new to anchors, i want to use a quad. what material?

ok, i know this topic has been done to death but i just need simple answers. 

i’m relatively new to outdoor climbing & am wanting to build a quad anchor of my own pretty much just to set up top rope with, and a quad anchor because it’s what i’ve used so far climbing with others so i just understand how to make it the most.

my question is should i get cordelette or a dyneema sling? 

i’ve heard cordelette is more versatile & cheaper, but is it stronger as a quad anchor? does it last longer? 6mm or 7mm? 8mm????

for a sling, i’ve heard that for a quad you need 240cm of it. but then ive read some people saying that’s way too long & they use a 180cm fine to build a quad anchor. are they both equally as strong?

again, i’ll pretty much only be using it to set up top rope on single pitch for the buds. i want something simple, and really strong. also if one is easier to clean when finished would be a plus  

thanks guys :)

Everything you want to know:

https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/the-quad-anchor?format=amp

But my advice would be skip the quad and just use a couple draws for anchors. And if you really want to feel good about them, buy or make a couple locker draws for your unattended anchors

Tldr: 7+ mm cord and a 240mm will work great and you won't have to worry at all. 

Versatility: cord is more versatile, but a bit more bulky. You also have to tie the ends together, making it a bit more effort and complicated. Dyneema slings are sewn together, meaning it's just one less thing to think about.

Strength: in a quad, all these materials would probably be fine, but 7+ mm cord or dyneema is the way to go. Read the wording on the sterling ropes website regarding 6mm cord (link below). A longer cord keeps the angle smaller, thus keeping forces slightly lower, however this is so small in a top rope setting its not a practical difference. (https://sterlingrope.com/6-mm-accessory-cord/)

Please note that most anchor failure is not in the material or how they are tied together, it's the pieces (bolts, pitons, cams, nuts, etc) failing. For sport climbing make sure the bolts are good.

Durability: can't answer this one too well, but they will last long enough that you will spend way way more on gas and shoes before either wears out.

Length: I would go with 240cm sling or cord. Better to have an anchor that's a little big than not have enough material.

Cleaning: no difference. 

When I made this same exact decision, I went with a 240cm dyneema sling. I bought 2 d shaped lockers for the bolts and 2 hms lockers for the rope side. This setup worked well for single pitch sport routes. I kept it all together on my harness and it was simple, strong, efficient.

Here’s my setup that I’ve used for a long time and really enjoy. I find it much more versatile than two draws and less bulky than a chord setup. I like the 240 over the 180 when top roping for the same reason I prefer it over the locking draws. While the more compact setups work 95% of the time, there are times the extra length helps a ton, especially when the anchor is close to an edge. (Note- I also use the 2 locker draw setup and the 180 setup, but I think the 240 is the most versatile if you are only going to buy one thing.)

• Edelird 16mm 240cm sling (really any fat 240cm sling, or 2x 120cm slings could work too.)
• 2x Edelrid Bulletproof HMS lockers (top roping on steel carabiners will save your rope from aluminum oxidation. Really any steel lockers will do just fine here.)
• 2x Edelrid Pure Screw lockers (to clip to the bolts, but really any will do)

One other thing to consider is that if you knot a dyneema sling as for a quad, then load it repeatedly, you will likely have difficulty untying the knots.  The will eventually become “welded” and un-untieable* 

Now, you could just leave it that way, but then you can’t rotate it to distribute wear. And it will eventually only be usable as a quad.  Not a deal breaker, just something to consider.

My suggestion would be start with a cordelette because it is cheap, durable, and versatile.  If you move into multi pitch and alpine you may want to swap it for a 240 which is more compact.

As noted above, two draws for sport anchor is fine, relatively cheap, durable, and simple.

*Edited per Ryan's point below.

Two locking draws is what you seek. Dead simple, impossible to get wrong. Get edelrid bulletproofs on one end and it will last forever. 

Jack H wrote:

Tldr: 7+ mm cord and a 240mm will work great and you won't have to worry at all. 

Versatility: cord is more versatile, but a bit more bulky. You also have to tie the ends together, making it a bit more effort and complicated. Dyneema slings are sewn together, meaning it's just one less thing to think about.

Strength: in a quad, all these materials would probably be fine, but 7+ mm cord or dyneema is the way to go. Read the wording on the sterling ropes website regarding 6mm cord (link below). A longer cord keeps the angle smaller, thus keeping forces slightly lower, however this is so small in a top rope setting its not a practical difference. (https://sterlingrope.com/6-mm-accessory-cord/)

Please note that most anchor failure is not in the material or how they are tied together, it's the pieces (bolts, pitons, cams, nuts, etc) failing. For sport climbing make sure the bolts are good.

Durability: can't answer this one too well, but they will last long enough that you will spend way way more on gas and shoes before either wears out.

Length: I would go with 240cm sling or cord. Better to have an anchor that's a little big than not have enough material.

Cleaning: no difference. 

When I made this same exact decision, I went with a 240cm dyneema sling. I bought 2 d shaped lockers for the bolts and 2 hms lockers for the rope side. This setup worked well for single pitch sport routes. I kept it all together on my harness and it was simple, strong, efficient.

thank you this is everything i was looking for!

Marco Velo wrote:

... you will likely have difficulty untying the knots.  The will eventually become “welded” and *untieable*

I never noticed this before, but I think the word we'd want there is "UN-untiable", which doesn't seem to be in the dictionary.

I can't actually find a word that means "unable to be untied"... somebody ought to invent a new one, I guess.

Hi Ryan,

Yup, good catch.

This is what I think of, when I see posts like these:

“Hey guys, I’m looking for advice on snowshoes. I’ll be only using them to walk to and from the car parking lot to my workplace in the city. What length/brand of snowshoes would you recommend? Asking about snowshoes because they are the only things I know, not interested in anything else.”

Other people have already suggested sneakers as an alternative, and I don’t have much to add. I just hope you’ll diversify into footwear, other than snowshoes  

Just to add another side here, one of my regular climbs has a pretty wide anchor so I picked up a 480CM sling for it.  After a while of bringing both lengths I just ditched the 240CM one and make an "octo anchor" out of the 480. You can absolutely still use it without doubling it over once more, but I find that sets the master point to low for my liking.

Now I only have to replace one sling every few seasons, and the added length means I get more flexibility for that one anchor as well as a few others.

"new to anchors, i want to use a quad." - Ok, but why?

If you climb regularly in a few months you'll be using 2 quickdraws man. The only people I ever see having problems at my local crags are new climbers that insist on using quads on sport routes and then having a really awkward bad time because the anchors are way too long and they have to do some jostling and shifting to make things work. Don't get me wrong cord/web anchors have their place for anchors that are really widely placed and/or run the rope over the edge but 95% of sport routes are set up for a convenient 2QD TR anchor. If you've been sport climbing outside before then you know that almost everyone that knows what they're doing does it this way. 

Taking the OP at face value that he just wants a simple TR anchor for single pitch routes with a bolted anchor, get the 7mm cord. It's cheaper, and it'll last a lot longer than a skinny dyneema sling. 

Ditch the quad and use 2 alpine draws with lockers. TR just doesn't impart enough force for the need to distribute evenly between 2 bolts. You can also use the draws in triple, double or full length. Giving you greater versatility.

An important note. If you're setting up an TR anchor to be gangbanged by newbs, always use lockers. I've seen ropes get twisted around so much they managed to unclip a biner. Especially if the anchor is out of sight. 

rocknice2 wrote:

An important note. If you're setting up an TR anchor to be gangbanged by newbs, always use lockers. I've seen ropes get twisted around so much they managed to unclip a biner. Especially if the anchor is out of sight. 

That's the main thing I'd want to share too. Two draws works great when you and a buddy are double tapping a route and moving on. Since OP is setting up an anchor for himself and "for the buds", I'd err on the side of caution and use lockers as it's essentially an unattended anchor .

I'd also throw out there, something with a sheath, whether cord or sling, it offers more uv protection for a dedicated anchor setup. 

I’ve switched to 1 locker and 1 regular draw for almost all sport/TR anchors and have never looked back. If I’m setting up a top rope for the fam/buds to harass the rock for 3 hours, I might think about using a quad or 2 lockers, but then I go with the simple anchor and use my typical setup of 1locker and 1 regular draw anyway. It’s so simple and impossible to mess up. It’s cheap, and very clear and obviously safe. Someone who has never climbed and can’t even pronounce carabiner can look at it and say “yep that looks safe to me”

Samuel Ridgley wrote:

I’ve switched to 1 locker and 1 regular draw for almost all sport/TR anchors and have never looked back. 

This- plus if you pull the rope and then lead the pitch- the leader can quickly drop the rope in the Non-Locker, before fiddling with getting the rope through the locker.. 

Samuel Ridgley wrote:

1 locker and 1 regular draw 

Yup this is also my setup.

Edelrid carabiners with the steel inserts on the rope side to reduce wear on the carabiner and oxide buildup on the rope.

Dyons on the hanger side since they have a narrow nose and are easy to clip to the chain link if that's what you want to do.