UKC

I've been building anchors the past couple of trips, but recently have started finding routes with bolts placed one above the other with a chain between them. Equalizing anchors placed horizontally is easy, but when the bolts are vertical I have real trouble getting both slings to be weighted. I always end up with the highest sling weighted, and the lower one not. It tends to hang down loose. If the higher one breaks, it'll shock load the lower one (although not enough to break the sling most likely)

Is there an easy solution to making sure both ends of my slings are at the same point to create a decent master point? Both have limited knots, but they don't stop at the same point due to the orientation of the anchor bolts.

Thanks

Just clip the lower bolt or the chain, the chain joining them is stronger than any sling you own. Equalising them is pointless, it is redundancy you are looking for.

If you are really that paranoid use a sling to equalise both bolts and clip that, but as Simon said the chains are good, just use them with two quickdraws or a screwgate.

Even where there's no chain I rarely equalise bolted belays. Take a look at David Coley and Andy Kirkpatrick's multipitch climbing website for some creative ideas on quick belay construction.

http://multipitchclimbing.com/

See Chapter 6, Section 12, "Banshee Belays" in the Coley/Kirkpatrick website referenced above.  The photos illustrate the technique on horizontally arranged bolts, but on vertical bolts the upper clove hitch can be adjusted so that both bolts are loaded simultaneously.

never assume the chain is ok

Www.outdoorsafetyinstitute.com/index.php/news/single/warning_notice_fixe_anchors/

I normally find a long draw and a short draw work just fine. That half inch of slack, will it really matter? You are lowering off, or top roping the second up. There is no high fall factor to be had to generate larger forces. If you're multi pitch leading off a crap belay, then this should have been in the thought process before building the crap belay where it is. Yes, I can think of situations where you could argue it'd arise. But if you're in such situations I'd also argue you're unlikely to find a double bolt belay and still complain.

If its a sport route, and the anchors or rock fails, you have bigger problems to worry about than half inch of all but theoretical slack in an otherwise dynamic world where gravity is king. So relax a little.

If there is still a runner in, then the belay failing isnt so fatal, just a little scary. 

If there is no runner in and the belay is that bad, then best hope for a sudden abundance of skills and once out of the mire, question how you got into that fix and make sure you dont mess up again.