Best Rope Bag

I looked at my rope bag today....it is not looking so young and lusty anymore. Several holes, a broken draw string, etc....it is a BD superslacker from many years past, still troopin', but I need a new one to keep my silky lines running smooth. So...who gets your vote for BEST rope bag? I usually take a 70m to the crag, so a large tarp size is helpful. THX.

Can't say it is the best as I've only owned 2 rope bags, but the black diamond super chute is pretty awesome. Its got a lot of storage capacity. Tarp size seems about average, but I can fit a 70m, my harness, and 15 quickdraws in the bag pretty easily. Weight becomes an issue well before volume limits of the bag.

The answer depends on how you'll use it.

Nowadays, the options vary from a simple tarp with a couple of loops that weighs/costs less than half what a traditional rope bag does, such as:

youtube.com/watch?v=jMwj6IP…

This is useful if you mostly stuff your rope inside your 40L pack along with your trad rack, a liter of water, etc..

The other end of the spectrum comprises of bulkier options with stand-alone backpack straps such as the Petzl mentioned:

youtube.com/watch?v=BEmg4pT…

which might be nice for the gym if you're just stuffing your shoes/harness on top, or even for roadside sport cragging with a few quickdraws. I definitely wouldn't want to carry a rack for any real distance using those little backpack straps without any suspension.

Then in between there's traditional shoulder bags like the BD Superchute. Simple, nicely padded strap, can't really go wrong.

I do like what the Bolsa does with the bag in the middle of the tarp so you can shake it back in. Edelrid makes a Caddy bag with a similar system.

Abc canyon sack is great and cheap. Can't beat the CAMP roxback for all day cragging though. It can fit my trad rack, 15 draws, two harnesses and a 60m w/ canyon sack.

Just say no to the rope bag!

A rope bag forces your rope into a big bulky mass that is (most likely) not going to most efficiently fit in your backpack. Besides that, rope bags weigh too much and cost $$.

My solution is to flake the rope directly into the bottom of my pack when carrying it on approach. I then remove it from my bag when i get to the climb and I am ready to go. Do I just put my beautiful bi-color nylon masterpiece on the ground? Fuck No! I purchased a large tent footprint on REI outlet for less than $5. It is huge, weighs almost nothing and I have had the same fly for the last two years.

YMMV, but I think that this simple solution works much better than a rope bag. If you have to have one, I recommend Metolius. I used one for years and it is built like a tank.

Yep that's a valid option. If you're going cheap/light/DIY you could consider something like Tyvek, backpackers have been making tent footprints out of it for years.

amazon.com/Tyvek-1443R-Kite…

The Ikea bag really is pretty useful. I brought mine climbing yesterday and it was just a cinch throwing the rope in the pack after hiking back to it. Other than that I like the Black Diamond Super Slacker rope bag. I have the Metolius and it's just too difficult to stuff the rope back in there. But you do get a super small package with the Metolius for your trouble.

I have both the BD superchute and the trango antidote rope bag - the trango is pretty tricked out - I like it a bit better than the BD and it's burlier and more comfortable to carry.