Slings are super-useful in canyons. Whether dangling your pack on a long rappel, clipping to a safety line or tossing a sling around a chockstone to make an anchor, slings get the job done.

The term 'sling' refers to both the material AND to a piece of that material tied into a loop. But when  Tom says 'sling', Tom is referring to a sling that is a good size for wearing over-the-shoulder - about 23" or 60 cm.

Rylin rapping in Birch Hollow Click for Larger Picture

There are a couple different materials - let's call it "webbing" - that slings can be made from. The most common are "Supertape", "Spectra", and "One-inch Tubular".

Slings can be professionally manufactured with bartacks to form a loop (a "sewn sling"), or they can be tied by the canyoneer (a "tied sling").

Let's review the materials first, then talk about the forms.

Webbing

Why is it tubular?

Webbing must do many things: be strong, hold knots and resist cutting across an edge. By making the webbing tubular, it tends to roll rather than cut, so it is much more durable across an edge. Tubular webbing knots MUCH better than flat webbing, being a lot softer.

Webbing should ONLY be bought at a climbing store. The good stuff is made of nylon (or a nylon/spectra blend). Some boating places (and camping places) sell webbing that looks very much the same, but is made from polypropylene and is VERY much weaker. It is not suitable for use as anchors.

Climbing stores usually have a couple different webbings for sale by the foot. Be aware that webbing sold on the spool is not necessarily continuous, but may consist of several short lengths held together with masking tape. If there is masking tape on your webbing, remove it immediately! Some common kinds of webbing are:

Strong Webbings

One Inch Tubular: sturdy, reliable, inexpensive; one inch tubular has long been the workhorse webbing for climbers. At 4000 lbf single strand test strength, it has plenty of extra strength and can take a lot of abuse before it loses strength. When placed on anchors, it lasts a long time. This is the stuff to use for rigging anchors in popular canyons, for building deadman and cairn anchors (which tend to be there quite a while and get beat up from the flow of water), and for tying a simple harness. It is, however, rather bulky and heavy.

9/16" Climb-Spec Supertape and 11/16" Supertape are commonly available and provide plenty of strength at considerably lower bulk and lighter weight. The single strand rating is 2200 lbf (9 kN). When sewn into a sling, the sling is good for 5000 lbs (22 kN). When tied into a sling, the strength is about 3600 lbf (15 kN).

Spectra Webbing can be identified by the color. Spectra fibers are white, and the webbing is usually woven with 50% Spectra, 50% Nylon, so the web is half colored fibers and half white fibers. Spectra is a high-tech fiber that is considerably stronger than nylon, absorbs almost no water and has a low melting point. And is expensive - very expensive! Spectra webbing is not sold by the foot because there are questions about how well it ties. So your Spectra slings are sewn. Why Spectra? It absorbs a LOT less water - thus are nice when going in and out of pools. Otherwise, there really is no reason to carry Spectra slings.

Euro-Webbing is made nice and pretty for climbers with plenty of money. It is almost always sold as sewn slings. Euro-webbing is strength coded with lines on the back side - use the stuff that has at least 3 lines.

When leaving webbing as an anchor in a canyon, consider those who will come after you. Think of what happens when a group of beginners comes through and raps off YOUR sling, without carefully examining the anchor or the sling. Try to leave a sling that will last a while. If placing the sling in the watercourse, for instance on a deadman anchor, try to use 1" tubular so it will last as long as possible.

Not-Strong Webbings

There's a bunch of webbing out there that is not suitable for building anchors. Where I draw the line is just below the 11/16" Supertape and the BlueWater Climb-Spec 9/16" Supertape.

The next webbing down the line is 9/16" Supertape, shown here in green. It is pretty close, perhaps suitable for emergencies, but the strength of 1800 lb single strand just does not give me the warm fuzzies.

There are also thinner climbing-type tapes available, that are used by climbers for tying off pins and other low-strength uses. In this photo I show 5/8" tubular webbing with 3 tracers, and 1/2" tubular webbing with one tracer.

Carry Some Slings

So we should carry some slings. What should we carry? How about 4-5 over-the-shoulder-slings for general use, and some other slings for building anchors. A couple of extra tied over-the-shoulder slings are handy for making anchors. Many parties carry a long (40 feet or so) piece of webbing, in case it is needed for building an anchor.

Sewn slings are useful because you never need to worry about the knot coming untied, and they lie flatter across the body. Tied slings are useful because they can be untied and tied around a chockstone or tree.

Why should I carry all these slings?

Well, you might need them for:

• clipping into an anchor or a safety line;
• clipping your pack below you when climbing (as a bunny strap);
• hanging your pack below you when rappelling;
• putting on your pack to lower the pack down downclimbs;
• setting up to climb the rope, should it be needed.

BASIC

Every person who shows up to do a technical canyon should have 4 or 5 over-the-shoulder slings.

INTERMEDIATE and ENTHUSIAST

In addition, the canyon leader should have enough webbing to resling pretty much every anchor in the canyon, and a knife to cut the webbing to the correct length. Re-slinging may be necessary, especially after a flash flood, or after a winter. Canyons may also have to be reslung due to inept prior canyoneers. We often carry a 40-foot piece of webbing to use for rigging anchors.
 

BlueWater Climb-Spec 9/16" Tied Sling Pre-cut, Over-the-shoulder sling, using BlueWater 9/16" climb-spec tubular webbing. I precut a piece 56" long - it is up to you to tie them. Perfect length for a nice, over-the-shoulder sling. Weight: 34 grams or 1.2 ounces Colors: Assorted Price: $1.50 BUY at CUSA

Black Diamond Sewn Spectra Sling Over the shoulder slings have a myriad of uses when descending canyons - great for clipping in to an anchor, for hanging your pack, for guided rappels, for ascending ropes and escaping potholes. BD Spectra Runners are strong and light, and absorb minimal water when bopping in and out of potholes. BUY at CUSA Weight: 28 grams or .99 ounces Length: 30 cm Price: $7.25

BlueWater 9/16" Climb Spec Webbing Lightweight webbing for a myriad of uses. BW lists the strength as 2200 lbf or 9 kN. BUY at CUSA Weight: 7.3 grams per foot; or .26 ounces per foot. Price Per Foot: $0.30

1" Tubular Webbing Strong 1" tubular webbing for a myriad of uses. Use 56" for a tied, over-the-shoulder sling. Use 9 feet for a Swiss Seat; 13 feet for an Improved Swiss Seat; and 20 feet for a tied-leg-loop tied harness rig. BUY at CUSA Strength: 4200 lbs Weight: .43 ounces per foot (12.3 grams per foot) Price: $0.40

Rapid Links (aka "Rapides" or "Quick-Links") are steel screw-links designed for fastening lengths of chain together. Canyoneers and climbers use them for constructing anchors, mainly for the "bottom point" of the anchor, where the rope runs.

Why Use a Rapide?

A rope running through webbing is a high-friction rig. The rope running across the webbing can be difficult to pull, due to the high friction, and will burn the webbing as it is pulled through. In extreme cases, it will cut through the webbing, enough to make it unsafe. Future parties may not notice the burn marks on the webbing, and fall to their deaths.

So we intervene, and put metal in place. The rope running over the metal is a low-friction rig. The steel is durable, even when wet sandy ropes are pulled through it.

Two Different Sizes are in common use - 1/4" and 5/16". In my opinion, the small is too small, and the big is a little too big. The 1/4" have a Safe Working Load of 1250 lbs, and the 5/16" have a SWL of 1900 lbs.

(Safe Working Load is a rating system that designates the largest weight that can be hoisted with that link. SWL accounts for some degree of shockloading that is expected in industrial applications. Generally, the breaking strength is five times the SWL.)

There are several considerations in deciding what to use and carry:

• How do ropes fit in the Rapide? Ten mm and larger ropes can bind in the small rapide, thus 1/4" rapides should not be left in 'beginner' or trade route canyons, where people using fatty ropes are expected.

• Friction: the larger rapide will have less friction when pulling the rope. Not usually a problem, but on long rappels, or on raps where you are concerned about getting the rope to pull, using the bigger Rapide might be a good idea.

• Weight: the 1/4" weighs 1.2 ounces or 34 grams. The 5/16" weighs 3.0 ounces or 85 grams. Not that big a deal when carrying just one or two, but I usually carry six or so, in case we need them on the anchors. Usually I carry two large ones, and four small ones - and use the big ones first.

• Technique: if you use single rope technique with biner blocks and stuff like that, it is useful to have a rapide on the anchor to block against. If the anchor is used for more than a simple rappel, the larger rapide is great because it is easy to clip a large carabiner into.

Alternatives to Rapid Links

Assorted Rings: A = Aluminum Rappel Rings, B = Ricky Link, C = 1/4" Rapide, D = 5/16" Rapide, E = Carabiner with the gate taped shut.

How about those aluminium rappel rings climbers use?

They suck. Okay, they are nice and light, and in low usage, dry canyons, they CAN work okay. But they start out pretty weak, and cut easily when wet, sandy ropes are pulled across them. When you find them in canyons, look them over carefully. Aluminum rappel rings are hollow, and if the groove cuts through to the hollow, remove it and replace with a "real" rapide.

Ricky Links

Better than aluminum rappel rings are Ricky Links, named for a famously frugal Salt Lake canyoneer. They are simply a single link of stout chain, and they work great. Go to your favorite hardware store and have them cut some chain into single links. The chain should have a Safe Working Load of at least 1250 pounds, and should be large enough for a 10mm rope to pull through easily. Price: Cheap!! Weight: varies, but one I have weighs one ounce (28 grams).

Steel Rappel Rings

There are steel rappel rings out there that are very durable. They are less convenient than gated rapides, but they might be a little cheaper. Many varieties available.

Taped Shut Carabiners

The larger diameter rod of an actual carabiner makes for a very smooth pull - useful in high-risk applications. "Lock" the carabiner shut with a piece of duct tape or a bandaid.
 

5/16 inch Rapid Link (or Rapide) Carry a couple of these for putting on anchors. Steel holds up much better than aluminum rap rings climbers use. The 5/16 inch size is great for anchors in high-traffic canyons, and works better with larger diameter ropes. BUY at CUSA Galvanized Steel. Made in Taiwan. Safe Working Load 1600 lbs. Weight: 83 grams or 2.9 ounces. Price: $2.50 1/4 inch Rapid Link (or Rapide) The 1/4 inch size is ONLY suitable for using small ropes. Ropes bigger than 9mm do not pull smoothly - use the 5/16 inch size! BUY at CUSA Galvanized Steel. Made in Taiwan. Safe Working Load 1250 lbs. Weight: 36 grams or 1.3 ounces. Price: $1.75