UKC

Hi folks,

I was wondering how most people tend to rack their 120cm or 240cm slings. Do you carry them over your shoulder with a screwgate carabiner, folded/twisted on your hardness with a Screwgate, or with a snap/wire gate? The 120cm slings are most likely to be used for threading or placing over spikes etc, so I imagine a Screwgate would be best for that scenario, but I've read a lot of threads where people only carry 2-3 screwgates on their rack, which to me seems really low, especially when including prusiks etc. 

Thanks

I carry them over my shoulder as it's quicker to get them off than untwisting them and it leaves my gear loops less cluttered but I don't carry screwgates on them.

Slings are one of my least used placements so carrying extra heavy screwgates for gear I don't place very often seems unnecessary. I clip them with an extender or take a krab off an extender. My other gear placements almost never have a screwgate on them so I don't see why slings need one. On the odd occasion where I do want a screwgate I'll use one of my belay screws and double up on snapgates at the belay if I need to.

Edit. Just to add that I do carry a couple of slingdraws on mountain routes these days but they are 60cm slings and I don't ever carry 240cm slings on any route. I can't imagine ever needing one as a runner and if I need that length on a belay I'd just use my rope. Again it's one of those things that I'd use so rarely that its pointless carrying it when you have an alternative in your rope. I've only ever used 240cm slings to set up a top rope.

I fold the 120 over my shoulder in such a way that I can draw it fully out if I've once again put my rucksack over it. It's clipped with a screwgate.   Some people twist the 120s and carry them on the harness but it seems a bit faffy.

I fold the 240 in 4 and put an overhand on it so I can attach it to my harness.

I always take 5 or 6 screwgates just because....

Disclaimer:  I am not most people.  Your mileage may vary.

The twiddly way on my harness. Starting doing this was an epiphany moment in my climbing career - no more feeling trussed up and faffing around slings tangled round my shoulders.

60cm exclusively as slingdraws, 120cm exclusively around one shoulder clipped end-to-end (so they can be removed easily with one hand, with either hand). I never carry anything longer than 120cm, but if I did I'd probably rack it twirled up on my harness.

For winter, 4 or 5 twisted 120s on wire gates and 2 twisted 240s all on harness rear. I don't use many quickdraw, maybe4.

If I try to rack slings over my shoulder I get lost as they're the same colour.

Just thinking about why I do, and it's probably the 50m rope! They make equalised belays simpler when there's not that much rope left.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I do carry a few 60cm slings but they are all racked as alpine draws. I thought it would be a bit of a pain having the longer slings wrapped over my shoulder, especially with a backpack and possibly coils over my shoulder. 

@Robert Durran - Do you rack them individually with scewgates or wiregates? 

@Basemetal - That's the way I would do it too. I'm guessing your mainly using them for threading, over spikes and building belays? 

For those of you that don't carry anything over 120cm, I'm guessing you are building all of your belays using the rope? 

Thanks for the replies. 

I've been climbing on 60s for about 20 years now (I do a lot of winter and Alpine stuff) so I'm almost never out of rope on a rock route.

I make a point of buying slings that are different colours as well!

Up to 5 60s as sling draws on my harness depending on the route 

120s go twiddly way on harness when placing them, 240 on my haul loop behind my chalk bag as they get used so infrequently. For cragging each is on its own screwgate. For multi pitch I might have two 120s on the same screwgate. 

I'm quite small so unless it's winter and I've lots of layers on I find they tend to annoy me when around my body. 

When seconding sometimes they'll get put around my body as it's easier one handed. I'll then re twiddle them at the top or belay

Yes, all the equalisation is done with the ropes, it just seems quicker and more versatile and you don't have to carry anything extra.

 Yeah, mainly threads and spikes, though I try to get by on a single rope whenever I can so sometimes just a looong extender.

Yes - and on single pitch rock with amenable features to make use of, that often involves untying and tying the rope around a suitable boulder (or tree, or massive thread, or...). Grit is often well-suited to this approach.

Yep, as I thought. Although I imagine the longer slings are carried on multi-pitch routes to allow belaying on guide mode etc. 

I still wouldn't bother if we planned on swinging leads. I'd tie an alpine butterfly in front of my tie-in knot, build the belay back to that and use it to hang the belay device from.

https://people.bath.ac.uk/dac33/high/6TheBelay.htm#dil

(Credit to David Coley of this parish and Andy Kirkpatrick)

I'm old fashioned and do use slings a lot for runners and main anchors. I mainly climb lower grade routes now so there are probably more spikes and threads around. Often 2+ long slings and 3+ short(60s). Mainly use single rope where they are invaluable for extending runners. Sometimes use the long slings on small spikes as they are less likely to lift off. Also use slings for main anchor as rope usually 50m and I'd rather abrade a cheap sling on a sharp spike than the rope. Usually use the rope to clip to slings and adjust length as I would for a nut etc.
 I carry them across my shoulder or occasionally dangling from my neck if I'm going to need them in a hurry (I've stopped doing the latter as much due to danger of garotting, especially with a doubled long sling). I've tried the twiddly on gear loop thing but personally find it slower if using for runners. Always over shoulder when seconding.

Over my shoulder with screwgates attached. Much less faff.

Regards

Eugene

Depending on route;

Up to 5 sling draws made with 60cm slings. Used for small threads and spikes, if I want the security of a screwgate I will just double back the wiregates that make up the slingdraw

2x 120cm slings (one flat one aramid) carried over the shoulder, joined with a snapgate. This enables both handed use and can be removed from under a pack, however if I had a slighter frame the aramid one would be a pain to have over the shoulder.

1 or 2 240cm slings with screwgates, twisted, right at the back of the harness for belays etc.

I used to have 60cm over my shoulders with screwgates and 120cm and 240cm twisted with screwgates on my harness. Changing to the above method has made my rack lighter, more versatile and less faffy.

I've never heard of that before - it looks like a great way to do things using the rope and not having the weight directly onto your harness. 

Thanks Brom, that's exactly how I'm thinking of carrying mine, except with the 120's on my harness too. 

At the end of the day there are lots of ways of doing it, but I would advocate considering this briefly before routes/pitches if you are set on 'optimum efficiency' as it were. If the route is something like a pinically ridge I would have long slings over the shoulder,probably with a screwgate if i am anticipating using it for a belay or something. If i dont expect to be slinging in a pitch i might just have one or two on the harness for the stance or maybe one over shoulder if i need a big extension such as under an overhang. All in all different ways are appropriate for different situations,pick and choose as you fit! (but around the shoulder does look the coolest)