Gear sling: right or left shoulder
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For those of you who wear gear slings, do you wear it over right or left shoulder? (I understand many if not most climbers don't use gear slings these days--no reason to point that out unless you're really bored.) |
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Depends on the route. I carry mine on whatever side will be more accessible and even then often have to switch. |
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Usually on left shoulder, unless route dictates otherwise. |
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Right handed and right shoulder here ... unless route dictates other side. By the way, my shoulder sling is super simple as in no loops or anything to segregate gear. Otherwise, it’d probably be hard to reach with right hand to gear under my left armpit. |
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Historically when pitons were used right handed climbers wore the sling over their right shoulder with pins on the left so that their hammer was easily available on the right. |
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Thanks all for your responses. Not a huge amount of data, but I'm thinking it's common to wear it over either shoulder regardless of handedness, and all us sling users see an advantage in being able to use it over either shoulder when the route dictates it. |
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I think it's safer to re-rack on a route with a gear sling because you don't have to hand over every piece of gear when swinging leads, just what was used on the previous pitch. |
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Left shoulder so that it hangs on my right side. I still wear most of my "shoulder-length" slings on top of the gear sling and over my right shoulder; a few go on the harness (left side). |
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Bill Lawry wrote: actually, the separated gear loops are really handy for this purpose. when you pull the sling around the gear doesn't just slide along the sling like it does with an open sling, it pulls over with the gear loops. in particular, on overhanging climbs and roofs you can easily pull the gear around in front of you. i have really bad shoulder flexability and this has been super helpful. my wife racks on her harness and is always doing the behind-the-back-reach-around to get gear. it makes my shoulder hurt just watching it. |
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slim wrote: Trying the loop kind once, I do recall a partner saying I probably just needed to pull the whole sling around when needed. So maybe my loop issue just chalks up to old habits. Well, that and me not climbing many overhanging routes these days. :) |