.

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make your partner carry the rope.
:)

Greg,

Your rack only weighs 6 pounds? My "rack" is a lot heavier than yours!

Seriously, it is. I found the only way to reduce weight is to split the load. On a big mountain climb 3 of us split the extra weight of technical gear (@33#) three ways, so we all only had 10 extra pounds plus our personal tech gear like shoes and harness.

I found that my rope and rack weigh virtually the same, so splitting the gear for a day of cragging is easy--you take the rope, I take the rack.

I'd go for a new pack - sounds like yours might be a bit dated... they make them with lighter material now that is 'almost' as durable.

Plus make the partner carry the rope.

Lee Smith wrote:Greg, Your rack only weighs 6 pounds? My "rack" is a lot heavier than yours! Seriously, it is.

No kidding! I'd love to be able to pare my total pack weight down to under 40 lb. Of course, when I've weighed mine, it includes not just climbing gear but the guidebook, camera, water and gatorade. At a guess, I'd say my rack alone weighs probably 15+.

JL

I haven't weighed my gear, but based on the comments of some climbing partners such as "Holy crap this thing is heavy! What do you have in there?? I've replaced all of my old heavy biners with new lightweight ones. It's certainly made a big difference. Over the next year or so I'll also start replacing my older cams (mostly older Metolius and BD) with newer lightweight ones.

I also replaced my pack and just purchased a MH Splitter pack. Haven't been out climbing with it yet, but it seems to carry my gear more comfortably than my previous pack (Dana Snow Patrol).

I also split rope/rack carrying duties. When taking beginners, however, I sometimes end up carrying everything.

In the end, I rationalize carrying a lot of weight by telling myself that it's just some good ole fashioned exercise! (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it)

Trad rack = 6 lbs
Sport rack = 6 lbs Huh?

My sport rack is 12-15 draws, my trad rack is a hellova lot more. Sounds like you've pared down alot already...

Get a pack that weighs under 2 lbs, split up all of the technical gear with your partner and for really long humps, bring along a third that loves to hike but won't eat up time on the rock...hehe hehe

leave the grigri and 2 lbs of cordellette at home. anchor in with the rope.

although, i would rather keep the grigri, and slam a liter of water before the approach.

you own a sherpa, deaun?
if not, can i be?
:)

Greg posted a pic of his trad and sport (assuming just the draws) on another thread a while back. It include doubles of cams from small up to a BD #3. Looked like a very solid standard trad rack for multi-pitch, so I'm surprised so many people think they are carrying heavier racks. I've never weighed any of my gear. After I got into ice/alpine/wall climbing I quit worrying about weight. It's all so heavy that shaving a bit here and there is just an exercise in futility.

Get a subman and make them carry everything and buy all the beer. Tell them you don't like to carry the pack because it makes your legs bigger and it would mess up your send on your 5.14d project.

Or you could do what I did and make your 2nd carry beer along by hiding it in the bottom of the hydration pack (Eiger Sanction style).

I carry my stuff in a BD stubby haul bag, which isn't the lightest option. It's quite durable, though, and offers the bonus of instant packing/unpacking or use as a rope bucket because of the rigid sides.

I just loaded it up for Eldo (60mx10.3, shoes, harness, helmet, trad rack.)

It weighs 33 lbs.

That's with a lightweight HB carbon fiber helmet, skinny dyneema slings, all wirelock biners, and C4 Camalots.

The size 13 shoes don't lighten the load.

Deaun Schovajsa wrote:my trad rack is a hellova lot more.

not to mention all that brass you have to carry...

Darren, you can't be my sherpa cause you climb too much...an ideal sherpa wants to hump a load and belay. I know that's not you!

As little as I climb, I coud be your sherpa, except I have spindly legs and no cardiac. I guess keep the approaches short, dude!

Looks reasonable to me.
As you mentioned, you may save a couple of pounds going to a lightweight pack. You can ditch the rope tarp where it is not necessary. I noticed you have 8 lockers on your sport rack plus you mention a couple of spare lockers just in the pack and that's not counting the one on reverso and one on gri-gri... Are you sure you are using that many?
2 lbs of random cordalette sounds like a total overkill.

Get a lighter rope. 10.5's are for climbers livin' in the 90's. I use a Petzl 9.4 70m for multipitch and an Edelweiss 10.0 60 for cragging. And I use an old 9.8 30m for shorter cliffs that we have around RR. That rope and sport gear only...sweet.

Lighter rope (or split up twins) and lose some draws & lockers. Have your second bring more lockers. Put your passive on lighter notchless biners. I don't think you have enough small passive. Split up some gear with your partner for the approach & put the heavy stuff on your waist when you climb, as opposed to a shoulder sling.

Honestly, 33 lbs isn't that big a deal. Don't forget water, ends up being a weight problem for me more than anything. Those light approach shoes make a big difference to me. I'm keeping my cordalettes -- split up between the partners, but if you leapfrog, that rope rigging is the ticket.

There have been books fully dedicated to this subject and identifying what your goals are and how to pack accordingly. Are you looking to do long alpine routes where speed is key or are you just cragging and don't like lugging the weight?

I'd recommend reading some Mark Twight as he really breaks down climbing light and fast but like anything in life you must give to get...in climbing that can mean protection. At a minimum money for new fancy light biners, ropes and what not.

IMO, sport half looks about right for multi-pitch trad, although it looks kind of funny for a day of sports action in Rifle. Trad half looks light depending on where you go (e.g. Eldo). Looks like no micro stoppers, I wouldn't leave home without them. I usually carry double medium to small stoppers too. No cam bigger than a #3 Camelot? That's a bold statement in some places. I've never carried more than 3 Tri-cams (pink, red, and brown) on a pitch but I know other folks swear by them. Also, the extra ATC isn't really necessary; a Munter works in a clutch to belay and a biner brake works for a rap. All in all, I've learned that while high up on a multi-pitch trad route I'd much rather carry more gear than I need than need gear that I don't have. If you're going alpine, then that's a whole other story. For alpine, your rack looks a little heavy. Perhaps get rid of the doubles in cams. Leave the single length runners at home in favor of shoulder length and doubles. Bring a knife and rap rings.

saxfiend wrote: ...At a guess, I'd say my rack alone weighs probably 15+. JL

When John (saxfiend) unpacks his Calirfornia Roll, the Earth trembles...

I'm guessing you could shave about 3 pounds with new biners. Trango Superfly and Superfly lockers. Also 2 pounds in cordalettes sounds like a collection to me. 60m of 6mm cord only weights 6 pounds.

My recomendation besides the biners would be to get a BD speed pack, which is JUST big enough for everything you would need on a long alpine day. The smaller your pack the less gear you will bring.

PS great trad rack....I'll carry that anyday!

Good rack, however, you could really lighten it up with the following:
Replace every biner with a BD OZ. OZ=1 ounce. Get rid of the aliens and buy a set of BD C3's - they are lighter and better. Lose the tricams and BD nuts. Buy one set of DMM wall nuts, they are lighter and much better than the BD ones. Unless you are in Indian creek, why do you need double 3, 2 and 1 camalots? How about one of each BD C4's - .5-3. Do this and your rack will be so light you won't believe it.