Sling (climbing equipment)
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A sling or runner is an item of climbing equipment consisting of a tied or sewn loop of webbing that can be wrapped around sections of rock, hitched (tied) to other pieces of equipment or even tied directly to a tensioned line using a prusik knot, for anchor extension (to reduce rope drag and for other purposes), equalisation, or climbing the rope. A gear sling is used to organise or carry equipment, and slings are also a component of quickdraws. Sewn slings are sold in a range of sizes, such as 10 cm, 30 cm, 60 cm, 120 cm or 400 cm, in widths of between 10 mm and 20 mm. Sling tape is also sold off the reel, usually per metre, so that users can assemble their own slings by cutting tape to length (with a hot knife to prevent fraying) and tying the ends, typically using a tape knot. Most slings have a rated breaking strength in the region of 22kN.
In recent years, slings have started making use of dyneema often sold under the brand name Spectra. It has limited applications however as this material is not dynamic (does not stretch) and therefore a fall on it may involve undesirable shock loading of the other pieces of equipment and the climber. It also has a much lower melting point resulting in it being a poor choice for making prusiks. However it is lighter and smaller and much stronger than the traditional nylon sling, and therefore has become popular.
