Mountain Project Logo

.

Original Post
Mike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 30

 .

Jfaub · · Ottawa, On · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 795

Its all a matter of personal preference. I've always used the "gate in" method for everything (sport draws, cams, whatever) but I have friends that swear by the "gate out" way. Just figure out what you're most comfortable with or which method you think is faster / more efficient.

Ryan Nevius · · Perchtoldsdorf, AT · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 1,832

100% personal preference.

I find that racking gate out allows my entire hand to grab the carabiner, with the spine against my palm/fingers and the gate along (i.e. parallel to) the length of my thumb. Racking gate in, my thumb is more perpendicular to the direction of the gate, and only my fingers are able to rest against the spine. I'm a gate out person.

Other people have great reasons for racking gate in. Again, personal preference.

Sowega · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 30

Mine are racked gate out, because that's the way my mentor did it.

Go with what feels right, you can't go wrong either way. Just be sure to do it the same way every time, for everything on your harness.

Mike Nevko · · Currently Charlotte · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 1,626

I was a gate-in type of guy. However the more I do trad, I find myself using gate out. It's all personal preference.

Scot Hastings · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 35

Also, I'm guessing this is the first of many such questions you'll run across as you get more and more into climbing (especially if you jump into trad and alpine). What you'll come to realize is that there is often not a single right answer. There are most definitely wrong answers, especially when it comes to safety, and it's important to be able to recognize those. That said, you often have a surprising amount of flexibility within your chosen margin of safety.

The best advice I can give is that with all of these decisions is to make them *consciously* (e.g. today, I'm going to rack my draws gate-in), don't be afraid to *experiment*, and then frequently *evaluate* your decisions. Go through what worked, what didn't, and then make adjustments. Don't just blindly do something because your friend does it that way or someone on MP swears by it. Keep an open and critical mind and I bet you'll be surprised at how much creativity plays a role in climbing.

Ryan Nevius · · Perchtoldsdorf, AT · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 1,832
wfscot wrote:Keep an open and critical mind and I bet you'll be surprised at how much creativity plays a role in climbing.
Amen. The ability to improvise, think creatively, and use common sense are really great qualities to have as a climber.
Don Ferris III · · Boulder, CO · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 186

To me, clipping and un-clipping is just as easy either way whether it be gate in or out. I choose gate out because the biners sit more flush and organized with my harness.

Marc H · · Longmont, CO · Joined May 2007 · Points: 265

I prefer gate out myself for both sport and trad.

Unfortunately, some people just do it wrong. Like this chump:

Rob Dillon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 759

Not only does that chump have the gates on his draws facing the wrong way, but they're opposite from the rope biners! I would never climb with this loser, much less let him lead me up something.

Eric Chabot · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 45

I go gate in. My climbing partner (he goes gate out) and I were talking about this once, and we decided it didn't matter. Then on the next pitch he accidentally clipped the rope through a cam racking biner that was on his gear loop, creating a momentary clusterf**k.

Wiled Horse · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2002 · Points: 3,669

rack out with your rack out

Kirk Miller · · Catalina, AZ and Ilwaco, WA · Joined May 2003 · Points: 1,824

Go with your belly button.

Tombo · · Boulder · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 410

Gate out. Climbed with gate in for 25 years then one weekend I had two draws come unclipped from my harness by brushing against rock in a chimney. Been gates out since and no more drops.

Craig Childre · · Lubbock, TX · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 4,860

I rack gates out. When racking up, I can visually inspect each gate to ensure a proper gate closure. Racking gates in, you can not see the gates clearly, and the potential to snag clothing and keep gates open is there, very minimal, but there. Winter climbing can introduce more complication with the additional layers available to snagging, puffy jackets that make visual inspection difficult going gates out, and impossible gates in.

This isn't a big safety concern, more an issue of style, and dropped gear is likely to be the only casualty. Hope this helps.

matt c. · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 155
Kirk Miller wrote:Go with your belly button.
haha +1

I go out. I like to be able to see all the carabiners are closed. I used to go in but once my nut biner did not get clipped in all the way and the nut slid off and was dropped.
Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

Gate out...like everyone said whatever makes you more comfortable when you are unclipping. I find for me, it's just more fluid with gates out.

Chad Wagner · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 75

Racking gate out makes all your gear sit funky on your harness. It bulges the racking Biner outward at the bottom, which can get caught on protrusions(not that all that rack doesn't get caught anyway). Grabbing gear when racking gate in is a lil easier, but with time grabbing gate out comes easy. I can't stand the nose of the Biner racked to big cams digging in my hip. Personal preference for sure.

David Gibbs · · Ottawa, ON · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 2

I generally rack gate-in. I find it easier to unclip stuff gate-in, and that's mostly what I'm worried about.

But, I find it easier to securely clip something back to my harness with gate-out, so sometimes if I'm cleaning, or especially if I'm re-clipping something to my harness while leading I may clip it gate-out. Then, next chance I get (belay if multi-pitch, or between climbs) I'll reset everything to gate-in.

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492

Sometimes I get all cynical and start thinking sport climbers don't have much to think about and so they obsess over pointless minutiae. Like webbing/buckle or tied cord for the chalk bag belt. Then I snap out of it and feel guilty for disparaging my climbing brethren like that.

But then along comes a thread like this.

Jim Amidon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2001 · Points: 850

Gate out for me......

I've had and have seen too many times with gate in that the biner opens and falls off your harness or rack....

Bub bye gear

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Sport Climbing
Post a Reply to "."

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.