Personal Competencies

Staggered Anchors: Progression from 3:1 to 9:1 Simple Mechanical Advantage

  Excerpt from Knots & Pulleys in Rope Rigging Systems Vol. 1 Segment 7 Let’s continue with our discussion on pulley systems. We can look at what we have right here. You can see the Vortex and we have a sandbag as a weight right now. What we have here in the way of a …

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5 Reasons Why Online Learning is More Effective

Online learning can be the most measurable way to increase understanding and perception of today’s learning methods.  Students working around their existing responsibilities and commitments and they don’t have to travel anywhere to study.  They can log in to the virtual campus from the comfort of their own home or office and off they go. …

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Parallel Hauls, Doubled Mechanical Advantage or Not?

Today at Rigging Lab Academy, we’re going to bust this myth that parallel mechanical advantage systems somehow add together and double mechanical advantage. There are arguments out there that two 3:1s side by side pulled on the same load are a 6:1, or two 5:1s are a 10:1. It’s not true, and we’re going to …

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Carabiner Shaming: Losing The Gold

I’ll admit it.  I’m guilty. I’ve done it.  Nope, I’m not talking about stepping on the rope, using dropped carabiners, or mistakenly peeing on my belay loop… c’mon winter layers can be a challenge!  Nope, I’m talking about what I’ll call “carabiner shaming.” Like many, I used to pick apart photos on the interwebs to …

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The Creative Mystique: Heroes Are Made When The Function Of Rescue Meets The Higher Expectations Of Designed Rigging

I have heard it said that “a lesson in creativity is like taking a calligraphy class; you never know when something you learn might end up being useful in a place you’d never expect” and for longest time, I didn’t understand what they meant.  Until I looked into calligraphy.  I mean really… who in the …

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Seeing The Obvious Before It’s Obvious: Developing A Critical Mind In Rigging For Rope Rescue In 7 Easy Steps

Everyone has seen crazy heroics in movies right?  Yet, most (strangely enough) don’t ask ” how is that actually done”?  We know that often, movies use CG to do a lot of the work right?  Well, not all of it. Much of the work done with movies like 127 Hours, or Vertical Limit, K2, Eiger …

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90+10 Does Not Equal a 100% Solution: Treat It All as an Adventure

Hey all, as I have been going through our plans for the coming 5 months (the rest of 2018), I noticed there have been “windows of thought” where the layout of courses, technical content, equipment reviews and generally the flow of information (from the field) could use some improving and this got me thinking about …

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RLA Live: Volcano Rescue Team

I just got back from RLA’s first ever Live On-site training in Mt. St. Helens National Monument with the Volcano Rescue Team. It was awesome, I loved connecting with these amazing people.  They ranged from full time EMS professionals, self employed designers, engineers, freelancers, mechanics, guides and a host of other passions and occupations. Jason …

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