REASONS TO BUY
Super easy to put the rope away
Fits a lot of stuff
REASONS TO AVOID
No smaller pockets
Not as nice to carry for long distances
Black Diamond Super Slacker Review
This bag sports a unique packing system with a folding tarp and zipper/compression system
Black Diamond Super Slacker
Credit: Black Diamond Website
RELATED: Best Rope Bags for Climbing of 2024
Our Verdict
Black Diamond Discontinued the Super Slacker in the Spring of 2018
The Black Diamond Super Slacker is a rope bag that has stood the test of time. The Super Slacker is one of the easiest bags to fold up and move all your stuff from route-to-route and still has legions of users. Just fold the bag in half twice, then zip it and cinch it. On top of being the easiest design to pack your rope into, it can also fit a bunch of your climbing stuff. You can put your rope onto the tarp, toss your shoes and draws in and fold it up, carry it to the next route and open the whole thing back up and, voila! it's all ready to go again, helping make for quick and easy transitions between routes.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Keeping It Clean
The Super Slacker's tarp is the smallest in our review measuring only 36x57". Its big enough to be effective but just barely. We found it certainly takes a little more care when flaking ropes to keep it on the tarp and your hope of catching falling cords is obviously smaller.
Credit: Ian Nicholson
Ease of Packing
This the strongest point of the Super Slacker. It is one of the easiest rope bags to pack the rope away taking around the same amount of effort as the Petzl Bolsa and being easier than all the other more traditional burrito style bags. To put away your rope bag, simply fold it in half, fold it again, zip it shut and cinch the ends. A nice bonus of the Super Slacker over the funnel design is that it opens up more easily and keeps the rope from getting as tangled.
The Black Diamond Super Slacker is one of the least compressible rope bags we tested due to its large folding nature. It does feature two compression straps, which help out when putting the rope bag under the lid of your pack. While not very compressible, it is still pretty packable, you just mush it into your pack. It is certainly not as good as the Metolius Ropemaster HC or the Black Diamond Super Chute with regards to pack-ability.
Ease of Transport
The Super Slacker features a single padded shoulder strap and carries on the average side. It is quite comparable to a Metolius Ropemaster HC or Black Diamond Super Chute. Its shoulder strap is great for going route to route. However, most people wouldn't like it dangling around their neck for more than 25 minutes or so. A favorite feature of the Super Slacker is how much stuff it can fit. A 70m rope, 15 draws, harness, it's easy to get it all in there. Another nice feature is having two small color-coded loops to tie the ends of your rope, helping keep the ends of your rope from getting lost.
Showing a Black Diamond Super Slackers central grab point.
Credit: Ian Nicholson
Extra Features
The Super Slacker is a no-frills, functional rope bag but we do wish it had a small pocket for keys, tape or wallet.
Best Application
This pack makes short hops from route to route a breeze. It's best for folks who move around a crag a lot throughout the day and need a quick and efficient rope bag.
Value
At $40 the Super Slacker is one of the better-priced rope bags in the review and is super quick to pack or unpack a rope from.
Conclusion
The Super Slacker remains a unique design that has been around forever. A surprising amount can fit inside this burrito-bag. It's not for the feature-lovers, but its functional simplicity makes packing and unpacking a breeze.
—
Ian Nicholson
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