Rodcle Racer

The 'Racer' is the top of the line canyoning pack of Spanish manufacturer Rodcle. This article wants to give more insight to some of the features of the pack less known by the users.

Draining system: Rodcle calls Hydraplus the draining holes arranged in circles located at the side of the pack. This along with the bottom holes allows for a very efficient drainage in all their packs. The Racer has an additional feature though, the whole back of the pack is a mesh providing a huge additional draining area. When doing aquatic canyons with less efficient draining packs, you will find yourself taking a knee every time you exit a pool to let the pack drain. With the racer you just climb out of the pool and the water is left behind.

Gear Loops: the bag has 2 gear loops and 2 ring loops located around the waist belt and 4 gear loops located inside the bag. The vertical gear loops located inside the bag are most useful for elongated gear: ascenders, fiddlestick and such. The location and shape of the gear loops will minimize entanglement of the gear with the contents of the bag, especially when using the bag as a ropebag (most Europeans don't use rope bags).

Removable daisy chain: the removable daisy chain is great for clipping in gear and shove it to the bottom of the pack, especially useful when using the pack as ropebag. This way gear is still quickly accessible when needed but below the rope and out of the way. The most typical is to tie the water bottle or the dry keg or the dry bag. The daisy chain is also useful for bolting, by keeping tools clipped to it in the pack and easily moving if to a tether when needed.

Strap holders: the pack has stretchy loops at the end of the waist buckle straps. These loops are used to keep the excessive length of the straps properly tucked away, minimizing chances of them getting caught in descenders or cracks or stepping on them.

Waist belt holders: when not being used, the pack has pockets for folding down and tuck away the waist belt, minimizing chances of stepping on them or getting them caught in descenders or cracks.

Removeable brain and buckles: when not needed, users can remove the brain of the pack. The buckles that tie the brain to the pack can be removed too and a fanny pack can be made out with the brain and buckles. This may be useful for short side trips or as an improvised small pack for bolts, gear, etc.

Rope ring: the pack has an internal small ring at the top inside rim of the pack, over the daisy chain. This is designed to catch the rope. Just feed the end of the rope through and you will always find the start immediately without having to untie/tie it. The pack also has similar rings in each shoulder straps, so that you can have the rope handy immediately, even at the edge of a drop, without having to take out the pack. These rings may also be used to clip a biner to facilitate bagging the rope in the pack (instead of clipping it to the chinstrap).

Top handles: the pack has 2 conveniently located handles to clip the pack to the side and use it as as a rope bag. One handle is inside, designed to use when the brain is open. The other is outside, designed to use when the pack is closed. When going down waterfalls with significant flow it's always better to rappel with the brain partially closed (one buckle closed and the other open) so rope can get out easily and if needed we can quickly clear any rope jams, but at the same time water falling down is deflected from entering the pack and tangling the rope. The top internal handles can also be used as gear loop.

Frontal handle: the newer versions of this pack have a small frontal handle, this is a point to clip the bag to the harness frontally to facilitate bagging the rope into it. When clipped to the waist this way, the pack will magically stay fully open so the operator can pack the rope without aid of others.

Compartment bag: purchased separately, a compartment bag for the racer can be very useful for putting webbing/emergencygear/rescuerope/boltkit/bivy and still have the rest of the bag useful as rope bag. The compartment bag clips to the main bag by means of the internal clips, so will never float away. The compartment closes with velcro but provides one external buckle and one internal buckle as clipping points. The compartment bag is mostly useful as emergency rope bag or for emergency/bivy storage. More info http://www.barrabes.com/rodcle-bolsa-cuerda-socorro/p-15945