UKC

Am about to buy new set of quick draws and can't decide on krab gates. Am led to believe solid gates can open on the bounce but don't the wires damage or distort easily?---and when re-aligned ----are they as strong? Would appreciate any comment--------------------ET

I quite like the wire gates, but I've had one unclip itself from a bolt before. Neat trick, don't know how I managed it - something to do with my knee as I stepped up, I think. Since then, I've always saved my two wire quickies for the end of the route...

See ya,

al

I use a full set of wild wire qiuckdraws and I prefer them to standard gates, never had a problem and they are easier to clip.

I'll second that motion ... I replaced my standard quickdraws with a full set of wild wires. They are lighter and easier to clip - definitely recommended

Hey that sounds familiar - the same thing happened to me on a sport route in Spain. I was sure I'd clipped the bolt properly and yet when I lifted my knee up and looked down at my foot to find the next foothold the quickdraw was just balanced on my knee unclipped from the bolt. I think that the flat cross-section of the wire gate (it was a Wild country Wildwire) means that this is more likely to happen than with a normal krab - but my mate who's QD it was says he's never had the same problem. Personally my fave quickdraws are DMM truklips- mine have done everthing from short bolted routes to aid climbing and have been brilliant. Not tried them on ice yet though....

I've got some Black Diamond wire gates and some Wild Country ones. The Wild Country ones stick open as soon as they get dirt or salt on them but the Black Diamond ones are bombproof never sticking. The BlackDiamond ones work fantastically for iceclimbing. Ice never seems to clog them.

In addition to the above, I have used both the Wild Country and BD wiregates.

The Black Diamond ones come out on top, being far easier to clip, with a much bigger gate opening than the Wild Wires.
I recently struggled to clip one of the latter types on a winter route - admittedly wearing very bulky gloves. After the fourth failed atempt, I decided to remove one glove and then had enough space to get the rope in! Phew!
Wild Wires also have a very sharp edge to the wire recess on the nose of the krab, which is more susceptible to catching on tape.

Generally, I do prefer wire gates.

Hope this is of some use.

Solid gates can open on the bounce. Once took a c.60 foot fall (aid climbing zipper). Gate must have opened as lead rope was caught in the notch of the krab nose. Result: mantle stripped and several strands of kern cut. Additional result: one very worried climber 2000 feet off the deck!

Equipment manufacturer (well known, UK) examined krab and pronounced it old but in full working order...The nut the krab was attached to was ripped through an expanding flake, taking time to fail, which may have alowed some kind of vibration in hte gate to be set up, but i'm guessing here.

Nowadays tend to use wiregates at the rope end (and solid gates to clip bolts, sometimes screwgate if there is only one piece between me and the deck)

HTH

duncan

Solid gates can open on the bounce. Once took a c.60 foot fall (aid climbing zipper). Gate must have opened as lead rope was caught in the notch of the krab nose. Result: mantle stripped and several strands of kern cut. Additional result: one very worried climber 2000 feet off the deck...!

Equipment manufacturer (well known, UK) examined krab and pronounced it old but in full working order...The nut the krab was attached to was ripped through an expanding flake, taking time to fail, which may have alowed some kind of vibration in the gate to be set up, but i'm guessing here.

Nowadays tend to use wiregates at the rope end (and solid gates to clip bolts, sometimes screwgate if there is only one piece between me and the deck).

HTH

duncan

Thanks lads---appreciate input. You can't economise on important items like direct experience!--Consensus appears to be Black D. wire-gates--good enuff for me.---thanks again----ET.

Have just had a swatch at the BD wire gates---they look fairly rudimentary compared with the Wild Country----have we got this choice the right way round ?----ET