Cowstails
Cowstails are a type of attachment lanyard with two arms of differing lengths. Most practitioners consider cowstails an essential piece of personal equipment for caving and aquatic canyoning. They allow the user to securely connect themselves to an attachment point, such as a belay, traverse line, midline knot, mechanical ascender, descender, etc.
Materials[edit]
- 2.5 m (8 ft) dynamic single rope, diameter 9-10 mm
- Example: PMI 9.4 mm Elite | USD 7.44
- 2 carabiners, asymmetric shape, non-locking or screw lock (depending on application and personal preference)
- Example: Petzl Spirit Screw-Lock | USD 15.95 x 2 = USD 31.90
Knots[edit]
Carabiner attachment[edit]
- Poacher’s Knot - for attaching carabiners, minimum 10 cm tails. The Poacher's Knot (ABOK #409) is sometimes referred to as the Barrel Knot, Strangle Snare, Double Overhand Noose, or Half Double Fisherman's Knot.
Harness attachment[edit]
- Overhand Loop - for attaching to soft or metal attachment point of harness
- Figure 8 Loop - alternative to Overhand Loop for attaching to soft or metal attachment point of harness
- Girth Hitch - for attaching to soft attachment point(s) of harness, if applicable
Lengths[edit]
Long cowstail[edit]
The length of the long cowstail depends on your harness, torso length, and arm length. The long cowstail length should be set so that while hanging in your harness with the long cowstail carabiner attached to a mechanical ascender on the rope, you should be able to reach upwards and place your forefinger on the top of the ascender cam.
Short cowstail[edit]
The short cowstail should be just long enough for you to clip into an anchor with the chest and the upper mechanical ascenders attached to the rope below it (assuming a frog ascending system). For those using a caving harness (low attachment point), this should be about 30-35 cm (not including carabiners).
Connection to harness[edit]
There are many methods of attaching the cowstails to the harness. This list represents some common methods.
IMPORTANT: You must connect the cowstails to a part of the harness that is designed for life support. If you connect the cowstails to a soft (non-metal) attachment point or tie-in points, it is critical that you check those points for wear before each use. It is possible to use a maillon rapide (quick link) to mitigate this risk, but this potentially presents other issues, such as the maillon rapide unscrewing if not wrenched down. Inspect your equipment frequently, and do not hesitate to replace it if worn.
Metal attachment point, removable[edit]
Caving harnesses (e.g. Petzl Superavanti) and some canyoning harnesses (e.g. Aventure Verticale Mazerin)
- Tie an Overhand Loop or Figure 8 Loop (small-sized loop), and attach it directly to the semi-circle maillon rapide or carabiner (eg. Petzl Omni)
Metal attachment point, non-removable[edit]
Some canyoning harnesses (e.g. Edelrid Iguazu)
- Tie a re-threaded Overhand Loop or Figure 8 Loop (small-sized loop) around the attachment point
Soft attachment point, single[edit]
Some canyoning harnesses (e.g. Petzl Canyon) and some climbing harnesses (e.g. Petzl Aspir)
- Option A: tie an Overhand Loop (larger-sized loop), and Girth Hitch to the attachment point
- Option B: tie a re-threaded Overhand Loop or Figure 8 Loop (small-sized loop) around the attachment point
Soft attachment points, two tie-in points and belay loop[edit]
Most climbing harnesses (e.g. Petzl Corax)
- Tie an Overhand Loop (larger-sized loop), and Girth Hitch to the belay loop or both tie-in points
Carabiners[edit]
Your choice of cowstail carabiners depends on the specific application as well as personal preference. Most importantly, understand the advantages and disadvantages of the carabiners you select.
Shape[edit]
- Asymmetric shaped carabiners can be easily opened under load and are the most common choice.
- The nose should be the keylock type (without a notch) in order to prevent the nose from getting caught when clipping/unclipping.
- A wide gate opening can also make clipping/unclipping easier.
Gate[edit]
- Non-locking gate carabiners allow for fast clipping/unclipping. They are especially popular with cavers who deal with technical rope obstacles like traverse lines and rebelays frequently, and must move with efficiency. Straight gates (rather than bent gates) are more secure, easier to clip to an anchor point, and the preferred choice.
- Locking gate carabiners offer additional security, especially on icy or stiff ropes, or when positioned at an anchor for an extended time. Of the different locking styles, the screw type is most favored for one-handed operation and durability in harsh environments.
- If selecting one non-locking and one locking carabiner, it is recommended to place the non-locking carabiner on the short cowstail, and the locking carabiner on the long cowstail. This is a fairly common configuration, although certainly not universal.
Alternate configurations[edit]
Some cavers favor split cowstails, with the short cowstail on the caver's left, and the long cowstail on the caver's right.
Precautions for use[edit]
Keep your cowstails as taut as possible. Stay below the anchor.
Inspection[edit]
Before each use[edit]
- Check that the cowstails are attached to the harness correctly by visually inspecting and also using a firm tug. Some harness and cowstails configurations allow for easy removal of the cowstails (i.e. caving harnesses and cowstails that are attached using a Girth Hitch).
- Check the cowstails for sheath wear, especially at the knots and any point that contacts a soft attachment point of a harness.
- Check the harness soft attachment point(s) for wear if you attach the cowstails directly. If such an attachment method is chosen, it may be beneficial to use a girth hitch and remove the cowstails after each use, thus providing a reminder to inspect the harness and cowstails before each use.
- Check for any discoloration or deformation.
- Check that the carabiners are in good working condition.
When to retire[edit]
One common reason for retiring cowstails is sheath wear, particularly at the knots and any point that contacts a harness soft attachment point. Any time you detect significant wear, discoloration, deformation, corrosion, take a significant fall, or have any doubt as to its reliability, do not hesitate to replace the cowstails. For cowstails that see frequent use, it is good practice to replace them every year at a minimum. Remember, 2.5 m of dynamic rope costs less than USD 10.
External links[edit]
- Tying Caving Cowstails for Single Rope Technique (video)
- Fabrication of Double Lanyards (text and video in French)
- Series of tests on Cow's Tails used for progression on semi-static ropes
- Are your cow's tails safe?
- Lyon Equipment - Dynamic rope for industrial cow's tails
- Vertical by Alan Warild
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- Cazes, Gérard; Cazot, Emmanuel; Clément, Nicolas; Fulcrand, Serge; Limagne, Grégoire (2013). École Française de Spéléologie, Fédération Française de Spéléologie. Caving Technical Guide (2nd Ed.). Challes-les-Eaux, France: Editions Gap. ISBN 978-2-9008-9426-2.
- Marbach, Georges; Tourte, Bernard (2002). Alpine Caving Techniques: A Complete Guide to Safe and Efficient Caving (3rd Ed.). Allschwil, Switzerland: Speleo Projects. ISBN 3-908495-10-5
- Mehew, Bob; Sykes, Les; Weare, Damian (2008). "Are Your Cow's Tails Safe". Speleology 12: 6-8.
- Syndicat Français des Entreprises de Travaux en Hauteur; École Française de Spéléologie (2006). Series of tests on cows tails used for moving along semi-static ropes. Chamonix, France.
- Warild, Alan (2007). Vertical (5th Ed.).
- Vieira, Nicholaus. "Beginning SRT Gear List". Crazy Caver. Retrieved 19 Dec 2015.
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