UKC

Hi
Can someone recommend some quick draws that can take a lot of punishment.
Thanks

In reply to petegunn:

Petzl Spirit.

In reply to petegunn:

If you're really going to abuse them Id just get something cheap so you're not so sad when they inevitably break.

I've got a few of these and they're good for the money: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rocky-x5-quickdraws-pack-id_8282203.html

In reply to petegunn:

Here's something worth thinkin' about...

http://eveningsends.com/blue-steel-permadraw-solution/

In reply to petegunn:

DMM alpha sports. Not the cheapest but the best clip going. Superb design.

In reply to climberchristy:

Horses for courses...

I preferred the new Petzl Spirit over the DMM Alpha Sport...

But one thing to remember, is to get one with thick/wide draw part... not that skinny dyneema, that is nice in winter or for trad...

In reply to remus:
Have you ever broken a draw?

Add to HeMa, how many crags have insitu draws ? I've never seen it on anythhing outside a project

In reply to petegunn:

http://www.bananafingers.co.uk/edelrid-pure-sport-wire-quickdraw-p-2412.htm...

Wide sling which is easy to grab hold of and gives a very satisfying, positive clip!

In reply to petegunn: For heavy use you cannot go wrong with Petzl Spirits.

They are the tried and tested option with a longer track record than other carabiners such as the DMM Alpha Sport or new WC ones.

In reply to petegunn:

DMM Alpha Sports are great

In reply to wbo:

Broken as in gates don't open, slings bleached etc. Not snapped.

In reply to wbo:


I can name 3 within 45min drive from my door. They're all quite steep, so strippin' would be real PITA.

But that's beside the point, I was actually using the article to point out that if the OP wants the absolute hard wearing QD, well the one mentioned in the article is about the most robust QD possible... heavy though, especially if both biners are steel instead of aluminium.

In reply to remus:




Not sure why the dislike. I couldn't believe the price of these and bought ten for a trip to Spain last week.

Nice and snappy action on the gates, clean nose, bent gate rope krab, wide tape. £6, yes £6, for each draw.

Bloody bargain!

I've used many different draws and I really can't say I've ever failed on a route because I had these instead of some Alphas at three times the price.

In reply to petegunn:

Wild Country Protons are the business.

In reply to remus:
"Broken as in gates don't open, slings bleached etc. Not snapped."

ahem... 'maintenance'. It's a thing.

Clean and lube the pivots. Had plenty of sticky gates brought back to life with a little cleaning and atiny drop of lube.

Slings can be replaced (a few exeptions), they are very inexpensive to buy. You don't have to replace the draw.

Do check for burs on the biners, but they can be smoothed out with a little wet and dry sandpaper. But do replace when it's worn.

In reply to petegunn:

Another vote for Alpha Sports, pretty expensive but the best clips on the market, mine have taken an absolute battering and are showing no signs of wear.

In reply to petegunn:

+1 for Petzl Spirits (the newer ones). There are one or two good deals knocking around on the web. Chunky but still fairly light, really easy to clip/unclip, high colour contrast between the crabs, different lengths available, and the shape of the connector makes them easy to grab and hang on to.

In reply to petegunn:

Whilst I agree that the Spirit is hard to beat its worth looking at the Petzl Djinn as they have similar build quality and a wide sling but are about £5 cheaper but they are a bit bigger and heavier.

In reply to wbo:

On super steep short crags in Europe (where stripping would be difficult/dangerous), some in Finale for example, there are many routes that stay partially equipped.

I rate the WC Protons and the DMM Alpha, both equally good.

In reply to tjin:

Can't beat a tiny drop of lube ; )

In reply to petegunn:

I have DMM Alpha: great to use, and have a groove on the gate that helps them work with a clip-stick.

But I have a friend who has used the Simond draws for years, and they show little sign of wear, compared to DMM Alphas that have a noticeable groove after a few months hard use.

If I had my money again, I'd definitely consider the Simond draws. If they don't work well with a Beta clipstick though, I'd be looking at other options.

In reply to petegunn:

I have Alpha's and Petal Spirits. The petzl spirits have lasted well and I would say have lasted far better and are slightly more heavy duty without being much heavier, but the Alpha's definitely feel great to clip.

In reply to Ed Booth:


The Alphas have same colour top and bottom crabs. I know one is bent gate, but even so I think that's a bit of a minus.

In reply to bpmclimb:


Only for folk who can't tell the difference between grey and silver (or grey and red):

http://dmmclimbing.com/products/alpha-clip/

In reply to bpmclimb:


No they don't Bolt end is grey, rope end is red! red for rope. What could be clearer than that? Or in their other colour option greyb and gold. The rope clipping krab even has "clip" stamped on it, just in case user is really dim.

In reply to climberchristy:

There must be different versions available. Congratulations on owning the grey and red ones! However, all the ones I've personally seen at crags (including a set I climbed with earlier this week), are very similarly coloured, top and bottom.

In reply to climberchristy:

By the way, I detected a certain indignant tone in your reply - so sorry if I sounded rude about your lovely new quickdraws

My point was that (on the version I've seen) the colour contrast could be greater; I'm sure in every other respect they're excellent draws! I have the same reservation about double ropes which aren't highly contrasted in colour.

In reply to bpmclimb:

With respect, thats not what you said. You said they were "the same" colour. I was simply pointing out that this is not the case so the forum OP would not be misled.

Secondly, they dont need to have a greater contrast because the difference is pretty obvious on both colour sets. Plus the bent gate clearly differentiates the rope krab. Also, if you set off up a route with them racked on your gear loop the right way up you'll never clip the bolt with the wrong krab. So why the issue with needing huge colour differences?

In reply to petegunn:

If you're giving it abuse i'd say spirits or wildcountry protons (I have both and they're awesome)

DMM Alpha sports are great but wear quicker

In reply to petegunn:

I've had my DMM Shadows now for over eight years and they are still in good nick, I think they are great. http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=1140

A couple of years back DMM sent me a selection of their newer or updated styles of sporty QDs http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/dmm-shadow-dmm-alpha-and-dm... The Aeros are great value, but overall I still think the Shadows are my favourite out of the three options.

In reply to 1poundsocks:




I can confirm they work very well with a beta clip stick.

In reply to biscuit:


I think it'd be hard to justify spending much more then, certainly when there seem to be a few options of sport draws at less than £10 each. I got my Alphas at trade price, so it worked out okay, I wouldn't pay full price now.

I would always recommend carabiners with a very high open-gate-strength.
9 or better 10 kn.

Research has shown (can't find a link right now), that open-gate loading happens more often than you would imagine.
e.g. Biner hits the rock or from the sudden jerk when being loaded
Once i accidently grabbed into the quickdraw during a small whipper, pushing the gate open.

Carabiner failure is extremely uncommon, but it happens.
Forces of 6-8kn can be exceeded on the protection and if unfavourable circumstances add up,
your safetymargin effectively becomes zero.

In reply to climberchristy:




A thousand apologies for saying "the same" rather than "similar". My initial memory was that they were the same, but after the two reply posts and checking some weblinks I saw that there is indeed a difference. I then posted to say that I thought my basic point was still relevant - that the colours were not contrasted enough for my personal taste and convenience. However, I neglected to include a full retraction of my earlier statement and formal apology. I very much regret my gross carelessness, and can only hope you and the other aggrieved DMM Alpha owners can find it in your hearts to forgive me.

In reply to bpmclimb:

I started my last message to you with the phrase " with respect" and I meant it genuinely. All you' ve managed in reply is sarcasm and more sarcasm. Oscar Wilde said "sarcasm is the lowest form of wit."

In reply to climberchristy:

I like a bit of sarcasm now and then; Oscar can say what he likes.

I happen to like high colour contrast you get (e.g. with the Petzl Spirits); sometimes draws get upside down, things happen in the heat of the moment, could be dim light, whatever. It's not hard to think of reasons why climbers might want that. But if a more subtle colour difference suits you, then fine - enjoy!

In reply to bpmclimb:

if you just inspect your QD's regularly and debur them, then having them upside down isn't that dangerous.