The MiniEight from Rock Exotica is a Figure 8 descender which is compact and light whilst offering a lot of variation in both the diameters of ropes that can be used and in the amount of friction that can be generated.

 

It is manufactured in the USA from a solid piece of 7075 aluminium – 7075 is a lot harder than the 6082 often used for generic abseil devices and helps increase lifespan – especially important for a lightweight device.

 

The side ears on the Rock Exotica MiniEight allow several possibilities for loading and locking-off the rope depending on what size rope is being used and how much friction is required – friction can be increased or reduced on the fly by adopting a different wrap. 

Not only do the side ears let you easily adjust friction, but they also make it easy to tie off the rope if you need to stop and release our hands from the rope. 

 

The attachment hole has a rubber gasket that fits tightly to the carabiner and is designed to be a tight fit on a 12mm diameter carabiner body – so matching carabiners need to be chosen carefully to ensure they are compatible.