Best Climbing Rope Bags of 2024
rope tarps, crag bags, rope packs and travel bags—keep your climbing rope clean and carrying it to your climbing adventures
Rope bags come in different varieties and styles.
Home > Gear Reviews > Climbing
August 6th, 2024
You may ask yourself, do I really need a climbing rope bag? We’d answer: yes! It’s not as essential to saving your life as your other climbing gear — the rope itself, your harness, helmet, pro, and shoes — but it is an essential piece of your kit (and usually a relatively inexpensive piece of gear) that helps you significantly extend the life of your expensive climbing ropes and keeps you safer.
While a good climbing rope is hearty and durable and can handle multiple drops, some abrasion, and whatever else your adventures throw at it, one of the biggest things that can compromise a climbing rope is seemingly innocuous and almost invisible. It’s all the dirt, dust, and grime that gets worked into the strands of the rope over time. Keeping your rope in a rope bag and on a tarp while climbing isn’t just a neat and convenient way to carry it — it goes a long way to keeping your rope clean and in send ready form, too.
Here’s what you need to know about rope bags and the favorites we’ve used and tested, and the most popular bags we've seen at the crags over the years.
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Climbing rope bags comparison table
| ROPE BAG | TREELINE AWARD | WEIGHT | SIZE | TARP SIZE | BAG TYPE | POCKETS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Diamond Team Stone 42 Duffel Bag | Best Overall Read why |
2 lbs. 8 oz. | 42 Liters | 47” X 59” | Backpack | 2 internal zip pockets |
| Metolius Ropemaster HC Rope Bag - Blue | Best High-Capacity Read why |
1 lbs. 4 oz. | 29 Liters | 52" x 58" | Burrito | None |
| Trango Antidote Rope Bag | Best Burrito-Style Read why |
1 lb., 3 oz. | 25 liters | 48" x 60" | Burrito | 1 zippered |
| Sterling Vertac Black Gear Bag 40L | Best for Travel Read why |
3 lbs. | 40 liters | N/A | Backpack | 6 internal and external |
| Trango Cord Trapper Rope Tarp | Best Climbing Tarp Read why |
9.5 oz. | N/A | 48" x 60" | Tarp | None |
The winners
Best overall climbing rope bag: Black Diamond Stone 42 Duffel
Weight: 2 lbs. 8 oz.
Size: 42 Liters
Tarp size: 47” X 59”
Bag type: Backpack
Pockets: 2 internal zip pockets
What we liked: Removable tarp, giant zippered pockets, internal loops make it easy to organize gear
What we didn’t like: Inside is black making it harder to see some things
The Black Diamond Stone 42 Duffel has everything we want in a crag bag and it’s the rope bag we keep reaching for every time we head out. When we splayed the pack open for the first time at East Colfax in Clear Creek Canyon, we were impressed by how easy it was to access the tarp and organizing features inside.
The removable tarp is big enough to handle rolling up an 80-meter rope. It also has red and green tie-in loops for securing the ends of the rope, which is great for rope organization.
We also love that the shoulder and waist straps easily tuck away into the pack in case you need to haul it up or move through narrow spaces where it might get caught on tree branches, rocks, or other things. We also love the burly handles on the outside, which make it easy to hold from the top or front, to tie into a rope or clip a carabiner to.
Compare prices of the Black Diamond Stone 42 Duffel
The Stone Duffel tarp fully splayed out at East Colfax.
Inside the pack there are two top loops you can easily attach all your quickdraws and/or trad gear to. With 42 liters of space inside there’s also plenty of space to hold your shoes, harness, and more. The two giant, zippered internal pockets are great for storing necessities, like keys, a headlamp, and snacks.
The Black Diamond Stone Duffel showing its winning features: tarp and tieiin points, gear loops, and zippered pockets.
Made of stocky, recycled 840-denier nylon and 1,260-denier ballistic nylon, the duffel should last for a decade or more of tough use. This streamlined pack is well-designed, comfortable to carry long distances, and has all the features we want in a crag pack.
Best large-capacity climbing rope bag: Metolius Ropemaster HC
Weight: 1 lbs. 4 oz.
Size: 29 Liters
Tarp size: 52" x 58"
Bag type: Burrito
Pockets: None
What we liked: Can carry an 80M rope and extra gear, rope viewing window, easy to cinch and wrap up
What we didn’t like: Only one shoulder strap, could be a little larger, no pocket or other organization features
You may ask yourself—or us—why we feature the Metolius Ropemaster HC (high-capacity) as a high-capacity bag when we’ve got two bigger backpacks already listed here. That’s because both of those are more climbing backpack than rope bag. The extra 4 liters of capacity that the Ropemaster has over the Trango Antidote does make it easier to carry more gear or accommodate bigger shoes and harnesses as well as a longer, 80m rope.
Compare prices of the Metolius Ropemaster HC
The Metolius Ropemaster HC and its rope viewing window.
Like the Antidote bag, we appreciate the rope viewing window, which makes it really easy to know what rope is in there before you head out. We also found it’s very easy to cinch the rim of the bag and then use the straps to really ratchet everything down tight, making it ideal for navigating narrow crooks and crannies, hauling gear up to the next pitch, and not taking up too much space at the crag.
The Ropemaster HC is the second version of the first rope-specific bag, Metolius’ Ropemaster. Despite the added capacity, little has changed since its introduction over three decades ago—you know the saying: “if it ain’t broke…” Still, we think the Antidote offers a slightly better value at about $10 less with a zippered pocket, sturdier feeling material, two carrying straps allowing for multiple carry options and a sturdier haul handle. But if space is your premium in a compact rope bag, this is the one to opt for.
Best burrito-style climbing rope bag: Trango Antidote Rope Bag
Weight: 1 lb., 3 oz.
Size: 25 liters
Tarp Size: 48" x 60"
Bag type: Burrito
Pockets: 1 zippered
What we liked: Good sized tarp, straps make it easy to carry as backpack or side sling pack, durable haul/carry handle
What we didn’t like: Smaller overall capacity than some other options, no internal organization capabilities
The Trango Antidote Rope Bag is our favorite burrito-style rope bag. It’s simple, easy-to-use, and minimal. We’ve had the same one for about seven years and have taken it all over Colorado—climbing on the Flat Irons, Boulder Canyon, Shelf Road, ice climbing in Ouray, and more. With 25 liters of internal storage space the pack can easily handle a 70 meter rope and some extras like a harness and sport rack. At under $40 (as of July 2024), it’s also a great value.
The Antidote and Metolius Ropemaster HC are almost exact mirrors of each other—even in color! The Antidote is black on the outside with a blue tarp. The Ropemaster HC we tested is blue on the outside with a black tarp. They both have multi-colored rope tie-in points and a cinching cord around the cuff of the bag. Both also have exterior straps with metal buckles to secure the tarp and contents, and cinch them down, in case you need to put the bag in a bigger pack for a long haul or multi-day excursion.
Compare prices of the Trango Antidote Rope Bag
The Trango Antidote in the wild with the author in the pre-COVID years.
They also both have plastic rope windows that make it easy to see which rope is in the bag (extremely useful if you have multiple ropes (dry, non-dry, 60m, 70m, twin, etc.), and to make sure you’ve got the right rope in the bag before you head out.
The Trango Antidote showing off one of its killer features—the rope viewing window.
However, in our test units (our Trango Antidote is over eight years old, and still looks and functions like new) the fabric throughout as well as the plastic viewing window on the Antidote is burlier than on the Ropemaster. The Antidote has two long, lightly padded straps, which make it easier to wear as a backpack or side sling pack—the Ropemaster only has one side-sling style strap. The Antidote also has a zippered pouch on the outside big enough to hold essentials like keys, a headlamp and sunglasses or belay glasses. The Ropemaster HC doesn’t.
The 25-liter Antidote is slightly smaller than 29-liter Ropemaster HC. So if you’re carrying an 80m rope and trad gear to the crag that might be a better option. Also, If you’re taking the Antidote as your only bag to the crag, you’d likely need to clip other gear (helmet, shoes, etc.) to the outside. The thinly padded straps aren’t ideal for carrying long distances like they are on the Black Diamond Stone Duffel, so if your approaches are miles long treks, you might want to drop the Antidote into a larger pack, but it’s a great, versatile bag for most climbers.
Best traveling climbing rope bag: Sterling Vertac Black Gear Bag 40L
Weight: 3 lbs.
Size: 40 liters
Tarp size: N/A
Bag type: backpack
Pockets: 6 internal and external
What we liked: Burly, great organization options, comfortable shoulder straps
What we didn’t like: Bulkier than other bags, no included rope tarp, can’t stow away the shoulder straps
If you’re heading out on your next dream climbing trip to somewhere in Thailand, Kalymnos, the Dolomites or Tonsai…we’re jealous! If we were making that trip we’d want a pack that can handle not just the rigors of the rock but also the airport, boat, yak, and whatever else travel will throw at it.
That’s where the Sterling VERTAC Black Gear Bag 40L comes in. It’s a rope bag that doubles as a travel backpack—so you can go from the gate to rock before even stopping at your hostel or houseboat.
View the Sterling Vertac Black Gear Bag 40L
The Sterling Vertac Black Gear Bag shown with two 70m ropes, harness and other gear.
Sterling claims it’s a 40-liter pack but it felt like it was bigger than the 42-liter Stone Duffel from Black Diamond. It easily gobbled up two 70m ropes with enough room for a harness, shoes and a rack of trad gear. We could also see using it as our only backpack on an extended cragging weekend, since it can carry a rope, rack, harness, helmet, shoes and some extra clothes inside.
Like the Stone Duffel, the VERTAC also features stellar organization. The lid has a zip-open pocket that’s divided into two compartments for snacks, lights, soft gear like socks and other items. Underneath the zippered lid is a large mesh pocket, ideal for your crag book, belay glasses and other gear. That’s in addition to two internal mesh pockets along each side of the pack and a laptop sleeve towards the back of the pack.
You can easily clip gear to the daisy loops to keep it from becoming a knotty mess in the Vertac.
Oh, and did we mention the pack offers access not just through the top, but the back panel also splays open like a duffel giving easy access to everything inside. That includes the daisy chain loops inside the top front of the pack for organizing your rack and other gear.
The only problems we really had with the pack, other than not coming with a tarp, was that the burliness of the recycled 600D nylon fabric and padding inside felt like overkill at our easy crags in Clear Creek. Still, if we needed to haul it up a multipitch route we’re sure the handle, rated at 50 pounds, would be up to hauling up almost any gear we left in there, as well as the gear of most of our climbing party.
If, for some reason the 40-liter pack isn’t big enough, Sterling also offers the VERTAC in a 60-liter version.
Best climbing tarp: Trango Cord Trapper Rope Tarp
Weight: 9.5 oz.
Size: N/A
Tarp size: 48" x 60"
Bag type: Tarp
Pockets: None
What we liked: Multiple color options, lightweight
What we didn’t like: No carry straps, cinching tarp down takes a little getting used to
If you’re looking for a compact, lightweight climbing tarp to protect your rope at the crag and make it easier to slip into a backpack without coiling it, this your go to. We’ve had the same Cord Trapper Tarp for about a decade and have used it rock climbing throughout Colorado, cragging Clear Creek, trad climbing at Eldorado Canyon, ice climbing in Ouray, and at countless other spots around the state. Somehow we still haven’t put any holes in it.
Compare prices of the Trango Cord Trapper Rope Tarp
The Trango Cord Trapper Rope Tarp has generous sizing, useful arrows, and multi-colored tie-ins.
The Cord Trapper is easy to tuck and roll your rope up into it like a burrito, cinch down with the strap, and stow it in larger packs for long hikes into remote areas, like climbing in the Buffalo Creek Wilderness. It also has red and green tie in points to make sure you pull from the top of the rope pile rather than the bottom. Otherwise it’s a no-frills rope tarp that retails for $24.95. But you can find it for about $20 at some stores—just a little more than a cheap truck tarp.
It doesn’t have any carrying straps, making it awkward to carry on its own. But it allows you to cinch a rope down tightly without coiling it and neatly stowing it in a backpack like the Sterling VERTAC. We also love that the tarp is available in multiple colors. It is another way that makes it easier to find your rope when packing up at the crag, or if you have two or more ropes you could keep each type of rope in a different colored tarp, so it’s easy to grab and go.
Best affordable climbing rope bag: Ikea Frakta Shopping Bag
Weight: 4 oz.
Size: 22” x 15” x 14” (72 liters)
Tarp size: N/A
Bag type: Bucket Style
Pockets: None
What we liked: Can’t beat $0.89 in terms of price, multiple carry loops make it easy to tie off rope and carry the bag, lots of space for extra gear
What we didn’t like: Not as durable as other options, no way to really cinch the top closed, no organization abilities, no tarp
If you’ve never seen the big blue bag at a crag you probably haven’t looked. This simple, lightweight bag from IKEA is a favorite of dirtbags everywhere—indeed when an ice climbing buddy saw a potentially abandoned IKEA bag at Lincoln Falls, her eyes lit up with crag booty dreams. She was a little crestfallen when someone else claimed it.
It’s hard to debate the value. IKEA sells this bag for less than a dollar or you can buy a 10-pack on Amazon delivered to your door. Essentially it’s a truck tarp with handles sewn into a shopping bag, which is probably why it’s so cheap—IKEA’s using it to encourage more shopping! At 4 ounces it’s the lightest bag here and, at 72 liters of capacity, it has the largest capacity of any bag we considered. Plus, it folds down to nothing when not in use.
Compare prices of the Ikea Frakta Shopping Bag
The Ikea Frakta at a Movement Climbing Gym in Colorado.
However, it’s lacking a lot of other things we’re looking for in a climbing bag. It doesn’t have any shoulder straps, organization, or a tarp. It’s just a bucket. Also, while IKEA rates it for carrying up to 55 pounds, it’s not abrasion resistant like tarps designed for the rigors of climbing. It just won’t last as long as other rope bags and tarps. And, as it breaks down, you may end up leaving some plastic debris at the crag that will eventually work their way into a wild animal or nearby body of water.
Our favorite rope bags at the classic Castle Rock crag.
Other climbing rope bags we tested and considered
Black Diamond Super Chute
Weight: 1 lb. 1 ounces
Size: 25 liters
Tarp size: 48" x 57"
Bag type: burrito/funnel
Pockets: Small rope ID pocket
What we liked: Ability to roll up like a burrito or slide rope into the bag like a funnel, big enough to carry 80M rope
What we didn’t like: Not a lot of space to carry extra gear, no external loops, no carry handle
This rope bag has the bare basics we’d want in a crag bag—it’s cinchable, has a shoulder strap, and a tarp. It’s similar to both the Trango Antidote and the Metolius Ropemaster HC. The ability to use the tarp to funnel the rope pile into the bag is nice, but we find that rolling the rope in a tarp before rolling it into the bag helps keep the rope pile in order more. And while the Ropemaster and Antidote have a transparent window so you can see the rope inside, the Super Chute has a business card-sized pocket with a mesh cover so you can see the name of the rope you wrote on the card. But that’s its only pocket. It also lacks a carrying handle or any other opportunity to carry it other than the sparsely padded shoulder strap.
View the Black Diamond Super Chute
Weight: 1 lbs. 4 oz.
Size: 29 liters
Tarp size: 52" x 58"
Bag type: Backpack/funnel
Pockets: Small zippered pocket
What we liked: Big enough for an 80m rope and some extra gear, small pocket for gear like keys and belay glasses, zipper down the front of the pack makes it super easy to access everything
What we didn’t like: Funnel style pack makes it easier to mess up the rope pile, not a lot of ability to strap extra gear on the outside, no back panel padding
This is another good rope bag from Metolius but it just wasn’t our favorite. We’d choose the Trango Antidote over it. The Antidote is more versatile, with straps that can be used as a backpack or side sling pack. This pack doesn’t have a rope ID window and the gear pocket is smaller than on other options. As described with the Super Chute above, we’re also not entirely sold on the funnel method of stuffing a rope in a pack.
Compare prices of the Metolius Speedster Rope Bag
Weight: 13.3 oz.
Size: N/A
Tarp size: No tarp
Bag type: Bucket
Pockets: none
What we liked: Zipper makes easy work of compressing the rope, loops at top make it easy to haul bag up
What we didn’t like: No tarp, no place for extra gear, loops at top aren’t color coordinated
This was a unique rope bag among the pieces tested. It’s not a traditional rope bag or even a tarp. In fact, it has no tarp. It’s a bucket for quickly stowing rope on multipitch or mountaineering routes using gravity to keep the rope pile in order, so you don’t really need to tie in the bottom end of the rope. But if you don’t tie off the top end of the rope it would be easy to lose it when carrying the rope.
The zipper allows the bucket to open wide, while the top loops make it easy to connect the bucket to an anchor. Connecting the bucket to an anchor keeps the bucket open, making it easy to toss rope into it from a hanging belay station. It’s great for that, but not really as a practical crag bag or rope bag. You’d need to roll the rope up in a tarp, put the tarp in the bucket and then zip it up.
Compare prices of the Black Diamond Rope Bucket
Weight: 9.4 oz.
Size: N/A
Tarp size: 58" x 53"
Bag type: Tarp
Pockets: One giant rope pocket
What we liked: Giant rope pocket makes it easy to funnel rope into bottom of the tarp before folding and rolling, color-coded rope tie ins
What we didn’t like: Doesn’t come with the carabiner needed to secure the tarp
We didn’t actually test this tarp from Metolius, but we like all of its features and would consider it as a contender for the best tarp. GearJunkie named it one of their favorites as well, noting: “The tarp was just big enough and the right shape to provide adequate space to loosely flake out a 70m rope. When done for the day, the rope dropped into the pocket, and the bag rolled up burrito-style, smaller and lighter than traditional rope tarps with attached bags, or even square-shaped tarps alone.”
One thing we didn’t like is that though it secures with daisy chains, it doesn’t come with the carabiner that is required to keep it secure.
View the Metolius Rope Tarp
Why do you need a climbing rope bag
A climbing rope bag isn’t just a great way to carry hundreds of feet of rope. Along with a tarp (usually integrated) it’s actually an important piece of gear that will help you prolong the life of your climbing rope by protecting it from the elements, including sand, grit, dirt, and anything else at the climbing crag. By keeping these particles off the rope, a rope bag helps keep it cleaner and prevents the particles from embedding themselves in the rope fiber causing premature wear and tear.
For a complete climbing setup, be sure to also choose the right chalk and chalk bag. Check out our guides on the Best Climbing Chalk and Best Climbing Chalk Bags.
Rope bags at the crag.
Types of climbing rope bags
Burrito (Fold and roll):
A rope bag with a tarp that rolls into itself. This is the most common type of rope bag we tested and is ideal for cragging and most climbers. Usually a burrito-style rope bag has room for the rope and some gear, and maybe a pocket for valuables like car keys. Often, it has a sling style shoulder strap rather than backpack straps.
Backpack:
Usually has a tarp and a little more space for rope and extra gear. Also ideal for cragging and most climbers. A backpack-style rope bag makes it easier and more comfortable to carry ropes and gear long distances.
Travel:
A climbing backpack for flying and other types of travel. Can also work as a crag pack but is more geared toward carrying all your climbing and other gear and surviving air travel.
Tarp:
The most basic rope protection for a crag is a single sheet you can roll the rope up in. A tarp-style rope bag doesn’t have any carrying straps. You can drop it in a big backpack or carry it by hand. Tarp-style rope bags are ideal for crags close to the car or carrying the rope inside another pack.
Bucket style:
This type of rope bag is just a big bucket to drop rope in. Usually, it has large carry handles but not a shoulder strap for carrying. It's good for cragging, but not for carrying long distances. Sometimes, it has a reinforced rim to make it easier to drop rope into.
Haul bag:
A haul bag is usually a really rugged bag used for hauling gear (extra rope, water, rigging, etc.) on big wall climbs. (None tested in this round)
Canyoneering:
A ruggedized, well-draining backpack with enough space to hold a canyoneering rope and other gear. These aren’t too commonly used for regular rock climbing. (None tested in this round)
What to look for in a climbing rope bag
Material
You’ll generally want a rope bag with a relatively heavy denier nylon or polyester that may have a durable water repellent (DWR). You don’t want a fully waterproof bag because you’ll want the rope to dry out if it gets wet and it might not dry out if it’s in a waterproof bag between uses.
Durability
Rope bags are usually made of heavier denier nylon and polyester that can withstand years of rough use and being tossed about at the crag, bumping against jagged rocks, getting snagged on tree and branch stumps, the sandy dirt at the base of the crag as well as the errant glass shards you might run into at the base of an old crag. A rope bag should outlast at least two ropes’ life with a little care—if not four or five.
Size and capacity
Most rope bags aren’t rated in terms of liters like most backpacks are. We tested rope bags and tarps outside, usually with a 70m rope between 9.8mm and 9.3mm. Every one we tested was able to fit a 70m rope with relative ease and would also accommodate an 80m rope as well. Some rope bags are much smaller, for a gym-length, 30m rope, however we didn’t test any of those in this round of testing.
The capacity of the rope bags we tested was mainly limited to the rope itself and sometimes a side pocket, as on the Trango Antidote. Unless you’re carrying an 80m rope, you can cram a harness and some other gear inside as well.
In contrast, the rope backpacks we tested had much more room for additional protection, gear, water, and snacks.
Related: Best Belay Devices
The Metolius Speedster and its tarp.
Tarps
Almost all the rope bags we tested had tarps attached. All the tarps we tested were rectangular. The size varied from 48” x 52” to 48" x 60”. A bigger tarp is often nicer for flaking your rope and putting gear like your climbing shoes and climbing rack on, but other factors are as important, if not more.
The best tarps we tested not only had rope tie ins, but different colored rope tie ins so you know which end to use if you don’t flake the rope every time you pull it out of the bag.
The other nice feature is removability. We don’t always take the tarp off the bag, but it’s a great feature to have at a small crag where space is at a premium or on a multi-pitch day when you want to protect the rope between pitches but don’t want to carry the whole bag. The only bag we tested with a removable tarp was the Black Diamond Stone Duffel.
Compartments and pockets
Unless you’re looking for a basic tarp, having a zippered pocket or two is ideal in a good rope bag. At the least it’ll allow you to stash your keys, sunglasses, and a snack safely. After all there’s nothing worse than forgetting your keys at the crag and having to hike back to it and search for your keys—not that that’s ever happened to us—we swear!
The zippers on both the Metolius Speedster and the Black Diamond Stone Duffel make it easy to quickly secure all the contents in a rope bag.
Zipper and closure systems
The rope bags we tested had a variety of different closure systems and methods. While the majority secured with compression straps, and adjustable buckles, like the Trango Antidote Rope Bag. Some others, like the Black Diamond Stone Duffel close with a zipper. Though we love the Stone Duffel, in most cases we preferred a rope bag with more compression so we can cinch the rope into the smallest package possible.
Carrying and Comfort
With the exception of tarps, rope bags have carrying handles and/or shoulder straps. A lot of rope bags tested have sling style shoulder straps. With these, it’s important to have a long enough strap so that the bag can hang low enough that it won’t interfere with a small backpack that you’re also carrying to the crag.
Some others, like the Trango Antidote, are designed with two long shoulder straps to allow for carrying on the side or tightened down to wear like a pack. Yet others are designed to wear as a backpack, like the Sterling VERTAC.
Consider how long your approach typically is (the right Approach Shoes are your friends!), and whether or not you want a pack that works best for multi-pitch climbing and longer routes.
The padded shoulder straps on the Black Diamond Stone Duffel made it one of the easiest to carry longer distances.
Padded shoulder straps
Most rope bags had some light padding on the shoulder straps, giving some comfort while carrying them to the crag. Black Diamond’s Rope Bucket had the least amount of padding and we wouldn’t want to carry it on our shoulders for very long.
Only the Sterling VERTAC and the Black Diamond Stone Duffel had straps that we’d be happy to carry for many miles. They’re also the only bags tested with hip belts.
Handles and portability
Having a strong handle on one end of the bag is ideal. If you’re cramming through narrow cracks in the rock where the bag might snag, you can drop the bag off your shoulder and shimmy through holding it by the handle. It’s also great for multiple-pitch climbing and walking off the top, because you can tie the end of the rope to the handle after you’ve secured the tarp.
Ventilation and moisture management
None of these rope bags or backpacks feature the ventilation you’d find in backpacks for hiking and backpacking. Rope bags are primarily designed for shorter trips.
Gear loops and zippered pockets make it really easy to keep gear organized at the crag.
Gear loops and attachment points
Other than handles and shoulder straps, most basic rope bags don’t have gear loops and attachment points. The backpack style bags had some internal loops and attachment points. They make it easier to manage gear like quickdraw and trad protection inside the bag, and to keep everything where you want it.
The rope viewing windows on a new Metolius Ropemaster HC compared to a roughly 10 year-old Trango Antidote bag.
Rope ID
We know a lot of people only have one or maybe two climbing ropes (like a dry-treated rope and a non-dry treated rope). And it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between two different ropes in two different types of rope bags.
However, a means of quick rope identification, like looking through the clear plastic viewing window on the Metolius Ropemaster, makes it super easy to make sure you grab the right rope for the right adventure. It also makes it easier to find your rope when you’re at a busy crag and all the bags look alike. The Black Diamond Super Chute has a rope ID slot as well.
How to choose a climbing rope bag
Rope baggin’ at the craggin’.
What type of climbing are you doing?
Whether you’re sport, top-roping, trad climbing, ice-climbing, or alpine climbing, a rope bag is a great piece of gear to have to protect your rope. In most cases, any of these rope bags or tarps will more than meet your needs. However, if you’re multi-pitch climbing or alpine climbing, weight will be at the most premium and you’ll want as light a bag as possible or a bag with a removable tarp.
How long is your rope?
All of the rope bags and tarps tested easily handled 70m ropes up to 9.9mm in diameter. That’s enough rope for the majority of sport and trad routes in the US. The bags should also be large enough for 80m ropes, which is usually the longest rope most people climb with.
How much other gear will you need to carry in this bag?
If you’re just carrying a rope, a bag like the Metolius Ropemaster is ideal. If you want to carry everything to the crag or ice wall, a pack like the Black Diamond Stone Duffel has room for everything—shoes, pro, rope (of course), harness, etc. But you may want to carry your helmet on the outside.
How wet is your destination?
Hopefully not too wet. Hopefully you’re climbing on dry rock or ice that’s cold enough that it’s not melting. None of the rope bags tested are waterproof and that’s so the ropes can breathe in case they get wet during use or inside the bag.
Climbing rope bag care and maintenance
After a lot of usage it’s a good idea to wash or rinse a climbing bag. You could even toss most in when you’re washing your climbing rope. If you’re cleaning by hand, we’d recommend using a hose to rinse from the outside first, helping to push any particles on the inside of the tarp and bag out. Then hose it off from the inside pushing any remaining particles out through the outside of the fabric.
FAQ
How do I choose the right size of a climbing rope bag?
Almost all the tested bags easily handled a 70m rope and included a rope tarp big enough for a rope that size. So the main factor in choosing the right size rope bag is whether you want to carry your other gear inside them or if you want to use another pack to carry your climbing gear.
Are climbing rope bags waterproof?
Not usually. They may have a DWR treatment on the outside, but it’s important for the rope to breathe and dry out when in the bag in case you forget to dry a wet rope out after you leave the crag.
Can I use any bag for my climbing rope, or do I need a specialized rope bag?
Sure. You can use any bag as a rope bag as long as it’s big enough to carry the rope. For instance, we have an 18L Mammut Trion Alpine Pack that we like but carrying a 70m rope inside that pack is difficult. So, when using that pack, we’ll usually coil the rope and carry it on the outside. One of the reasons fold-and-roll rope bags are so nice is that you don’t need to spend the extra time coiling and flaking a rope. We find dumping a rope pile into a bag like an Ikea bag or rope bucket-style bag can lead to more rope kink.
But, if you’re using just any old backpack as a rope bag, you won’t have the benefit of a rope tarp unless you bring one separately. And we think the most important feature of a rope bag is the tarp.
Are there climbing rope bags suitable for different climbing styles?
Big wall climbers and multi-pitch climbers may need an extra burly haul bag-style rope bag for carrying varying ropes and gear and some may prefer a bucket-style rope bag, but we found that rope bags with tarps offered the best benefit for most climbers.
Can I use a climbing rope bag as my primary backpack?
Not really. If you’re looking for a hiking/backpacking/alpine pack that also does double duty as a climbing rope bag you can make it work. But if you want a crag bag or rope bag that has enough capacity to also work as a crag backpack, consider a backpack-style rope bag like the Black Diamond Stone Duffel, or the Metolius Speedster.
If you’re looking for a backpack or daypack, check out our Best Lightweight Backpacking and Thru-hiking Backpacks and Best Daypacks for Hiking guides.
What's the difference between a climbing rope bag and a rope tarp?
A rope bag has shoulder straps and usually has an integrated rope tarp. A rope tarp is like a giant tortilla designed to wrap up a rope and usually has a compression strap to help keep the rope rolled up inside. It also helps keep your rope clean when flaking out and belaying on the ground by keeping dirt and sand off.
How we researched and tested
We’ve been using rope bags and tarps for a decade or more after realizing how much cleaner and organized they kept our ropes. As such we’ve lugged them all over Colorado, particularly on the Front Range, while the author worked on his second guidebook, Colorado’s Best Front Range Adventures, climbing popular crags and cliffs from Shelf Road to Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ve always appreciated how much cleaner they keep our ropes and reduce the amount of time we need to flake our ropes.
We evaluated rope bags for the purposes we need them for as well as the other potential purposes that they are needed for by most climbers. Since we haven’t done much big wall climbing where we’d need a haul bag, we didn’t test those and similarly since we only get out to canyoneer about once or twice a year, we weren’t able to really test those types of rope bags either. However, we hope to add them to our testing repertoire in the future.
About the author / Why you should trust us
As someone who’s been climbing on and off for the last decade, I’ve found that rope bags are a great way to help keep my ropes organized among a flood of other gear. While a great rope coil looks great, it requires a climber to flake it every time at the crag. With a rope bag and tarp you just pile the rope into the bag and you’re ready to go.
I’m an outdoors writer covering adventure and gear, who writes regularly about the outdoors and I enjoy outdoor activities all year round, including skiing on the slopes and backcountry, snowshoeing, and ice climbing. I’ve authored numerous gear guides for Treeline Review, write for Popular Mechanics, Bicycling Magazine, Popular Science, Backpacker, and other outdoor publications/organizations.
I have authored multiple outdoor guidebooks, including Colorado’s Best Front Range Adventures: The Greatest Hiking, Climbing, Paddling and More From Denver to Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. In it, I cover the best hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and rafting in the region.
I’m also the author of Falcon Guide’s Climbing Colorado's Fourteeners: From the Easiest Hikes to the Most Challenging Climbs and edited Justin Lichter’s excellent guide to thru-hiking titled Trail Tested: A Thru-Hiker's Guide To Ultralight Hiking And Backpacking. All of this experience has helped me become a first-rate gearhead and product tester.
At Treeline Review, we strive to offer unbiased reviews to help you find the best product for the price. Treeline Review doesn’t accept sponsored content, native advertising, or paid reviews. I am not sponsored by any companies, nor are any of my family members sponsored by, employees of, or ambassadors of any of the companies in this review.
