— Adjusting his neckerchief slide and hiking up his tube socks, Jerry is READY-TO-FUCKING-GO! He’s got his shirt tucked in, his sunscreen on—real thick, and in his oversized pack, he’s got a bomber 8mm quad with four huge locking carabiners. —
Beefy, overbuilt quad anchors are popular but, put frankly, this monstrosity, this ‘thing,’ is absurd and it’s time to give it up.
It would be a mistake to overlook the quad completely; it is well-liked by many and for plenty of legitimate reasons. It has phenomenal strength, self equalization, complete redundancy, limited extension, and if it’s been pre tied, it’s super timely to set up. When the bolts are set back from an edge, a long quad can extend beyond the edge to negate otherwise nasty rope abrasion. The biggest little advantage for the quad is the perpendicular orientation of the rope side carabiners for top roping. With the gates facing out, away from the rock, the rope runs parallel to protect it from the abuse of abrasion. The quad also scores big as ‘foolproof’ because you can hand it to a novice, without fear that it might be misunderstood and misused. Behold, the glory of the quad!
BUT, you can get all of this glory without lugging around a behemoth and looking like a guppy. Yes, I’m using shame to try to sway popular opinion… I’m fine with it. Let’s look at a few other options.
Too Much
Beef Quad - The cord pictured is 7mm accessory cord with a nylon sheath and a nylon core. It will withstand a ton of abuse and could be left tied as a quad for its lifetime. Wear will eventually show on the sheath at the limiter knots, but it will be evident before the core is compromised. This one weighs over 200g without any carabiners and it’s bulky as all get out! On a harness, across your chest, or even in the pack, it’s just ridiculous. Of course single pitch guides get a pass, but this much wearability is unnecessary for most scenarios.
Go Slim
Tech Quad- This is 5.5mm tech cord, with a dyneema core and a nylon sheath. Not everyone likes tech cord, but it’s becoming more popular. Certainly it’s strong and this one weighs in at 100g without carabiners which is half of its beefy counterpart. The tech cord buys back some serious weight savings, while still maintaining good wearability with the same ‘sheath and core’ advantage as the beef quad; the damage is visible well before it’s dangerous.
UL Sling Quad - Using an 8 -10mm sling between 180 - 240cm is the ultralight vision of quad utility. This one is 180cm and weighs 53g without carabiners — Damn! All the strength, low profile, and light as a whisper. Of course slings are subject to greater concern for wear because there is no sheath. If left tied, abrasion will be concentrated on the knots and the lifespan of the sling will be relatively short. Untie sling quads after every outing and inspect them regularly.
Minimalist
Minny Quad - This might be a little absurd the other direction. A 120cm sling tied as a quad can be nifty but it is limited. It won’t extend over an edge, but should be fine for routes with two bolts on a vertical plane. The advantage here again is the resulting orientation of the rope end carabiners.
Quick Draws - Two quick draws opposite and apprised or both gates facing out make up a vast majority of sport climbing anchors. Forget the quad if you are single pitch climbing and there are chains on a vertical plane. This is absolutely the fastest and most convenient option. If you were running laps all day and wanted extra security, you could throw in a third draw or a locker draw, but it’s not necessary.
Okay Jer, for review: Use quick draws for top roping vertical sport routes. Use the tech quad for unattended top rope anchors on large party crag days or when bolts are set back or varied. Use the 180cm sling for long multi pitch routes with bolted belay stations. The ‘Beef Quad’ is overkill and unnecessary for any. If you really must then fine, just don’t let those socks bunch.
Look good. Have fun. Climb safe.
Multi pitch (attended)
Single pitch (unattended)
