I've often thought of cutting off all my cam slings and re-slinging them with spectra or 7 mil line. This way I can have the slings permanently attacthed directly to the cam and they're always full runner length. Less gear to carry (qd's and slings) and easier on you.

Anybody done this and what's the pro/con???

-- jason liebgott (jliebgott@hotmail.com), January 04, 2001

Answers

jason, If your slings are old, then replace them. I don't see the point in removing perfectly good ones. however, if you insist. have you ever used the older solid stem friends? they weren't slung. A loop of 1 inch web, tyed with a water knot follow thru, is what I used to use. On those old hexes, the largest cord I could squeeze thru the holes. Now we have spectra or gemini cord. Spectra tends to be stiffer and harder to tye, gemini is just another version of the same stuff but a bit more supple. tye either with a triple fisherman. you could also use 11/16 supertape (double fish knot). your gonna find the knots are bulky. now that you have all these cams hangin' to you knees how do you plan to keep them out of the way? As often you need to add a QD to lengthen a cam, why not just carry 1/2 doz. runners over your shoulder with a crab attached? too long? double it up. AND, you best remember to check those knots regularly.

-- rick (starman1@care2.com), January 07, 2001.

after running through the pro/con of all the options, I decided this weekend to cut off all my old slings and I bought 52" pieces of 6mm perlon chord. Then I looped the chord through the eye one full time (like the DMM do with slings) and tied them together with a double fisherman. The 6mm perlon was rated to 2265 pounds, so I trust them to hold any fall I can put on them. Now, I can keep them racked short by clipping the loop doubled over - and extend it to almost a full runner length. I also use a shoulder sling instead of clipping them to my harnass with gives my knees a little more space.

The benefit: I can save a beaner per cam. I won't carry any less runners(7-8), as I'll still need them for nuts. But before I was carrying 2 beaners per cam; one to rack it and one to extend it with a sling. Now, I won't carry anymore qd's either.

-- jason liebgott (jliebgott@hotmail.com), January 08, 2001.