UKC

I'm looking at investing in my first set of screwgates/lockers, and in the process of looking I've come across the grivel twin gates. There's not much that's been written about them.

Does anyone have experience with them?

Are they a safe alternative to screwgates?

Are they better in any way to screwgates?

In reply to Madajo:

Safe? Absolutely.

Any better than normal? No, in my opinion they’re a right pain to use. Stick to normal screw gates.

In reply to Madajo:

Yes

Yes, on most use-cases... both other options might be better than twingates or screwgates on some.

Perhaps in some cases...


For what it's worth, I could see myself using twingates on cows-tail/daisy... but the only good use I've found them thus far is the belay biner whilst ice climing... screws just keep freezing and are a real PITA... might in the future get a few more offset Ds with twingates for anchor building in the same circumstances...

 

In reply to Madajo:

I've tried them and didn't get on with them. You certainly wouldn't want to use them when you need to clip in quickly and are a bit flustered. I don't get the impression they've caught on. Like the other guy says stick to screw gates.

In reply to HeMa:

Cows-tailing into anchors was actually my thinking for these, will probably stick to screws though, as said by most people.

In reply to Madajo:

I've used the Grivel twingate for my belay device since i pretty much started. Upside is I can now use it with one hand very quickly, much quicker than unscrewing and screwing up a screwgate. My partners also know there's not going to be any instances of me not closing my biner when I belay them. 

Downside is when / if I need to lend it or hand it to a partner who's not used one before they act like they've just been handed a controller for an intergalatic holographic spaceship. 

In reply to Madajoey:

I think they are absolutely perfect for "cows-tailing into anchors."  You can reach up and clip in with one hand and it's automatically secure---you can't do that with any screw gate or twistlock gate.  You never forget doing up the screw gate, you never have to worry about the screw gate coming undone (which happens with disturbing regularity), you don't need both hands to operate them, it is easy to use them with either hand, and they don't get stuck as screwgates sometimes do.  It takes a few minutes to learn how to operate the gates and you're good to go.

They are great as long as you are holding them to clip in.  Clipping a rope into one hanging from an anchor is a pain and I wouldn't consider them for that, but for tethers they are the way to go.  (Ok, one drawback: the nose has to be larger than usual to accommodate the double gates and this makes it hard or impossible to clip certain very small anchors (bolt hangers are fine, but some chain links can't be clipped).

The only competitor I can think of is the Edelrid Slider.

In reply to Donotello:

I get similar reactions from partners on arrival at my Edelrid Slider quickdraw that I've placed on the crucial bolt before the crux / big runout / etc

In reply to Madajo:

I have one on my lanyard (kong slyde) and think it's great.  It takes practice and like others say people unfamiliar are often fazed(sp?) by them and get annoyed. Its why i only have one for my lanyard.

As a normal locker they can be pain  eg setting up belays clipping multiple ropes, italian hitches, clove hitches etc

safe- yes I think they are very safe compared to twist locks (I've had triple come undone over an edge) and screws vibrate undone. 

I think they are maybe doomed to the good design but unpopular so dropped product

In reply to Madajo:

I have and have only tried the belay hms with twin solid gates and a retainer clip at the small end.

My experience appears to be opposite to many peoples, although it maybe  biner specific. I love mine. Use it as my maim belay amd my sport tie through lower off biner primarily. I never use it on my lanyard as I always want the biner with the smallest cleanest nose for this (for me phantoms or sentinels) to make it am easy clip and turn, amd easier to undo if stacked. I find the solid gates too large for this, amd it requires more rotation which it does less well.

 

However, I love being able to 'thread' the outer gate through a bunch of stuff around my belay loop or a clive hitch as I find have a straight 3-4 cm of clean metal to thread much better than something that instantly curves.

 

I'm looking at a slider for my lanyard soon for the easy of clip and ultra-cleanness. I really like auto-lockers, although never got on with DMM lock safe. Quite like the magnetron, but occasionally get worried a ropy could grab both levers, although this never happened using it as my belay for 3 ish years.

 

In reply to Donotello:

I got some as a birthday present a while ago and this is exactly the same as me. Having used them for a while, I can easily use them one handed with either hand, but climbing partners find them a real faff. I do like the fact that they are immediately safe but if I had to replace them today, I would probably just go for screw gates...

 

In reply to Madajo:

I like them a lot but tend to use them mostly in small sizes for trad attached to long slings in place of small s/g crabs - makes for quick and secure threads and sling runners. You do get some funny looks using them though; Like the bloke at Reiff this Spring who asked to use my abb rope to descend and then blanched and insisted on backing up the (huge bomber boulder) anchor when he saw that the abb rope was attached by a large twin gate crab...     

In reply to Madajo:

I recently acquired one and think they're great, they don't take that long to work out how to use. Just make sure your partner is aware you're using them and show them how they work beforehand, although it doesn't take a genius.

 Definitely will be getting some more.