Page 59 - D. Raleigh "Knots and ropes for climbers"

Clipping a runner to the protection and the rope can
decrease the chances of dislodging the placement.

Half-inch tie-offs are delicate and prone to cutting. You may get only one use per tie-off, especially if
you put the tie-off on a piton and then drive the pin in a corner. Even in top shape, a 1/2-inch tie-off
breaks at just over 1,000 pounds. When they are nicked, they can break at half that weight. Use them
carefully, and inspect them often. Retire frayed tie-offs. I put two and sometimes three tie-offs on
critical pieces. On a big aid climb like El Capitan in Yosemite, you'll use fifty to a hundred or more tie-
offs. Free climbers will seldom if ever need even one.

Runners

Runners are the open loops used for a myriad of chores. Wear one bandolier-style over your shoulder,
and it becomes a functional, albeit painful, gear sling. Clip a runner to your protection and then the
rope, and the flop and tension of the rope are less likely to dislodge the placement. Girth Hitch a
runner to your harness, and you can clip yourself to belay or rappel anchors. Twist a runner into a
figure eight, and it becomes a pair of emergency leg loops or a daisy chain. The uses are endless.