mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 25, 2009 - 08:29am PT
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Though I've been climbing for a long time, I continue to experiment with different ways of racking up for trad. It used to be so easy: one good shoe (E.B.s), one good harness (swami), and a collection of hexes and stoppers hanging from one sling.
Now the options can be a little more dizzying, since racking for vertical to overhanging might call for a different way of accessing gear than would a more slabby route, and the vast array of gear (from various stoppers to various cams, to draws, to slings, etc.) require a lot more intentionality.
I'm curious what your preferred method for racking up for trad is, and what makes it work for you. Pictures encouraged! Thanks.
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Forest
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:33am PT
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My default is a motolius gear sling (with the D attachment for the other side.)
Cams split among the main four loops, small in front, big in back, one biner per cam. Nuts on the left side single loop.
Slings and draws on my harness.
Also, 3 cam and larger goes on the rear loops of my harness.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Upper Fupa, North Dakota
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:33am PT
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Gear sling always. Small to large. Easy as pie.
Just like these two clowns: (you asked for pics right???)
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FeelioBabar
climber
Sneaking up behind you...
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:37am PT
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the exact same way...every time, for 20 years...soze ya always knows where yer shit's at!
Back to front, small to large..(cams right side, passive left)...now get in there Marine!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:40am PT
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I tend to go with nuts, biners on the gear sling and put all my cams on my harness loops (small in front, large in back).
Like this...
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2009 - 08:41am PT
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"now get in there, Marine!"
HA!!
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khanom
climber
Far Out
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:42am PT
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On my harness, small at front, really large and hexes on the back loops. I used to double up cams on a single biner, but now I only do that to save weight on alpine routes.
If I were smart I'd be consistent about what cams go where, but I climb with other people's racks at least 50% of the time, so...
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Dingus Milktoast
climber
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:49am PT
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My preferred racking method is similar to Russ's - hand the rack to Scuffy B!
Now get in there Marine!
DMT
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MisterE
Trad climber
One Place or Another
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:50am PT
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Wires and tri-cams on the front of the harness, the rest of the stuff small to large on the gear sling.
Why? Taking the wires off the gear sling reduces weight, and I use wires a lot so I don't have to fiddle with the sling for wire placements.
Great thread!
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:54am PT
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Depends on how much I am carrying and how hard the route is. I mostly try to keep everything on my harness and save the gear sling thing for when I need 2+ each of larger cams. Gear slings get in the way, and on steep routes, they pull all your gear behind you and out of reach. The harness only holds so much gear, though. Since a place like IC and other steep and straight cracks (Nabisco Wall, some stuff in J-Tree) require few if any runners and a lot of a few sizes, it's usually all on the harness there. What to put on harness vs gear slings varies with the weather - sometimes just runners on the gear sling, sometimes just the largest cams - mostly depends on the rack.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:01am PT
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I used to really like my racking scheme:
Wireds, blue-yellow aliens (one set per biner), and a half dozen draws on the front gear loops. Shoulder length over the shoulder with one biner each (they hang better, and for all the cam placements you aren't hauling up extra biners). Cams on the rear loops (one of each size per side), plus a handful of loose biners for putting runners on nuts and alien placements etc.
Partners would keep reverting to their preferred scheme (wasting lots of time reworking how every stupid piece was rigged before setting off ont eh next pitch, ugh...), and more recent harnesses have suckier gear loops than my old favorite, so I just do whatever my partner insists on. Whatever...
Personal pet peave is partners who run with too few biners and don't warn you, forcing you to consolidate cams to get a free biner while cruxing. Almost as bad as those kitchen sink climbers.
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Cosmiccragsman
Trad climber
Apple Valley, California
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:24am PT
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"Just like these two clowns: (you asked for pics right???)"
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rockermike
Mountain climber
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:26am PT
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gear on shoulder sling on right; small nuts in front (gate down and out) larger cams toward back. quick draws and free biners on harness on left. On easier terrain I rack two same size cams on one biner (have time to fiddle). If I think I'll want to grab something quickly I put each cam on its own biner but I double rack them. eg. first yellow cam goes on shoulder sling; second yellow cam has own biner but clips into first cam's biner, not into sling. This reduces horizontal expansion of rack. And I usually carry the kitchen sink clipped behind my harness just in case
I tried that looped metolius shoulder sling. Didn't like it. Couldn't shove gear back out of the way when looking for feet or whatever.
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Pennsylenvy
Big Wall climber
Fry Canyon, UT
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:35am PT
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Nice work Cosmic! That's certainly how I remember those two. This seems to be a thread I should keep an eye on......because the last climb I did in Sedona I should have floated up with ease. But the crux of about half a pitch was trying to get gear off my rack. It was a chimney pitch and all my gear seemed to always be arouond my back where I couldn't get to it. Who needs pro in a chimney right?
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:43am PT
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Being from the very old school, I still prefer gear on a sling, although I've found that the Metolius looped sling is a better mousetrap. I can't seem to get used to the "load in the pants" feeling of having a lot of gear on my harness, and don't like the fact that it all hangs lower and can't really be moved out of the way of hip and butt scums.
I only rack on the two middle loops of the Metolius sling though. The back loop is too awkward for me to reach and I like to leave the front loop initially empty and put needed gear and/or panicky returns there.
I'm still wearing the gear sling on my left side, a holdover from the days when the hammer was worn on the right and one didn't want the hammer sling tangling with the gear sling and the gear on it.
For face climbing, I'll put cams bigger than yellow camalot size either on the left front harness loop or, more usually, on the left back harness loop. But larger cams can mean offwidth climbing, in which case everything goes on a gear sling.
If overhangs are in the offing, I might transfer some of the anticipated gear to the front left harness loop. One of the advantages of the Metolius sling is that gear doesn't end up hanging so far behind you on overhangs, so transferring is usually not necessary.
I typically have ten tripled draws on the right front harness loop, and various assorted slings and additional free biners over the right shoulder.
As for the cams per biner issue, I've settled on a compromise position. I typically have one cam per biner for green camalot size up, but two or three per biner in the smaller sizes. I'm just not good enough at selecting the right small size cam for the kinds of irregular placements I usually encounter, and find that having a few options right there, rather than having to rerack and reselect is helpful.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:58am PT
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There is no ONE way.
The rack should match the pitch!
Ideally one could have the pieces needed racked in sequential order so that they would come to hand so naturally that the leader wouldn't have to look.
This is not usually practical, but why carry a bunch of garbage you're not going to need?
(at least this is what I keep asking my "cam caddy", who climbs right behind me and hands me the pieces I need)
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scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
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Feb 25, 2009 - 01:52pm PT
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Well, I watched a guy leading a pitch once with his cams on the
harness. Crack in a corner with a tiny roof to pass.
It sure looked like he'd have his right side free, but, wouldn't
you know it, he gets to one spot where he has to have his right
side pasted to the rock, and really wants to place that one yellow cam, which is being pressed into his hip, and he needs
to use his left hand to get to it...
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Feb 25, 2009 - 02:06pm PT
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Gear sling only !
What is there another way?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 25, 2009 - 02:33pm PT
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Russ' WideFetish rack: Wide...to wider.
There is no one way - depends on the climb. I much prefer using a sling for most gear. Easier to swap back and forth. Maybe loose carabiners and quickdraws on the harness.
I'm mostly right handed, but have always racked most or all of the gear on my left side. Plus I usually clip the carabiners on the sling (whatever may be hanging on them) facing in, gate opening up. It used to be pretty common to do so.
One trick with wired nuts is to not put all of a given size range on a single carabiner. Less likelihood of dropping all at once - unless, of course, you drop the gear sling. Anyone ever done that?
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