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Racking Doubles

Leeroy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 0
1Eric Rhicard wrote: I doubt that wear is an issue by clipping another cam to the carabiner holding one cam.
You'd be wrong.
generationfourth · · Irvine, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 10

I do it. it saves a lot of space and it's great when your buddy has different cams you can hang similar sizes together. As far as dropping them I never unclip both of them at the same time even when transferring at the belay– one at a time as if it were clipped to your harness.

Kent Pease · · Littleton, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,066

Note that there is a difference between racking 2 cams per biner, and linking two cams each with its own biner. The OP picture clearly shows the latter, linked approach.

1Eric Rhicard wrote: Another reason I don't clip the same size cams together is that if you drop them you are out of that size.
Scott McMahon wrote: I tried the method of clipping offset sizes together, with the logic that if it wasn't one size it was the other. BUT I just couldn't dig on the 2 cams per biner.

With the linked doubling approach, the noted concerns are not relevant since you would remove the lower cam from your rack first and independently from the upper cam.

For the other option of racking multiple cams on a single biner; yes I do that also, especially with small cams, which is similar to racking several nuts on a single biner. Although it works well for me, it irritates my partners when we share a rack and pass it off between pitches.
Brandon Groza · · Bend, OR · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 270

Used the system on my harness for doubles yesterday. Loved it. Less clutter and it actually felt more ergonomic to unclip the first cam or sling from a biner than it was uncippling from my harness.

Also was nice to look down and more easily be able to see what sizes I still had doubles in while leading. Not that spotting two pieces racked side by side is hard, it just seemed even quicker this way.

Forthright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 110
1Eric Rhicard wrote: I doubt that wear is an issue by clipping another cam to the carabiner holding one cam.


Leeroy wrote:You'd be wrong.


Don't be so quick to strike him down. I have had keys with steel rings on the same biner for almost 6 years with not much noticeable wear, way less than some of the biners that rope have only run through for a few months.
Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804

If you put that much gear on your harness this will happen... Use a gear sling.

Too much gear on harness? Use gear sling.

Landon Miller · · Bend, OR · Joined May 2011 · Points: 0

I prefer just to run it out and place less gear.

Chris D · · the couch · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 2,230

Looking at the OPs photo, my first thought is, "how do you get anything on or off a gear loop with that much stuff on it?!"

My second thought is that'd be one tight-swami day.

Even just hanging there for a photo it looks like a cluster. Hanging on a route, trying to find the right piece and get it off of a gear loop that packed would be unmanageable. Even a sling with that much gear on it can be a pain.

If that was my rig and I took the wrong size piece off it by accident early on the pitch, I guess I'd just shrug my shoulders and drop it. How would you ever re-rack it? Ha!

+1 to using a sling. Makes things a lot more pleasant if you're swinging leads, too.

Brandon Groza · · Bend, OR · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 270

For the record I just store the gear on those slings.

DexterRutecki · · Cincinnati, Ohio · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 0
muttonface wrote:Seems like it adds an extra step to me- but for what benefit? You have to first take both cams off your gear loop, unclip one from the racking biner, put the other one BACK ON your gear loop, place the one you kept, THEN extend it and clip in. As opposed to take one off, place it, extend it, clip it. I guess I just don't see the benefit. To each his (or her) own though.
dude try to follow along here. We arent talking about "racking biners". Did you even look at the pic? Its one cam clipped to another. You remove the lower cam just as if it was attached to your gear loop. This is not a hard concept why are you so confused mutton? Do ya need a diagram to figure out such a complex idea?
mugsy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 0
Kent Pease wrote: I have a concern though that doubling up cams will accelerate wear on the sling of the upper cam.
I have the same concern. Does anyone rack like that regularly and notice extra wear on the slings?

I usually rack on my harness (even dbls) with color coded biners- c3s & metolius blue-orange on my left, camalots on my right. Trad draws, nuts, and other junk on back loops. I have a love/hate relationship with gear slings. Mostly hate.

I find that if I rack 1 set per side, I get confused at the top trying to figure out where I still have (X) piece when I need it. Doesn't help when you have a gold c3, gold metolius, and 2 gold c4s spread around all on gold biners..
Leeroy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 0
mugsy wrote: Doesn't help when you have a gold c3, gold metolius, and 2 gold c4s spread around all on gold biners..
And that's exactly why color coded racking biners are silly.

Look at the piece, not the biner.
Ryan N · · Bellingham, WA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 195

Tried the OP's way today in Joshua Tree. Didn't like it at all. Photo looks great, but in practice not so great. The problem was that it's now one extra step to place gear, and they seemed to get tangled up easily. As far as Trad draws went, I have a hard enough time keeping biners straight racking single. Racking double was a hassle. Only good thing was it freed up more space on harness, which made me think I needed more gear than normal with all that extra space. My two cents!

BurtMachlan · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 0
Ryan N wrote:The problem was that it's now one extra step to place gear, and they seemed to get tangled up easily.
What is the extra step?
Mic Fairchild · · Boulder · Joined Jan 2003 · Points: 360

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Slings and harness combo is my favorite.

Ryan N · · Bellingham, WA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 195

What??? The extra step is now you have to separate the two. Which in theory may not seem like an extra step, but the way the biner attaches it's more difficult than it sounds. Maybe I'm just a noob? I'm also used to racking soley on harness so I have specific spots that certain cams go that way when I'm in an akward stance I know where to grab. To each their own!

Elena Sera Jose · · colorado · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 350
Ryan N wrote:What??? The extra step is now you have to separate the two. Which in theory may not seem like an extra step, but the way the biner attaches it's more difficult than it sounds. Maybe I'm just a noob? I'm also used to racking soley on harness so I have specific spots that certain cams go that way when I'm in an akward stance I know where to grab. To each their own!
+1 its a personal preference but doubling seems cumbersome I prefer a sling fir small yo medium stuff slings on side loops large cams cordilette and lockers on back
Leeroy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 0
muttonface wrote:Use periods. Better yet, write your comment in your native language and let us try to translate it. It would be easier than trying to decipher your butchery of the English language.
Or better yet, Mutton should stop feeding the idiot troll and Eleanor can just STFU.
Elena Sera Jose · · colorado · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 350

Mutton no need to be bitter
OK the desert climbing is pretty much done till fall. I still stand by what I said about my racking.

Stefanie Van Wychen · · Denver, CO · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 75

I also split the rack between both sides - and sometimes carry two different brands that cover a wider array of sizes - mainly on longer climbs that I am not familiar with.
I carry about three times that on some IC climbs - doesn't bother me at all.

I tried a gear sling early on, and racking multiple cams on one biner - neither worked well for me personally. Slings are nice on offwidths but they always get in the way of seeing my feet no matter how tight I make them - and the side slings ala the Metolius backpack didn't work well either.

My harness doesn't fall off because I have hips and a booty to hold it up - I guess I could see where this would be a problem with you scrawny folks. :) And having weight around my hips transfers the weight onto my legs, which I prefer over having the weight around my shoulders and chest.

It's a "to each his own" - but it's always nice to know your options.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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