Heavy Metal Gear Sling

Gear Sling Type

One Shoulder

One shoulder gear slings are designed to be worn over a shoulder or across the body. They can have one or more sewn or reinforced loops for racking and storing climbing gear such as cams, carabiners or quickdraws.

Two Shoulder

Two Shoulder gear slings are worn like a backpack or chest harness. Their gear loops tend to hang under the arms near the rib cage and they can comfortably carry very large amounts of gear. These are typically used for big wall climbing and might incorporate a built-in bag or pockets for carrying hydration bladders, snacks and other equipment.

Handle

Handle style gear slings are made for sorting and organizing gear between climbs. They are designed to be more effective than a sewn sling at keeping gear separated and contained while in your bag or at the base of the wall at the crag. They are comfortable to carry and can be made of nylon, wood, or plastic with reinforced loops of rope, webbing or cord attached.

Gear Loops

Gear Loops

A gear loop is a sewn, coated or otherwise reinforced portion of webbing on a gear sling specifically for racking climbing gear via carabiners..

Sizes

Multiple Sizes

Some gear slings come in more than one size. For people with above or below average torso sizes, having multiple sizes to choose from can really help with comfort and to ensure a proper fit.

Features

Accessory Loops

This feature allows the addition of more gear loops to hold more gear, or to be pared down to a simpler form if you don’t need the rack space. A modular gear sling is great to have when you don’t know how big a rack you need to carry from one crag to the next.

Closable Pockets

Some two shoulder gear slings take advantage of the extra real estate across the back by adding zippered pockets for carrying small loose items, clothing or emergency gear. The ability to stash a small bottle of water and a snack to enjoy at the end of a long aid pitch can’t be underestimated.

Multiple Sizes

This gear sling comes in more than one size. For people with above or below average torso sizes, having multiple sizes to choose from can really help with comfort and to ensure a proper fit.

Adjustable Length

Many gear slings are made with a buckle to adjust the main length of the sling. This can be helpful for climbers with particularly long or short torsos or a wide chest to be able to rack comfortably.

Sewn Daisy Loops

Sewn Daisy Loops are gathered sections of webbing usually sewn onto the shoulder pad of a gear sling. These form attachment points that can be handy for temporarily clipping gear or items out of the way while racking or for hanging the rack from anchors when you’re not wearing it.

Hydration Compatible

A pouch area inside a zippered pocket designed to hold a hydration bladder. There is usually also a slot sewn in the pouch that allows passing the drinking hose through so you can drink hands free while climbing

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Which ones are useful and why

Strength

Strength Rating

Some brands take the time and effort to find out how strong their gear slings are by testing them. Because there are no UIAA or EN certifications for this gear type, there is no uniform testing methodology. We share the manufacturers findings in kN to help users know how much weight a gear sling is expected to be able to carry and not its ability to function as PPE.