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Stop Descender popular

Average Rating = 3.60/5 Average Rating : 3.60 out of 5
Item Details | Reviews (5)
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Stop Descender
Manufacturer: Petzl

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Description

For descents on single rope, Swinging side plate with safety catch: decreases risk of dropping device, allows rapid installation of the rope into the device, Increases efficiency when passing intermediate anchor points, Self-braking system activates when the handle is released, The rate of descent is controlled by varying the grip on the free end of the rope, Ascending the rope is possible without changing the position of the STOP by adding a footloop and a handled rope clamp / grab, For rope diameters 10 to 11 mm, 326 g


5 Reviews

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be VERY cautious 2 out of 5 stars

Review by: dolphja, 2009-11-15


i personally do not own the petzl stop. i do however have a story to tell from yesterday. in my experience in using the stop, it's lowering is very smooth and fluid. Yesterday, however, 3 other cavers on rope and i were doing some rappelling into a cave on a cliff, and then rappelling the rest of the way to the ground. The first rappell into the cave from the top of the cliff went smoothly. When we went on our final descent to the ground, the petzl stop user must have gotten their trigger snagged on their shirt which gave them a freefall deck from 25 feet. the device did NOT lock off automatically. I must caution eveyone using this device to ALWAYS use a backup, and ALWAYS ensure that the device is completely clear from obsruction especially the trigger. If you do not follow these guidelines, you may shatter some bones in your feet.

I gave the device 2 stars due to it's fluid lowering when handled properly. The safety of the device is of HUGE concern on this. If you are going to be doing heavy or long dropps, i highly recomend a rappel rack.

Review 2 out of 5 stars

Review by: coldclimb, 2006-09-27


I've been using the Stop every day for several months on a job. This device gets a two only because it manages to stay on the rope and thus mostly prevents dying. Other than that I have little good to say about the Petzl "Go". It has been my experience that this device doesn't work well on wet ropes, dry ropes, new ropes, ropes between 9mm and 12mm, or just ropes in general. Best used with a backup to prevent unwanted decking. I have personally been dropped free-fall by the stop (thank God and OSHA for backups) and have witnessed several other droppings and deckage even WITH backups. I have also personally experienced and witnessed repeated seizures requiring great amounts of effort to make the rappel go anywhere. In short, the grigri is preferable by a wide margin.

Pros: it's definitely easy to rig and unrig.

Review 4 out of 5 stars

Review by: cornish_retard, 2006-05-27


I have one and they're a good device, but the 'Petzl don't stop' has a few bad habits. First, on wet, new or dirty ropes they creep and require a lock off (which is good practice anyway). Second, when you panic your instinct is to hold on tight - preventing the stop from stopping you. If you're in a vertical environment (and it's fairly clean) consider a Petzl I'D instead.

Review 5 out of 5 stars

Review by: oldsalt, 2004-12-09


This is the easiest descender that I have used. It takes practice to get absolutely smooth, but it will allow you do controlled descents at nearly any speed.

Review 5 out of 5 stars

Review by: gohighgodeep, 2004-09-07


I've had a stop now for almost 2 years and it gets a fair amount of use... pretty much exclusively when i'm caving, as it doesn't work with double ropes. its very versatile... you can lock it off so that it functions as a Simple (stick a biner through the ring on the right side) which makes it a breeze on long descents, it can also be used as an ascender in a pinch if the rope is thick enough, about 10mm or more, thanks to the camming action... the camming action also does wonders for rigging pitches with multiple rebelays or deviations, as it's easier to lock off the descender...

if you're going to use one, i'd definetly practice with it before you use it (as with any piece of gear, really)...

i personally prefer my Stop over the racks most cavers in the US use... much less of a screw-up factor as you can't add or remove friction while you descend... the impulse to push the handle in harder to try and stop is a concern, and you really do need to 'over-learn' to let go if you want to stop, or better yet, don't rely on the braking action.

i'll definetly be using my Stop for years to come, and i'll probably go through several sets of bobbins before it gets retired.


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