What Quickdraws Do
A quickdraw (or "draw") connects your rope to a bolt on the wall through two carabiners attached by a short dogbone sewn sling. They reduce friction on the rope, allow the rope to run smoothly through the system, and provide extension to reduce rope drag on wandering routes.
Quickdraws are UIAA/CE rated for strength (22kN minimum major axis load). Never use a quickdraw that has been dropped from height, shown gate damage, or shows wear on the major axis groove.
Gate Types
- Solid gate: Traditional spring-loaded gate. Reliable, predictable. More common on the bolt-end carabiner of a quickdraw.
- Wire gate: Bent wire gate. Lighter than solid, less prone to vibration-induced gate flutter (which reduces strength). Preferred on the rope-end carabiner. Most performance quickdraws use wire gates on both ends.
- Keylock nose: Smooth nose (no hook) that doesn't catch on bolts or hangers when clipping. Preferred for the bolt-end carabiner — significantly easier to clip cleanly.
Recommendation: Quickdraws with keylock bolt-end + wire gate rope-end are the most versatile combination for sport climbing.
Weight
Quickdraw weight matters primarily for multipitch and alpine climbing. For single-pitch sport climbing: weight is secondary to reliability. A 10-draw rack weighing 70g/draw vs 90g/draw = 200g difference on your harness — marginal for most climbers.
Draw Length
Standard draws are 10-12cm (short) for most sport climbing. 18-20cm extendable draws (often made with slings) are used on wandering trad routes to reduce rope drag. Begin with a standard 10-12cm draw rack; add alpine draws (120cm sling + 2 carabiners) as needed for trad climbing.
How Many to Carry
Count the bolts on routes you'll climb, then add 2-3. Most single-pitch sport routes have 6-12 bolts + anchor. A rack of 10-12 draws covers 95% of single-pitch sport climbing. Trad climbing requires cam/nut gear in addition to draws.