What is the most commonly used belay in a rescue person load?

• A. Tandem triple wrap prusik
• B. Prusik Hitch
• C. Munter Hitch
• D. Figure-Eight Follow-Through

Answer: (A)

When belaying a rescue person load, the goal is to have a positive, controllable friction system with redundancy so movement can be arrested quickly and securely. The tandem triple wrap Prusik belay achieves this by using two Prusik friction hitches around the load rope, connected in tandem, with three wraps on each hitch. The two separate friction devices share the load, so if one starts to creep or heat up, the other still provides hold. The triple wraps boost friction enough to hold a heavy or dynamic load reliably across a range of rope diameters and conditions, and the tandem setup makes it easy to test and reset in the field. This combination—two robust friction hitches working together on the same rope—gives a dependable, adjustable belay that rescue teams rely on for controlling and arresting a rescue load.

Single Prusik hitches lack redundancy, so a slip on one hitch isn’t protected as effectively. A Munter hitch is more about rope handling and lowering technique than a dedicated load belay with built-in redundancy. The figure-eight follow-through is a general lowering/ascending device and doesn’t provide the same level of secure, redundant control for a loaded rescue scenario.