UKC

Dumb question ( I think ) but is it OK to hang off a via ferrata kit at ground level just to sanity check the attachment, harness, etc? Relatively experienced trad climber but new to VF, I always do a quick hang after tying in as a final sanity check (after proper visual checks of course, so very much overkill). Is there any risk of deploying the via ferrata shock absorber by a static hang if I want to do this final superstitious check?

Personally I would avoid this. Not sure what force is required to activate the stitched shock tape. I slipped and fell 5 feet once on a VF and it didn't activate.

I use an extra sling and VF clip when resting.

Personally I'd avoid, but most (do check!) VF Layard's are rated to be suitable for resting on with a static load. Most climbers prefer to carry a cows tail to rest on.

Unless you're about 30 stone you're not likely to deploy a VF kit by carefully hanging onto it.  But yes, as someone else said, check it's one designed for static resting just in case a row or two of stitches is designed to rip at a low force.

Thanks. Yes, I wouldn't hang off them to rest - it was more just about that final "did I tie in/fit my harness correctly". As I say more a superstitious thing than anything - I've never once hung on a rope and discovered otherwise!

Some VF sets have a little loop that you can attach a carabiner too and use for resting. As it's meant for this purpose, you could use it for your sanity check.

Worth checking the instructions of your set to see if it has the loop and how to use it.

See photo below of the Petzl Scorpio resting loop usage

i have an edelrid VF kit, there is a loop after the shock absorber for putting a crab through and resting on. I have rested on it many times, it is not an issue. You should check the instructions for your individual kit though. Generally it will take a much more severe force than bodyweight to start pulling the stitching though.

None whatsoever, unless there's something very wrong with it.  The shock absorber shouldn't deploy at less than about 4kN.

The way I do that is just to tug hard on the rope/VF kit, to be honest.  I similarly do a lock-off with the belay device and pull the rope for the same purpose when on t'other end.

Nobody would design a shock absorber to do that because there's only room for a finite amount of stitched sling, and that would be a row or two of stitches effectively wasted because they'd rip without doing anything useful in a fall.

The trade-off for the designer is to have the shock absorber deploy at a high enough force to be sure your fall will have been arrested before it runs out of extension (at which point it has effectively just turned into a big static sling), but also at a low enough force that it doesn't hurt you (much).