Gear Sling?

I was wondering what people thought about using a gear sling while climbing. I've used the multiloop sling by Metolius and have had some trouble climbing in corners and cracks that I can shove my body into. On the other hand, I haven't quite figured out a way to properly carry my rack on my harness without making it a big, worthless mess. Any tips on racking a harness?

find a system that works for you. think about what positions you'll be in on a route. if you're going to be hip scumming in a corner with your right side, don't put any gear on it, or put less...consider using a gear sling so you can switch sides. this is why i can't stand rigid gear loops...they get in the way of my thrashing.

p.s. i just use a 24" sling...much more versatile than a dedicated gear sling.

Personally I hate having all of my cams on my harness unless the route is straight in the whole time and is one pitch (coyne crack in the creek). I like being able to hand the rack to my partner at the belay and move it from side to side depending on the route. I tried to use the Metolius multi loop gear sling and didn't like it. I use a 24" runner.

my 2 cents
ben

Anyone have an opinion on the Multi-Loop Double D Gear Sling for Metolius? metoliusclimbing.com/multi-…

I hear that it's a bit more comfy and easier to climb in positions that you want...

I didn't use a gear sling for a long time, but I have recently started. the trick for me was to make sure that the gear sling was short and not swinging around annoyingly, and to put any big bulky stuff that you don't know that you will need (4 Camalot, hexes, cordalette, etc.) on your back gear loops with draws on the front two.

I have used a multi loop gear sling, but I didn't like the way it carried the weight was spread out and usually just ended up rotating the gear loop on my shoulder because of all the big stuff at the back.

Anthony P. wrote:Anyone have an opinion on the Multi-Loop Double D Gear Sling for Metolius? metoliusclimbing.com/multi-… I hear that it's a bit more comfy and easier to climb in positions that you want...

i've got a Wild Country Synchro gear sling, which is the exact same thing - came with the second under-the-shoulder loop. at first i thought i'd use it all the time, and started off carrying locking biners and my 96" sewn runner there, but it really isn't that useful. i also tried splitting up my pro between the gear sling and my harness loops, but just didn't like the mixed-up-ness. i'm a little anal that way.

after plenty of fiddling, the extra, under-the-opposite-arm loop just didn't prove to be that useful - my initial dislike for stuff on my gear sling was not solved by adding pieces to the other side of it, you know? i rack pro on the gear sling and draws/anchor stuff on my harness, with fewer items on my harness's right since my gear sling hangs there.

maybe if my harness had bigger gear loops i'd feel more comfortable putting extra gear there, but i just don't like the way the extra bulk feels around my waist/hips. the gear sling feels a little more natural - weight distributed evenly between my torso and hips.

this doesn't really solve the problem of your rack getting in the way of shoving your (in my case, right) side into corners/cracks/chimneys. however, if you keep the sling short and don't spread your gear over all four loops, just keeping it on three of them, you should be able to fling it out of your way without too much trouble. also, considering the route visually and according to beta before racking up is obviously a big factor in how i rack.

as far as loops vs. undivided sling, i have to have the separate loops. on a single sling i find my gear gets way too bunched up and is a big hassle to pick through, especially if i'm feeling sketched. getting pieces off is way easier for me if my gear is on a few different loops.

I have it and got rid of the off side loop pretty quick. I found it to be just too much crap all over me. It also made it difficult to "sling" my sling back out of the way when I needed to. Other than that it seems as good as any other sling.

I put passive up front, small cams on second, med on third, and oddballs on the last(back). Big pieces go on back harness gear loop same side and only a draw or two on same side front harness loop so stuff doesnt snag. All my other crap goes on off side loops on harness and I keep most of my draws on left front as I usually end up digging through my rack with my right hand anyway and then reach across to grab a draw and clip.

I try other things but I always go back to this setup (for me). I kinda like the same crap in the same spot every time.

Does that make any sense?

anthony,

i have the metlious gear sling you speak of. bought it when i started climbing, used it as i learned to lead trad.

i cant tell you why, but i learned that i didnt like it for use when climbing and grew into a system of racking entirely on my harness. I love my system and dont carry gear around my chest unless im cleaning and gotta move.

but, i still use my gear sling loyaly and exclusively to sort and store all my gear. pull it out of the closet, bag, whatever and viola! - choose what you need for the climb and you're off the deck with the bare essentials.

Also, is Cam Lube an important part of maintaining your cams? And is it specifically for Metolius cams or will there be no issues with putting it on Black Diamond C4's?

I usually just put everything in random places with the important stuff on the bottom so I have to take everything off to get at it. Then, when I'm 50 ft off the deck and cursing slowly while flipping all my gear around looking for those %&*$ micro nuts, I'll really be having fun. I could draw a diagram if you want....

I prefer gear slings without separate loops because clipping and unclipping the biner you want is much easier when you can slide everything around. If Im in a tight spot, I can flip the whole rig around, so everything is on my back or the opposite side. If Im carrying a #5 cam or a giant tricam than it goes on one of the rear gear loops. I triple my 24" slings on 2 wires and wear them on my harness like quickdraws. Works for me...

I used to use the Metolius Double D but I've found that it was often difficult to grab pieces from the opposite side of my body, i.e. grabbing a cam with my left hand from the right side. Also I've had my #4 camalot get stuck under the lip of a roof a few times when trying to pull over because of the way it hung from the sling. Now I use it to rack draws mainly in order to free up my harness loops for gear.

Alright Anthony. I'm starting to feel a bit suspicious about your posts. Myself and many others have willingly and generously offered much detail to your posts. This is at least the third post in 3 days. You are asking some very specific questions that someone new to the sport wouldn't even know to ask. There are a lot of "I heard" and "what do you think of". I suspect you have much more experience than you lead on. Are you writing a book with the input of the excellent MP people's experience? I may be way off but something feels amiss. Why don't you level with us.

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/climbing_gear_discussion/climbing_cams/106390208

mountainproject.com/v/climb…

When looking back at these two other posts things seem even fishier. Sounds like more of a marketing survey rather than a genuine person looking for advice. I think you know way more than you lead onto and you have just been using us. What's up?

Greg D wrote:Alright Anthony. I'm starting to feel a bit suspicious about your posts. Myself and many others have willingly and generously offered much detail to your posts. This is at least the third post in 3 days. You are asking some very specific questions that someone new to the sport wouldn't even know to ask. There are a lot of "I heard" and "what do you think of". I suspect you have much more experience than you lead on. Are you writing a book with the input of the excellent MP people's experience? I may be way off but something feels amiss. Why don't you level with us.

:'( I though Guideline #1 tells you not to be a jerk. No, I've been climbing for a few years, mainly trad. Over this time, my partner has taught me many things and familiarized me with the sport. He has a mountaineering background and is very experienced, making my learning much easier. I only climbed with one person and have used all of his lead gear. Although this is nice and has been very easy on my wallet, I felt like I needed to start buying my own stuff, mainly because he just had surgery to repair a torn rotators cuff in his right shoulder, which means no climbing with him over the summer. :( Instead of asking, "can I borrow your climbing rack over the summer while you recover", I felt it was time to have my own, if I want to continue climbing. :) The only gear I have been using was off of his rack and it's pretty contrived - mostly Black Diamond, except for the C.A.M.P. tricams and carabiners. I've visited the local mountaineering store here in town and talked to a few workers who climb regularly. They gave me some suggestions such as the using the TCUs over the Bdel c3's and climbing without a sling. I like to see how other people feel about different gear, which then makes my trip to the store feel a lot easier because I know what I'm looking for (comparing 2 different brands of cams as opposed to 5 or 6). I am not a sales rep, but rather a college student who has nothing to do with the field of business at all. Engineering, as a matter of fact. I've been putting money away to buy a rack and now I am gladly spending it to fulfill my climbing fetish. Sorry about all the posts, but isn't that why we have forums?

In my opinion, having input from climbers all over the country is much more resourceful than having input from people who work/live/climb solely in Minnesooooota.

Greg D wrote:http://www.mountainproject.com/v/climbing_gear_discussion/climbing_cams/106390208 mountainproject.com/v/climb… When looking back at these two other posts things seem even fishier. Sounds like more of a marketing survey rather than a genuine person looking for advice. I think you know way more than you lead onto and you have just been using us. Nice work.

Sounds to me like someone who's been climbing for a while, sport climbing that is, and is now getting into trad after doing some research and wanting first-hand opinions from the people that know what's up. In fact, I've liked the threads he's started as I'm about to start building my first trad rack. Keep the questions coming!

Just my $0.02

ShibbyShane wrote: Sounds to me like someone who's been climbing for a while, sport climbing that is, and is now getting into trad after doing some research and wanting first-hand opinions from the people that know what's up. In fact, I've liked the threads he's started as I'm about to start building my first trad rack. Keep the questions coming! Just my $0.02

Nah, I'll cut back on the questions, sorry. My rack is pretty much complete anyway. I can't wait until Friday :D! Over time, I'm going to double up on a few things, probably cams and a few nuts, and add to my alpine draw collection. I really appreciate the help from all of you who dedicated your time to give me feedback. Thanks again.
Best,
Tony