Hurley Picket Anchor System

By CMC

In this video, Dan Claridge, CMC Instructor, introduces the Hurley Picket Anchor System and reviews system components, key features, and procedures for installation and breakdown. This portable, patented anchor system reduces training and setup time to a fraction of what is required in a traditional windlass or lashed picket anchor. The precision-milled holes in the anchor plate creates tight tolerances between the anchor plate and pickets, allowing each picket to be loaded equally and simultaneously and greatly increasing pull-out capacity over a traditional system. Picket orientation and spacing is also optimized by the patented design to simplify setup and further increase pull-out capacity. When natural or manmade anchors are absent, the Hurley Picket Anchor System may offer an easy-to-use solution for fall arrest, restraint, work positioning, suspension, and rescue.

 

**Full Transcript Below**

 

This is the CMC Hurley Picket Anchor System. This System was brought to us by a Washington DC firefighter named James Hurley. The Hurley Picket System was designed for when you have an absence of natural or man-made anchors.

The Hurley Picket System is a system that can be used for a number of different applications as far as personal travel restrict, setting up your main line system, setting up your belay system. Traditional picket systems have utilized pickets at a 15 degree angle. In this anchor system, pickets are installed vertically, and extensive testing has shown a greater pullout capacity in this orientation. Whereas the pickets lashed with webbing or cordelette have a tendency to pitch forward when loaded, the rigidity of these pickets driven through the precision-milled holes of this anchor plate allows each picket to be loaded equally and instantaneously.

The Hurley Picket Anchor System is a straightforward anchor system that can be deployed quickly and efficiently in environments that are void of other anchor options.

So here we have the main components of the CMC Hurley Picket Anchor System. Our first main component is the anchor plate, which is made out of aluminum with a hard anodized finish. We also have three stainless steel pickets, which are corrosion-resistant, aircraft-grade alloy. They get driven in by a sledgehammer. When we drive those pickets in, we are going to attach the driver nut, which screws onto the top of the picket, all the way down to help drive the picket with the sledgehammer. Then I would unscrew it and finish off the last two pickets.

We also have a removable eye nut which screws onto the picket when it comes time to remove the pickets. You can use mechanical advantage or other tools to help remove that picket. We also include a carrying bag to carry all the components of the picket system inside the bag.