J-frame Racks

"The Rappel Rack is the best rappel device in the world."

Bill Cuddington told me that more than thirty years ago. It is a strong statement, but it was true at the time, and as far as I know, probably still is. Certainly other devices can be more appropriate when weight is the dominant concern (for example, when rappelling is incidental), or under special circumstances, but the basic, standard length, six bar J-frame rappel rack has versatility that most devices lack. Most of the time, it is an excellent choice.

For years I used the Speleoshoppe rack as my standard caving rappel device (I loved the bars), but when Larry Howell started making racks from certified titanium, I switched. Now I use #386, which Larry custom built to my specifications: nothing fancy, just pure utility, full size yet still exceptionally light. Unfortunately, none of his racks are available any more.

One of Larry's innovations was the hyperbar, seen on many of his racks. This was a nice idea that has its place, but I think that people have gone overboard with the idea. On a normal rack, for most uses, the hyperbar is unnecessary. Yes, it helps one tie off, but one can tie off without one. The down side of the hyperbar is size and weight. I use racks with hyperbars, but when I see three, four, or more hyperbars on a standard-length rack used for standard rappelling (rescue is different), I naturally begin to question the user's competence.

The Burkhead Safety Rack is unusual in that the bottom bar is fixed. Unfortunately, this takes away one of the best features of the rack: the ability to easily control friction by moving bars. SMC, in a misguided attempt to achieve a high strength on their NFPA Rack, took away the other big advantage: the ability to add or remove bars on rappel.

Some of the racks on this list are specialty items for long drops. Look for them by their length and by their larger bars.

The last two columns in the table are the internal width and available length. These are arguably the most important dimensions for determining how well a rack functions, as opposed to how bulky it is for transport. I defined and measured the entries in these columns as follows:

• Internal Width: This is the internal distance between the two sides of the frame. I suggest using this dimension as an aid to deciding whether the rack can handle single or double rope of the size you are interested in. Most racks will function fine if this dimension is slightly smaller than double the rope diameter (say, a millimeter or two), while a large excess in this dimension doesn't add much except making the bars heavier. This does help with heat dissipation, to a point, but a 50 mm. wide rack intended for short drops on a single rope wouldn't be justified. As an example, I usually rappel on 9 mm. or 11 mm. line, and occassionally on doubled rope. For me, a 22- to 25 mm. frame internal width is probably close to ideal for my needs.
• Available length for bar motion: A longer rack allows one to spread the bars out more, giving a greater control range. This is more important for lighter rappellers who, all other things being equal (and they never are), should use longer racks. In order to have a basis for comparison, I assumed that the rappeller was using five bars and that the combined space in the top four bar pairs (1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5) was 45 mm., a reasonable number for 11 mm. rope (When a rack only had three bars, I used 24 mm. instead). This is different than the assumption I made for O-frame & U-frame Racks, where I assumed four bars would be in use (odd numbers not being practical for them). Where possible, I moved any bars beyond the first five as low as possible on the rack frame (If I could have filed the bars to move them in back where they belong but didn't, I assumed that I had). I then measured the total bar motion and subtracted the 45 mm. to get the numbers given here. I entered 0 mm. for racks with fixed bars or combined bar spacings less than the 45 mm. standard, effectively saying that these are constant-friction devices. The dimensions are for the racks , bars and spaces shown in the pictures on this web site. Naturally, if you change to different-size bars and/or spacers, the available length decreaseses by the increase in bar diameters/spacer length.

ID	Device	Description	Acquired	Weight	Height	Width	Thickness	Std. volume	Int. Width	Avail. Length
529	Bassett Metal Studios Big Drop	9.8 mm. SS frame, 1 hyperbar & 5 standard hollow SS bars, welded eye, lock nut	Vertical Supply, 1997	1123	615	93	27	1544	33	319
369	BlueWater Long, Version A	9.8 mm. SS frame, 6 solid Al bars, coiled eye, lock nut	L&S Sporting Goods, 1989	717	378	67	25	633	35	84
1151	BlueWater Long, Version B	9.4 mm. SS frame, 5 solid Al bars, coiled angled eye, lock nut	S. Scott, 2008	684	360	71	45	1154	35	90
1002	BlueWater Short	9.8 mm. SS frame, 1 7/8" & 4 3/4" unfinished solid Al bars, coiled eye, lock nut	Vern Veer Jr., 2005	607	274	73	23	448	35	13
370	Burkhead Safety Rack	9.8 mm. steel assembled frame, 5 bars (top, bottom fixed), spacers, welded eye, knob keeper	Lowell Burkhead, 1980	531	336	45	26	393	19	0
1143	Caving Supplies, Long	9.5 mm. SS frame, 6 solid unfinished Al bars, coiled eye, lock nut	Dave Metcalfe, 2008	690	360	66	20	463	29	76
540	Caving Supplies Short	9.8 mm. SS frame, 5 solid unfinished Al bars, coiled eye, lock nut	Alpinist & Globetrotter, 1997	501	277	61	26	439	29	27
1028	CMC Rescue Rack	9.6 mm. SS frame, 1 hyperbar and 5 standard hard anodized hollow Al bars, welded eye, lock nut	CMC, 2007	666	352	89	34	1064	32	40
516	Cole, John	9.8 mm. steel frame, 7 Gerry & REI bars, coiled & wrapped eye, hex nut, noncommercial	Gerry Schindel, 1995	647	290	70	29	589	33	56
547	Esso Grotto	9.8 mm. steel frame, 5 REI bars, coiled & wired 90 degree eye, noncommercial	Marshall Faushold, 1999	509	288	64	44	811	34	36
1127	Gilchrest	9.4 mm. steel frame, 5 hollow steel bars, welded eye, top spring eye, hex nuts	Mike Moser, 2007	889	310	76	23	531	36.1	1
371	Goldlock	9.8 mm. SS frame, 6 solid soft anodized bars, coiled & wrapped painted eye, lock nut	Al Fincham, 1981	672	299	70	36	753	36	61
375	Howell-N-Mann 4-bar	9.8 mm. Ti frame, 1 Ti/Al dual hyperbar, 2 short & 1 long horned Ti/Al bars, milled Al eye, cap nut	Howell-N-Man, 1993	360	257	82	19	400	20	41
376	Howell-N-Mann Custom Standard	8.8 mm. Ti frame, 6 19 mm. Ti/Al bars (#2 /w rings), machined eye closure, cap nut	Howell-N-Man, 1993	459	357	63	25	562	33	99
377	Howell-N-Mann Custom 18"	9.8 mm. Ti frame, 325 mm. & 5 19 mm. Ti/Al bars, #2 /w rings, 4 split spacers, machined eye closure, cap nut	Howell-N-Man, 1993	730	540	64	36	1244	33	147
372	Howell-N-Mann Rescue	9.8 mm. Ti frame, 1 25 mm. Ti/Al dual hyperbar, 5 19 mm. Ti/Al bars, milled Al eye, cap nut	Howell-N-Man, 1993	674	431	108	25	1164	41	126
374	Howell-N-Mann Smith Special	9.8 mm. narrow Ti frame, 1 Ti/Al dual hyperbar, 5 short Ti/Al bars, milled Al eye, cap nut	Howell-N-Man, 1993	462	372	80	19	565	21	105
373	Howell-N-Mann Speleo	9.8 mm. Ti frame, 1 Ti/Al dual hyperbar,spacers, 5 short Ti/Al bars, milled Al eye, cap nut	Howell-N-Man, 1993	552	370	101	19	710	33	74
378	Howell-N-Mann Twin	9.8 mm. duble-sided frame, 1 common TI/Al dual hyperbar, 5 Ti/AL bars per side, cap nuts	Howell-N-Man, 1993	830	416	166	20	1381	20	116
1148	Lewis	9.4 mm. SS frame, 5 Al bars, welded eye, lock nut	Neil Edwards, 2008	659	272	63	24	415	31	42
548	Lewis, Warren	11.3 mm. steel frame, 6 Gerry bars, welded eye, set screw keeper	Warren Lewis, 1998	842	371	69	23	589	34	135
530	On Rope 1	9.8 mm. SS frame, 7 hollow SS bars, welded eye, lock nut	On Rope-1, 1997	771	365	51	27	503	19	83
379	Petzl, Version A	9.3 mm. SS frame, 5 unfinished solid bars, stamped eye closure, pinned nut keeper	?	484	285	57	23	374	28	33
512	Petzl, Version B	9.3 mm. SS frame, 5 various solid bars, stamped eye closure, screw keeper	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 1995	473	285	57	23	374	29	32
380	PMI Long, Version A	9.8 mm. SS frame, 5 hollow steel & 1 Al SMC bars, coiled eye, 2 hex nuts	Pigeon Mountain Industries, 1978	746	328	62	26	529	33	67
1183	PMI Long, Version B	9.5 mm. SS frame, 6 Al SMC bars, coiled eye, 2 hex nuts	Gene Clinger, 2008	643	326	64	22	448	29	32
381	PMI Short	9.8 mm. SS frame, 5 unfinished Al bars, coiled eye, 2 hex nuts	?	557	290	62	28	503	33	32
382	Ross, Nick	9.8 mm. SS frame, 6 unfinished solid bars, coiled eye, lock nut, noncommercial	John E. Weinel, Inc., 1989	719	364	73	21	558	35	97
385	Russian, Version A	10.5 mm. SS frame, 6 stamped U bars, coiled eye on swivel, locknut keeper	1994	869	405	62	21	527	35	91
494	Russian, Version B	7.2 mm. frame, 5 soft anodizzed bars, coiled eye, cap nut	John E. Weinel, Inc., 1991	280	228	48	23	252	21	23
383	SMC Angled	9.8 mm. SS frame, 2 large solid AL & 4 stamped steel U bars, 90 degree welded eye, lock nut	L&S Sporting Goods, 1989	743	345	68	46	1079	33	80
1058, 1038	SMC Angled/welded w/ Prototype Swaygo Rack Trap	9.5 mm. SS frame, Swago Rack Trap (#1038) & 5 stamped steel U bars, 90 degree welded eye, lock nut	Rack: Gary M. Steffan, 2007 Trap: Swaygo Gear, 2007	749	386	68	46	1214	33	89
1059, 1196	SMC Angled/welded /w extended brake bars	9.5 mm SS frame, 3 solid AL & 2 extended Al bars, 90 degree welded eye, lock nut	Rack: Gary M. Steffan, 2007 Bars: Swaygo Gear, 2007	836	362	215	47	3642	34	101
543	SMC NFPA	9.8 mm. SS frame, 1 25 mm. & 5 19 mm. unfinished solid bars, welded eye, closure plate, lock nut	On Rope 1, 1997	711	367	63	27	624	33	88
384	SMC Straight	9.8 mm. SS frame, 3 large & 2 Std unfinished solid bars, welded eye, locknut	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 1992	711	367	63	35	809	34	78
386	Speleoshoppe, Version A	9.8 mm. SS frame, 5 grooved soft anodized bars, coiled eye, lock nut	Speleoshoppe, ca. 1979	773	366	70	22	564	35	111
1117	Speleoshoppe, Version B	9.5 mm. SS frame, 6 grooved unfinished Al bars, coiled eye, lock nut	Charles Knowles, 2007	798	363	70	22	568	35	103
387	Storrick, Version A	9.8 mm. SS frame, 1 square & 5 round unfinished solid bars, beveled coiled eye, hex nut, noncommercial	Robert W. Storrick, 1975	713	346	70	25	606	37	68
387	Storrick, Version B	9.8 mm. SS frame, 6 unfinished solid bars, beveled coiled eye, lock nut, noncommercial	Robert W. Storrick, 1975	723	368	70	23	592	36	98
387, 938	Storrick, Version B, with Rogers spooled brake bars	9.8 mm. SS frame, 1 square & 5 round unfinished solid bars, beveled coiled eye, hex nut, noncommercial	Dr. Gary D. Storrick, 2004	822	346	127	32	1402	36	92
388	Storrick, Version C	9.8 mm. SS frame, 6 unfinished solid bars, coiled eye, lock nut, noncommercial	Robert W. Storrick, 1975	707	366	70	23	589	37	96
388, 980	Storrick, Version C, with Rack Chock	9.8 mm. SS frame, Rack Chock &6 unfinished solid bars, coiled eye, lock nut, noncommercial	Dr. Gary D. Storrick, 2005	777	366	70	23	589	37	107
388	Storrick MegaRack	9.8 mm. SS frame, 6 graded Al bars (#2 /w catch), spacers, coilled eye, hex nut	Robert W. Storrick, 1975	1327	400	87	43	1496	50	97

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©2009, Gary D. Storrick