UKH

Looking for a bit of advice / opinion on this.

I mostly climb coastal sport routes here in South & West Wales. I use a Petzl Connect Adjust and find it super useful for rethreading. Some of the crags we go to require abseiling in and I have been using it also as an extender for abbing in, clipping the descender into the crab on the end of the lanyard so I can adjust the extension length to exactly what I need.

The load on the device during abbing is static and Petzl rate the Connect Adjust at:

- static strength > 15 kN

- static slippage > 4 kN

- dynamic test: 5 falls of factor 2, 80 kg mass, adjustable arm set to 80 % of the maximum length - Impact force < 12 kN.

Is there any safety reason not to use it this way? 

An other option is to clove hitch your belay device and krab into the adjusts rope leaving the connector at the end clipped into the anchor.

that's exactly what I do.  Used it this way on lots of multipitch abseils in the alps this summer

Absolutely no safety reason re strength.

I would do as others above suggest with the clove hitch though. I do find this slightly annoying though, I’d rather the connect was a fraction longer if I was going to ab in a clove hitch fashion regularly.

I do the clove hitch in the middle thing too.

I find the clove hitch a bit bulky & clunky, but then a Dual Connect Adjust would be even bulkier & clunkier, and if I were climbing & abbing a lot of long alpine routes I'd probably just use a skinny dyneema sling instead to save weight.

Thanks all. Much as I thought really in terms of safety. Couldn't see any reason not to use the Connect in this way. I've used the mid lanyard clove hitch method too but it is quite clumsy and clunky. I prefer to run the descender at the end of the lanyard. I initially clip into the ab anchor with the Connect for safety, then set up the autoblock on a 'biner off the belay loop, before switching the Connect from the anchor to the descender on the ab rope and good to go.

I'd probably not do this. If the plate/slider/krab were to catch above you for example abseiling over a small roof with a crack in it, or through a bush, there is the possibility it could release and slide to the end and be left stuck in the rock/bush. And whilst you are not going to die, it would then be a pain to extract yourself. 

When abseiling, the tether should be short enough that you can reach the plate even when hanging.

If you clove the plate, the end of the tether is then perfect for clipping into the next abseil station.

Good point re potential for snagging the connect on the way down. I reckon a stopper knot in the lanyard tail would prevent any issue of it getting accidentally extended.

In terms of having a tether free for clipping into the next ab anchor, yep definitely if it was multipitch, luckily the scenarios I use it for are generally single pitch sea cliff routes.