« Climbing / Big Wall

haul bags and things

2026-09-30

haul bag??? haul pig??

how many how big. why

okay here is everything you need to know. i don't like the BD haul bags i think they tear too easy and are dumb. also i'm just not a fan of Black Diamond so im also biased.

which bag

if you are doing solo big walling you might want the Metolius - El Cap (155L). but if partner walling here is why i don't like it. I guess it's a bit funny that you can almost fit an entire person in this bag.

1. too big. good luck diving into the bottom of it without going fully upside down
2. giant and uncomfortable. not a problem if your partner is the one carrying it down
3. a little harder to organize a single giant bag.

so instead!!! do THIS!!!

get 2 of these:

• metolius - half dome - it's about 100l which is much more manageable.
• or hear me out... edelrid - lynn hill 95

so here is the thing. I own the edelrid kurt and I quite like it. the straps are comfy and the bag has this awesome giant front zipper which is nice for dumping things in and zipping it up. A few notes though. it does not have a roll top, so bits of water can get inside when it rains.

Maybe the perfect combo is 1 lynn hill and 1 metolius half dome. and you put the non-water things in the metolius bag.

One thing I have not tried and think might be awesome are these ones:

• https://www.runoutcustoms.com/store/c3/BAGS.html

setting up your bag

okay. enough of the rambling. now how do you set up your bag.

A few sections:

1. Before the valley

   rigging your bag: just read this:

   • alpine savvy awesome rigging article
   • this is a pretty good read-through too

2. read up on this haul bag preservation - especially if you are climbing something slabbier like the nose. FYI you might accidentally buy the plastidip in a color that isn't black. not an issue but something to be cognisant of.

3. the best haul bag liner - get some of that. it's:

   More durable and doesn’t absorb water, so can be cleaned and reused. The cut edges are sharper than cardboard so I cover them with duct tape.

   some other suggestions I have NOT tried:

   Corex or Coroplast (the stuff they make yard signs out of) and you can get it at Lowe’s or Home Depot. I lifted the idea from P. 289 of “Higher Education,” where AK alternatively recommends 2 or 3 mil HDPE plastic sheets, which a buddy of mine uses. They are a bit heavier, but slightly lower-volume and stiffer, than the corrugated

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