Auto-Locking (Self-Jamming).
Simple Pulleys
Cheap and light, simple pulleys are just that: simple. They get the job done and are best for simpler climbing excursions.
Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Ultra Light Pulley | Made from plastics and are extremely affordable (although less durable). |
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Micro Pulley | Small and lightweight, these pulleys are just a step up from ultra light pulleys in that they’re comprised of stainless steel, nylon, and/or aluminum. |
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General Purpose Pulley | The sides of this pulley swing open for easy insertion of ropes, and it’s typically comprised of heat treated aluminum with a nylon pulley wheel on a bronze bearing. |
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Minding/Prusik Pulley | Squared edges keep prusiks from getting into the pulley system. |
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Hitch Climber Pulley | With three carabiner holes, the Hitch Climber can be the center of many great SRT and DdRT climbing systems. Multiple anchor holes can also neaten up your climbing system and make it more compact. |
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Large Pulley | The above mentioned pulley wheels are in the range of about 1.5 inches, but opting for a larger pulley wheel of around 3 inches. These are heavier but can haul much larger loads (some upwards of 16k lb or more!) |
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Some climbers like to install a high-efficiency, ball-bearing pulley on the rope bridge of their harness. Using a pulley on the harness bridge reduces wear on the bridge, and lets the climber's tie-in point traverse the bridge more easily. (The Hitch Climber is not to be used in this way.)
Auto-Locking Pulleys
With fewer parts involved, an auto-locking pulley can make hauling loads much easier. Rather than buying several simple pulleys, you can tailor your auto-locking pulley to your hauling needs.
Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Mini Pulley | While a popular all-purpose pulley, these are smaller and, thus, can handle only smaller loads. They’re light, compact, and easy to use. |
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Large Pulley | As the ‘big brother’ version of the mini, these are suited for bigger loads. This comes with an additional hole at the bottom of the pulley that you must attach a carabiner to in order to keep it from moving. |
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