Gear sling?

Yea or nay? Discuss?

coldthistle.blogspot.com/20…

For trad climbs, multi pitch etc.,, it's a must. I grew up with one so feel ass-wide when I load up my harness with 8 cams, a dozen nuts, and 15 quickdraws.

Definitely yeah, preferably one that has loops on both sides... I would actually like to have one that would be integrated into ultralight chest harness (added security in case of fall + like to attach my spring leashes a bit higher and gear loops just cant take it) + perhaps some kind of optional ultralight removable pack... Like Grivel Lynx / Manu which I'm using now (but with real chest harness) --> Perhaps Blue Ice could come up with an extra light one?

- Juho Risku / www.climbingextreme.com

I'm pretty new to trad, and something I haven't been able to get my head around is the idea of just handing over "the" gear sling to the next leader once the follower reaches the belay.

The leader has a sling, and once he gets to the belay presumably some unused gear remains on it.

The follower in this scenario also has a sling they're racking on.

So there are two gear slings, each of which has some gear on it. You might save some time but don't you still need to pass some stuff back and forth, unless the leader truly used every single piece of gear he was carrying?

I'm sure I'm missing something really obvious. I can't figure out how to pee without removing my harness, for god's sake.

Dane wrote:Yea or nay?...

Nay. Just my humble opinion.

Toby B wrote:I'm pretty new to trad, and something I haven't been able to get my head around is the idea of just handing over "the" gear sling to the next leader once the follower reaches the belay. The leader has a sling, and once he gets to the belay presumably some unused gear remains on it. The follower in this scenario also has a sling they're racking on. So there are two gear slings, each of which has some gear on it. You might save some time but don't you still need to pass some stuff back and forth, unless the leader truly used every single piece of gear he was carrying? I'm sure I'm missing something really obvious. I can't figure out how to pee without removing my harness, for god's sake.

LOL I've had my 2nd clean and place gear on his harness or sometimes he'll wear a regular 60cm sling like a gear sling and clean and rack on that. the 60cm sling can be used for tying in direct when setting up rappels, etc. Peeing without removing your harness deserves it's own thread ;)

I started out racking gear on a gear sling and runners on my harness. Same for screws in the winter. Last summer I decided to try something new... I bought a new Wild COuntry harness with 7 gear loops and started racking on my harness. Jury is still out for me. I think do whatever is comfortable. I may go back to a gear sling.

As far as swinging leads. Most people I climb with rack differently so we're switching things up at the belay anyway.

Usually use my gear loops on my harness. I have tried gear slings before, but have found them to be too "floppy". I climb frequently with a pack and it seems the gear loops work better. Just my opinion at this time...always up to improving my methods.

I stopped racking on a sling ever since I got a terrible cramp in the side of my neck from the weight. Maybe I just carry too much gear.

I recognize that racking on a sling makes more sense for overall convenience and speed in the mountains, but if I'm climbing at my limit, I prefer to rack on my harness for less fumbling. I can find/place/clip gear way faster from my harness than from a sling.

Nay.

Started out with the multi loop gear sling, found out I hated it. Thing was always in the way. It now hangs in my closet and helps organize gear. I went the way of the 7 loop wild country harness, thing is awesome. commonly used gear on the front two loops, draws on the 'top' loops, odd pieces on the back loops, shoes/water/ohshitbiner/cordolette etc on the back loop, and then 5-6 over the shoulders. Been experimenting having draws racked on one of the shoulder slings to declutter the harness a bit, jury is still out on that.

I change it up depending on the nature of the route. Recently I decided to rack it all on my harness because I was going pretty light. When I topped out after five pitches, I realized I had worn my gear sling (empty) the whole way up without noticing :(.

Even when I don't bring it, I can always use the two shoulder-length slings (that I never go without) if I felt the need to switch mid-route.

I'm all for a rack, especially when doing multi-pitch,

Single leader:

• Leader arrives at belay, sets the next pitches first piece, clips it (if helpfull to prevent factor 2 fall), clips in to anchor, clips rack to anchor,and belays second.
• Second organizes the rack when cleaning the pitch.
• Seconds clips in to anchor, hands his rack over and stacks the rope if need be.
• Leader adds whatever pieces weren't placed.
• Leader takes off.

• Leader arrives at belay, may set the first piece of next pitch, clips in to anchor, clips rack to anchor,and belays second.
• Second organizes the rack when cleaning the pitch.
• Seconds clips in to anchor.
• Transfer needed gear to new leader's rack and removing unnecessary pieces.
• Leader takes off.

When doing ultra long pitches (combining) or clean aid, I may pull out all the gear on a dual gear loop (BD Zodiac)

everybodies opinion and situation are going to be different on this subject, some are going to love the gear sling, others not so much, myself personally, didnt like it, others swear by them, try one out and see for yourself....also if you'd like a black diamond one i've gone one i'll sell you. used twice at seneca.

froggy wrote:everybodies opinion and situation are going to be different on this subject, some are going to love the gear sling, others not so much, myself personally, didnt like it, others swear by them, try one out and see for yourself....also if you'd like a black diamond one i've gone one i'll sell you. used twice at seneca.

PM sent on sling

Dane/ColdThistle: "I've climbed with a number of guys that are new to the alpine. The more someone has sport climbed generally means the more they will want to rack gear on their harness. That might work...if you have tried it out previously with similar gear and in similar conditions. "

Dane/ColdThistle: "I typically find the guys who are most adamant about using their harness gear loops, because they hate gear slings, are the ones that "never drop" anything. And the same ones that shed gear on route like it was free booty."

heh heh... =) guess who?

And that guy Steve neverdrops anyth........aw crap...

let's just try to forget that little North Twin oopsie....

=)
...................

well, I still like racking on my harness. Inevitably that gear sling comes swinging around in front of me exactly when I'm sketched the most...trying desperately to see some micro-dime edge to put my foot on...I swipe it out of the way with a curse...it swings back...I curse again...I switch hands, pump clock ticking away...shove it out of the way again...it swings back. $%@#$%#%#@$ING GEAR SLINGS I HATE THESE PIECES OF S%##$%@%%@!!!! I give up, smear desperately on anything my foot runs into on its skittering path up the corner...stand up...hoping against hope...hands totally forgotten as I try to crush holds into the rock out of my worthless foot placements...

Hands now too low...hopelessly pumped AND caught back in the middle of that damn tangle of gear sling which is back in front...again.

f***...I'm off.

Yeah that's pretty much how it's gone in the past. I'm sticking with my harness gear loops.

Or else I'm just a gumby...totally a possibility.

Ha, Ha! Good one! ;-) N. Twin iirc..same place Steve dropped one of his boot shells and still finished the climb. Marko in that picture right? He's almost as old as I am! Dropping boots, crampons or tools isn't unheard of. Dropping gear common.

I have literally dozens of photos showing the "new breed" climbing hard stuff in the alpine, racking on their harness and only slings and biners over the shoulder, if that.

My point was/is dropping gear isn't just a newbie thing as House's boot shell, Tackle's crampon or Pellet's tools attest. Gear slings wouldn't have solved any of those mishaps. But if a gear sling can help you it might be some thing worth trying. When it comes to adding speed to the alpine or long rock routes hard to argue not using one.

When it comes to hard rock...I have never fallen off because of my gear sling fumbles ;-) I've cursed them and loved them depending on the situation. But never fallen off from racking on a gear sling. How I rack on a gear sling would be another discussion entirely ;-)

Why do so many people think racking on a gear sling is faster for swapping leads? This is only true if you are placing less than half the gear per pitch.

It is the amount of time getting gear from harness to harness or gear sling to gear sling that makes a difference. If you are doing blocks you just hand over the sling.

Speed is only one issue. Making sure gear is clipped in is another (sling or harness) all that justified by how easy one is to use over the other, good arguements on both. Not that I agree with all of them ;-)

As a new climber, I've always been scared of gear slings because of the horror stories of them getting caught on stuff(like the girl who got strangled when a cam on the sling caught during a fall). Also it seems like a pain to use with a pack.
If I were going to do a gear sling, I'd do one of the chest rigs. Seems safer, but obviously negates the whole purpose which is handing a sling over.

But I'm still having troube with grasping how just "handing over" a sling makes things faster since both climber's slings will have gear. Is it just so its only one person (the next leader) racking up rather than both climbers fiddling with handing over gear and allowing the second to do something else? Then the leader gives the second their empty sling back?