Page 95 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

Mountaineer’s Coil

The mountaineer’s coil is a classic-looking coil, and it
is still the most comfortable way to carry a rope with-
out a backpack. The wide coils ride comfortably over
one shoulder, without creating a 9-10mm pressure
point on the shoulders. But the mountaineer’s coil is
more time consuming because it has to be uncoiled
one strand at a time, just as it was coiled. If not, the
concentric loops can easily create the most heinous
nightmare of consecutive slipknots imaginable.
The size of the consecutive loops in a mountain-
eer’s coil is important. Each loop should be no longer
or shorter than the distance between the shoulder and
the hip of the person who intends to carry the coil.
Coils that are too long create snagging and tripping
hazards. Coils that are too short are uncomfortable to
carry.

In concentric
circles, form the
mountaineer’s
coil between your
neck/shoulders
and an extended
hand.

82 CLIMBING: KNOTS