Update
Got Sterling nylon accessory cord, in 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm diameters.
2mm: 1kn (~225 lbs static load)
3mm: 2.1 kn (472 lbs)
4mm: 4.6 kn (1034 lbs)
(I weigh 180 lbs in this experiment, by the way)
I tested each cord in single strand, double strand, and quadruple strand.
I anchored the 3 and 4mm lines using a figure 8 follow-through around the overhead anchor point. I anchored the 2mm cord using several wraps under a clove hitch. The anchor was a 4 inch diameter, round, metal pipe.
For friction, I used a Mammut micro locking biner on my climbing harness belay loop, and either a munter, a super-munter, or a simple multiple-wrap around the carabiner spine.
The 4mm cord held my weight plus some bouncing up and down. Descent was easy to control with most friction techniques. The regular munter on the single-strand 4mm forces you to pay attention.
On the single 3mm cord, with just a simple munter hitch, the friction was pretty hard to control. An additional wrap around the spine made a big improvement. Doubling also helped a bit. Quadrupled 3mm cord was fine. The super munter by itself, and simple wrapping, were both good for 3mm cord, even as a single strand.
On the 2mm cord, I could get good friction control by wrapping a single strand 5-6 times around the carabiner spine. Even on a single strand, it held my weight even when I bounced pretty vigorously, but it was a little scary. I did not try dropping onto the cord. When I switched over to a super munter, the cord snapped at the hitch after slowly lowering 6-12 inches, under my full body weight (no bouncing).
Trends & other points:
Smaller cord and faster descent both made the carabiner heat up significantly, as one might expect.
The sterling technical manual points out that wet nylon cord can lose about 70% of its rated strength in their in-house testing.
When breaking strength is critical, you should think extremely carefully about what knot or hitch you use to fix your cord to the anchor point. i.e. if your canopy is the anchor, and you are fixing the rope to your risers somehow, it could be a lot more stressful on the cord than what I did.
Would I ever try to self-rescue on a single strand of 2mm cord? Maybe. Depends on the circumstances. But not without more testing first. 3mm I'd feel a lot better about. 4mm I'd probably use no problem but no one is saying it's an awesome idea, especially not Sterling.
If you try to lower out of a tall tree using a single strand of 2mm cord, you are taking a freaking huge risk. Do your own experimentation. None of these ropes are designed, tested, or rated to hold up a human being. And you are a dumbass and could die if you try to self-rescue without doing your own thorough testing first. There's way more rope-knowledge needed to pull this off safely, than I could possibly convey in a dumb internet post.
Assortment of of pictures attached. Happy to send out more. Enjoy.
"This is not normal" - John Oliver
