Throw Sock - The Second Device

It sounds as if you're saying your throwsock is not as effective as the traditional throw weight. Yes/no?
If this conclusion is solely based on your having it get stuck, even if a few times, then I still would ask if you are sure you're properly comparing it to the traditional throw weight system. In other words, in my opinion, the trad. throw weight gets stuck very very often and must be constantly manipulated to retrieve it, whereas your sock weight very rarely gets stuck, which would make it still much more efficient than the traditional one. Even considering having to manage your system, I don't find it any more cumbersome to manage than all the management that also has to be done with the traditional.
I feel that simply putting a weight into a slick nylon sock, like you did, offers great advantage, plus having the line pay out only on descent adds another great advantage, without even mentioning all the other neat solutions your system addresses.
Your system is still much more advantageous and efficient in my humble view.
Please keep up the development and promotion. One day many more will come to appreciate your innovations.

Charlie,

Thanks for the feedback. I'll provide more detail to my story. Abe Winters and I were tackling the same tree. Abe has a technique for throwing a weight that's highly efficient. He holds a long pendulum with his arm extended horizontally. He swings it back and forth, pulling the weight at a critical point. This builds speed. Then he releases a whopper of a throw. I threw the throw sock 20% under Abe on this tree. Abe's technique can't be duplicated among climbers, because it's an ergonomic strain on the rotorary cup. We're talking about peak athleticism when climbers like Abe set a line. Then it struck me that the throw sock isn't about peak performance. It's about being retrievable and low impact should a climber be hit. It hits 60', but it's perfectly fine under that height.

As we've talked off-line, I followed your suggestion to return to the more trim missile profile. I deviated - slightly. The result was a profile that resembles a shark tooth, which I found interesting. We'll see how that goes.

Otherwise, I realized that the throw sock really is low impact and that may be an important safety consideration. I'm working on an all fabric design to meet that end. When I throw a conventional weight, I'm mindful of the potential damaging impact. When I climb with my boys, the throw sock simply makes sense. I'm not interested in peak performance. I'm more concern about them being hit.

I didn't intend to sound like I had capitulated on the throw sock concept. I wanted to differentiate it. The peak performers need to stay with the conventional weight. Those concern about a retrievable device and safety of impact now have an option - under 60'.

Regards,
JimK

Keep FIT - Friends in Trees