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how do you rack your alpine draws

Original Post
Taylor J · · Taos NM · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 390

So me and a climbing partner are having a disagreement on the best way to rack our alpine draws when trad climbing I have my draws built up and on my gear loops. He only has one carabiner on a sling and throw it around his shoulder and then connects the sling to the racking carabiner on his gear. I argue that in a tight spot or pinch it harder to get it off your shoulder and always have to use the same arm to get it off.... thoughts?

Howard Snell · · Belen, New Mexico · Joined May 2010 · Points: 80

I either put 1/2 the slings on forward left gear loop of harness and 1/2 on forward right, or I put 1/3 forward left, 1/3 forward right, and 1/3 over shoulder. Of those over the shoulder most have only one biner and those on harness have two biners.

Cams & nuts on gear sling over other shoulder (but under the slings if I'm awake when gearing up.....)

bay · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 20
taylor januskiewiecz wrote: He only has one carabiner on a sling and throw it around his shoulder and then connects the sling to the racking carabiner on his gear.
yes

taylor januskiewiecz wrote:I argue that in a tight spot or pinch it harder to get it off your shoulder and always have to use the same arm to get it off.... thoughts?
double up a sling or two and clip the alpine quickdraw to your harness prior to leading out into uncharted terrain.
Jonathan Dull · · Boone, NC · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 415

I do a combination of the both. I rack dyneema draws on my harness that I can extend if needed (there lightweight and less bulky) and sling misty nylon runners with one carabiner over my shoulder. I'm kind of short (5' 6") so sometimes shoulder slings fall off my shoulder, and thats becomes irritating real quick.

I can see the advantages and disadvantages in both methods.

Larry S · · Easton, PA · Joined May 2010 · Points: 872

I carry all of them tripled on my back 2 gear loops, and all my pro on the forward two loops. I could see the sense in shouldering a few of them and having a handful of free biners, but i don't usually do that.

rogerbenton · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 210

^^^ this plus a couple 4' slings doubled with a biner on each, carried over the shoulder.

Though I will now be trying jakes method for the 4 footers over the shoulder.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

I found that half kept on my harness and half over my shoulder is a good way to reduce rack weight for the longer approaches.

Since it can be a little tricker to get the slings over the head, I use those for the easier placements.

David Appelhans · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 410

Half over the shoulder with only one biner and half tripled up on the back gear loops. The ones over the shoulder are perfect for cams which already have a racking biner, they don't take time for the leader to un-triple and the follower to re-triple. You have to have a hand free to place a piece anyway, and I think they are actually easier to get off your shoulder and clipped than it is to undo a tripled runner with one hand. Plus you save weight by not bringing redundant biners.

Use the ones on your harness for placements you don't need a full extension runner on, and for nuts. I still keep a few biners on my harness to use the over the shoulder slings with nuts because tripling and untripling runners is a waste of time.

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

It is becoming understood that if you have slings over your shoulders and they get crossed, like they always do.... and you fall, and one gets snagged on lets say a flake.... you can break your neck.

chris21 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 125

All the slings on my harness with 2 footers tripled and 4 footers fifthed. Only use the 4's for extending, they will extend the same way as a tripled sling.

DrewK Katz · · Winthrop, WA · Joined Feb 2007 · Points: 0

Does anyone ever rack their draws on a sling around their shoulder, and then rack their gear on their harness? I usually do the opposite, but wondering if there would be any advantages to switching it up?

Fan Y · · Bishop · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 830

let me make this simple for you: having all the slings around your shoulder is retarded, unless you are climbing 5.5 that zigzags all over the place and requires all your clips extended, in which case you would always have bucket jugs to switch hands since you have to use the same hand to take the sling off your shoulder...in which case you would have a lot of no-hands rests, then you might as well tie them into butterfly knots around your neck to at least look stylish.

rgold · · Poughkeepsie, NY · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 526

If all the draws are carried this way, I'd say it is less than ideal, but I really don't think it is really a problems getting slings off your shoulder.

Here's what's less than ideal:

(1) You don't get to use short draws. There are times, e.g. when there is something to hit just below, that you really might want them.

(2) You have to have a bunch of free biners for clipping your wires, since you aren't going to be racking one wire to a carabiner, and then have to go through the motions of clipping the free biner and getting the sling off the shoulder, which is starting to get inefficient.

(3) Same problem if you don't rack every cam on its own biner.

Problems (2) and (3) would be eliminated if every over-the-shoulder sling had two biners on it, but issue (1) remains.

I carry mostly tripled draws on my harness. Especially because I climb with half ropes, they don't need to be extended that much. I also carry a few over-the-shoulder slings for additional extension purposes.

frank bonnevie · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 87

He forgot to say that I also keep a few full Draws on my harness for clipping nuts and other things of that nature David applehause is spot on to what I do saves weight and money.

Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415

Combination - depends on the route/grade.

Remember, if you're all worried about getting one over your shoulder in a sketchy situation...
you can always clip directly to the piece!!!
Then extend it if needed after you can breathe.

Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415
DrewK wrote:Does anyone ever rack their draws on a sling around their shoulder, and then rack their gear on their harness? I usually do the opposite, but wondering if there would be any advantages to switching it up?
I like my gear on a sling when carrying a lot of it, but I'll do the above if I'm trying to save weight by leaving the sling (multi-loop metolius). I'd rather have the lighter slings hanging off a shoulder sling vs a heavy rack.
sherb · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 60
Guy Keesee wrote:It is becoming understood that if you have slings over your shoulders and they get crossed, like they always do.... and you fall, and one gets snagged on lets say a flake.... you can break your neck.
Can the shoulder sling really snag on a feature and break your neck? Never thought about it, but this sounds hazardous.
Greg Kimble · · Colorado · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 0
Guy Keesee wrote:It is becoming understood that if you have slings over your shoulders and they get crossed, like they always do.... and you fall, and one gets snagged on lets say a flake.... you can break your neck.
What do you mean 'becoming understood'? You have any examples?
jack s. · · Kamloops, BC · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 10
Caprinae monkey wrote: Can the shoulder sling really snag on a feature and break your neck? Never thought about it, but this sounds hazardous.
There was an incident at Castle crag in the north American mountaineering accidents book where this happened. I still carry long slings over my shoulder, but you should avoid looping anything solely around your neck.
APBT1976 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 55

Your gonna die lol...

First time i got to say it. Just couldn't help myself.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

whatever works for ya ... its THAT simple ;)

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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