Lepton Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 In the annals of field testing by marketing I thought the old Chouinard aka Great Pacific Ironworks company took the cake. Like the lithium battery headlamp I bought, took out of the package at Ingraham Flats, installed the batteries then had to throw it away before I got burned. It melted down into the glacier so far I was never able to dig it out. Or the ice climbing gloves with precurved fingers, gauntlets and sticky rubber like palms, they were great at room temperature but the rubber palm material became stiff and brittle below 10 degrees and shattered on Mt. McKinley on the first day (but thank God for their handy dandy sewing kit so I could put the cool gauntlets on the Gates gloves - with dental floss). Sounds like the use of consumers as product testers is a time honored tradition that will continue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shapp Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 D-best quickies and ABC SLUGS, although cool looking and spring loaded, they suck the fatty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken4ord Posted October 26, 2004 Author Share Posted October 26, 2004 Nice relics Off_White. The only thing I have heard those Salewa screws are good for is placing as a fixed piece in soft sandstone and chalk cliff. And that drill, damn talk about carpel tunnel syndrone. No wonder back in the day the bolt were so far apart, who in there right mind would want to hammer in bolts with that set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken4ord Posted October 26, 2004 Author Share Posted October 26, 2004 Hey those Irbis are fine for alpine ice climbing. I carry one when soloing so that if my crampon detaches accidentally I can clip to a screw while I refix the crampon. Weighs nothing and good for body weight! I know what you mean man, I could see a couple of oz. weighing me down falling down the ice face i am trying to solo, yeah right . The weight savings is not worth the frustration trying to place them. Also because the way the hanger is set up on them and because I have seen them come off there is no way in freezing hell I would trust my life to a POS like that, give me a modern screw any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 I have never seen them come off, and they are easy to place one handed. You can stick one finger in the hanger hole and drill them in just like a BD Express! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Quckies could be the ticket! I used them quite a bit esp. the blue, red and black sizes..... But mostly the blue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothrop Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 The #0 Clog cam is my least favorite piece... I place it as soon as I can just to get rid of the thing. Friends smaller than #1.5 aren't nearly as nice as TCUs or Aliens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 The #0 Clog cam is my least favorite piece... I place it as soon as I can just to get rid of the thing. Friends smaller than #1.5 aren't nearly as nice as TCUs or Aliens. You can say that again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordop Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 HOw 'bout the Mtn Hardware MOUNTAIN KILT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelle Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 A ball nut a good friend gave me when I started climbing. I've fallen twice while bounce tesing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Simpkins Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 ball nutz rule! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EWolfe Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 steel carabiners I once made a 4" piece of gear out of a short 2X4. It was before I could afford a #4 and I wanted to do Saggitarius. Never used it, but man, that thing was crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin_Matlock Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 ... the lithium battery headlamp I bought, took out of the package at Ingraham Flats, installed the batteries then had to throw it away before I got burned. It melted down into the glacier so far I was never able to dig it out. Or the ice climbing gloves with precurved fingers, gauntlets and sticky rubber like palms, they were great at room temperature but the rubber palm material became stiff and brittle below 10 degrees and shattered on Mt. McKinley on the first day ... It's only funny 'cause it didn't happen to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Micro Camalot 0.2. I'm not saying it is a terrible piece of equipment, just that it was a poor purchase decision. This is the same size as my black Alien 3/8, which is stronger, places more easily, and is more versatile because it is more flexible. I've placed the Micro Camalot 0.2 only once in the two years I've owned it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertm Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 I agree in general about the micro-camelots. The one place where they do excel is in thin vertical finger cracks. The west face of NEWS is one place I can think of that they proved very handy and fit like a glove. I place my TCUs much more than the micros. The other place they work pretty good is under flakes on slab climbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted October 28, 2004 Share Posted October 28, 2004 Buddies, it was the origonal 2 cam unit. Totally worthless, once placed, it not only walked if you thought about touching it, it actually ran:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted October 28, 2004 Share Posted October 28, 2004 SNARGS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken4ord Posted October 28, 2004 Author Share Posted October 28, 2004 Oh yeah. I removed one and vowed never to remove another, I warned partners if I ever came upon one I was leaving it behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Serl Posted October 28, 2004 Share Posted October 28, 2004 the Mountain Technology Verige was the worst technical ice tool i ever had the (dis)pleasure to whack against a piece of ice. horrid vibration (felt like beating a rock with a pipe, which - come to think of it - wasn't far off...), difficult to get to hook, then nearly impossible to extract. i shared this dubious joy with many others at an ice demo day at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City a few years ago, and we all went away shaking our heads and sharing sideways glances with each other - the owner of the company (a nice enough guy, and a good party-er) was in attendance, and nobody wanted to embarrass him by telling him what we REALLY thought of his tools. runner-up position must go to the Omega Pacific Alphas - they look pretty hopeful, but they're sure not much pleasure to use. those boys got a lot to learn yet... honorable mention is reserved for a Lucky ice hammer, the hammer head on which broke off while i was using the tool to flatten a soup-can while compacting garbage before flying out from a Niut Range spring climbing trip a few years ago. speaking of garbage... cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin_Matlock Posted October 28, 2004 Share Posted October 28, 2004 Cheap ass Walmart pack. Not sure the actual brand name. True story... Many moon ago a penny pinching buddy of mine made fun of me shelling out $125 on a new pack. He instead ran out and for $19.99 bought the cheapest peice of shit he could fine since it was "just a bag to throw your crap in". On the hike out, he got maybe 2 miles down the trail and was complaining of shoulder pain. The pads were so thin (and he had it WAY overloaded) that he had these nice matching red streaks on his shoulders. I still think he had some sort of weird ass reaction to the cheap-O material the thing was made of since I have yet to see anything so pronounced after such a short hike. But anyway he just had to deal with the pain. At one point after a rest stop, we reslung our packs. I watched him get ready to hit the trail by pulling down on the POS cinch straps and the fucking attachment points at the top of the straps gave way. The pack just sort of rolled down his back and hit the ground behind him. I just stood there looking at him and was blown away that even a $20 pack could be made soooooo crappily. He just turned around and looked at the pack and said "oh damn, my chute deployed early". I nearly pissed myself. Still makes me laugh to this day! NEVER EVER buy a pack that also includes a "free canteen and action sun glasses". (Ok, so I made this last part up) Funniest/cheapest thing ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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