The Frugal Climber - knotting your own aiders and daisy chains

This tip is from Climbing magazine

Enough with the sport climbs and boulder problems, you want to start aid climbing!  The only aid-specific gear you’ll need before launching up your first pitch of C1 are aiders and daisy chains.  One problem, though: You’re as broke as a hobo, and two sewn aiders and two daisy chains are going to set you back at least $100 at the gear shop. Ouch! 
Solution:  craft your own aiders and daisies for a fraction of the cost, and in less than an hour.

First, head down to the gear shop and buy two 20-foot sections of one-inch flat webbing (for the aiders) and two 10-foot sections of 9/16 tubular webbing (for the daisies). Your total outlay should be less than $30. Out on the rock, the aiders and daisies you’ll make from this webbing will inevitably end up in a confusing mess, so try to buy a different color for each section of webbing.

Now kick back at home and get comfy — it’s knot-tying time!  A Frost knot is preferred for the top clip-in loop of your aiders, as the extra webbing helps protect this high-use area from excess wear. (An overhand knot works too.)  To tie a Frost know, fold one tail of webbing 10 to 12 inches over the other, then make a simple overhand knot (figure 1). The small loop that is formed is the clip-in point.

Next up is tying the steps. This is why you use flat webbing — it gives the steps substance. Make the first step by tying an overhand knot in the loop one foot directly below the clip-in point. Here’s the cruxy part: Before cinching the knot tight, take one strand of the webbing and pull three inches or so of slack through the knot. This will give the loop a slight teardrop shape, which forms the step. Follow the same procedure for the other steps, alternating the side on which the loop goes (figure 2). Each 20-foot section of webbing should yield a five-step aider. It’s a touch tricky getting the steps the right length, so take your time, and redo the knots until the aider looks right.  Tip:  You can add some duct tape to the bottom of each step to make them stiffer and thus easier to slide your foot into.

The daisy chains are made the same way as the aiders, with two exceptions: The loops should be much smaller (but big enough to accept a couple of carabiners) and should all be tied on one side, not alternating like the aider. Make the final loop big enough to allow the daisy to be girth-hitched to your harness.  The bottom image shows a commercially sewn daisy.  Yours should look like this, but with knots rather than sewn bar tacks between the loops.

Finally, do not put your system to use until you’ve cinched the knots extremely tight. Over time the knots will weld themselves, but for the first few pitches, be sure to monitor them for slippage.