In reply to mugglewump:
I've now got a Compact Beta Stick and it's great. After using a homemade thingy for several years, the beta is a huge step forward. Although it's only the Compact got a huge reach, the plastic thingy that the quickdraw sits in is far sturdier than I expected and is set at just the right angle so the krab can't fail to just drop into the bolt, and it's really not heavy at all. The only addition I've made to it is to thread a thin bit of cord through the 'belt clip' that's clipped to the shaft next to the hand grip so I can clip it to a bolt and work moves without it. A friend has got a Simond one but he says that it's not long enough so he's now bought a Beta. The long versions must be awesome - you'd be able to clip the belays from the ground at Stanage - if it had any!
