Webbing (What Is It?)
Before the knots come the material you will use to build and rebuild many canyon anchors.
Webbing is the foundation of a lot of canyoneering anchor work. It has plenty of secondary uses, but its main job here is simple: give you a practical material to wrap around natural or fixed anchor points and create a reliable rappel setup.
You can buy webbing by the foot, which makes it easy to carry the length your canyon may require.
PROS
• Essential, strong, and relatively inexpensive when bought in bulk.
CONS
• You will replace it regularly. I consider that part of the price of canyoneering.
CAUTION: Inspect webbing at every rappel. Look for cuts, abrasion, fading, stiffness, cracks, brittleness, or anything else that makes you question it. When in doubt, replace it.
CANYONEERING USAGE
• Wrap or extend traditional anchors around suitable natural or fixed anchor points.
• Replace sun-damaged, cut, stiff, abraded, or otherwise questionable anchor webbing.
• Create closed webbing loops with a properly tied Water Knot when the anchor system calls for one.
• Carry spare webbing so an existing anchor can be rebuilt rather than trusted simply because it is already there.
• Use for improvised emergency applications only when the method has been learned and practiced correctly.
REFERENCE NOTES
• Planning example: 30 ft per person; choose the group’s total webbing supply for the route and likely anchor rebuilding needs.
• Recommended width: 1 in / 25 mm.
• Earth-tone colors such as black, brown, and tan blend into the canyon better than bright colors.
• Webbing is quite strong! Sterling Rope cites 1-in tubular webbing with minimum breaking strengths beginning around 4,000 lb and higher-rated products above that.
ADDITIONAL READING
• CanyoneeringUSA – How to Tie a Water Knot and Build a Webbing Anchor
• CanyoneeringUSA – Rigging a Two-Bolt Anchor
• CMC Pro – Learn How to Tie a Double Loop Anchor
• CMC Pro – Learn How to Tie a Wrap 2, Pull 1 Anchor
• American Canyoneering Academy – Webbing Knotcraft
• The Mountaineers – Standard Techniques (webbing and Water Knot applications)
KNOT GUIDE