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screamers for ice climbing


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i'm looking to buy some screamers, mostly for ice climbing but maybe also to use for aid. just curious what kinds of screamers any ice climbers out there prefer and why? i've climbed with a bunch of different kinds; just not sure about the nuances.

 

also, if any of you use ice screams do you use two biners all the time or do you just slip it over the screw all the time or change it up depending. seems no 2nd biner would save some weight ...

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Alpine or roadside antics? Generally for long alpine routes I take at least 3 of the lightest yates one; I think they call it shorty. One per anchor (at the equalization point) and my first piece gets a screamer if I am using my twin/double ropes. I might take 1-2 more if the route has a pitch that merits them. For road side antics, I have a few of the zipper screamers. Nice, but to heavy for alpine. I don't know if they make them anymore, but charlet moser made screamers in the past. Worth a look. If you plan on some aid, the scream aiders aren't necessary (your shorties will work fine), but the clip in point is nice and you don't have to worry about activating a piece by just stepping on it/jump testing it (as it is separate from the screamer).

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Ya. I have the regular screamers, but want to replace with the shorties so that they don't get caught in my crampons as often. I carry three, one for for each belay and a third for the first piece. The shorties work better on the belay as well. Shorties are the same as the regular, just folded differently.

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The Nitros are smaller and lighter. They also only absorb 75% of what the Screamers do. Mammut use to make a Spectra absorber but it only absorbed 60% of what the screamer does.

Yates tried making them out of Spectra (lighter and aborbs less water) but since Spectra is smaller, you can not get as much stitching into the webbing which makes them less effective.

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so there is a bit of news for you guys. maybe you noticed bd doesn't make screamers? there is a reason for it. as the matter of fact creamers cause more shock loading onto a piece. most of the force is absorbed by a stratch of the rope during regular fall. skinnier the better, so the forces with thin, double or twin ropes are not so great at all. the problem with the screamers is they rip at the same time the rope is stretching. there were more failures during their tests with then without screamers. i tend to trust their research, since they proved placing screws (in good ice) downward is not the correct way to go (10 degrees up is). metolius had simolar test results and both companies do not manufacture them.

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are you saying i'm gonna die? cry.gif

 

Well, yes, eventually.

 

Glassgowkiss has already stated this opinion of screamers in this thread , but he hasn't backed it up yet, despite a lot of evidence to the contrary.

 

Right now I'd say the jury is out on this one until we see some more hard evidence one way or the other.

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