UKC

Now that I've started to lead and getting more confident  leasing an belaying I'm planning to start a few  trips  further afield, I'm after my 1st set of draws. 

I'm after a  12cm  and 18cm lengths  so I'm covered for most things. 

My 2p would be to get some that are easy to clip and stiff for sport climbing.

If trad Climbing, then some nice bendy/loose draws.

As for price, go with the ones you like the look of for what you are willing to spend...they are all rated for 22kn!

Will be sport.. ok I'll just see what about? 

Does the type of gate matter

If you're planning to climb sport and sport only, get quickdraws with fat slings that'll be easy to grab when you're working (/dogging) routes.

If there's a slight chance you might take up trad in the future, get skinny and semi-stitched or open quickdraws rather than fully-stitched, and don't bother with 11cm. They're too short as a workhorse quickdraw, and I cant think of any scenario when I'd specifically want a short quickdraw on trad. If 7cm is the margin of error for you decking, you have more problems than the length of quickdraw!

The four bar variety, is the best I've found, self closing is always good too.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/gear/small_solidgate_carabiners-708354

For sport something with a wide tape for pulling on.

Petzl Spirit or BD LiveWire are good.

DMM sport Alpha’s look nice too but seem to be a bit pricier.

I’d just get them all short and buy a couple of long tapes for the odd time you might need a long one.

Yes sport only.  Trad looks a lot harder  to learn and a lot more expensive

I'll have a look at thoose.  Urban  rock let you mix the lengths,But yes the ddms do seem to be the pricer  option.  By plan was to start with half  shorter and half longer and use the longer ons at the bottom of the the route. 

...but well worth it, as it unlocks most of the best rock that the country has to offer. Don't dicount trad completely, even if you have to play the slow game.

Yeah. I guess it's all evolves 

I just need to settle on so.s draws. I think camp eldrid   or ocun seem to be a good middle ground  for cost and the amount of useage  I think there gonna get. 

In practice, it won't make much diffrence, long or short.

Rope drag is rarely an issue on a well bolted sport route. The main reason for using a long 'draw would be to move the lower crab away from any protruding rock or edges that the crab may be bent over if you fell on it or move the gate away from rock which might cause the gate to open.

If you get into more serious redpointing then sometimes a longer 'draw can ease difficult to reach clips but as you are just starting out I expect it'll be a while before you are working "at the limit" redpoint projects.

Bent gate for the rope end and straight gate for the bolt.  I personally prefer solid gate as opposed to wire gate for sport.  Make sure the gate has a wide opening, especially at the rope end and is clean at the end of the opening bar to avoid catching on things.  More expensive krabs do feel nice to handle and cover all the requirements but cheap will get the job done.

Al

Yes I mainly climb indoors.  The trip would be to southern spain.   I don't think on anything too taxing nothing over 6c for sure. It might not happen again. This trip might not happen. 

I bought the DMM sport alphas as I was feeling a little bit flush and they had them at the gym on a few routes and they made clipping quite pleasurable (well - mostly). No regrets but I did end up  getting dedicated trad quickdraws later as well (long and alpine).

If I could validate  the money I sould get purple ones  but the  more I think about it   if they never get used again it a lot of money to spent..  and why send £15 on a draw when I can spend £10 and it do the same job..

Especially   that I'll need to get a longer rope.  Few biners and slings it all adds up. Especially  with a baby on the way. 

So I'm gonna get the elreid  ones or ocun one depending on which one the sites have in stock which will properly  be nothing  as the sent o rubbish stocking levels

I have Ocun Falcons and I like them; not expensive and they handle nicely.

Yes I was looking these. Or the

Ocin hawks  

Kong Trapper Anniversary

Eldrid  slash, simond rocky ones.  ( cheap and cheerful  but   if there safe  and not gonna get used a huge amount of use.  And i can get few in longer ones at a later date 

urbanrock have sets of the spirits on offer at the moment https://www.urbanrock.com/petzl-spirit-express-quickdraw-deal-set-of-5-2019...

Yeah I saw yesterday when they were 1st mentioned

Go to a shop with loads of draws on sale, and have a feel of the action on the gates of all of them, then buy the ones you like the feel of the most.  It's more important than you might think, I hate the feel of some of my friends' draws, get the rope hung up on the gate etc... Makes me feel nervous.

For what it's worth I love my DMM Aeros

Don't buy anything too heavy, too expensive or that you can't re-sling yourself as your needs change. They're simple things, whatever you buy you'll get used to them then attached to them then everyone else's will feel weird. Add a couple of 60cm slings to the order to make two up into sling-draws.

jk