Slings

A runners or slinges are climbing equipment that consists of a sewn loop of webbing and is normally known as a climbing sling. Climbers use them to wrap around the rocks, hitch to other climbing equipment and tie to the tensioned line using special knots. While at other times, they are best as anchors and help extend the anchor and reduce the rope drag. Meanwhile, they also take part in anchor equalisation or climbing a rope.

Slings are available either as sewn to length or assembled from loose webbing knots. Commonly slings are available in lengths including 10cm, 30 cm, 60, cm 120 and 240cm or 11mm sling style. At the same time, the normally available width of the sling ranges from 6 to 20 millimetres. However, the webbing for slings are available off the reel and are cut to length with a hot knife. It helps the climber to prevent fraying. When there is a long list of mandatory climbing accessories, the sling holds a unique position. The versatility in use is why climbers extensively admired and preferred slings as a basic climbing accessory. Considering the importance of slings, we are here to share basic information about the product.

A beginner’s guide to choosing slings for climbing

Slings are important for safe climbing special when you are expecting unforeseen events or collisions in the mountains. Being a supportive tool on height, choosing the right type and size of the sling is of core importance. However, with dozens of products online, it is tough to get hands-on a perfect one.  In this article, we aim to help our customers narrow down their choices. To do so, we will walk you through different types, uses and benefits of slings, their fibre choices, lengths, carrier mode, strength rating and other aspects to use for climbing. Later we will speak about the hotshot tips on picking the right climbing sling from our online store.

Why do you need a climbing sling?

They are invaluable types of equipment for both traditional and multi-pitch climbers. Additional protection is the core reason why climbers like it. Likewise, you can triple up the slings in an alpine quickdraw. In such a way, they work with versatility and offers passive protection. Commonly double-length slings are ideal for this purpose. Another most common use of a climbing sling is to equalise multiple protection pieces to create a belay anchor. However, sometimes they are best for the sake of protection on the rocks. The climbers enjoy this protection by wrapping slings around the flake, horns, or chicken heads. Meanwhile, you can use them to rope yourself with a piece of protection or anchor.

What are common types of sling fibres?

These day climbing slings mainly come in two types of fibres: Nylon and Dyneema. However, you can also find slings made of other than these two. Another common type of sling fibre is the cord. It is much similar to a common climbing rope. Choosing the type of fibre depends on your budget and the properties you value the most. We can say that the Dyneema has a high strength to weight ratio, is less bulky, and is slippery to touch, thus offering a lesser fraction. It does not absorb water and therefore is the right choice for climbing in winter.  In a nutshell, a nylon sling is the complete opposite of Dyneema; however, it is less expensive and easy to knot.

Understanding the strength rating of your sling

Your sling’s strength determines how much support it can offer and the level of flexibility and tension to manage a sudden weight. A bets quality sling has 22kN of force which is equal to 4,946 pounds. However, many factors decrease the strength and performance of the sling. For instance, tying a knot in a Dyneema sling reduced the strength up to half. In such times the sling itself ends up being the weakest link to manage. However, these high forces are sporadic and mostly result in more than one poor decision. Here a key to avoiding such events is to choose a suitable sling as per your activities.

Modes of carrying and lengths of slings

Slings come in many different lengths. Here the preferences vary based on what way and purpose people want to use them. Typically, climbers carry a 2-3 quadruple length sling. Otherwise, you can carry a double-length runner as per your specific needs. A length from 6 to 18 is selected based on the climbing strategy you are about to take with you. Considering how to carry the sling is another important factor to think about before stepping on the mountain. Generally, the climber carries it over the shoulder, which is old school. However, when carrying a double-length sling, the best is to use an Apline Quickdraw for convenience.