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Pros and Cons of gear slings

Hmann2 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 30

Personally I like to rack on my harness. It keeps your center of gravity lower, and I think its easier to find the piece I want. With a sling I find it gets caught on all sorts of things and I cant see my feet when Im using one.

EvanH · · Boone, NC · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 10

Harness racking:

Never directly caused a death.

Gear sling:

Several deaths directly attributable to their use.

I really don't need any other reason to rack on my harness.

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
EvanH wrote:Gear sling: Several deaths directly attributable to their use.
Actually, shockingly, true. There are two that I know of in the last ~10 years, one in Eldo and another on Charlotte Dome. Some frightening freak accidents have happened.
Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180

Hung to death by the sling.

Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180

The answer is still hanging death. Seems over blown but still...

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349
"Hard to believe. Names, dates, references?"

I too am CURIOUS as hell about that one. Don't recall ever hearing about a climber getting hung by a gear sling (Not saying it didn't happen).
slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

about 10 years ago ( i think his name was angus) fell on a route on redgarden wall at eldo. maybe anthill direct? anyway, a hex got caught up in a crack and he unfortunately got hung up in the gear sling and passed away. it was an unfortunate freak occurence.

people have dropped the rack on a sling. people have dumped a bunch of gear when their harness gear loops broke. etc etc etc.

some say you can't climb a roof with a gear sling, the segmented metolius gear sling actually works great for roofs.

when i started climbing with a gear sling i hated it, but now i prefer it over racking on my harness. my shoulders are in pretty bad shape, so reaching behind me to get gear doesn't feel so great. i also like being able to hand over (or receive) the rack in one motion on longer routes. my wife hates racking on a sling, says she isn't strong enough to carry the weight on her shoulders.

to each their own i guess.

Tipton · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 20

I remember this one from 2009 but not any others: Summit Post Accident Report

Strange set of circumstances, but certainly possible.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
summitpost.org/account-of-o…

Here is a firsthand account of a death believed to be caused by a gearsling.

But seriously, if this is what you're worried about, I suggest you take up a different sport. This 1 in a billion type accident is simply not a good reason to not use a sling.
Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665

I have personally had to get a partner off a route where he took a fall and got an over-the-shoulder sling caught on a tree and was being strangled. Yes, left there, he would have died. As it was, we got him to a hospital for some stitches and treatment of a concussion. It was ~1992 and on the climb Horny Bitch in the Red River Gorge.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Someone should invent some sort of QUICK RELEASE that WON'T release too quickly unless called for...

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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