Racking 'em up

Hey folks, currently just making my way into the big, bautiful world of trad climbing adn everytime I get to the base of the climb I alwys rck myself differently. I use a sling sometimes ordered by my sizes for the cams sometimes and draws and other stuff on my harness, sometimes I'll leave the sling at home because it gets in the way and hrness rack everything. Soemtimes I'll put cams in the back and sometimes the front. I just can't seem to get down a solid system of racking it up before the climb that makes finding the piece and grabbing it as simple as possible. Just so you know, my rack consists of a full set of bd nuts and a rack of 00-8 metolius powercams (with the exception of the yellow #2, which on a side note I'm still looking around for!) and soon I'll be adding some of the larger hexes. How do you guys like to rack 'em up?

Great article in School of Rock on this very subject.
Find a system that you like and keep doing it over and over.
Also each climb may require a different racking order, so you
Need to flexible. Everyone racks a little different by what works for them.

No matter what anyone says here, you're doing the right thing by experimenting in the hopes of finding what works for you. In fact, the best way to rack is going to depend on the climb you're about to do.

As for what I tend to do if I am bringing the kitchen sink, I put nuts and tricams on the left, cams on the right, both sorted from small in the from to large in the back. I put draws behind all that stuff, and double length slings over the shoulder with the ends link with a biner. Lastly, belay device, etc in the very back.

If I'm just bringing a smaller set, I'll just do something similar with the gear in front, draws behind, and other stuff in the very back. If I'm bringing doubles of cams, and I have room, I'll split the set onto both sides.

Hope that helps.

I rack my small nuts and micro cams on my front left. I rack my large nuts and medium cams on my front right. I put my large cams on my back left with alpine draws and at least one quick draw. I put my remaining alpine and quick draws on my rear right with anchor webbing belay device and nut tool.

Depending on the climbs aesthetics. If I believe that I will be locked off on one hand and placing multiple times with the other and I haven't climbed it before. I will sometimes alternate large and small cams on both sides of my harness. I only do this while going for an onsight or maybe a flash.

I've been doing the same experimenting...
I carry weigh to MUCH gear so ymmv...
For multi:
I started using a sling on my shoulder/neck then rack all my other slings to it. That way the weight is minimal on my shoulder/neck.
I have a double rack of cams, so lots of times I will rack one set per side(.3-3). Then small nuts (2-7) on right, large nuts(7-11) on the left. This way if I'm in a awkward postition/stance I still have a good chance of having a piece I need on the convenient side of me.

my racking advice probably isn't worth too much, because you'll figure it out with time.

I started with powercams too though. It's funny I used to love them, but of late I reach for other cams first. But the point I wanted to make... While its smart to educate yourself in how you want to rack, it would also be wise to educate yourself in the different cam options and sizing out there.

Maybe some people can't handle this, as I've seen others get all googly-eyed when they see my rack. But after my initial set of power cams, I filled in my doubles with mix match cams. So my doubles go: Blue Totem Basic, Red Tech Friend, Grey Alien, Purple Totem Cam (thats Met PC 1,2,3,4 respectively). Then I have a DMM Dragon, BD C4's and WC Helium in the bigger sizes.

I think you'll learn a lot both in general about what's out there, but also about what you like/what works best. As a bonus you lose the fear of having a miss-match rack and then when you find a consignment red tech friend, or a deal on a yellow alien, you won't hesitate to snag one of those instead of holding out for your #2 PC.

Anyway, my morning 2c

Personally I just generally rack smaller gear towards the front. As a word of caution, make sure you look at the climb and see if you're going to be spending a large portion of it with one side in a crack. Last weekend my #5 C4 placed itself and pulled me back down. I had it racked on my left side while heading up an OW section with my left side in the crack...

Yeah, I like the idea of splitting doubles on either side, might try that. Otherwise, it gets a little messy. The tricky thing is some of my doubles also fill in gaps, e.g green alien kinda fits between BD X4/C4 sizes. You can also (as I learned in the last thread about racking) clip doubles onto each other, although TBH I didn't love that when I tried it because things start hanging a little low. I currently rack cams on the left, split between big (0.75-3 C4) and small (<0.75) on two loops, and my quickdraws (alpine) are on the right, nuts and tricams on back left, belay device/anchor stuff on right. The thing that I like about my system is that there's no guesswork...I always know where to reach for something, and my gear loops are pretty well positioned so I've never had issues reaching across.

I absolutely hate bringing a gear sling while leading, but it's nice for cleaning.

Protection goes on the front loops. Various draws, ATC, prusik material, gloves, water bottle, etc go on back loops. People above have spoken about the protection racking, but I find that stacking my draws (alpine and/or quick) saves lots of space and is really efficient for me. I may clip three alpine draws to one draw that's on the back right loop, three alpine draws to one draw that's on the back left loop, and a couple quickdraws to a single quick draw that's also in the back. Besides saving space, my hand automatically knows where to go for that single "clump" of draws. It also helps me easily track what's left.

I have found it easier to rack protection in front so it's easy to grab. Quick draws go behind protection. And extras like belay device, slings, or spare biners in the back. Leave the gear slings with your follower to pickup the gear, protection goes on one sling, biners and Quick draws go on the other so when you reach a belay you can hand the rack over without dropping gear. Each climb will need a different rack but I sort my gear loops out like that before every climb.

I rack small on one side, large on the other, balance the weight. that way i know exactly where the sizes are.

I used to split up the doubles, but you use one size, and then later you need the double and you don't remember which side it is on, and you look for it and sometimes even miss it because its buried, then you move to the other side and it isn't there... clusterf&%k superpump.

Even if I need something on the left and I can't let go of the left hand I can always get the piece with my right hand because I know exactly where it is. Even better, when I read the sequence coming and re-rack the crux piece to the correct side in front of all the rest.

have fun

Regardless of your organization of other gear, if im using a gear sling... I will shoulder that first. then over the other shoulder (making a criss-cross {which will make you jump jump} over my chest and back), on top of the gear sling, I will shoulder several or all depending on the rout, of my double and single length slings with either a single or double biners on them. This way, when I need to extend an alpine draw, its already done, and usually only has the one biner on it, rather than an extraneous one, and they are on top, to just bring out and not fiddle with. This also saves room on your harness and keeps it lighter.

Unless I'm on slab (where a sling full of gear dangles in the way) use a tied piece of webbing as a sling for all the small to mid size cams. It removes just a little bulk from the harness and allows me to get to them from either side fairly easily.

For multi pitch routes I use a MM Caddy so I have 6 gear loops. This is nice as the big cams, personal gear (gloves, cordelette, belay device, extra biners, etc) and hexes go on the back loops. The middle loops take all the draws (shortest up front, larger at the back). The front loops take the rest of the passive gear, which is equivalent to a set of nuts on each side and then tricams (smaller on one side, larger on the other). Without the gear sling, I rack cams on one side and tricams on the other.

It seems like most people end up with a similar setup of: Nuts up front, followed by cams, small to big (split doubles on either side, like Master Cams on one side and BD C4s on the other) then quickdraws/alpine draws behind all of that, and belay device, cord, anchor stuff, etc. on the back loop. I have my nuts on 3 carabiners so I usually have the 2 smaller on my right and the biggest on my left with the tricams behind those.

It can be route dependent though. If you're heading up a chimney and a wall will be on your right then you're going to rack most of the stuff on your left (or at least the gear you think you'll need) or use a gear sling.

After a dozen routes you'll start to settle into a habit of things in certain places.

A single cam to each biner color coded. Small in front large in back. All draws way around back. Nuts on both sides but not in front as they seem in the way. I don't have doubles but I do have plenty of other cams of different brands and size. My basic cam is the BD and I have a full set. If I'm told I'll need smaller cams I'll rack those. Larger ? I'll rack my 4 and 4.5 or 5. If I don't know what to expect I'll add the crazy looking totems on my left side and my BD cams will all be on the right. I like two brands because the sizes are different and I feel it gives me options. Extra biners cords belay devices all as far back center rear as I can go under my chalk bag.

Hmm...nuts in front is an interesting idea. I wonder if I'll place more passive pro if it's not tucked away in the back? Lol.

Don't you always hang your nutz in front?
But really, if i am on a long, or a "I want to stitch the shit outa this" line, i hang my nuts and draws on a gear sling. Easy to keep out of the way, easy to access.
My racking is as follows. .3 - .75 on right front. Nuts and1"-3" on left front. Doubles on rear loops, or depending on the route, doubles hung on same spot. Draws interspersed on both sides.
All this depends on the route. Right facing corner? everything on the right, or what fits. Starts small and gets large; small up front. Crux is .3 or smaller; hang the crux gear on gear sling where it is easier to get at.
One thing i have learned, and have converted many partners to, is to hang the biners on my harness 'inside out'. The gates facing out.
And on multi pitch, instead of transferring one piece at a time, get to the belay, rack everything onto your gear sling, and CAREFULLY hand it over to the next leader.
$.02.

My general racking setup is cams on the right, everything else (nuts, tri-cams, hexes) on the left. Small at front to large at the back.

I have a back-pack style (both shoulders, clip in front) racking setup that I use if I'm bringing my full rack (e.g. multi-pitch, or longish single-pitch where I don't know the gear), then rack slings on my harness. If the climb is shorter and I know the gear, I'll transfer select gear to my harness, following the same principles. (Though, if I'm just bringing nuts & tricams, I'll split them left-right. If just tricams, whichever side looks more convenient for the climb.)

Other stuff -- anchoring slings or cordalettes, belay device, spare locking biners, prussik, bail biners, etc. They go on the back loops of the harness -- mostly out of the way.

Having a systematic way of doing things allows me to know where to find pieces.

Most people seem to rack small-to-large in the front-to-back. I think this is natural as larger pieces are easier to distinguish from each other, so putting them where it is harder to see what you're doing (back loops) makes sense.

I rack all my large cams on individual biners. I rack small cams in pairs. I rack nuts on a small and large nuts biners. I rack tricams in groups (blackx2, whitex2, pink; pink, redx2, brownx2; blue, bluex2, dark blue; white, green).

racking your bigger cams towards the back keeps them outta the way more

Collapsing the rack is very useful. Ie: clip your 2nd can of the same size to the biner of the first one. Clip a bundle of three alpine draws together in this same fashion. This saves room in your harness and makes thinks less messy.

I've also evolved to put 'comfort' in the back. Meaning my number 2 and 3 camalots are at a more awkward place to reach bud farther out of my way. I'm not likely I fall out of these sizes so I'll have time to fish around for them.

Last note. Start paying attention at the end of the pitch to all the extra gear you took with you. Depending on your comfort, take less cams. It's not a popular idea among most, but carrying all the extra stuff up a route actually makes it harder!

It's really helpful to get a harness with five loops. The loop at the small of your back is where; my cordage, tag, gloves autoblock nuttool ect.

A gear sling can be amazing make sure it fits. It's also nice if it can double as a full strength runner

I rack small to large if I am not in a chimney, corner or tight dihedral, then I rack on a sling or one side.

I stack the same size on the same side.

A qaud set is standard rack here.

A friend of mine racks all his draws on a sling leaving cams around his neck. Thay seeks to work well.