ACCESSORY CORDS

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Millet Accessory Cords

Millet logo Aspiring Enterprises sources accessory cords from our dynamic rope supplier, the French manufacturer Millet (pronounced "Mi-yay"). Millet manufactures a complete range of cords from 2 mm to 8 mm size, all complying with the European standard EN 564. These are high-quality cords which, when formed into loops, provide amazingly strong slings. 


Cord specifications

Millet accessory cords are attractive, high quality cords suitable for every purpose, in a range of sizes from 2 mm to 8 mm. All are available on convenient 50 metre spools, or can be cut to length to suit customer requirements.

ACCESSORY CORD SIZES
Size Rating Spool Uses
2 mm
   0.8 kN
 50 metre
 Lightweight cord
3 mm   1.8 kN 50 metre Tent guys, draw-cords
4 mm   3.9 kN 50 metre  Boot laces, utility cord
5 mm   6.6 kN 50 metre  Lightweight prusik slings
6 mm    8.2 kN  50 metre  Prusik slings, nut slings, purcell prusiks, emergency rope
7 mm  10.5 kN 50 metre  Nut slings, haul rope, cordelettes
8 mm  15.1 kN   50 metre    Tandem belay slings, emergency rope, Aztek rope, jigger cord.

    Note: 1 kN = 102 kg

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Sewn cord slings

Aspiring Enterprises manufactures sewn cord slings made from Millet accessory cords (as described above). Sewn cord slings provide tidier and more compact slings for many purposes, including prusik slings for personal and rescue uses.

We supply sewn prusik slings in a wide variety of sizes and lengths, for a multitude of purposes, from back-up slings for abseiling to belay slings for rescue teams, using the cord sizes from 5 mm to 8 mm.

Sewn cord slings give test strengths which are about 50-70 % higher than the rating of the cord itself.  This means that even a 5 mm cord sling has a strength of over a tonne!

The strength in use will normally be less than the test strength. In tests of prusik slings on a rope, the sling usually breaks at the prusik knot. For example, in one test of a 6 mm cord tied on an 11 mm rope with a three-wrap prusik knot, the cord broke at the knot at 12.6 kN - below the sling strength rating, but well above the cord rating. Test results vary considerably depending on the test parameters.

The strength and failure mode depend on the cord size, rope size, and the type of knot. Some knots slip more than others - particularly the French prusik. For example, in one test a 5 mm cord on a 10.5 mm rope slipped when tied with a French prusik, the maximum load depending on the number of coils of the knot. With three coils, the knot slipped at 2.5 kN, with four coils at 3.3 kN, and with five coils at 9.7 kN. Neither the sling nor the rope suffered serious damage.

Specifications

Size Cord rating Sling rating
5 mm   6.6 kN 10 kN
6 mm   8.2 kN 14 kN
7 mm 10.5 kN 18 kN
8 mm 15.1 kN 22 kN


Sewn cord sling range

We supply a range of lengths to suit different applications in climbing and rescue. Generally 5 mm and 6 mm cords are used in climbing, and 6 mm and 8 mm cords in rescue.

5 mm Back-up prusik 50cm

6 mm Back-up prusik 50cm
6 mm Short prusik 70cm
6 mm Short prusik 80cm
6 mm Short purcell 110cm
6 mm Long prusik 120cm
6 mm Long prusik 130cm
6 mm Long purcell 170cm

7 mm Short tandem 40cm
7 mm Long tandem 50cm
7 mm Stretcher -short 85cm
7 mm Stretcher -long 170cm
7 mm Cordelette 350cm

8 mm Short tandem 40cm
8 mm Long tandem 55cm

Two different lengths are available for the prusik slings, to allow for varying heights and perferences among different people.

Applications

The intended applications for the various slings are shown below.

Back-up sling:  (5mm or 6 mm) Used in climbing as a back-up when abseiling, but can be useful in all sorts of emergency situations. This length is short enough to be tied with a French prusik below the abseil device, or tied above the abseil device and connected with a cowstail or daisychain. If a longer back-up sling is preferred, the harness prusik can be used in this role instead.

Short prusik:  (6 mm) This is the sling used to connect to the harness when prusiking a rope. The usual knots are standard or triple prusik, or klemheist knot. Two lengths are  available.

Long prusik:  (6 mm)  This is attached to the rope using one of the usual knots, and supports the legs when prusiking. Two lengths are available.

Short purcell:  (6 mm)  Purcell prusiks are a prusik-on-a-prusik - an adjustable prusik sling which is used in two differerent lengths by rescue teams for personal security, as well as for an adjustable prusik.

Long purcell:  (6 mm) This is the longer brother of the short purcell.

Short and long tandem: (7 mm or 8 mm) These are used as a set of short and long for belaying a resue load. The tandem prusik system has been found to be one of  the simplest and most reliable belay methods for heavy loads.

Stretcher slings: (7 mm)  These are used as a set of short and long to provide varaible rigging with a rescue stretcher.

Cordelette: (7 mm)  A long sling used in climbing for equalising the load on several anchors.

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Copyright Aspiring Enterprises, revised 3 July, 2005.
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