The Metolius Ropemaster HC is a classic and a perfect climbing rope bag for pros and novices alike. If you are after a cheap bag, you can’t beat the Psychi Rock - its lightweight and durability has made it quite popular.
Best Climbing Rope Bag (Top Picks)
Best Overall
Check Latest Prices
Best Value
Check Latest Prices
Best Lightweight
Check Latest Prices
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy something through the links on this page, we might get a small commission. It will not affect your price but helps keep our site alive!
Top Climbing Rope Bags (Detailed Reviews)
I looked at 9 rope bags for this article. So here are my top 5 best climbing rope bags:
- Metolius Ropemaster HC climbing rope bag - Best Overall
- Metolius Speedster Bag
- Petzl Kab Rope Bag
- Black Diamond Super Chute - Best Lightweight
- Psychi Rock Climbing Bag - Best Value
Read our complete buyers guide for climbing rope bags.
Best Rope Bags (Overall)
1. Metolius Ropemaster HC
The Metolius Ropemaster HC Bag is a faultless base option for climbers who are looking for nothing more and nothing less. It is its perfected simplicity that I like.
The Ropemaster HC was one of the first rope bags ever introduced, and the fact that is it still around today proves its timeless design. This basic construction is still made of heavy-duty material and is big enough for 70m of rope as well as some gear.
The bag includes a tarp large enough to flake rope without your rope touching the ground. The drawcord closure and buckles help to cinch the bag to as small as possible, which is awesome for transport, and a plastic window on the top of the bag allows you to identify your rope and gear inside your bag.
The bag’s lightweight and storage capacity with no extra additions makes the bag both enjoyably simple and affordable.
Main Features
What we like
What we dislike
Key Takeway
The Ropemaster HC is a new and improved version of Metolius’ long-lived model and provides everything you need in a rope bag and nothing more. Its perfected simplicity has appealed to climbers for many years.
2. Metolius Speedster Bag
4.5/5 Overall Rating
This backpack styled rope bag is great for the short approaches as well as the long approaches, and can easily fit a rope, chalk bag, shoes, draws, harness and water, making it our top pick for versatility.
The Metolius Speedster’s front zipper allows easy access for loading and unloading your gear and includes a smaller zipper pocket for your phone or wallet, etc.
The comfortable backpack styled straps and overall lightweight makes it nice to carry while also allowing enough freedom and movement to scramble over rocky approaches when need be. Past owners have said to own this bag for years without seeing any damage.
A large, easy-load tarp that is 52 by 58 inches is also included in the rope bag. Overall, the Metolius Speedster is an amazing single day cragging pack.
Main Features
What we like
What we dislike
Key Takeaway
The Metolius Speedster Bag is a style that you will either love or hate depending on what kind of climbing you indulge, but it is a great option to take out on a day of cragging in warmer weather.
3. Petzl Kab Rope Bag
The Petzl Kab Rope Bag is a voluminous bag capable of storing up to 110m of rope (with room for extra climbing gear) and has been one of the best rope bags in the market for several years now. One of the best things about the Kab, besides its large storage space, is its durability.
You can chuck this bag around quite a bit without spying a single tear in the heavy-duty canvas. The adjustable bandolier is supported by a waist stabilizer, making it easier to carry around, and a protective detachable tarp is integrated into the bag to keep your rope clean.
Another great feature is that the bag stands upright on its own due to a polyurethane bottom, so it can double as a rope bucket for when you’re climbing. The price is a little steeper than most rope bags, but it is guaranteed to stay with you for years to come.
Main Features
What we like
What we dislike
Key Takeaway
The Kab is one of the most popular rope bags due to its burly design and extra features and its storage capability make it our favourite bag for large storage. However, because it is on the heavier side, we advise against purchasing if you plan to go for long-distanced climbs.
4. Black Diamond Super Chute
Before the Black Diamond Super Chute, I was a fan of the Full Rope Burrito, sadly it's now only available in Half Rope. Sadly because it was a great bag, but also because I had to review an additional bag. Tiresome.
But I digress.
The Super Chute is stripped down to all that you need at 490 g (1 lb 1 oz), making it a good lightweight bag, yet holds 80 m of rope.
The full rope burrito has a tarp that is large enough to have no problem catching falling rope and flaking but it is also small enough to be packed away quickly between climbs.
The ease of putting away your ropes differs from other bags, as the Super Chute makes it simple to attach the rope to the tarp. The fabric is not that strong, but its malleable design makes it easy to pack into other bags.
Check Latest Prices
Main Features
What we like
What we dislike
Key Takeaway
The Black Diamond Super Chute keeps your ropes protected while being light and comfortable to carry. However, note that its thinner fabric makes it more delicate than other rope bags.
5. Psychi Rock Climbing Bag - Best Value
4/5 Overall Rating
At half the price of any of its competitors, you can’t beat the Psychi Rock Climbing Bag - its lightweight and durability has made it a popular choice. It is advertised to fit 60m rope but can easily hold 70m with room to spare.
It has an aluminium metal buckle closure and a draw-string opening that keeps your rope securely in the bag when packed away, while the bag’s lightness and adjustable straps make it a delight to carry. With the choice between seven different colours, it’s stylish, too!
The bag comes with a built-in resilient tarp groundsheet that can be folded out next o your bouldering mat to keep your rope in good shape while you’re climbing.
Overall, the Psychi Rock Climbing is efficient, light, allows for a quick setup and take down and an all-round fantastic minimalist bag for its price. However, it is not built for heavy-duty work. You might wish to stick it inside another bag when they are taking it over hectic rocky trails.
Main Features
What we like
What we dislike
Key Takeaway
If you want lightweight and efficiency at a low cost, the Psychi Rock Climbing Bag is a nice choice, especially if you plan on sticking it inside another pack.
Rope Bag - Buyer's Guide (Key Features)
As with any gear, the type of rope bag you should purchase will be directly influenced by what type of activity you wish to use it for. Different types of climbing, approach lengths and climates should all be considered before deciding what rope bag to buy.
Ask yourself what kind of climbs you want to venture into, and keep the answer in mind as you read through some of the product points we’ve listed below.
Tarp Size
The point of a rope bag is to keep your ropes clean so that they don’t wear down as quickly. Dirt can dramatically shorten a rope’s lifespan.
Part of keeping your ropes clean comes down to some tender loving care, but in terms of storage, there is nothing more important than a tarp.
Tarps stop your ropes from even touching the ground as you unpack them, as well as when you are climbing. In the latter’s case, you’ll want a big enough tarp to supply some room for feeding and dropping rope. A good-sized tarp is generally 4’ squared.
Anything under that is considered small and will often have complaints, but if you want to reduce pack weight you might want to consider a smaller tarp. If you have long ropes, opt for a larger tarp. This will guarantee clean ropes.
Storage Capacity
The longer your climbing rope, the more storage you’ll need. Almost all rope bags will state what size ropes they can carry, so check up on their product pages.
But it also is common to double a climbing rope bag as a climbing pack. And this isn’t difficult, as lots of rope bags accommodate to this by adding gear loops and features. If this is the case, you’ll want to consider how much you need to fit into your bag and buy accordingly.
Ask yourself what gear you take on an average climb, and how you store it. It’s important you purchase a rope bag that can carry all that you intend it to carry, or it defeats the product purpose.
Backpack vs Messenger Bags
These are the two styles of climbing rope bags. Neither style is necessarily better than the other when it comes to its sole purpose – keeping rope clean – but they do differ in their travel experience.
Backpack-style bags have two shoulder straps and is worn against your back like a backpack. They are better for longer approaches, as they tend to be much more comfortable and lie securely against your back. They also typically have more space than a messenger style.
Messenger-style bags will have straps that sit on your shoulder. They are prone to swing and bounce around and often need one hand to stop it from doing so. This makes them difficult to scramble with and uncomfortable on long hikes.
Their perk, however, is that you can carry a climbing pack simultaneously.
Consider what kind of approaches you’ll be doing and pick your style accordingly.
Weight
If your general climbing requires short or no approaches, weight shouldn’t be much of a concern. Focus on tarp size and storage capacity.
However, if you are looking to tackle long approaches, the rope bags weight should be a major key factor. You’ll want a lighter bag so you won’t wear out as quickly. Rope bag product pages should always show their weight, so make sure to check into that.
If you’re really trying to shave off ounces, you may even want to consider if you need a rope bag at all. It obviously won’t keep your ropes as clean as a rope bag, but if weight is your main concern then maybe you could stuff your rope into you climbing pack instead.
Continue browsing
See more outdoor equipment reviews and our detailed climbing gear guide. Or check out these reviews:
