Optimum length for cam slings?

[A_Little_Off_Route]

I just acquired a couple of BD's smaller cams. Unfortunately, compared to my DMM cams, the slings are a joke. Why even bother if they're so short? Would anyone clip these directly without adding a quickdraw or shoulder-length runner?

 

I may end up adding my own slings to these puppies and I was wondering what the "perfect" length for cam slings would be. I know many use a quickdraw, but they very in length. Many use a "trad draw" or fully extended shoulder sling, but is 24" really the best length or is that just what's used because it's available?

 

Imagine you can send your whole cam rack to Yates, what length sling would you ask for?

 

Off_Route

[rob]

Why even bother if they're so short? Would anyone clip these directly without adding a quickdraw or shoulder-length runner?

 

 

Hopefully not.

[Drederek]

Different situations require different solutions - there is no perfect length.

[Buckaroo]

BD Camalots are the most popular cams on the market, you would think they might be doing something right.

 

Yes people clip the short sling directly, usually when the rope is running straight before and after the piece.

 

Try it yourself and watch and see what the cam is doing after you climb above the piece. If a placement is marginal or the cam has easy opportunity to walk you probably want more sling, but if it's bomber and/or in a pocket or feature where it can't walk then the short sling is okay.

 

Remember also a shorter sling means a shorter fall and less weight. It's also a bit of a weight compromise to always be carrying a longer sling even when you may only need the short sling. What if you are climbing straight up splitters with all bomber placements? Now you are carrying all long slings when you don't need them. So with the BD you can either take or leave the extra length. Of course then the BD compromises having to use an extra beaner with longer slingage.

 

If you think about it the DMM in the short clip configuration (doubled sling) is made to be able to use that way and it's about the same length as the BD.

 

Different length slings are for straightening the rope's run in different situations. The larger/sharper corner that the route turns the longer of a sling you need. When the route goes straight you only need a short sling. This also applies to a roof or ledge. If you have a piece in the back corner of a roof/ledge you need a long sling so the rope doesn't make sharp turns and run over the lip of the roof/ledge.

 

Also the doubled sling on the DMM may be problematic. Skinny slings lose strength when tied in a knot or twisted too much. If the doubled loop gets twisted where it runs through the eyelets is may loose strength, something you don't have to watch out for on the BD.

 

 

[Buckaroo]

Why even bother if they're so short? Would anyone clip these directly without adding a quickdraw or shoulder-length runner?

 

 

Hopefully not.

 

quite frequently

[genepires]

Why even bother if they're so short? Would anyone clip these directly without adding a quickdraw or shoulder-length runner?

 

 

Hopefully not.

 

more often do I go without adding a draw than extend with draws. PLaces like squamish are great for just clipping the cam directly. LIke Buckaroo says, if the rope will not alter the cam placement or cause rope drag, why bother extending it?

[Riley81]

For aid climbing they are a perfect length and you don't usually have to add any runners. Many people will even hook a biner straight to a nut placement without a sling just to save weight on gear.

Different styles of clibing call for different gear.

 

Alternativley one benefit for adding a longer sling is to control the direction of force on a piece. If you have a placement that will pull out horizontally but hold vertically, such as some shallow nut placements, it may help to add a sling so that when the impact force of the fall hits the piece the sling is oriented with a downward pull rather then an outward pull.

[whirlwind]

a decent alternative, is to clip a runner directly to the cam on ur rack, at-least on the cams you know you use on the climb(for instance a hand crack u probably would do up ur 1's and 2's). i use to use 24's dubbled up, then they are also easy to lengthen, when needed. (side note its worth practicing) lengthening and shortening till you can do it with one hand with out tangling up.