How often do you use a 120 or 240 cm sling?

I've always used a cordlette or 60cm slings for anchor building. Recently, I've been trying to speed up anchor building and considered using a 120 or 240. Also, I've read several routes that advocate using long slings to extend protection. How often do you find them useful? How often do you use them to extend pieces vs build anchors?

Edit: I don't know if it changes much, but I pretty much never swing leads as my climbing partner is my DW and she doesn't like to lead

On every multi pitch. I use a 240 to build quads (using them tripled up), or to make normal anchors. The only time I've used a 240 on protection is if I've run out of alpines and absolutely need to extend a certain piece, but that's rare. I always use a 120cm for extending my rappel, or for an anchor where I forgot to grab the 240 from the partner. I've extended pieces with the 120 a few times, esp on alpine routes where the protection isn't in a nice line. I always climb multi pitch with a 120cm sling on my harness, and the only time I've carried cord is on routes where I think I might need to replace a tat rappel anchor, but that's rare for the type of climbing I personally do. I don't see a 240 as being necessarily faster than a cord unless you carry pre-tied quads for bolted anchors. Other than that, it's just less bulky. There's probably some other pros/cons that I'm missing. 

I guess I use a 120 (aka double length) sling every 4th pitch or so. Usually to connect anchor pieces or wrap a tree. I almost never want an extension that long in the middle of a pitch. I kinda despise the 240s, and I don’t see how they would be faster than a cordellette

I don't leave the ground without 2 120cm slings over my shoulder. I use them to: sling trees for anchors or mid-pitch pro; thread behind blocks or around ice pillars; to extend gear places well off to the side , under an overhang,, or at the back of a ledge; to tie a pair of placements together (typically to prevent rope movement from dislodging one/either); doubled, when I run out of 60 cm slings on a long/gear-intensive pitch; as a footloop for improvised rope ascension; to extend my device for rappel.  

And probably more that I can't think of right now.

I own a 240cm but seldom bring it. It is a nice lightweight cordelette if I think I need two.

I use 120's for sliding x anchors on sport climbs/TR'ing mostly, or to extend a placement on a big traverse. I'll usually carry one on a multi-pitch climb slung over my shoulder with a biner attaching the two ends. Just recently started using a 240 in place of cordalette for anchors, or making a quad with people that "dont trust" the 120 sling used for toproping. The 240 sling is much lighter than my cordalette.

Literally never.

Maybe a half dozen times in the last 25 years, I’ve thought “a really long sling would be great here” and I always found some other way to get it all to work.

I think if you’re frequently setting up top ropes from above, like Ouray, they have a place. For me though, after so many days in my pack without getting used, they eventually got left behind.

FWIW, I used several in my back yard while trimming a tree.

I’ll bring a 120 if i know the route wanders. I use a 240 in quad config if I know I’ll be building a gear anchor and swinging leads is unknown

John Clark wrote:

I’ll bring a 120 if i know the route wanders. I use a 240 in quad config if I know I’ll be building a gear anchor and swinging leads is unknown

How/why are you using a quad with a gear anchor?

Brooks K wrote:

How/why are you using a quad with a gear anchor?

Because most gear anchors i make have 3 bomber pieces and usually I can finagle it so piece 1 clips to piece 2 with little to no slack, then clip quad side 1 to the lower piece and quad side 2 to piece 3. If that isn’t possible, enter an additional sling to equalize 1 & 2 better.

I also am usually leading the majority of pitches on a multi and the quad is easier than faffing about with trading off rope anchor stuff. And cordalette’s need tying and untying and are overkill 99% of the time. Why spend more time and effort than needed

This is only for gear anchor routes though. If it is bolted: locker to bolt on side of belay I want to leave from, clove, off belay, connect bolts with an alpine, pull up rope, slap follower on a grigri, clip to other bolt, belay.

The couple 120 cm slings I have rarely leave my house. I will put them in the car for alpine trips and ice/mixed to sling horns and threads that are too big for a single length sling. They often will stay in the car, or go unused if carried. But, of all the extra stuff you could drag along, a double length sling and wiregate sure can do a lot of things.

For normal rock climbing, never.

It completely depends on what is being climbed, of course. You have to answer the when and how for yourself.

I'm with gunkiemike. I use a double everytime I go out. Sometimes I need to extend a piece, but often I just need to sling a tree and a single is too small. I don't want to eat up multiple singles hitching them together. Roughly half my anchors are made from a double whether gear or bolts. Though on bolts almost any sling you have is gonna be fine. Maybe bc im always faffing around and getting myself stuck but I've used the double as a foot sling many times. And it's generally my rap extension unless it's being used elsewhere in the system. For sure you don't need them, but they make everything much easier when it's the most efficient tool in the moment. On the occasions where weight really matters I have a couple of the super skinny dyneema ones.

For my cordelette I use tech cord with the ends tied into fig 8s. can reach wider spaced gear than a 240 w the same length material. If you have closer gear then put both 8s in the same piece to make a loop. Also good to have for my self rescue tool kit. It counts as bail material too. I think it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, but you can get away without any cord without too much shenanigans. You just have to know what tools you have in your toolkit. 

I go out with a 120cm and a 180cm (Mammut) usually. I find the triple length is perfect for anchors. Longer piece of cordalette for more spread out anchors. 

Branon Rochelle wrote:

I've always used a cordlette or 60cm slings for anchor building. Recently, I've been trying to speed up anchor building and considered using a 120 or 240. Also, I've read several routes that advocate using long slings to extend protection. How often do you find them useful? How often do you use them to extend pieces vs build anchors?

Edit: I don't know if it changes much, but I pretty much never swing leads as my climbing partner is my DW and she doesn't like to lead

I like using a 180 or 240 to make a belay with. I find it to be really fast and easy if you make a girth hitch belay, and use a rigging ring as your master point. I rack it over my shoulder, with the rigging ring clipped to it.

Ezra Henderson wrote:

I like using a 180 or 240 to make a belay with. I find it to be really fast and easy if you make a girth hitch belay, and use a rigging ring as your master point. I rack it over my shoulder, with the rigging ring clipped to it.

Sweet idea. Might have to steal this if the opportunity presents itself

I usually carry three 120s and often use two of them. I sling trees or other features often enough, but I also really like them for anchors.

240’s are by far the most flexible/useful for anchors. I’ve also used 120’s and 240’s to connect gear nests when needed. 

Andy Eiter wrote:

I usually carry three 120s and often use two of them. I sling trees or other features often enough, but I also really like them for anchors.

Andy, just checking what I think I see of that first anchor: .5 C4 cloved to Blk tricam (placed shallow?) in the same horizontal under a block; .75 C4 clipped to Red tricam in the same vertical crack? I've clipped two pieces like that but usually because I felt one was marginal and I'm using the other as insurance. Would you mind sharing more about your thoughts/intents on this setup? I like the cloves for shortening the sling without the length to bring it into the MK.

Ok, so how many of you that are using the 120 &/or 240 for anchors still bring/use cordlette? Have you ever/often wished you'd brought it if not?

Branon Rochelle wrote:

Andy, just checking what I think I see of that first anchor: .5 C4 cloved to Blk tricam (placed shallow?) in the same horizontal under a block; .75 C4 clipped to Red tricam in the same vertical crack? I've clipped two pieces like that but usually because I felt one was marginal and I'm using the other as insurance. Would you mind sharing more about your thoughts/intents on this setup? I like the cloves for shortening the sling without the length to bring it into the MK.

Hey! Sure!

So the #.5 is actually in a short vertical crack between a block on the left and the block under which the black tricam is placed horizontally. Then, yes, the #.75 and the red tricam are in the same vertical crack and both connected to the 120sling by the same carabiner. The clove hitch on each of the higher pieces saves a ton of sling length.

I lead rope soloed the route and was going to rap down to clean and then top rope solo back up. Each of the pieces felt solid, but it was easy enough to add a little more redundancy.

I also use tricams whenever I can because I think they’re neat.

Branon Rochelle wrote:

Ok, so how many of you that are using the 120 &/or 240 for anchors still bring/use cordlette? Have you ever/often wished you'd brought it if not?

Retired my cord  years ago. Used to think you couldn’t live without it and now can’t imagine why I’d need one where I climb.