Suspension - The Emergency Munter Hitch
This allows a rigger to lower their partner to the ground safely and gently in *seconds* in an emergency.
Prerequisites
Most of the time, when riggers plan a suspension, they attach a ring of their own to a hard point. This technique leverages the Munter hitch (well known to climbers) to create a very cool safety feature. Using this technique, a person can lower *the entire ring* to the ground very quickly and safely. This gets the stress of the suspendee in seconds, getting the tension off all the downlines and anything that they are attached to.
Even if the person being suspended is *5-8 times* the weight of the rigger (think an 80 lb girl suspending a 400 lb man), the rigger can still lower that person safely with no outside assistance!!! (Admittedly, I have no idea how she got him up there in the first place. but leaving that aside...)
I learned this amazing technique from Blackryver in Minneapolis, MN, USA. A great rigger, rigging educator and wealth of knowledge. On behalf of the community, Blackryver, thank you!Pros: This allows for a very small person to be able to safely and very quickly lower a much larger person to the ground with complete control. A common saying among riggers is: Always be more than one failure away from disaster. This technique gives you a way to quickly respond when a failure occurs.
Cons: It is a bit less attractive than some other options