How Many Quickdraws Do I Need?

For sport climbing you will need to take at least 10-12 quickdraws which will give you enough for a majority of routes, it’s important to keep in mind that longer routes can take anywhere from 16-18 quickdraws so its important you scout the route before climbing to ensure you have enough to top out.

Quickdraws come in all lengths and colors usually ranging from usually anywhere from 10cm length all the way up to 60cms and even longer in some brands. They are 2 non-locking carabiners attached by a stiff material which is usually called dogbone or webbing.

If you are able to purchase a variety of sizes of quickdraws its recommended as this will also give you more versatility on the wall allowing you easier clips on certain routes.

Do I Need Extra Quickdraws for Trad?

For trad climbing, you will need anywhere between 4-6 quickdraws on your rack these are useful to attach to your cams or straight onto a nut wire. Its typically recommended taking 4-6 quickdraws on your trad rack.

Rather than regular quickdraws, some climbers will opt to take alpine quickdraws. The difference between these is the alpine quickdraw is just held together with a sling rather than dogbone webbing. This offers more versatility however the downside is the alpine draws are now staff like the dogbone webbing ones which means they move around which can sometimes make for hard clipping.

Do Climbing Quickdraws Rust?

The metal in quickdraws is made from aluminum so it contains no iron or steel so its impossible for quickdraws to rust. They are however susceptible to corrosion which can happen for many different reasons.

It’s important to clean your carabiners after a few climbing trips or if you have been climbing in areas with high salt content like the sea, it’s vital you clean your quickdraws straight after the climbing session to get rid of the salt and prevent the corrosion.

What Are Quickdraws Made Of?

Quickdraws are made up of 3 parts which are 2 carabiners and a sling. The carabiners are made from aluminum which makes them resistant to corrosion and rust. The sling which is also known as dog bone webbing is made from a nylon polyester ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene or (UHMW) this is an extremely strong material that allows the slings to be lightweight but also meet the strict requirements of the UIAA minimum strength of 22kN.