Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Quickdraws
A professional's field guide to quickdraw selection, use, maintenance, and the business of selling and servicing them
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Quickdraws
A quickdraw is the fundamental connector between your rope and the protection on the wall. It is a simple system, usually consisting of two carabiners connected by a reinforced sling (the "dogbone" or "quickdraw sling"). Its only job is to hold the rope away from the rock and the anchors, while allowing the rope to run through it with as little friction as possible when you are leading. It sounds simple, but the engineering and material choices involved are the difference between a smooth day at the crag and a piece of gear that causes you to take an unnecessary fall.
The best way to understand a quickdraw is to look at its component parts and how they interact under the dynamic conditions of a climb. The two carabiners are not identical. The bottom carabiner is designed to be clipped to a bolt, piton, or a piece of trad gear. The top carabiner, the one you clip the rope into, is designed for the dynamic stress of a falling climber. The dogbone is a textile loop that connects the two, and it is not just a passive piece of webbing. It has a specific stiffness and flexibility that affects how the draw hangs on the wall, how the rope runs through it, and how much leverage is put on the bottom carabiner when you fall.
Consider the typical sport climbing scenario. You clip a draw to a bolt. The bolt end carabiner is often attached with