Black Diamond Gear Sling Padded

This is my first bandolier / gear holder, I had previously used only my harness, this was becoming congested on longer routes (when mores options are always helpful! ). I recently used a piece of 6mm cord tied off in a 4 foot loop to hold quick draws and a couple of sets of nuts, some hexes and a set of cams, this is pretty uncomfortable after a short while, it was okay for rigging at the top of a single pitch crag setting up anchors, but I wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒÂ¢¢â‚¬Å¡‚¬ƒÂ¢¢â‚¬Å¾‚¢t have enjoyed it on a long route or multipitch. The Black Diamond gear sling is infinitely more comfortable than that (6mm cord), with the padded shoulder piece. It appears to be well made and should last. My only gripe for this being that it would be good if it had a speed / ziplock type buckle and didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒÂ¢¢â‚¬Å¡‚¬ƒÂ¢¢â‚¬Å¾‚¢t require doubling back to adjust.

I finally got around to replacing my vintage Troll gear sling. I was a bit dubious about the buckle on the Black Diamond from the point of view of strength, but the sling overall is rated at 9kN. Also all other gear I have from Black Diamond has been unsurpassable for quality, style & quality of finish. It also has a sewn on endstop, so no chance of it unravelling. The padding seems about right, not too bulky & it should not absorb water judging by the materials used. I chose the blue colour as it looks very stylish. Overall it seems very good value for money.

I purchased this sling to help free up my rack when trad climbing. I've a habit of taking everything on a new route, which mounts up to a lot of gear. I've put all my cams (13) on this gear sling and it feels comfortable. They are very accessible and because the cams are off my harness, it makes that gear more accessible too. I also like the convenience of been able to hand over gear to the second as they go to lead the next pitch. I was pleasantly surprised when the sling arrived and it was blue rather than purple. Great service yet again for Facewest. Thanks.