No.24 2015 Summer Gear Review
Silver Bull 'Pig Sheet'
Extremely tough and useful tarp from Silver Bull.
Uses include but are not limited to:
Keeping equipment clean
Cover for K truck
Moving branches
Speed-lining equipment down a mountainside
Sledging (not in the summer!)
Fitwell Big Wall Grip
You remember the Big Wall Rock boots? These are in the same Big Wall family but are vastly different from their hard mountain brother, designed as an approach shoe, it has typical sole flexibility and a smearing section on the undertoe, they look at first sight as though they offer nothing special, especially not over such great boots like Sportive’s Boulder X, until you put it on your foot and you realise that this is a boot that has been designed to fit quite unlike any ‘off-the shelf’ item you would care to try. It feels like a made-to-order boot, the heel sculpts around the bone, the sole is very thin, notice the lack of foam at the ball and toe and coming with no in-sole the Grip is akin to wearing Jikatabi. It is lined with "eVent" for waterproofing and padding has been kept to a minimum, pulling the laces tight you feel leather and foot, not much else. Incredible and sensitive boots, perfect for pruning, training and recreational climbing.
Ropetek 'Hitch Hiker 2'
Somehow Ropetek managed to make no.2 appear very different with almost no design change! The top slot has been made thinner to stop inadvertent upside-down setting, the body is smaller, that’s about it, it works as well as ever. It accommodates the TRT system too but more about that later.
The Wooden Hand '2 System Loop
It’s amazing how sometimes the simplest ideas have the most potential. Changing the Pinto-Loop on the Teufelberger Pulley Saver to a 2 ring loop gives SRT climbers a variety of system choice from just one anchor. The false anchor enables very efficient rope setting and the 2 system loop is a world of potential just waiting to be discovered. A descriptive video will soon be made.
Donaghy's 'High Heat Resistant' Rigging Rope
Maruichi do a lot of dynamic rigging and it is hard work for ropes, Donaghys were kind enough to add technora into their Yachtmaster to create a heat resistant rigging rope, like a hitch cord. I have been running the 14mm version for 6 months and recently the Maruichi team have used the 12mm version. Everybody likes the feel of it, the cover is fairly tight and the ropes round profile means it can pull around rigging thimbles and bollards very easy. The blue strands are polyester and the black are technora. An easy to use and long life rope, highly recommended.
Shembiner
How many caritools have you broken?! A guy called Shem Kendrick in the United States got fed up with his snapping and decided to design and organise manufacture of his own. Made from aluminium, the Shembiner has a flat back for stability and chainsaw lanyard rings slot intuitively in and out. Unlike the cartel it is strong enough to attach rigging hardware and ropes to without worrying about it snapping and your rope flying away to the rigging block or floor.
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