July 16, 2010 – Has The Lightweight Quickdraw Trend Come To An End?

Over the last few years, manufacturers have worked hard to create a new category of lightweight quickdraws but a new poll suggests that climbers may now want something a bit beefier for general climbing.  A poll of 800 climbers on the website 8a.nu showed that only 16 percent wanted lighter quickdraws while a significant 63 percent said they preferred larger, more substantial units. These results might be an indicator of a growing awareness of the limitations associated with the ultra-thin webbing and keychain size biners regularly used in lightweight quickdraws. It seems that climbers are realizing that the thin webbing is less durable against abrasion and that the small biners, with their often narrower cross sections, are less gentle on ropes during falls. Ultra-light draws are still a good choice for certain climbing situations, but the poll results suggest a majority of  climbers prefer slightly larger and more versatile quickdraws.