May 6, 2008, 7:38 PM
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Re: [coastal_climber] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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Unless its Aid, harness. Most harness come with enough room for a double set of cams .5 to 3.5 on one side, draws and nutz on the other. I also am not one of those "bring everything just in case" kind of guy - no figure 8, no prussiks, no cordalette (just extra slings around shoulder), you get it. If I used more gear like some people find themselves doing I would probably use a shoulder length 1" sling, but I hate how it always wants to slide in front of me when I'm climbing something low angle (which is a lot : /).
May 6, 2008, 7:41 PM
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I am a newer lead so I am still experimenting. Currently I am racking on my harness. I like the wear the weight sits better than when it is on a sling. And I have also found, comfortwise, slings just get in the way and irritate my chest.
May 6, 2008, 8:11 PM
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Re: [Carolyn11] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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yeah, I hate leading with a sling, it slides around too much for me. A harness with good gear loops will hold enough gear to get you up pretty much anything you are going to free climb.
Although I do rack slings over my shoulder with one biner on them. I tried the trad draw set up and found it too fidly. I carry some sport draws, and maybe one trad draw and about 6 slings over the shoulder. I also try and clip cams direct if I can, it increases the chances of walking and of rope drag, but if these chances are minimal, then it's simpler and has shorter fall potential.
May 6, 2008, 8:31 PM
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I currently carry my pro on a gear sling over my right shoulder (I'm left handed), and my slings on my harness. I have been toying with an idea and maybe you all can help me out.
When I place a piece of pro, I have to unclip it from the sling, and then unclip a draw and then clip the rope. I am considering buying enought long slings and beeners to have one for every cam, hence saving a step, and even more important time. I will still have to carry additional slings for my passive protection, but right now the key for me is to keep moving. Anybody rack this way? what are the pros and cons?
May 6, 2008, 8:34 PM
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Re: [climbingaggie03] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I put my shorter pieces (draws, nuts) on a chest sling and my cams, webbing and spare biners on my harness.
I do this because if I put everything on my harness it tends to sit heavy over time, and pushes my pants down (annoying problem I haven't been able to fix yet). I don't use a shoulder sling because too much weight on either of my shoulders for a long period of time really makes them sore. I'd rather distribute the weight evenly across both shoulders (kind of like wearing a pack on one shoulder vs using both shoulders).
May 6, 2008, 8:47 PM
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Re: [kimsismour] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I don't really see much advantage to having pre-extended cams. You'll have to carry more slings and there's more stuff to hook up as you'll trying to pull a cam out of the rack.
If the climbing is sustained I've found that I can usually direct clip the cam or I will carry a few slings over the shoulder with 1 biner attached for extending cams quickly. It's really easy to clip with a log sling since it usually reaches below the tie in knot. I rack on my harness though so slings over the shoulder don't interfere with the rack.
May 6, 2008, 8:48 PM
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Re: [Gmburns2000] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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Most of my pro is on a Metolius Gear Sling as I dont trust the plastic gear loops on my BD Harness to take much abuse. Im not sure how it happened but Im missing one gear loop on it already.
Everyone racks gear a little bit different. Some color code biners' and slings, some dont. Whatever is best for you and agreeable with your partner on multipitch
May 6, 2008, 8:52 PM
Post #12 of 78
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Re: [kimsismour] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I climbed with a guy who racked like this, instead of racking biners on all his cams, he had racking draws. every cam already had a draw on it, When he placed, he would remove the cam from his harness, place it, and clip the other end of the draw.
I didn't like it, it was a pain to re-rack, and when you are starting, it does seem like a lot of steps to place, sling, and then clip, but once you get the hang of things and start slinging less, it gets easier.
May 6, 2008, 8:56 PM
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I usually rack on my harness as I find that a gear sling ends up getting in my way a lot of the time. Part of this is probably because I don't use one often enough to have learned how to avoid it. If the rout requires a large variety of gear the extra room on a sling can be handy though. I find that it can also be easier to pass gear at belays.
May 6, 2008, 10:08 PM
Post #17 of 78
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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Depends on the climb.
Short climb requiring limited gear - on my harness.
Established Multipitch Trad - Gear on a sling, runners/draws on harness towards front, double length slings/anchor material/free biners towards the back.
Unclimbed Lines - Same as above, but add pins and hooks to the front of the left rear gear loop, shifting long slings and anchor material to very back of harness.
Any offwidth gear is on the back of my harness.
Of course It all depends on what the pitch dictates.
May 6, 2008, 10:12 PM
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Re: [the_climber] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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On my harness.
My question is this: when you use a sling, doesn't your entire rack end up in your fucking lap? In the way of the rope, in the way of my knees, in the way of my feet....
I have tried it, and it just pisses me off. Sometimes I use a sling to supplement the harness, but that's just a couple pieces, and thats only when I'm carrying too much crap on my harness.
May 6, 2008, 11:17 PM
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I have a blackdiamond sling. The one that goes across your chest and has an extra cord from the center of your chest under your arm to your back preventing it from swinging. It works good for me!
I carry all my biners, atc's, slings, and cordellet on my harness.
May 6, 2008, 11:25 PM
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I rack all of my cams and nuts on my sling (which is mainly what I was asking about for the purposes of this poll), and all of my runners/draws on my harness. That's what I see about 90% of the time when I'm out climbing. But whenever I read threads on this board, I always read tons of posts from people claiming to rack up on their harness. I wondered if those people are in the minority and just more vocal or if a lot of people really do rack up that way. I thought a poll would be the best way to get those quit people to give their input so we can see how *most* people really do it. And it looks like at least half (if not more) really do rack on their harnesses! So where do all you people climb, because I almost never see people do it that way! LOL
I totally understand why people rack that way -- it can get annoying when my harness swings around to the front when I'm leading. But I like to have the option to move the sling around to find the right gear rather than reaching all over the place on my harness and being thrown off balance on the climb in the process. It's the lessor of two evils for me. Also, I can't put slings over my shoulder. I'm 5'4 and have a very short torso and long legs and narrow shoulders as well. So slings over my shoulder end up around my waste and in the crook of my elbow which can really screw you up when you're climbing!! So I carry my pro on a sling and my slings and draws on my harness. I think if I were taller, I might rack up on my harness, but given my body proportions, a sling works best for me.
(This post was edited by caliclimbergrl on May 6, 2008, 11:28 PM)
May 6, 2008, 11:25 PM
Post #21 of 78
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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In a general on a sling. Means that the gear is rarely pinned between the wall and me when I need it, because I've looked at the route ahead of time and determined which shoulder would be against the rock most. However, if its a straight in crack, or the rack is really light, I'll rack on my harness just so there's less on my person.
I really hate getting skull-tapped by the #5 camalot, so its nice to hang it out of the way. Also, when things are steep, the gear sling tends to hang out of the way anyway.
Its only on slabby terrain that it can be a problem.
(This post was edited by petsfed on May 6, 2008, 11:26 PM)
May 6, 2008, 11:26 PM
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Re: [hafilax] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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hafilax wrote:
You cut the slings off your cams?!
Yeah. I know it seems a little weird, but the camalot slings are only about 3 or 4 inches. I carry about 12 draws with Trango Superfly's which weigh almost nothing. However, they can be a pain to clip onto the rope side because the gates are really stiff. The non-extended length of my draws is about 12 inches which really helps rope drag. I never used the slings that came with the cams and they just got in the way so I cut them off. I always carry at least 20 runners when I climb, because when I was in Arizona there were a lot of chickenheads (but not in the Three Six Mafia sense.)
May 6, 2008, 11:27 PM
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Re: [irregularpanda] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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irregularpanda wrote:
On my harness.
My question is this: when you use a sling, doesn't your entire rack end up in your fucking lap? In the way of the rope, in the way of my knees, in the way of my feet....
I have tried it, and it just pisses me off. Sometimes I use a sling to supplement the harness, but that's just a couple pieces, and thats only when I'm carrying too much crap on my harness.
On low angle slab, yes it can get in the way if you load it up wrong. That's where "the pitch dictates how you rack" comes into play. Some routes I'll rack what I need for the pitch and hand the gear sling over to the second, or toss it in the haul bag.
I generally don't have some of the problems others do with the sling hanging too low, or swinging around too much do to having a Highland Scot kind of build... personally, if a single length sling was any shorter it wouldn't work for me at all.
I honestly don't think there is any one "end all be all" way to rack, it all depends on the nature of the climb.
May 6, 2008, 11:37 PM
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Re: [the_climber] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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As mentioned before I rack on my harness. On varied terrain I rack the small nuts and the small cams on opposite sides and if I'm carrying doubles in large cams I balance them as well so that I can grab the right size without having to reach across too much. Slings go behind the gear and onto the front of the back loops. Lesser used stuff at the back of the back loops.
If the climb has an obvious bias to placing gear from one side I rack accordingly.
I do most of my climbing in Squamish which has a lot of low angle climbing. I climbed with a gear sling once up the Apron and stepped on my gear countless times and basically had to push it out of the way on every move.
I probably see about 50/50 harness/gear sling but everyone that I climb with racks on their harness.
May 6, 2008, 11:51 PM
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Re: [caliclimbergrl] Where do you usually rack your gear (protection) when leading?
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I can rack on my harness if I must, but its a hassle since I was built without hips and I'm constantly pulling them up. I prefer to use a Yates chest harness/gear harness since most of the time I rope solo, it's the way I've gotten used to carrying my gear. My usual partner likes this way to when swapping leads. Cams up to small hand sizes go on the right side, outer loop, with smaller cams to the front. Bigger cams than that (depends on route) plus two four foot slings go on the right inside loop along with my cordelette. Left side outer loop are three biners with nuts, small medium and large. I'll carry doubles in the smaller since the back of the flaring cracks we have tend to take them more. Another biner for first three tricams and a couple medium and larger hexes. Inside left loop are all my draws, with shorter ones to the front. Four of the draws have Trango superfly lockers on one side and they may or may not get used, I almost always have a few extra lockers come anchor time or for whatever. Also on the inside left loop is a biner with about 15ft spare webbing for whatever. Nut tool goes on my seat harness front loop right and belay biner with belay device on the rear right loop. Left side front are two prussiks (I never leave the deck without em) each on their own Trango superfly locking biner. I've had some tell me that the two prussiks are not needed since I've got runners. Well, If I have to use runners as prussiks, they'd have to be extra, so its a wash to me. My haul loop is free for whatever, a few times to hook a runner to and trail my chest harness up a few chimneys.
57 /
45%
. I don't use a shoulder sling because too much weight on either of my shoulders for a long period of time really makes them sore. I'd rather distribute the weight evenly across both shoulders (kind of like wearing a pack on one shoulder vs using both shoulders). 
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