In reply to GrahamD:
> Horses for courses, it pays to be able to adapt and improvise rather than getting too bogged down by 'best practices '.
This.
A huge amount could be written about gear placements, especially when it comes to "in extremis" situations where you are pumped stupid or there just aren't any good placements.
If you are building a nest of gear, just make sure when you are finished that carabiner gates are rotated so that nothing can unclip, ropes are routed so they don't cross and try to check that you haven't done anything else that looks wrong (easier said than done, especially when you are just starting out).
I'd be a little reticent to suggest a beginner uses a sliding-x arrangement on lead because they are probably going to be stressed and a) it takes longer than using 2 draws or 1 draw in the same 2 bits of gear and b) if you screw up by clipping your draw across both sling thicknesses without putting the x bit in then if _either_ piece of gear fails, the draw will just slide off the end of your arrangement and leave the other piece stuck in the rock and you plummeting downwards. (even if they only clip one strand of the sling, this is still sub-optimal as it can lead to both pieces of gear being pulled sharply sideways as well as the downward direction intended if there is a fall).
If you find yourself often placing 2 bits very close, I'd recommend fitting one or two of your quickdraws with a screwgate at one end so you can clip both pieces of gear with the screwgate and then screw it shut for a little more peace of mind (but this also more faff, so it's more horses and courses if you are getting very pumped).
Post edited at 17:49