I'm looking to replace a few old 1" tied slings for taking on alpine mountaineering-type climbs (also have various spectra/dyneema slings). Are people mostly using the 9/16" webbing these days? Any opinions (and references) welcome. I like to have some tied slings that I can use for use building/backing up rapel stations, etc. if needed.

Snowslogger wrote:I'm looking to replace a few old 1" tied slings for taking on alpine mountaineering-type climbs (also have various spectra/dyneema slings). Are people mostly using the 9/16" webbing these days? Any opinions (and references) welcome. I like to have some tied slings that I can use for use building/backing up rapel stations, etc. if needed.

I have a bunch of 2' slings tied from 9/16" webbing. They are very bulky to take on alpine stuff(I triple them up with two biners). I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they are all the same color. Makes it seem like a lot. I carry a good amount of untied webbing when I'm on something where I'll need to build or backup rap stations.

9/16" is pretty standard.

Where do you get 9/16" climb spec webbing these days? Most stuff sold as 9/16" is actually 15mm.

What's the difference? It's only 5% wider - can't imagine that would impact anything.

aglane wrote:http://www.rei.com/search?search=9%2F16+webbing

Yep, and it's actually 15 mm. I have checked it out -- you can buy it and it comes with a 15 mm tag.

The old 9/16" supertape was about 20% lighter than 15mm.

Thanks all. Kinda what I thought, but good to have it confirmed by a bunch of strangers on the internet. I guess it might take up less space to bring a length of untied webbing to be used as needed, along with regular thin spectra or dyneema slings.

If you're not planning on using it for actual slings while climbing I'd strongly suggest bringing an uncut length and a knife. That way you can use only what you need to back up or build a new rap station, and you won't get caught with too short a length.

Steve Larson wrote:If you're not planning on using it for actual slings while climbing I'd strongly suggest bringing an uncut length and a knife. That way you can use only what you need to back up or build a new rap station, and you won't get caught with too short a length.

This is pretty solid advice.

Steve Larson wrote:If you're not planning on using it for actual slings while climbing I'd strongly suggest bringing an uncut length and a knife. That way you can use only what you need to back up or build a new rap station, and you won't get caught with too short a length.

This is good advice. I usually take 8-10 sewn, single spectra runners, and two doubles. I carry a couple of 6 mil prussiks and 20 meters of uncut 6 mm for cutting up for rappel anchors on most alpine routes.

ExcitableBoy wrote:

Steve Larson wrote:If you're not planning on using it for actual slings while climbing I'd strongly suggest bringing an uncut length and a knife. That way you can use only what you need to back up or build a new rap station, and you won't get caught with too short a length.

This is good advice. I usually take 8-10 sewn, single spectra runners, and two doubles. I carry a couple of 6 mil prussiks and 20 meters of uncut 6 mm for cutting up for rappel anchors on most alpine routes.

Thanks, good stuff. One minor question, why 6mm cord rather than webbing?

Snowslogger wrote:Thanks, good stuff. One minor question, why 6mm cord rather than webbing?

I personally perfer 6mm to webbing for a number of reasons:

- 6 mm perlon makes great Prusik cords
- I find it easier to thread 6 mm perlon through a v-thread than webbing
- Cord is very versatile : you can pull the core out and use the sheath as boot laces or pull out individual strands of the core for emergency fishing line, thread for repairs, etc.
- 6 mm perlon is 40% lighter than 9/16" tubular webbing and is plenty strong enough for rappel anchors

According to Bluewater specs, 50' of 6mm perlon should weigh 13.7 oz. From my postal scale, 50' of 15 mm climb-spec (wider than 9/16") weighs 14.7 oz. However, the webbing has a substantially higher breaking strength -- at least a factor of 2.

A chacun son gout.

MoapaPk wrote:According to Bluewater specs, 50' of 6mm perlon should weigh 13.7 oz. From my postal scale, 50' of 15 mm climb-spec (wider than 9/16") weighs 14.7 oz. However, the webbing has a substantially higher breaking strength -- at least a factor of 2.

A chacun son gout.

According to the REI Web site Bluewater 6mm cord weighs 7.9 grams/ft and has a breaking strength of 7.7 kn wheras as Bluewater 9/16" tubular weighs 12.8 grams/ft and has a breaking strength of 9 kn. While I have not weighed samples myself, 6mm feels considerably lighter than 9/16" tubular.