We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
We bought and tested rope bags from Mammut, DMM, Edelrid, Metolius, and others to help you find the best
Comparing the many different sizes and shapes during our side-by-side testing for this review. From top right, the BD Super Chute, the Petzl Bolsa, Petzl Kab, BD Super Slacker, Metolius Speedster and Metolius Rope Ranger
Want to know what is the best rope bag for climbing? We've tested nearly 30 different bags in the past decade and have included 9 of the best and most popular in this comparative review. Our climbing experts never show up at a crag without a bag for the rope, which is essential for helping keep the rope clean, stacked, and convenient to transport between neighboring routes. We've packed and unpacked these rope bags hundreds of times, thrown them down in the dirt, and loaded them into our packs or worn them over our shoulders, assessing them along the way for comfort and how easy they are to use and to pack. If you need a new rope bag, we have the best recommendations for you.
If you're interested in which ropes we've ranked highest, check out our climbing rope review. We've tested hundreds of climbing products over the years and spend thousands of hours on the rock, sharing our findings in our thorough write-ups of each category. From the top-rated climbing shoes to the best belay device, we can help you find the right product for your needs. Head on over to our list of top climbing review picks for the best items in the biz.
Editor's Note: We updated our rope bag review on May 22, 2023 to ensure correct pricing of our product lineup.
The DMM Classic is an outstanding rope bag that sports some of the best features we have seen and works well for all types of climbing. Its large removable tarp keeps your cord out of the dirt, and we love the space-efficient closure system. Our testers appreciated the comfortable backpack straps on long approaches, and one of these straps is removable if you prefer messenger bag-style carrying. We could pack a 70m rope and all the essentials into the main compartment, including a harness, chalk, and one pair of shoes.
Really, we had minimal gripes about the DMM Classic. One minor issue is that the main compartment closes with a zipper, which isn't as fast or durable as the more popular drawstring closures. We would not recommend using it as an indoor-only climbing pack. It is much better suited for cragging or long approaches due to the large tarp and compression straps, which may feel excessive for gym climbing. If you're in the market for an impressively functional crag bag that is easy to use and comfortable to carry, the DMM Classic is tough to beat.
The Metolius Dirt Bag II is the best choice for those on a budget due to its solid performance and low cost. It's a fantastic option for climbers who want a functional rope bag and no-frills. The Dirt Bag II has a durable construction, a huge tarp, and enough space for some extra gear. This makes it “dirtbag cheap,” as the name implies, and a great bargain considering what it offers. It costs about as much as a large pizza in Yosemite, but it will last much longer.
The spacious zippered opening makes it easy enough to pack and unpack the rope, but it definitely has less volume than other packs we tested. The single shoulder strap isn't great for long approaches, so you probably wouldn't want to carry it for more than 20 minutes or so. Despite being limited in pack space and features, the Dirt Bag II is a solid budget option, and we recommend it to anyone on the fence about whether or not to buy a rope bag.
The Black Diamond Full Rope Burrito has found a place in our hearts because of how incredibly simple and easy it is to use. With its giant tarp and a super-easy elastic rim enclosure, there is no rope bag that is easier to stuff or unstuff than this one. Just about everyone we have climbed with has commented on how easy it is use. Our testers really appreciated this ease after trying to roll up, stuff, and attach the buckles on other rope bags day after day. It also comes at a nearly unbeatable price and has no fixed shape, so it's a cinch to stuff into your crag pack any which way it needs to go.
There are a few downsides to the Black Diamond Full Rope Burrito. For instance, it lacks carrying straps besides simple handles, so one must carry it inside a separate crag pack. If you have a small crag pack, it might not fit. Also, it doesn't come with any extra pockets for carrying items like some other models offer. Basically, it is not a self-contained pack. Instead, it serves as a lightweight, bare-bones, simple rope bag and tarp. If that's all you need, we wouldn't point you in any other direction.
The Edelrid Drone is one of our favorite rope bags with a classic drawstring closure because it includes two backpack straps and clever tie-in loops that double as handles.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Why Trust GearLab
Before cinching any bags or flaking any ropes, we had to decide which ones to test. We purchased the nine most promising rope bags to put through a gamut of field tests. We then tested each one by using them heavily, laying them out next to each other to get a relative sense of their size, dragging them across the dirt, stuffing them into packs, and filling them with rope and gear to see which organizational schemes worked best with each bag. What we ended up with is a comprehensive review that will ensure you get the best bag to protect and transport your climbing lifeline.
Our testing of rope bags is divided across four rating metrics:
Packability (30% of overall score weighting)
Carrying Comfort (25% weighting)
Rope Protection (25% weighting)
Ease of Use (20% weighting)
Our expert panel behind this review consists of professional mountain guide Ian Nicholson, avid climber Steven Tata, and outdoor educator Graham Williams. Ian is internationally licensed by IFMGA/UIAGM and has spent over 3,000 days guiding in the European Alps and the Pacific Northwest. Ian has guided over 1,000 clients, many of whom he has assisted in selecting gear for climbing, backpacking, and ski trips. Graham is an outdoor educator who works with college students. He is also an avid climber, backcountry skier, surfer, and fitness enthusiast. He holds a BS in Nutrition, Health and Exercise from the University of Nebraska. Steven has climbed thousands of routes across the country and enjoys everything from big wall nail-ups on El Cap to limestone sport cragging in Catalonia. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and lives in Yosemite National Park as a Climbing Steward.
Trango Antidote fully packed
Black Diamond Full Rope Burrito unpacked
Analysis and Test Results
If you're going to climb outside, you should have a bag — or at the very least, a tarp — to put your rope on. This will help extend the life of your rope by keeping it out of the dirt and grit at the crag. When dirt gets onto a rope, the grains can work themselves into the fibers and accelerate wear on those fibers. If left uncleaned, this can shorten a rope's lifespan significantly. Climbing ropes are expensive pieces of equipment and a non-redundant lifeline for most climbers. When used properly, rope bags can protect this lifeline, and they're relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of a rope. The last thing that you want to be doing when you're trying to climb is dealing with a mess of tangled rope or constantly flaking and restacking your cord. Rope bags make it easier to pack and unpack your rope and allow you to store your rope flaked rather than coiled, which can increase your efficiency at the crag. This has the potential to let you squeeze in another pitch or two before the day is over, and take another burn on your project to get you that much closer to sending.
Value
Despite a wide range of costs, all of the rope bags we tested have the same basic components. Even the cheapest ones will protect your rope during travel and keep it off the ground when you're climbing. Most of the more expensive models come with additional features to improve ease of use and carrying comfort, yet they don't offer much more in terms of rope protection than even the cheapest models. If you only want to keep your rope clean, don't waste cash on the highest-performing models. For example, the Metolius Dirt Bag II is an excellent choice for the budget-minded climber and gets the job done if you want a no-frills model to keep your rope clean and tidy. The Black Diamond Full Rope Burrito is another affordable option that functions great as a rope bag that's carried inside a larger crag pack.
Some of the higher-scoring models in our review are twice as expensive but only advantageous for those desiring additional features like a removable tarp or padded backpack straps. The DMM Classic is in the middle of the pack when it comes to cost. It offers a great dollar-for-dollar value.
Metolius keeps it simple with this affordable rope bag. We managed to get a 70m rope, harness, shoes, quickdraws, and a chalk bag inside, but it was tight.
Credit: Steven Tata
Packability
We tested each bag side-by-side to determine how difficult it is to pack and unpack a rope and some gear. We used a 9.8-millimeter 70-meter line as our main testing rope to ensure that each bag could fit a rope that is relatively long and thick by modern standards. The ideal bag for outdoor use would be one that can fit a rope, shoes, harness, quickdraws, chalk, water, and some snacks for a day of climbing. High scorers in the packability metric have a large volume and can be neatly packed for long approaches. The most common use for rope bags is outdoor single-pitch sport climbing, so we mainly focused on this application in our testing. We also considered gym climbing in our testing and chose to highlight models that stand out for their indoor performance.
Models with large removable tarps are usually the easiest to pack, and our testers preferred these for outdoor cragging. The two main styles of rope bags are “funnel” and “burrito.” Funnel-style bags are packed by sliding the rope off of the tarp into the main pack, while burrito-style bags are packed by rolling the rope inside the tarp and then into the main pack. We tested several bags of each style and found that the main pack design is more significant when it came to assessing packability.
The Classic has plenty of space for the essentials that you'll want for sport climbing.
Credit: Steven Tata
Of the models we tested, the DMM Classic is the easiest to pack. It's unparalleled when it comes to efficiently loading a rope and a modest amount of gear. It is one of the few backpack-style models with multiple compression straps, which eliminates loose space and helps to consolidate the load. The Mammut Crag is noticeably larger than the Classic and is better suited for being loaded with lots of gear, thus tying in our packability testing. The Edelrid Drone II also scored well here. It has a traditional drawstring closure for the main compartment in conjunction with compression straps to keep the load compact.
Several over-the-shoulder burrito-style models tied with slightly lower scores in packability, including the Metolius Ropemaster HC, Trango Antidote, and Black Diamond Super Chute. These all share a similar design that can cinch down well if you're only carrying a rope. The Metolius Speedster and Metolius Dirt Bag II didn't perform as well in packability because they lack compression straps and can't hold a ton of gear. This makes them a bit more cumbersome to load, and they can feel awkward to carry when not properly filled.
The Speedster has a fair amount of space but doesn't pack down very well without any compression straps.
Credit: Steven Tata
Carrying Comfort
Carrying comfort is a very significant attribute when it comes to outdoor cragging, especially when the approach is long. We evaluated carrying comfort by getting outside and taking each bag on long approaches. We paid attention to how breathable each pack's carrying straps were and took note of any that felt too narrow or cumbersome. Packs with two backpack-style straps scored higher in this metric, and we subjectively evaluated the back padding for comfort and breathability.
The backpack-style bags led the field in terms of carrying comfort. These included the DMM Classic, Edelrid Drone, and Mammut Crag. All feature a pair of straps for wearing as a backpack and are great options if your favorite crag is far from the trailhead. The Classic and Drone feel similar to lightweight hiking backpacks, while the Crag has more of a well-padded school bag feel. The Metolius Speedster is another model with backpack straps, but is not as comfortable as the others.
Rope bags with two backpack straps allow for more convenient and comfortable carrying.
Credit: Jack Cramer
For urban use and indoor climbing, messenger bag-style packs with single carrying straps can be comfortable to carry. Many of the simpler models that we tested only include single carrying straps. These are good enough for short approaches or carrying inside of a larger backpack but inadequate for distances beyond a quarter-mile. The Black Diamond Super Chute and Metolius Dirt Bag II are some of our favorite simple bags that have single carrying straps. The Super Chute is more spacious than the Dirt Bag II but is also more expensive.
Out testing the Metolius Dirt Bag II, in minimalist crag pack mode. The single strap is fine for short approaches, but shoulders start to suffer if traveling a mile or more.
Credit: Steven Tata
Rope Protection
The main purpose of a rope bag is to protect your rope during travel and to keep your rope out of the dirt while you climb. We scored each bag's rope protection abilities based upon tarp size and shape, and for how durable each bag felt for traveling. Despite being a significant rating metric, most of the models performed well in rope protection testing, and the results were not as differentiating as those of Packability and Carrying Comfort. Using a rope bag is a simple way to prolong the life of your rope and mitigate its exposure to potentially hazardous dirt or moisture.
Naturally, products with larger tarps have more to offer in the way of rope protection. Tarps that are more rectangular in shape also tend to lie flatter, which corresponds to more surface area to catch a falling cord after pulling it through the chains, and more space to flake your rope before and after climbing. The highest-scoring models in our rope protection metric all have large tarps and spacious packs that can accommodate 70-meter ropes. Bags that scored poorly either have small tarps or flimsy packs. All of the models in our review perform adequately when it comes to keeping your rope safe, but some stand out for having especially large tarps.
Having extra space around the rope can be nice for uneven surfaces or if you move the rope around between climbs. Here, the DMM Classic is keeping our 70-meter rope clean.
Credit: Steven Tata
The three Metolius models, the Dirt Bag II, Speedster, and Ropemaster HC, all have 52" x 58" rectangular tarps, which are the largest tarps of any bags in our review. Each bag is unique, but the Dirt Bag II stands out because it is one of the most affordable bags and provides you with the most tarp per dollar. The lowest scoring bag for rope protection is the Black Diamond Full Rope Burrito, which only has a 40" x 40" tarp. Although this is relatively small, it can still be enough space if you flake your rope neatly. All other models are durable enough to last for many years and supply adequate tarp space to accommodate a wide variety of ropes.
Flaking into the Speedster, which has a substantial tarp.
Credit: Steven Tata
Ease of Use
We evaluated Ease of Use by paying attention to design attributes that make bags more user-friendly while climbing, hiking, and in daily use outside of climbing. These include zippered pouches for valuables, removable tarps, additional straps for gear, and organizational pouches within the main pack compartment. Although none of the bags are particularly difficult to use, some of the simpler models left us wishing for more. We consider bags with tarps that are not removable less versatile for cragging because it's usually easier to move the rope between climbs when it is on a tarp that is not attached to a pack. We also prefer bags with zippered pouches because climbing with keys can be annoying. It's nice to have a place for small items that might otherwise get lost inside a backpack.
The DMM Classic earned the top score in our ease of use testing because it has a convenient zippered pocket, spacious removable tarp, and compression straps that can accommodate extra gear on the outside of the pack.
Removable tarps are more convenient when moving from pitch to pitch.
Credit: Steven Tata
The Mammut Crag has a large roll-top closure that allows it to function as a somewhat floppy rope bucket. Although the roll-top closure is easy to use, it is not as space-efficient as packs with zippered or pull-cord closures. The Metolius Dirt Bag II didn't stand out for being easy to use, and its small opening is a bit of an annoyance when packing larger ropes. Burrito-style packs like the Metolius Ropemaster HC and Black Diamond Super Chute are easy to pack, but neither has removable tarps or spacious zippered pouches.
A pocket for keys is always a welcome feature.
Credit: Steven Tata
Tie-in loops are a great feature that enhances ease of use. They allow you to secure the ends of a rope so you can pack up a flaked rope without worrying about losing an end and creating a knotted mess. This can save time at the crag and gym because you can unroll your bag with your cord already flaked and ready to go. All of the products we tested have tie-in loops in one form or another, however, we prefer colored loops because they make it easier to identify the top and bottom of a rope. Our favorite tie-in loops also double as handles to ease the chore of moving the rope tarp between neighboring routes. The Edelrid Drone features a particularly nice set of tie-in loops that also work as transport handles.
The tie-in loops on the Edelrid Drone do double duty as convenient carrying handles for transporting your rope between neighboring routes.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Conclusion
After meticulous research and thoughtful selection of our bags, combined with heavy testing of each model, this review is one of the most thorough and comprehensive available. We paid out thousands of feet of rope in our testing and hiked hundreds of approach miles. The best rope bag purchase for you depends on what you're looking for in a bag and what types of climbing you engage in. Regardless of which model you choose, it's always smart to keep your rope safe and use a rope bag. Have fun climbing!
