Is the super 8 or double figure of 8 redundant if one eye fails? ABOK 1085 names it Double Figure of 8. We show how to tie the bunny ears then pull it to 4kn and 9kn to see if we can untie it. Some knots are impossible to untie, and some are very easy to untie after being pulled. This was pretty much in the middle. OUR RESULTS Then we pulled both ears and it broke in the knot at the same force we usually get with this rope at 18.30kN. We clipped one eye and it still broke in the knot at 17.33kN which is pretty much normal. The friction of the Beal Spelenium 10mm Static Rope doesn't let it slip to failure. So we tested it tied in dyneema because that will slip and show us how it would fail if it could slip. If you clip one eye, it turns into a normal figure 8 but if you clip the other like we did in our final test, it slipped to failure. Behind the Scenes I was very nervous releasing this as a knot break test video even though we have done knot videos in the past. In the past, the knot nerds came out with their pitch forks if we said or did anything wrong. They are a very engaged group apparently. So I want to make more videos if they are engaged but wasn't sure how it would go. It had 100% likes in the first 5000 views! As far as the format goes, I wanted to test in just this one rope instead of introducing a whole bunch of different diameters and rope types. However, I do test it in dyneema to see what happens when you take friction out of the equation, not to test it as if you were to use dyneema yourself. Untying tests are also helpful because some knots are really easy and some really difficult and it's nice to see that characteristic within the video. This video was only 3 break tests as the ultimate experiment to see if simpler gets more views and I'll be comparing it to the next video we do on butterflies coming out soon with 10+ break tests. Originally I wanted to break 30 things for one video to comprehensively cover a knot, but the wet rope video below didn't do that well because we introduced too many variables in it. That video is rad go check it out, link below. 10% supports us Buy the rope we tested at this LINK

We tested 3 types of soft shackles made with 3 different qualities of Dyneema. Dyneema is Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Poly-Ethylene or strong plastic for short, and it's 15x stronger than steel BASED ON WEIGHT but can float on water. It's slippery, very static and has a low melting point. Tying knots in it can reduce its strength over 70% if the knot even holds as they more often just slip. However, you can tie knots in it to create a head for a noose to go over to make a soft connecter that can be stronger than some metal connectors. Dyneema is a thread that comes from DSM in the Netherlands and Samson, and Marlow are some of the companies that make 12 braid ropes out of it. It comes in all sorts of qualities. It's labeled "SK" for the names of the two people who invented the modern version, Paul Smith and Rob Kirschbaum. Back in the 60s, SK60 was what was available, but DSM improved it, and in 1996, SK75 came out and started to become more mainstream. In 2003, SK78 was developed. It wasn't stronger but had 3x less creep and was more durable. Then in 2013, they figured out yet another way to make it, so it had all the SK78 properties but was "20% stronger". But according to the Average Breaking Strength on SK78 and SK99, it's only like 14%. THEN they figured out how to make it even better and with biomass, so it's more eco-friendly, has all the minimal creep and durability but is about 2x as strong. You can see the bio fuel promo from DSM in this VIDEO. Read about the story of Dyneema at The Dyneema Project This was a very interesting ARTICLE about Dyneema This is who ACTUALLY discovered it University of Groningen We tested these 3 qualities. Generic, low quality name brand and the best stuff on the market. Samson Amsteel Blue Sk75 - https://tinyurl.com/mr3zvsa6 Amazon "Synthetic winch line" - https://amzn.to/3B4UXrj Marlow's D12 MAX 99 - https://tinyurl.com/y64emcwh Now there are 3 types of soft shackles we compared in this video as you can make them in several different ways. The Button Knot requires some talent and patience to tie, but it has the lowest profile and is the sexiest looking. The Overhand knot is simple to tie after you splice two eyes in the Dyneema, but it is a massive head. Ted Simpson did something very similar, and girth hitched it onto itself after he spliced it in a continuous loop. There is also an aluminum circle with two holes, that you can use and have no knot in it, which is popular among sailors. Here are two of our many Dyneema videos showing you how to tie soft shackles Our Results 10% supports us They sell Samson SK75 & Marlow SK78 & SK99 Dyneema Samson Amsteel Blue Sk75 - https://tinyurl.com/mr3zvsa6 Marlow's SK78 - https://tinyurl.com/mufez42t Marlow's D12 MAX 99 - https://tinyurl.com/y64emcwh Behind The Scenes It's interesting how some of my audience doesn't slack or climb or cave. Either, they just find it interesting or are into hobbies/sports that I wasn't fully aware of before starting this channel. Canyoning is one of them, but so is overlanding. Apparently, people with big jeeps who drive off the road use Dyneema to winch themselves out of the pickles they intentionally got themselves in! I think it's amazing to cross-pollinate sports that would not likely cross otherwise. Ted Simpson hit me up as a fellow Dyneema nerd and asked me about some nerdy details, and it led to us working together to bring you this episode. It's a lot of work to make 18 soft shackles and 3 eye-to-eye spliced samples which I appreciated him making. In my selective memory, I broke these in a somewhat timely manner but sat on the footage 6 months. This was because I 1) got behind doing too much at once and 2) the data was all over and so making a clear video felt overwhelming. I also find it helpful to let the information marinate in my brain and, as an opportunivore, I can usually add more value to a video if I hear about some new information that helps fix the gaps. It's also very awkward for me when Amazon and eBay gear outperforms in my tests, but I know the quality is still shit which is hard to portray if people just look at the numbers. Luckily the soft shackles showed their lack of durability when put in actual use. After Posting Thoughts I talked to an engineer at Cortland Ropes and he told me if the weave is longer it produces a stronger result but is less resilient to use and abuse. So that makes so much sense why the cheaper stuff breaks higher eye to eye but when tied in a soft shackle just cannot perform. He compared it to the top speed of a car being the main reason for a purchase decision even if you just plan on driving 65mph with it anyways. If the engine fails after 25,000 miles, you aren't getting a good engine. If you have other great thoughts, I can add them here. Hit me up at ryan@slackline.com Next Video: Are tapering splices that important in Dyneema / HMPE?

Does a purcell prusik shock absorb enough as a personal lanyard to prevent an ascender from desheathing a climbing rope if you were to take a short fall while passing an obstacle? "A little" is the answer but 1/2" ropes are so burly that they won't desheath even with a static sling in our tests but we only had about 150lbs falling in this test. However, your spine may not appreciate 5kN+ so just don't fall. OUR RESULTS 1/2" rope with purcell - 4.10kN - Did NOT desheath - purcell slipped half way 1/2" rope with purcell - 5.18kN - Did NOT desheath - purcell slipped half way 8mm rope with purcell - 5.36kN - Did NOT desheath - purcell slipped a little 8mm rope with dyneema sling - 5.69kN - Rope Desheathed! 1/2" rope with dyneema sling - 5.8kN - Did NOT desheath Our guest: Matt O’Donnell from Ebbetts Pass Fire District - modonnell@epfd.org Our drop tower has a https://www.perfectdescent.com/ 10% supports us They sell Samson SK75 & Marlow SK78 & SK99 Dyneema Behind the Scenes It's great to get insight from people like Matt O'Donnell to see what the concerns are for other industries like fire fighting. We Check out this battery powered ascender and see one of the only videos online showing you inside of it.

“As soon as it comes out, everything gets sticky.” The Bolting Bible The Book of Glue Welcome to our free course as our way of contributing to the bolting community. It's nice to understand what you are clipping and trusting with your life, even if you never plan on installing or removing bolts. Also, if someone is going to spend their time and money to bolt something, I assume, they probably want to do it as good as possible. Hopefully the Bolting Bible gives you the tools you need to do a great job. Get it? Our courses are A-Z content in blog format, glued together with an over arching blog we call a text book. A blog format is easy to read, easy to update, and easy to translate. Be sure to begin at the TEXTBOOK and at the end of each episode we'll point you to the next. Glues Glues come in different colors, chemicals, dry times, cure times, lifespans, capsules, tube styles, resistance to extreme temps, and costs. I have rigged highlines, or I should say “tried”, where the glue in bolts (that somebody else installed) literally were sitting in a pile of goo because it didn’t mix and therefore never hardened. What if someone rigged an anchor that was “partially” cured and therefore looked cured… until they took a whipper and they all came out? This same scenario has happened many times to climbers causing some to be hesitant to make these the new standard. So let’s all take a minute to understand the chemistry involved in making the best bond possible. Colors The colors are just a manufactures choice more than anything. I love the wonderful qualities of the Hilti 500 V3, but it is red, very red, and that’s not very nature friendly. However, in UV light over time, it does change to a dull brown. Other glues come in a grey and brown and everything in between. This could be a deciding factor in what glue you use. Chemicals The chemicals that make “rock hard” glue are a resin and hardener. Resin bases fall into one of the following categories: epoxy, epoxy-acrylate, vinylester, and polyester. Epoxies have 4x the bond as polyester, are stronger, are not porous like polyester and therefore last decades longer. The epoxies do take a little longer to cure but like cement, it cures harder if it dries slowly. Epoxies tend to be a bit more runny which can be a negative if the rock is overhanging. Polyesters don’t last as long and are weaker, but they cure really quickly and are cheap. We feel Polyester is too weak and has too short of a life span to be used as “permanent” anchor that holds your life and others. Vinylester (like AC-100) and epoxy-acrylate is a middle ground between strength, cure temps and times, and costs. It feels more like grout than liquid plastic so in steep rock it won’t drip out of the hole. It is super good enough for many placements but not as good as epoxy. WARNING! MIX. YOUR. GLUE. WELL! We talk about it in this book but if you are scrolling quickly we hope you stopped here for a moment because this is important. Your first squeeze doesn’t “equalize” the two chambers exactly the same in your glue cartridge, meaning you don’t have both components at first. You must squirt out the first few squeezes to make sure it is the right color. You can see that process at minute 29 in this VIDEO. Also, take the first squirt (that you plan on using) and the last squirt home in a little baggie so you can make sure it hardened, which you can assume any glue used between the two is also hardened. MIX. YOUR. GLUE. WELL! Dry times Dry times or gel times are the amount of time you can spend installing the bolt before you risk damaging the bond. If you yank on a bolt that is half cured, you could damage that bond significantly. An epoxy that takes 6 hours to cure, lets you play with it for around 30 minutes, but a vinylester that takes 20 minutes to cure gives you about a minute or two to get that bolt in. Cure times It’s important to know your cure times because it matters! Don’t use bolts that “look” cured. Follow the specs so you don’t die. This is very temperature based. The colder it is, the longer it takes. Wet Holes So many jokes here but I’ll hold back. Many adhesives are rated for wet installation. Wet placements typically takes twice as long to cure. Lifespans Lifespans or shelf life all depend on how they were stored and can vary as short as 9 months like Liquid Roc 300 (a polyester) to 18 months, or even as long as 24 months like most epoxies. If you are installing something that could last for generations and people will depend their life on probably best to follow the manufacturers instructions. I have experienced and others reported to me that their vylnester glue (AC100) did not cure and it was because it was past expiration. However, we have used expired epoxy Hilti 500 v3 in Bolt Buster and had great results, it tends to just cure slower, but its not exactly cool to be using glue outside of manufactures specs on bolts people will be depending their lives on. Capsules These look like big pills that you would stick up your ass, but if you want to shit again, I wouldn’t do that. They are a more convenient method as you “just” put the capsule in the bolt hole and hammer in your bolt, BUT you can do this wrong a lot easier than when using a tube style. They come in both hammer and screw styles, and it is important to read the installation section below before using them! Tube styles Tube style or cartridge style are either a single tube that fits most standard caulk guns. Check this first as a trip was ruined because the plunger didn’t fit! And many glues require a gun designed for denser materials or a very special double tube dispenser tool. Some dispensers come battery powered if you like it fancy. Temperatures Curing really depends on temperature. For example: some epoxies like Simpson XP require a minimum of 50F (10C) for 3 days which can be unrealistic in the mountains but others can cure as low as 14F (-10C) in half a day. And, did you know some glues can even lose strength AFTER they are cured if exposed to really extreme high temps? If an area gets too hot like the desert, it can drastically reduce the strength of some glues. In fact, a heat gun is (in theory) one trick to removing glue ins. However, is 75% of the strength of a quality epoxy really a concern since it is so overkill? And do you plan on taking whippers when it is 110F (43C)? Wildfires have been known to compromise the glue on entire crags. Working times are also sensitive. If installing on a hot day, keep your cartridges out of the sun! It can limit the working time or make it too runny. Too cold is a thing also, we took liquid rock 500 to the desert in winter to do tons of testing and we couldn’t get the glue out of the tubes! At 32F (0C) it was practically frozen inside, but our backup Hilti glue worked great. Know your area, and know your glue. Strength Epoxy cures slower, but that is one reason it is stronger… a lot stronger than polyester. Vinylester and Epoxy-acrylate is in between but epoxy always stands above them all. Adhesion Nothing sticks well to stainless or titanium. All of our BoltBuster tests where the bolt was pulled out instead of breaking, there was no glue left on the metal. That is why all the glue in bolts have twists or notches or threads where the glue will surround it so it has a physical mechanical grip on the bolt itself. Sometimes roughing up the metal helps the glue to adhere but shape is way more important. Threaded rod ends are the most secure way to get glue to stay on the bolt. Costs Money is often a factor for the bolter. To spend almost $60 on just glue and buy special dispensers for $163 like Hilti’s setup, could make an installer cry, but then again, this could be an anchor that could last for 100 years if done right. Or you can buy some stainless wedge bolts for around a buck each plus a hanger for about $2 and that doesn’t require much more than the drill. However, if money is a deal breaker for you… should you really be installing anchors that hundreds of people will risk their lives on? Get your dispensers used on ebay, ask your buddies that will enjoy the route or highline to help chip in $20 each, and you can have something you are proud of when you are done. HowNOT2 SWAG Believe it or not, bolting companies are not lining up to sponsor us; mostly because there is no money in such a niche industry. $1 per episode helps a ton and so does grabbing MERCH if something grabs your eye. Lots of designs and options. Glue Buying Guide Quick Tip: If you want the best Hilti 500 V3 is a high quality epoxy that isn’t temperature sensitive and naturally isn’t cheap. If you want a super good enough vinylester that is a user friendly and cost effective product, then AC100+ Gold is your answer. You want something in the middle, Liquid Roc 500 is my favorite glue. ● Hilti 500 V3 ○ Epoxy… Color: Red ○ Lots of technical info on their site ○ 2 year shelf life ○ Available only in 11.1oz dual cylinder at $50.00ish each ○ Special dispenser required: Manual or Battery (check ebay for deals first!) ○ Installable at 23F to 110F (-5C to 43C) with a lot of working time ○ Cures at 23F (-5C) in 7 days ○ Cures at 72F (22C) in 6.5 hours ○ Cures at 105F (41C) in 4 hours ○ Opinion: This is the best stuff you can buy. It cures fairly quick for being an epoxy and can handle the extreme temperatures. It is very red and one of the more expensive options though. ● Hilti-RE 100 ○ Epoxy… Color: Purple ○ 2 year shelf life ○ Available in 11.2oz dual cylinder at $19.25 each (and 16.9oz and 47.3oz) ○ Special dispenser required Manual, or Battery ○ Installable at 41F to 104F (5C to 40C) ○ Cures at 41F (5C) in 3 days ○ Cures at 68F (20C) in 24 hours ○ Cures at 104F (40C) in 4 hours ○ Opinion: This is the cheaper epoxy that Hilti sells. Its range of temps is worse, takes much longer to cure and is about half as strong as 500 V3, but it is still a solid epoxy. There are better epoxies in this price range. ● Hilti HIT-ICE ○ Epoxy… Color: Unknown ○ 10.14oz costs $59.99 ○ Installable at -10F to 110F (-23C to 43C) ○ It is 64% of its strength at 155F ○ Cures at -10F (-23C) in 3 days ○ Cures at 40F (4C) in 1.5 hours ○ Cures at 70F (21C) in 45 minutes ○ Gel time is only 5 minutes at 60F and 1 minute at 90F ○ ½” threaded rod in a ⅝” hole at 4.5” embedment at 4000psi ■ =5,780lbf tension ■ =12,445lbf sheer ○ Opinion: You won’t bleed from the price because you would only use this in places your blood would freeze before coming out. This is an expensive option for really cold applications. Half as strong as Hilti’s V3 500 but still plenty strong for being the only glue in this guide that goes -10F. ● Simpson SET-XP ○ Epoxy… Color: Grey/teal ○ 8.5oz costs $18.16 ○ technical info ○ Normal caulk gun dispenser for 8.5oz or a Special dispenser required for the 22oz and the 56oz versions ○ Installable at 70F to 110F (21C to 43C) ○ It is 67% of its strength at 135F ○ 2-year shelf life ○ Working time is quite a while ○ Hole can be submerged in water ○ Cures at 50F (10C) in 3 days ○ Cures at 70F (21C) in 24 hours ○ Opinion: This is good ol’ epoxy. It cures really slowly and the temperature range is lame. It’s going to last a long time but you need to put it in days before you need it, and in garden of eden like conditions. ● Simpson AT-XP ○ Acrylic…. Color: Grey/teal ○ 9.4oz costs $15.92 ○ Technical PDF ○ Special dispenser required for the 30oz but not for the 9.4oz ○ Installable at 0F to 100F (-18C to 38C) ○ It is 76% of its strength at 150F ○ Cures at 0F (-18C) in 24 hours Cold temp install notes ○ Cures at 68F (20C) in 1 hours (gels up in 4 min!) ○ Water saturated applications require double the cure time ○ Opinion: Simpson’s version of acrylic. A lower temperature, quick drying glue that is a step above polyester and a step down from epoxy. Very runny in normal temps. Hitli’s Ice does colder temps but costs 4x more. ●Dewalt AC100+ Gold ○ Vinylester… Color: Gray ○ Product page ○ 10oz costs $15.00 to $20.00 ○ Available in 10oz single tube and 28oz dual cartridge ○ Installable at 14F to 104F (-10C to 40C) ○ It maintains 85% strength at 105F (41C) ○ 18-month shelf life ○ Use to be Powers, now it is dewalt ○ Cures at 14F (-10C) in 24 hours ○ Cures at 68F (20C) in 45 min ○ Cures at 104F (40C) in 15 min ○ Opinion: This seems to be the go-to glue for climbers probably because it cures in 15 minutes, anti-drip friendly and is a good price. Better move fast because your working time is only a minute or two. You may not die using this but the epoxy is going to give better, long-term results. It can be very sensitive to shelf life and storage temps. However, this wins the “bang for your buck” award. This is cold friendly and people bolt when it is too cold to climb. ● Liquid Roc 500 ○ Amine base epoxy ○ Color: Gray ○ Download tech sheet from product page ○ 24 month shelf life ○ Long term loading ○ 8.5oz costs $21.18 ○ Cures at 80F (26C) in 6 hours ○ Cures at 60F (15C) in 24 hours ○ Don’t use below 40F (4C) - like seriously. I was screwed in moab when doing our sandstone tests. It doesn’t come out of the nozzle. ○ ⅜” rod in a ½” hole at 4.5” embedment at 4000psi concrete ■ =9,540lbf tension ■ =5,810lbf sheer ○ Opinion: A comparable epoxy to Hilti 500 V3 when it is nice outside. This won’t cure below 40F but it is less than half the price. It is also 20% cheaper than Set XP and dries twice as fast. It also fits a standard single cartridge dispenser. SUCKS WHEN IT IS COLD OUT!!!! ● Liquid Roc 300 ○ It is a Polyester resin base ○ 9 month shelf life ○ Short term loading ○ 28oz double cartridge at $25ish (no single tubes) ○ Cures at 80F in 30min ○ Cures at 60F in 1 hour ○ Cures at 28F in 4 hours ○ Opinion: Don’t be a cheap ass… don’t use polyester! ● GEBOFIX EPO PLUS RE ○ Sold by Raumer and Titan Climbing for about €22 ○ Tech Specs ○ Gray color ○ Titan says comparable to Hilti 500 v3, not in working temps and times but maybe in end result. It is actually more like Simpson Set XP ○ Storage 24 months ○ Storage temps 5C to 35C ○ Working time at 50F or 10C is 2 hours ○ Working time at 104F or 40C is 5 minutes ○ Cures at 50F or 10C in 3 days ○ Cures at 104F or 40C in 4 hours ○ Requires special dispenser, also available on websites ● Bolt-Products Epoxy Acrylate ○ Epoxy Acrylate ○ ZERO SPECS AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE ○ 400ml (13.5oz) costs €15,60 ○ Dispenser available on website ○ Opinion: Website says it is a healthy balance between long term and price. But they don’t have any specs and you should really know those before installing any type of glue. Bolt Products sells some of the most bomber bolts in the world and doesn’t sell epoxy??? ● GEBO Super Hybrid ○ Sold by Raumer for about €12 ○ Tech Specs ○ I don’t think it is an epoxy but they throw the word “Certified” around a lot ○ This is a “healthy” version of glue but I still don’t recommend you eat it. ○ Storage 18 months ○ At -5C or 23F - 20min working time and 12 hour cure time ○ At 35C or 95F - 3 min working time and 20 minute cure time ○ Based on the temps and times, it sounds like a european version of Ac100, their Retail list calls in a vinylester. Capsules: Without testing the screw in style, I CANNOT recommend any of them. Those should not be “hand twisted” but rather attached to a drill and rotated... a lot! Raumer has an adapter that you can mechanically twist the bolt. The Powers Hammer Capsule specs seem impressive (dries fast, is strong and is cheap) though your bolt options are limited. Most options here are the substandard polyester glue that shouldn’t be used. ● Liquid Roc 300 Hammer Capsule ○ For short term loading only ○ 10 Pack costs $30ish (be sure to check the size you need first) ○ Cure in 10min at 68F ○ Cures in 1 hour at 32F ○ 23F is as low as you can go ○ Only use square cut end on threaded rod ○ Opinion: The numbers sound good, the cure time is appealing, but this is polyester and so it isn’t as good as epoxy. Also, not all glue in bolts have a blunt end so they wouldn’t be able to be used on this. I DON’T RECOMMEND. ● Liquid Roc 300 Capsule (spin install) ○ For short term loading only ○ 10 pack costs $30ish (be sure to check the size you need first) ○ Cure in 10min at 68F ○ Cures in 1 hour at 32F ○ 23F is as low as you can go ○ Pointed rod is critical ○ Specs require mechanical spinning ○ Opinion: This is the same thing as above, but the spin part of the install cannot be properly achieved without attaching the bolt to the drill and spinning it. I DON’T RECOMMEND. ● Petzl Capsules ○ Ampoule Bat'Inox for 14mm Petzl Bat’Inox ○ Ampoule Collinox for 10mm Petzl Collinox ○ Polyester resin base ○ 3 year guarantee ○ Break tip with hammer, “twist bolt in 10x minimum” ○ Costs about $5 each, at that price you could install epoxy ○ Cures at 20C in 40min ○ Cures at 10C in 1 hour ○ Cures at -5C in 10 hours ○ UIAA rated for 15kn tension and 25kn sheer ○ Opinion: I don’t believe hand twisting these is sufficient so I cannot recommend them. It is also a substandard glue compared to epoxy. Why would you put in the most expensive glue in bolt into the cheapest glue, WHY Petzl??? ● Powers Hammer Capsule ○ Epoxy Acrylate Resin ○ Costs almost $30 or box of 10 ○ Shelf life 2years ○ Hole can be damp but no standing water or frost ○ Cures at 68F in 1hour ○ Cures at 50F in 2hour ○ Cures at 32F in 5hours ○ ½” diameter 4 ¼” embedment in 4,000 PSI concrete ■ = 10,240lbf Tension ■ = 10,720lbf Shear ○ Opinion: If you are going to use a capsule, this seems to be a good one. Doesn’t require mechanical spinning, it is a form of epoxy, dries quick enough and is a good price. 10% Supports HowNOT2 Climbing, Caving and Canyon Gear & Over 30 Bolting Products HowNOT2 Contribute If you see a typo, or see a resource online we haven't linked to, or have something to share, we'd love to add it. If you are contributing a video, image, or words, please be kind by delivering something ready to add and tell us where you think it best fits. ryan@slackline.com What's Next? This course is free but not free to make. If it really helped you, please consider SUPPORTING US.

“Some slip right on in, some you have to force, but either way it is just a sticky mess” The Bolting Bible The Book Of Glue In Bolts Welcome to our free course as our way of contributing to the bolting community. It's nice to understand what you are clipping and trusting with your life, even if you never plan on installing or removing bolts. Also, if someone is going to spend their time and money to bolt something, I assume, they probably want to do it as good as possible. Hopefully theBolting Bible gives you the tools you need to do a great job. Get it? Our courses are A-Z content in blog format, glued together with an over arching blog we call a text book. A blog format is easy to read, easy to update, and easy to translate. Be sure to begin at the TEXTBOOK and at the end of each episode we'll point you to the next. Glue in bolts are a great option for most placements but installation is trickier. They are stronger, last longer and are more convenient to use (not install) since many don’t require hangers. It is thought that the adhesive can help seal the bolt preventing corrosion inside the hole. However, the holes have to be really clean, the glue has to mix correctly AND fill up the entire hole… all without getting glue on your favorite shirt. Also, the bolt isn’t adjustable later so it better be right the first time. Longevity and minimal maintenance requirements makes them a great option, especially in soft or layered rock, so let’s go over what you need to know so you can do it like a pro. Bolt Types You could just bolt anything inside of a hole, but if you are reading this, we assume you are thinking long term and want to do it right. It is NOT recommended to use mechanical bolts with moving parts like we described in the last section. You get the worst of both options. The glue wouldn’t grab the right parts, like sitting on the sleeves and not the actual stud, and the mechanical parts get gummed up by the glue and aren’t free to do what they need to do. And any properly placed mechanical bolt is going to fit the hole so tightly, there wouldn’t be any room for the glue and therefore push it all out. There are bolts specifically designed for glue, so let’s go over those options. U shape bolts Also called staple bolts, these are almost never used in highlining and rarely used in climbing, as they require two holes and have twice the impact. And consider that the 2 legs rarely share the load so you don’t necessarily get 2x the strength. If one leg goes, so do you. AND… when holes are drilled that close together, it could weaken the rock. It also requires more effort to line up the two holes. The benefit to these is that they can test stronger when being pulled straight out than the P shape bolts. These have the potential for one side to open the gate on carabiner if things are pulled around, probably the main reason these are not used on climbing crags, but rather via ferratas where the hardware is fixed. Please don’t buy any ol’ U shape bolt from the hardware store! If you must use them, please use Titan’s or (another climbing specific bolt) because they are very corrosion resistant and rated for 15kn with an MBS rating of 30kn but commonly break above 50kn. Solid leg glue in bolts Climbing-specific glue-in bolts generally have an eye designed to sit outside the rock so they don’t need a hanger. These are nice because you can thread it with a static rope eliminating the need for quicklinks. The single rod, or solid leg bolt, has grooves or notches on the shaft for the glue to have something to grab. This is critical as epoxy glue doesn’t adhere to stainless steel very well (or at all), but stainless is critical for longevity. Solid legs are either welded or forged. Welds aren’t ideal, they are a potential weak point for strength as well as corrosion resistance. In BoltBusters we have found Fixe’s welded glue ins fail at consistent values but the Crux Monster, while all super good enough, are all over the chart. You can see some home made ones done in this VIDEO. We don’t recommend you make them!! It is important to have some thing that is thoroughly tested and standardized is important but the process is neat. “P” shape or Continuous Rod glue in bolts Another option is a continuous rod that is like a U shape bolt, except it is “P” shaped, so it shares one hole like the everlasting titanium Titan Eterna bolts, the bomber Twisted Leg Bolts, and the popular wave bolt. Some of these bolts require a hammer which is unusual for a glue in. The wave bolt requires a lot of hammering as it fits tight like a compression bolt, and Titan’s Eterna and Bolt-Product’s Twisted leg bolts only need a few taps to fully seat them. The reason for this is so the bolts don’t fall out before the glue hardens when installed by climbers in vertical or overhanging rock. The titanium bolts will last longer than you will because they are significantly more corrosion resistant than 316SS, which is fine in normal conditions. We are fortunate to have them available as a glue in option, as titanium is still a bit too expensive to manufacture as a mechanical bolt. The glue holds all these bolts well from either the notches in the legs or the bent/twist pattern which snuggles that bolt in the security of all that gooey glue. Threaded Rod This is literally a threaded rod glued into a hole. It is also important to use stainless steel (SS) and not cut the end that will be exposed to ensure you have really good threads for you to screw your nuts. Cutting exposed ends also risk leaving iron deposits embedded into your precious SS that can cause corrosion, but that is most likely fine if it is embedded in the bottom of a hole surrounded by glue. Many cut the bottom of their rods at an angle so it helps prevent the risk of twisting the bolt in the cured glue (like if the nut seized on the threads and you were trying to remove it with a lot of pressure). “Why cut it at all?” you ask. So you can buy a 12” rod and cut it in half and have two rods. Threaded rod gives the option of using hangers, removing hangers, or turning hangers for multi-use, such as different highlines that go in different directions. You can also drill a hole in a hand sized rock, glue a nut in the hole and screw the rock onto the threaded rod to hide bolts in sensitive areas. The risk with threaded rod is that the threads can get damaged, especially if removing hangers is frequent and then you are left with a useless stubby sticking out of the rock. These don’t save you any money as you need to buy a SS nut, washer and hanger to match the metal you are using. These also have been used to glue death flakes to the cliff that you can’t seem to remove. Fully bury the threaded rod and throw a little sand over the exposed glue spot and you have a bomber-ish flake. Glue In Bolt Buying Guide BoltProducts ● Solid legs come in 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm. The large 12mm bolts have a thick rod which means better bend radius for ropes. Popular among highliners who use threaded rope for anchors. Size of the bolt is the size of hole required. Comes in 304SS and 316SS. Bolt buster break tests have these welds breaking all over the board but plenty strong enough and I recommend them. ● Twisted leg series is a continuous rod twisted to give the glue a shape to hold onto and allow more glue in the crevices. The 6mm rod (12mm or ½” hole) has a very similar feel to a wave bolt and is hard to tell the difference after they are installed. The 8mm rod requires a 16mm or ⅝” hole and is very very hard to break in bolt busters. These also come in 304SS and 316SS. There is also a large eye 8mm version. ● The USA distributor is Team Tough but has a limited selection listed online. If you contact them, they can source most of the products listed on the main Bolt Products site. ● General thoughts: Jim Titt makes great bolts. His website was probably made in the 90s and rarely updated but a lot of the bolting bible came from the information found on his website. They are based out of Germany. Jim is very active in the bolting community contributing extensively on Mountain Project forums. HowNOT2 SWAG Believe it or not, bolting companies are not lining up to sponsor us; mostly because there is no money in such a niche industry. $1 per episode helps a ton and so does grabbing MERCH if something grabs your eye. Lots of designs and options. Titan Eterna ● Martin Roberts is an expert on Titanium and made the first certified TI climbing specific bolts. The continuous rod has no welds and is ideal for corrosive environments like near the ocean. They are more expensive than stainless naturally but not if you consider these could last 200 years. They did great in our Bolt Buster tests. He also sells Titanium U bolts and other titanium quicklinks/rings for anchors. Titan is based out of the UK. Martin has been very helpful in this Bolting Bible project. Tonga Rock also sells a Titanium bolt that may be sourced from Alibaba. They are made with a TA2 grade titanium and some have been tested to12kn without deformation. Titan Climbing professionally manufactures and rigorously tests their bolts but Tonga Rock’s bolts are an alternative. Contact SOPHIA if you are interested. Minimum orders are 100 bolts, $7 a piece unless you order a 1000, then it’s $5 each and 3 week lead times. Welcome to Alibaba! Wave Bolt ● These win the popular award, are plenty strong enough but I’m not that fond of them. They require a special tool to hammer in and spin as you hammer them so you have to hit them sideways after they are solid in the whole. The tool isn’t just to keep a carbon steel hammer from leaving iron deposits on your stainless bolt, but it puts the pressure of your smacking on the bottom of the eye which is stronger than hammering the top in. We have bent these installing them during our Bolt Buster tests. The force required to drive them in can cause glue to squirt out leaving air pockets behind. Drill your hole bigger than they recommend to solve some of these issues. I don’t recommend running a rope through them as the bend radius isn’t very large, reducing the strength in your rope. They broke all of our soft shackles before the bolt broke! Some people think the tight fit means they are bomber and the glue is just added strength. We pulled them out with no glue at 1.5kn to 2kn in tension (straight out) in SAMPLES 9 to 11and got 19kn to 27kn in shear in SAMPLES 47, 72 and 73. Pretty impressive but make sure the glue is doing the work since we can get 40kn-ish properly installed like in SAMPLE 31. Tip: wallow hole or use a 14mm drill bit (slightly bigger than ½” or 12.7mm) and they will be easier to get in and you can skip the fancy hammer tool and use a rubber hammer. ● Manufactured by ClimbTech Fixe Hardware ● Fixe Hardware is the US distributor for the Spanish Company Fixe.. While you may see products in their proprietary PLX HCR steel they are currently producing bolts in 316L SS. There is also talk of a Titanium staple. They have a glue in with no name that we keep calling “bell shaped” with an MBS of 35kn that gave us great results in Bolt Busters (45kn to 63kn in tension). It has a weld but is buried under the glue when notched. Notching these bolts hides the weld which is thought to reduce corrosion as well as preventing a pinch point to trap ropes. The large bend radius is great to thread a rope thru for highline anchors. ● One of their more unique bolts is Hely PLX glue in. With a wizard’s cane shape for the glue to grab they are forged instead of welded. These only require a 10mm hole but can also have a rope threaded through them. The eye snapped off of the shaft in Bolt Busters right around the MBS of 28kn. These seem like great bolts but we are not sure if they will continue to make them in 316 SS as PLX gets phased out. ● The company had a recall on their PLX products (see metal section) but fixed the issues. They do make great bolts, one of the few retailers that sells Powers sleeve bolts and we love their hangers. They recently updated their website with a clearer message about the proper use of the plated steel products they sell. It is our opinion that plated steel should not be installed outside with the possible exception of lower offs that could see heavy wear and are easy to replace. Plated steel hangers are great for indoor climbing gyms. Petzl ● These things will break your bank. Their suggested glue cartridges are the worst glue you can use with the most expensive bolts… ironic. They are rated for oddly low numbers but I think they are being very conserative. At least you get 316SS but for these prices of $16 and $27 each, but it should be Duplex Titanium for that price (that’s a metal joke!) ● Bat’inox is their big boy at 14mm requiring a 16mm hole ● Collinox is their tiny guy at 10mm requiring a 12mm hole. ● Here is a poorly filmed but interesting break test video where the ampule capsule glue failed at 31.7knI think we will test these in epoxy for some real fun! Threaded Rod ● 316SS, ½” rod for a 14mm hole ideally (5/8” works too but uses more glue) and cut to 5” - Costs $8.10 for 10” which you can cut in half and the SS nut and washer are $1 each on the same site. So $6 plus a $3.65 hanger from Fixe because SS needs to be compatible. ● ***Don’t buy home depot unrated rods. Buy rated threaded rods that are the correct length, or double length and no longer, so you can keep the factory finished end exposed and put the cut end in the hole with the glue. The cutting wheel will embed particles into the metal that can form rust otherwise. Vertical Evolution ● Based in Italy, Vertical Evolution carries 3 different glue in designs named “arrows”, “glue in arrows” and “glue in rings”. You have to ask them for a price list and wait a couple days for it… not your average website where you can just order something and checkout. They have a lot of via ferrata products and variations of the bolts on this page for different anchor setups. All prices below are from the retail price list they emailed me without VAT or shipping. ● “Arrows” are the continuous P shape rods that come in 10mm, 12mm and 14mm sizes. It says stainless but all their other products says 316L but the price sheet I gave specifically says 316L for these. The SS version ranges from €7.90 to €15.20 retail. ● “Glue in Arrow” are welded versions of petzls solid leg bolts and come in 316SS 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. The 8mm and 10mm are available in a bent version and I’m not sure why? These range from €4.60 - €8.40 ● “Glue in Ring” is their solid leg P shape bolt but is welded backwards to Bolt-Product’s weld so I’m very curious to test these in Bolt Busters. Comes in 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm and range from €3.60-€6.50 ● Their open rope glue in is for anchors, see the climbing anchor page for more about that. ● They also have “Arrow” and “New Arrow” Titanium glue ins that come in 10mm and 12mm and 14mm (up to 150mm long!). I don’t know why the New arrow has that fancy shape but they range from €13.80 to €27.60! Raumer ● Raumer is also based in Italy and has a huge inventory of items. They wholesale from this site and so purchasing bolts directly can be a challenge. ExtremeGear.org is a US distributor for them and they carry most of their products and can order other Raumer products if you are interested. CanyonZone is a European Distributor based in the Netherlands. Raumer has unique glue ins and conforms to EN959:2018 and UNI11578:2015/A standards. All the products below are 316SS. ● Their Solid leg P shaped bolts are welded “Backwards” like Vertical Evolution’s bolts and come in 8mm (Antrax) 10mm (Superstar) and 12mm (Masterfix). 8mm shorties are €4.49 and the longest 12mm is €9.35 ● “Radius” is a welded version of petzl batinox but is 10mm ● They have funny looking staples called “Fork” and come in 10mm in 3 different lengths and are from €3.74 to €4.19 each, but the website says it is specific for caving. Climbing Technology ● Based out of Italy and France, CT carries an 12mm HCR Glue in that is rated for 35kn, goes in a 14mm hole and conforms to EN 959:2007 standards ● They also make the same bolt in a 316SS ● They also make a larger size in 304SS that goes in a 16mm hole and is rated for 50kn ● CaveExploration is a US distributor. 10% Supports HowNOT2 Climbing, Caving and Canyon Gear & Over 30 Bolting Products HowNOT2 Contribute If you see a typo, or see a resource online we haven't linked to, or have something to share, we'd love to add it. If you are contributing a video, image, or words, please be kind by delivering something ready to add and tell us where you think it best fits. ryan@slackline.com What's Next? This course is free but not free to make. If it really helped you, please consider SUPPORTING US.