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Racking for a trad climb

Original Post
Rwwon ru · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 35

Saw this from Metolius, thought it was pretty informative and similar to how I set up, though I go back and forth on using a gear sling.

youtube.com/watch?v=E4q5f6S…

TheIceManCometh · · Albany, NY · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 621

That's about how I rack (for the Gunks) as well except that I use a gear sling with separate loops. I find that makes it even easier to quickly find the cam i need. I keep my stoppers on the gear sling. When I climb ice I use a vanilla gear sling without separate loops.

I also used to climb with a double length sling on a separate locking carabiner but I never used it so it stays in the bag now. Same with a cordelette. I just use my rope.

Jim Fox · · Westminster, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 50

I use a gear sling for longer trad routes where I'm carrying a lot of gear.

For shorter trad routes, sport routes and mixed routes, I rack on my harness.

I don't know that there is any one "right" way to rack your gear, but it's important to be organized and consistent, so you can find what you need quickly....

runout · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 30

I usually don't see people climb with a gear sling. Old school mountaineers do and I started with one but found that with a lot of cams (borrowed, as a noob), it made me off balance if I ever lean back or shift my upper body. Whereas racking on the harness puts the weight around the hips and legs, making it more stable and comfortable. I'm thinking about going back to using a sling though after suffering too many "oh shit I need my gear but it is on the other side and I can't get to it" moments.

Cool vid.

J. Serpico · · Saratoga County, NY · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 140

I don't rack too disimilar to that. Stuff I don't need, lockers, belay devices, prussik, 4ft runners, cordellete, etc go on the back loops. My draws (12 alpine, 3 short) go on the front gear loops. I don't like over the shoulder extended runners. Just doesn't work well for me.

Usually I do a over the shoulder 4ft with a locker on it.

Where I diverge, I have a double loop "aid style" sling. Left side is passive gear, right side is cams. Small to large on both. I rack mostly everything in sets of similar sized gear. Usually 2-3 cams per biner (up to #1 camalot, then single for 2, 3, 3.5, etc if I bother go carry bigger than #2), nuts split into 2 sets, tricams into 3 sets. I usually have a screamer on each side of the double loops for pitons and marginal gear placements.

I like the balanced feeling. However, it sucks on slabs, or in chimneys where I can't slide it around. But it's organized and I can always find everything quickly.

Chris Rice · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 55

The biggest advantage to using a gear sling over racking on the harness is if you are swinging leads on multi pitch routes. Handing off the sling is much quicker than stripping one harness to reload the other.

rob.calm · · Loveland, CO · Joined May 2002 · Points: 630

Different climbs, different racking systems. For slab or sport routes everything on the harness. Especially for a slab route, since gear on a sling can get in the way of looking for footholds. For tight chimneys and offwidths all gear on a sling with nothing in the back (in fact, I have a special harness for such climbs, which has only 2 front gear loops). For trad face climbs or hand cracks, I usually place gear on the gear sling and place carabiners on gear loops with the precise selection depending on the climb.
Every so often at Vedauwoo, I see someone struggling on a tight crack because of all the gear and other stuff they have on the back of their harness. Easy to turn a 5.7 into a 5.10 that way.

Rob.calm

Rwwon ru · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 35

Maybe it was poor balance on my part, but often the gear sling would swing right where I least wanted it while climbing. I do like the bit with doubling the sling then just twisting it and hooking both sides with a carabiner, I will try that. I always do some half baked loose knot or coil and all I get is a tangled mess.

wankel7 · · Indiana · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 10

Huh, I thought you take everything you own?

What was that one accident where the leader was hung by their gear sling?

William Kramer · · Kemmerer, WY · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 935

What I picked up with the over the shoulder runners that has worked great is to not put your arm through the loop of them, but to wrap it around as a bight and connect the ends with a carabiner. Works great when swinging the gear sling or if you are wearing a pack, just unclip one end and pull it. It comes right out without having to stretch it up and over your head and around your arm.

Did like how she was stacking all of one size cam on a biner on the sling, as well as the extra biners on a biner, feeds the OCD monster.

rob.calm · · Loveland, CO · Joined May 2002 · Points: 630
wankel7 wrote:Huh, I thought you take everything you own? What was that one accident where the leader was hung by their gear sling?
Unfortunately, there've been at least a couple of accidents involving strangulation by gear sling:

summitpost.org/account-of-o…

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/racking-on-shoulder-sling-/107091936__2

rob.calm
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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