Climbing Info Guides

Dropping your belay device on a multi-pitch route is the single worst feeling ever.

You know what’s the second worst feeling ever? It’s when you finally arrive at the crag after a long, long drive, and realize you’ve forgotten your belay device.

I think you get the idea. Climbers feel like their belay device is their lifeline.

And it kind of is; It’s what saves your life if you fall… but the important thing to note is that it’s not your only lifeline.

There’s an easy way to belay when you find yourself without a belay device for whatever reason, and what’s so great about it is that it doesn’t use any more equipment than you already have, and you won’t even have to belay any differently.

“What is this magical method that you speak of?” you ask, eyes open wide.

It’s called “belaying with a munter hitch.”

How to Belay with a Munter Hitch

Belaying with a munter hitch is exactly like belaying normally. The difference is in how you set up the belay.

With a munter hitch, you’ll be belaying directly off the locking carabiner that’s going through the belay loop of your harness.

The way that you actually create a munter hitch is simple.

Take your rope and make two loops in it side by side, so that they’re going the same way. Then fold those two loops up together as if you’re closing a book, and clip them into your locking carabiner together.

That’s it! That’s all there is to it.

Funnily enough, munters are reversible, so it doesn’t matter which rope is your live rope and which one is your dead rope. Try paying out slack and you’ll see what I mean.

Of course, you can  always clip your munter’s two loops the other way around instead if you want your brake side on the opposite side.

The only thing to mention, is that munters actually lock off with the brake hand in an upward position. If you pull your brake hand down, it’ll still brake fairly well, but just remember to lift your hand up if you’re bracing to catch a big fall.

One final thing to note is that you should make sure that the gate of your locking carabiner isn’t on the side that your braking side is on. You’d end up putting pressure on the gate that way, which is always the weakest spot on any carabiner.

And, speaking of which, it’s always best to do this with a pear-shaped carabiner. You might also have heard them being called “HMS” carabiners. Interestingly, HMS is an abbreviation of the German name for a munter hitch.

Why Not Do This All the Time Instead of Using a Belay Device?

It’s because there’s a huge drawback to belaying with a munter:

It twists your rope.

Now, you’re not going to run into any problems if you’re only doing it for a session or two or in emergencies, but if you were to forego your belay device completely and just belay with a munter all the time, you’d quickly ruin your rope.

The reason why a munter twists and kinks your rope is to do with the shape of the hitch. It introduces a twist in the rope as it moves through the hitch, but it doesn’t twist it back after the rope has passed fully through.

Now, it is possible to counteract this twist by using an alternate variant of the munter called the “super munter.” However, it’s practically useless due to how much friction it causes. You can’t really belay properly with one, unless you had strong arms and a lot of patience.

A super munter fixes the twist problem because it’s essentially a doubled-up munter, but with the “second munter” undoing the twist that the “first munter” caused in the first place.

Unfortunately, there’s no way around it. Twists in your rope are pretty hard to get out as well, and it can only be done when the rope’s not in use. Even then, you’ll never get the rope 100% straight again. The little kinks in it will come back as slight wrinkles in your rope even if you get them out completely.

Really, the best long-term strategy for losing your belay device is to not lose it in the first place – or bring a spare. A munter hitch can be a great alternative whenever you need to belay or rappel without a belay device on the off time you forget it, but using a munter too often really will mess your rope up.

In the end, it’d have been cheaper to just buy a second belay device as a backup that you just leave in your car all the time. It’s better than having to buy a whole new climbing rope every few months.

What starts off as a simple choice quickly becomes horribly confusing.

I think it’s to do with all the “pros and cons” that get weighed up in the whole Dyneema vs nylon debate. They quickly obscure the differences between the two which are actually impactful.

It starts with the thought, “Hey, Dyneema looks cool. I can’t believe how thin it is. It must be really strong.”

…And then you hear about how it can’t be knotted, and that it even melts when a knot in it is loaded.

Before long, you’re looking at tables from scientific sources comparing the properties of each material, frantically worrying about whether there’s some fatal drawback of those suspiciously thin Dyneema slings you’ve been eyeing.

Really though, the choice is actually pretty simple.

It only gets complicated when the the information is taken way, way out of context.

For example, Dyneema is 15 times stronger than steel.

“That means that Dyneema slings will be much stronger than nylon ones, right?”

No.

They’re still rated at 22kN, just like nylon ones are. That’s because Dyneema slings are significantly thinner than nylon ones.

“Why not have thicker Dyneema slings then?” I hear you ask.

The reason is that it’d be utterly pointless. You don’t need more than a sling rated at more than 22kN. It’s already overkill for the sake of safety, which is fine and all, but after a certain point “I just want to make extra sure” becomes paranoia.

So, take off your safety goggles and hang up your hard hat, my paranoid friend. I’m going to show you how easy it is to decide between Dyneema slings and nylon slings.

Yes, even if safety is your only concern.

How to Decide Between Nylon and Dyneema

It’s simple. I’m going to ask you a series of questions, and at some point you’ll know your answer.

I’ll start with the biggest deciding factors.

Are you climbing in wet / cold / wintery conditions?

Absolutely go with Dyneema.

In the cold recesses of the Earth, you’ll find the rare, almost mythical breeds of climbers known as “alpine climbers” and “ice climbers”  appear to gather and roost.

For these strange creatures, who know neither the light of the sun nor the warmth of civilization, nylon has no place.

“Why?”

Because nylon slings will freeze solid.

You see, Dyneema is far more water resistant than nylon.

In terms of strength, it’s always the better choice if your slings are going to be getting some kind of water exposure. Nylon experiences a 15% loss in strength when it’s wet, and that stacks on top of the already added weakness that tying knots in it introduces.

When I say “water exposure,” I’m not just talking about waterfalls in the canyons and other such places that people like to climb near. I’m talking about something as simple as rain.

Sure, most climbers don’t like climbing in the rain. If you’re one of those people, then this isn’t going to be the deciding factor, so go ahead and read on.

Even if you do climb in wet conditions, there are some more things for you to consider before deciding to go with Dyneema. If you’re climbing in freezing cold conditions, however, then Dyneema is easily the best choice, and you’re just going to have to keep its drawbacks in mind while you use it.

The next question highlights exactly what I’m talking about.

Want to be able to tie knots with it?

Nylon is your only choice.

Like I said before, Dyneema melts when loaded with a knot in it.

Strangely enough, it’s for the same reason as to why tying knots with it wouldn’t work even if it didn’t melt.

And that reason, is knot slippage.

Simply put, Dyneema is so frictionless, that knots will just slide loose.

Because of all that movement that’s brushing against itself when a knotted piece of Dyneema is loaded, it generates enough heat to actually melt through.

This is why you never see Dyneema webbing. It’d be useless.

If you don’t know what webbing is, it’s just a roll of “un-sewn sling material” that you knot together at whatever length you like to create your own custom slings. If you’re interested in that, then take a look at this guide I wrote about nylon webbing and which kind is the best.

For now, let’s move on. Let’s say you’re not too interested in tying knots in your slings and you’re still undecided. Well, take a look at this next point:

Want the most cut / abrasion resistant ones possible?

Go with Dyneema. It’s by far the most cut resistant and abrasion resistant of the two.

In fact, it’s often used to make cut-resistant gloves. That’s how good it is.

Since slings are often used to extend gear, it’s quite possible that you’ll encounter a sharp ledge near your anchor that you’d rather have a sling running over instead of your rope.

This most often happens when setting up a top rope anchor. The trees and rocks that you’ll be tying slings to will be above the ledge for the most part. That’s where the cut resistance and abrasion resistance of your slings will truly shine.

That’s not to say that only top ropers will benefit from Dyneema slings. Canyoneers will especially appreciate that extra abrasion resistance with all that sand around.

Any climber who’s been in that environment knows: soft gear and sand don’t mix.

Sand can practically saw through soft gear when there’s too much movement. It’s like sandpaper, but… well… without the paper.

If you’re going to be climbing in sandy environments, then save yourself the anxiety and go with Dyneema.

However, if you’re climbing in normal, temperate environments like most sane climbers do, then abrasion isn’t really going to a be problem for you. After all, if nylon wasn’t up to scratch when it comes to dealing with the levels of abrasion encountered in normal climbing environments, then it wouldn’t be used by climbers at all!

So, keep reading on if you’re still unsure which one to go for.

Want the cheapest ones possible?

Well, that’s easy. Nylon is basically always cheaper.

On average, Dyneema slings will cost about a third more.

However, slings aren’t particularly expensive compared to other pieces of your climbing arsenal. Your absolute total savings from going with nylon aren’t going to be that impressive.

Even so, I guess you could say that the cost adds up over time if you’re buying many slings and leaving them behind semi-regularly. If the cost of that bothers you, then go with nylon to save yourself a bit of extra dough.

Finally, let’s take a look at the last important difference between Dyneema slings and nylon slings:

Want the slimmest, lightest ones possible?

Dyneema wins every time.

Have you seen how ridiculously thin they are?

It’s funny. Some climbers actually choose to go with nylon slings simply because Dyneema ones are scary if you’re unfamiliar with them.

If you want a priceless reaction, hold one up in front of your non-climber friends and tell them: “This… is what saves my life if I fall.”

At first, they’ll think you’re joking. Then they’ll think you’re crazy. Even after explaining how it’s 15 times stronger than steel, they’ll still feel like you’re pulling their leg.

It just doesn’t look strong. That’s why it’s so off-putting to a lot of climbers. Their intellect says “yes,” while their gut feeling says “no.”

However, other than making you feel like a daredevil, its slim profile does have a couple benefits that are actually useful.

First of all, it makes it lighter than a nylon sling. To be honest though, slings are so light as they are already, so I’m just going to gloss over this point. The difference doesn’t really add up to much at all. It makes even less of a difference than the cheaper price of nylon slings, which I was talking about before.

However, the slim profile of Dyneema slings make them fantastically compact on your gear rack. They really take up no space at all.

Trad climbers especially are going to really benefit from switching to Dyneema slings, with all the gear that they’re already lugging around.

Final Thoughts

Really, the only drawback to Dyneema slings is that you can’t tie knots in them without compromising their safety.

All that means is that you’ll have to slightly change the way you create anchors.

Or, I guess, you could just go with nylon if that’s something which bothers you.

For everyone else – even beginners – I’d recommend going with Dyneema slings. You can check out this post here if you want to know which Dyneema slings are the best.

Stick clips are amazing for climbers who don’t like breaking their ankles.

It’s safe to say, that there aren’t many climbers out there who do, so I’m going to assume you’re not one of them.

So, yes, you do need a stick clip.

This goes especially if you’re a newbie. Stick clips provide the protection you need to make it past the danger zone of the climb.

The Danger Zone

Until you’re clipped into a bolt high enough, you’re in the danger zone.

That’s right: It’s the very start of the climb that you’ve got to watch out for.

The reason? Your protection is useless until you’ve cleared a certain height.

This is usually the second bolt, but if a route has been bolted well then it’ll have a high enough first bolt.

Below that height, you’re not clear of the ground if you fall, even though it looks like you’re safe.

This is because you fall twice the distance between yourself and your last piece of protection, plus slack, plus a little bit of stretch.

Hmmmm. Now, if only you could clip into a high enough bolt before you start climbing…

Enter:

The Stick Clip

The name “stick clip” is pretty fitting, although it sorta implies it’s for “clipping sticks,” or whatever that means.

It’s basically a long pole with a weirdly shaped thing on the end.

That “thing” on the end, is actually a really clever little device that lets you clip a quickdraw onto the first bolt that’s past the danger zone.

Some even allow you to unclip quickdraws, which, other than for cleaning the route, is particularly useful for a really sneaky application that I’ll be talking about later…

But first, I’m going to talk about the important stuff. The basics.

What Makes a Stick Clip Tick

There’s two parts to a stick clip: the stick, and the clip.

There’s a few different kinds of clip. Some are pretty simple, while others look like some kind of bizarre alien creature.

But let’s forget about all that for a second, and look at the “stick” part first, because there’s some important things that you need to consider when getting one.

Luckily, you don’t need some super special piece of gear for this. Stick clip devices are designed to fit any old painter pole.

However, I wouldn’t say that just any old painter pole will do. You’re going to need one which fits three key criteria:

1. It Should Be Long

By “long,” I mean “very, very long.”

I’m talking like 16 foot here.

A 16-foot pole is the perfect size for stick clipping. You can easily reach any bolt with that kind of reach.

2. It Should Be Telescoping

If you’re thinking of something like an old fashioned pirate telescope, then you’re on the right track.

A telescoping pole means that it can collapse back in on itself.

As you can imagine, hiking around with a 16-foot pole would be ridiculous. Get one that has at least one collapsible section, and you’ll have a handy 6′ or 8′ hiking stick for your travels, rather than some huge monstrosity.

Don’t get one of the ones which “fold” rather than “telescope” though. Those ones are an absolute pain to deal with, because they’re too bendy. Speaking of which…

3. It Should Be Rigid

This one is super important.

There’s nothing worse than trying to clip a quickdraw onto a small bolt hanger high above your head with a whimsy pole that just bends all over the place.

Get a rigid pole, and you’ll actually be able to handle it with some level of precision.

You don’t need a heavy duty one or anything. I’d actually avoid those simply because they’re heavy.

So, now that all that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at how stick clips work.

How to Stick Clip

Essentially, all stick clips are the same in the way which they work, but the Superclip is by far the best.

Why? Because it’s simpler, easier, far more durable than any other stick clip device out there.

Naturally, people assume that a more complicated design would be better. You’ll often see people buy these kinds of stick clip, but then they always gravitate towards the Superclip in the end… because it’s just better.

Superclips have two prongs: One holds holds the carabiner in place, while the other holds its the gate open.

It doesn’t matter which way you put the carabiner in, because the prongs are symmetrical.

Only, make sure that you clip in so that when you get up there, you’ll be climbing away from the direction that the gate’s pointing in, if that’s at all possible. It means there’s less chance of the rope landing on the gate and unclipping itself when you fall, which is obviously bad news for your ankles.

Simply run your rope through the bottom carabiner of your quickdraw so that it’ll be running away from the wall and push the top carabiner down into the Superclip, so that it’s holding it from the bottom.

Now your stick clip is ready. All you have to do now is extend the pole out and hook your clipped-open carabiner on the bolt hanger.

Once it’s hooked on, you can pull down to let go of the quickdraw. It’s that easy.

Stick Clipping a Rope

If a quickdraw’s already up there and you just want to clip your rope in, then simply wedge a small bight (loop) of rope in the Superclip. It’ll hold it securely in place.

If your rope is really slim, you can loop one side of the rope around one of the Superclip’s prongs to make sure that the rope keeps in place.

All you have to do to clip your rope in, is lift the bight up so that the bottom carabiner passes through it, then gently pull to the side so that the rope passes through the gate. Once again, pull down to let go.

Unclipping a Quickdraw

This is pretty easy too, but the rope has to be running through the quickdraw for it to work.

This is because you’ll be pulling on both sides of the rope to keep the quickdraw still while you push your Superclip up the clipped-in carabiner to grab it.

It’s just like how you’d clip the carabiner into the Superclip normally, except this time you’re doing it something like 16 foot away. It’s actually far easier than it sounds.

If your quickdraw doesn’t have a rope clipped through it, then you’re out of luck…

Just kidding. Just clip your rope through it and proceed as normal. That’s all there is to it.

You can click here to view the Superclip on Amazon.

Don’t worry about the “professional version.” That’s for placing full-size locking carabiners, not quickdraws. You don’t need that.

Alright, now, let’s move onto that really sneaky use for stick clips that I hinted at earlier.

A Sneaky Extra Use for Your Stick Clip

Any climber who also likes a bit of bouldering will love this.

Essentially, you can stick clips to climb above your grade for a bit of extra fun.

Simply take it with you up the climb, and keep clipping the next bolt ahead of you.

If you can’t make it any further, then just use your stick clip to retrieve your gear. It’s that easy.

Sure, some might say that this is cheating, but I’d say it’s something which allows you to explore your limits. It’s just like in bouldering, where you can give any grade a go without consequence.

Naturally, you’re going to need the most telescopic, compact pole you can find in order to do this. Climbing with a 6-foot or 8-foot pole attached to you isn’t exactly practical.

A shorter pole that collapses right down to about 2′ or 3′ is perfect for this, but keep in mind that you won’t always be able to reach every bolt with it, which is why I recommended a 16-foot one for your standard stick clipping shenanigans.