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Post by Chris W on Aug 15, 2014 20:54:51 GMT -7
Is it worth it to break the bank to buy super light climbing gear? Light skinny ropes, light draws for onsights, light harnesses and light clothing? I'm doing all this training to get stronger and eating well to shave down weight, so I've contemplated making my climbing gear go on a diet too. If only I were a millionaire...... |
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 17, 2014 10:22:16 GMT -7
Since you posted this in the Sport Climbing forum, I would say no, it's not worth breaking the bank. Most of the time when you're attempting something at your limit all of the gear will be fixed and you'll only be carrying part of a rope and harness. Over time you can lighten your load by gradually replacing your worn out heavy stuff with lighter options.
Your rope is probably the heaviest item, but even then you're usually only carrying up to half of it. Rope drag is probably a bigger factor than rope weight, and that's the biggest advantage of a skinny rope--less drag. That is the first place it's worth investing in more expensive/lighter equipment. But before you do that, make sure you are equipping your projects appropriately to minimize drag. Use slings, double-length draws, etc to make sure the rope runs in the straightest possible path and doesn't rub against the rock.
For onsights, the best approach is to pick routes with fixed draws! Otherwise, get your buddy to hang the draws for you, or wait till someone at the crag tries it and offer to clean it for them (after you send!). Of course, occasionally you will have to haul your heavy draws up the rock. I have some ultralight draws for this purpose, but honestly, I'm too lazy to carry an extra set of draws to the crag just in case I decide to try a hard onsight, so usually I just deal with whatever the circumstances are. I end up using them mostly for trad climbing, where small differences in the weight of individual pieces add up to huge differences in the weight of your rack.
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Post by Chris W on Aug 19, 2014 2:23:31 GMT -7
I guess I never thought of that. I tend to be the rope gun when I'm out climbing; not because I'm particularly strong, but likely because I'm over zealous or my friends have already figured out your advice.
It looks like I could save, at best, about 1 pound on rope weight using a skinny rope (on a 30 meter climb) and 1 pound on draws on an extra long sport route if I'm onsight climbing. There usually aren't permadraws at my home crag. I suppose I'll just need to climb more so I can wear out my rope and justify getting a new one.
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Post by Chris W on Mar 14, 2015 4:22:37 GMT -7
Is there a good reason NOT to use a skinny rope all the time?
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Post by MarkAnderson on Mar 14, 2015 8:40:47 GMT -7
Skinny ropes cost more and wear out faster.
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Post by Chris W on Mar 14, 2015 17:12:51 GMT -7
By wearing out, do you mean your standard fuzzy rope syndrome, or does it actually begin to lose its "give", or stretch with a fall? I'd assume it's a bit of both. Considering how often I get a chance to climb outdoors, it may not make much of a difference for me. Can't seem to find many folks who are up for climbing at the crack of dawn...
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