On approaches/descents I like to carry the rope in a butterfly coil. On approaches that are long/strenuous, this ends up being pretty uncomfortable and the rope always starts sagging. There's got to be something that could be rigged up (like a piece of leather or something) that will keep the rope riding high on your back and protect your shoulders a little.

Any idea?
thanks.

You could bring a super light backpack and carry it in that, something like the old Lowe Alpine Summit pack. I personally prefer climbing with a light pack to hiking with a butterfly coil on my back and water bottles and shoes hanging off my harness.

A solution that works for me is to leave more than 4 arm lengths of slack and make your coils a little shorter than you might normally.

I then wrap the rope several times more than normal to tighten the coil and disallow it to 'sag out'. When I put the ends over my shoulders, I pull it up as high as possible and then wrap several times (tightly) around my waist, 4-6, and tie it off. It feels (to me) the rope load is being carried by my core and shoulders are there to merely keep it from falling off my back. I've carried for countless miles this way, no shoulder pain.

Your mileage may vary. </pun>

mattski wrote:OR have the lightest packs out to date unless you can prove me wrong

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/dry ... agger.html

I have this one, 2.4oz:

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/86

And there are probably a dozen packs out there with weights and capacities between the Sea to Summit and OR pack, such as this one:

http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gos ... urmur.html

And many more now discontinued:

http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gos ... light.html

If you want a durable pack with balls that wont rip once you set it on the ground and can also be used a a summit pack, this is a good one although a little pricey, I don't have any regrets and only good things to say about it.
It gets the job done, and is made with common sense. (bottle holders, hydration sleeve, butter fly ribbon on outside, expandable tarp...)
http://www.rei.com/product/767279

@Hotoven:
I have that metolius bag. It'd be great if it wasn't so small. you stick a 70m rope in there, and nothing else fits, including water or any climbing gear.

ylelkes wrote:@Hotoven:
I have that metolius bag. It'd be great if it wasn't so small. you stick a 70m rope in there, and nothing else fits, including water or any climbing gear.

True, but most climbs you don't need a 70 meter rope. It can carry my 70 but its a 9.4, so its skinner.