UKC

Hi,

I am considering buying a pair of those indoor tools such as the figfour etc. However there are three different brands available. Can anyone recommend a particular one or can provide some experiences of them?

Are they actually any good?

Also, I have been wondering, what do people do if they fall off the wall and the tool is still attached to the hold? If using leashless clippers during a fall do the tools pull off or does the leash snap?

I like the idea of them but wonder whether they are actually any good in reality.

In reply to crayefish:

I've used Schmoolz before, they were pretty fun but they hurt my hands after a while so maybe get some thin gloves to go with them. I only had them for an hour so I'm afraid I can't answer your falling off question.

They produce a mean fore-arm pump.

In reply to crayefish:

I've used them and found them pretty handy. As far as falling off goes, unless you're on a bouldering wall. they need to be attached to you in some way, and you can't use them for lead climbing, so I always attached mine to the rope, above the knot. If you fall and the tool remains attached to the hold it's simple enough to retrieve usually.

I found them a useful training aid. But I did end up with a painful lump in the palms of my hands that someone told me was from damage to the tendon sheath, so I'd be careful of overdoing it early on. What they'll develop is forearm stamina, plus the habit of keeping the tool still once it's placed and moving your body around it. - also because it lengthens your reach, your CoG is different, in relation to your attachment to the climbing surface - someone else will be able to phrase that better. I certainly found mine good value, but my local wall decided they were hazardous or something and banned them, so I gave them away, but I'd certainly recommend them to anyone who has a wall nearby that permits their use

In reply to crayefish:

I've got a set of fig fours and used them both bouldering and on the wall, found them good fun and a useful training aid.

However not all walls or bouldering centres let you use them, so if you are going to get some check you can use them.

My local wall lets you use them but you have to wear a helmet and use grivel bungy cords, oh and you have to be top roped no lead climbing with them

Thanks guys. Some useful info there. So it seems lead climbing is out the question which is a shame (I guess for competitions they just have a way of retrieving them).

Thanks csw, that's good that you told me that. So you think limiting to a few climbs a session (then just go back to normal climbing) is good to start? Forearm stamina is certainly holding me back on overhanging lead climbs so this could be helpful for that too.

In reply to crayefish:

I've got the Schmoolz and they are definitely a brilliant training aid. As has been said, create a monster forearm pump, but they are working your full body without doubt. They are the best training you can do if you don't have access to an established dry tooling venue I would think. As has been said, helmet and springer leashes are par for the course. And I have had the same issue of pinky crush with them as well. I think I am going to apply some Plastidip to them to try and make the ergo handles smaller and will see if that helps. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Figfours have ergo handles? I think they are just straight handles? The Schmoolz are ergo handles so something to consider between the two of them.

In reply to Lamb:

Yeah I have seen a VERY brief comparison between the Figfours and the Schmoolz and it seems there isn't much between them except the Schmoolz had more pinky crush and the Figfours had much more rapid arm pump (not a bad thing I guess if you're training). Though they do have a very small pinky rest of sorts.

I haven't heard any reviews of the Dry Ice Tools though.