Retreever - good for throwlines,  Thursday, 01 May 2008 It's a nice tool, but the bendable wire end could be heftier. It's so easy to re-shape that even a climbing line will slip out of it because the weight of the line pulls the "sickle" straight. It's really cool for snagging throw lines.

I don't want to de-value having this thing - even though I don't use it too often, having it has changed the way I strategize getting around in a tree. You can snag a throwline from very far away. Just make sure you are using a light weight!! I just wish it was strong enough to lift my flipline.

 ISC "Gator" - Good biner but it damaged my rope sn,  Thursday, 01 May 2008 Just know that, because of the "knife edge" shape these biners have, one did find its way under the safety plate of my rope snap (only on one side) and pried and bent it. Completely away from the little metal protrusion that's supposed to keep it snapped! I don't know if the larger sizes have a thicker edge, but my Gator and my steel rope snap got into a tussle.

Of course it was during a difficult job where I was double crotching and reaching and twisting far out on a limb, and I wasn't paying attention to the way the biner and rope snap were interacting. The rope snap scratched the Gator up a bit but no real harm done.


So I though that was worth mentioning. I use a rope snap instead of 2 biners when I do a split tail climb because sometimes 2 biners can get "inside each other", but I never had a probem with a snap entangling on a biner. Until now. So I switched this ISC biner out and now I'm using something much rounder and fatter that cannot get under the rope snap edge.

But it's still a cool biner cause it's compact, strong, colorful, and has a very positive action and feel.

 French Creek Mobility - Good for awhile, then not,  Thursday, 01 May 2008 Well you know, you get what you pay for. Usually. I tried this saddle at my dealer and I was impressed by its comfort. It was maybe $200, but regardless of the price I found it to be more comfortable than some saddles twice the price. Also I like the fact that the leg straps have very rugged grommets in them; they're a nice touch if nothing else. It has some nice attachment points. I liked the ring enough that I ordered an additional one for the other side (yeah, there's only one)

I used it regularly for about 6 months, mostly for rec climbing. A lot of Texas-style SRT, split-tail DdRT of course, and also secure foot lock.

But despite the comfort it's got some nagging flaws and I ended up buying another saddle much sooner than expected. The worst thing about the French Creek Mobility is the center bridge strap, the main front strap that holds the single floating ring. It's made of layers of different materials, sewn together - plastic, fabric, and what looks like maybe rubber. This strap deforms after repeated use, and develops a permanent "kink" or loop in the middle where the center ring stays most of the time. It also is cracked pretty badly, and I have never left it out or got it wet other than use in the rain.

During secure footlock or a Texas-style ascent, there are periods of slack on the center ring. Instead of the ring floating back to center when the line gets taut again, it tends to hang up on the side because the shape of the strap is no longer smooth. The strap flops over to one side and the center ring hangs up.
So it really limits how you capture your progress when you are trying to throw your friction knot forward. It resisted me every time.

I bought another "mobility" saddle by Buckingham, and they use an amazing material for their center strap, almost like fabric sealed with resin. It's so durable it has never even changed shape.

I stuffed the French Creek in my truck as a travel "just in case" rig, but I have never used it since.

 Blaze 11mm -,  Thursday, 01 May 2008 I only have experience with two 11mm climbing lines - this one and Samson's Velocity. I wanted to add a quick affirmation to what has been stated: This stuff knots incredibly well and feels really soft and supple. It's a joy to work with.
Whereas the Velocity, in contrast, is much harder to set knots in.

At this point in time I am only using 11mm line for tails and such, like tying a Klemheist for secure footlock or as a rope bridge for my equivalent of a "quick draw" with a carabiner on each end to give me more length when climbing with a v.t. I don't like the smaller diameter in my hands as a lifeline.

But I had to emphasize that Blaze is really a perfect line for tying, handling, and looking at too.

 Samson Velocity - good if you like 11mm lines,  Wednesday, 26 December 2007 This stuff is pretty waxy, as mentioned. I take a little extra time to set the knots. It works great as a tail for tying a friction hitch like a Blake's to a 1/2" line. Because smaller diameter tied to larger gives you a better hold, in most cases.

Velocity is also very visible.

I am just not a fan of 11mm lines, because most of my climbing is done without mechanical ascenders. I like a fatter rope, it feels better in your hand. I have to work harder to hold onto a narrower rope, and so only in a mech ascender scenario would that not make a difference.

Even when using as a tail in a dynamic climbing system, I get bummed by the fact that my "Y" has a narrow side.