Petzl Connect Adjust Review

It’s no secret to any climber that no matter what safety protocol you follow, you will be ridiculed by someone. Personal Anchor Systems (PAS) are no exception. Some will argue for only using the rope with a clove hitch, others will tout the merits of a chain-style PAS, while others still are ready to die on the hill of their old double-length sling with a knot in it. Regardless of your position, it’s undeniable that Petzl’s original Connect Adjust sent a shock-wave through a market of otherwise fairly set-in-stone PAS options and changed the hearts of a few die-hards in the process. There are now a whole host of copycat adjustable lanyard PAS setups, and perhaps that’s what leads to the release of Petzl’s V2 of the Connect Adjust. This new version is worth taking a look at.

Petzl Connect Adjust Features:

• Lanyard adjusts from 15 to 95 cm
• Dynamic 9.0 mm rope lanyard helps reduce the force transmitted to the user in the event of a short fall
• High-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) sewn webbing loop allows you to install the lanyard on your harness with a compact girth hitch; it takes up less space on the belay loop and is easy to see when managing rope or gear at the anchor
• Smoothly and precisely select lanyard length with the ergonomic ADJUST rope adjuster
• TANGA rubber ring keeps the carabiner properly oriented within the ADJUST, making it easy to clip and unclip
• ADJUST features a hole for attaching a cord to more easily unblock the lanyard rope when it is weighted
• Weight: 120g (as stated)
• MSRP: $70

Another PAS Worth Copying

The original Connect Adjust was a length of Petzl’s 9.5mm Arial dynamic rope with ends sewn in loops and a clever Adjust piece in the middle. All told, it was a simple innovation. If folks already use the end of their rope as a personal anchor, why not offer them the same thing with an easily adjustable component to it? This new version upgrades to a section of 9.0mm Volta dynamic rope (which contributes to a ~10g weight savings over the prior version) and also adopts new loop setups on both the belay loop and adjustment sides of the PAS.

On the belay loop side, Petzl switched to a stitched-in loop of HMPE webbing, which materially reduces bulk at the connection point over the previous version. The old girth-hitched rope setup of the first version (which all the other copycat PAS setups still have) was very bulky on the belay loop. On the other side of the PAS, Petzl adds an overhand knot and a protective sleeve of plastic. Both help make the adjustment end more ergonomic and easy to grab.

The Adjust piece also gets an update to include a hole which accommodates up to a 4mm cord. Why? For hanging belays where it’s difficult to unweight the PAS in order to extend the PAS further, you can clip a loop of 4mm cord and weight it, opening the Adjust piece to allow extension. Though I rigged up the hole for use, I found I never really needed the feature. Whenever I was at weighted, hanging belays, I just gave a little hop to unweight the device, held it open with my hand, then extended the PAS. Still, more options are good, especially if you’re gassed.

The range of the new Connect Adjust mirrors that of the old one: 19-95cm. It’s plenty for most anchor stations and doesn’t need increasing. Like any PAS though, it won’t serve you when you want to extend your belay point a few meters away from the belay. Those are situations where a rope with a clove hitch clearly beats other personal anchor options.

To end the comparisons with the prior version, the new Petzl Connect Adjust retails for $70. The original version debuted for $50 MSRP. Quite a lot of policy change and inflation has happened in between the launch of the original Connect Adjust and the new version, but $20 is a big change for a PAS. These days, $70 is definitely on the more expensive side for a PAS. Most other companies’ options still sit in the $50-60 range.

My own experience with the new Connect Adjust has been largely positive. For the most part, a PAS really doesn’t need to do much to succeed. Very consistently, the Connect Adjust has given me a fine-tuned position under my anchors, letting me sit at any height. With a chain-style PAS, I would have to choose between incremental heights every-3-inches. Perhaps more than any other strength though, I would say that the Connect Adjust is easy to deploy.

I have a few orange ropes in circulation. From time to time, I do mistake the Connect Adjust for my main line, and vice versa. It has been, at most, a split-second misconception, and I realize my mistake before grabbing the wrong rope. It does happen though. I will also say that racking the Connect Adjust is a bit of a nuisance. You can either have a long tail hanging off the device when it’s clipped to one of your belay loops, or you can daisy chain the line and deal with the bulkiness of that chain at your waist, fighting for space with your other gear. Neither option is perfectly ideal.

I have two more considerations for the Connect Adjust, one negative and one positive. On the negative side, the Connect Adjust doesn’t really work for extended rappels. You can finagle it at the expense of extension length, but it’s far less apt for the task than a chain-style PAS. On the positive side, while Petzl isn’t very forth-coming with the formal strength ratings of the new Connect Adjust, it does in fact test quite well. HowNot2 has tested the new version. Their findings: it slips at 2.5Kn and breaks at 12.79Kn when it’s fully blocked (full video here). Those numbers are more than sufficient for a personal anchor system. It’s no surprise, coming from Petzl, but it’s always good seeing those reassuringly high numbers in real-world tests.

Buy Now: Available at REI