Fundamentals
The Metolius Roll Up Stick Clip is exactly what it looks as if. Using a know-how not in distinction to the snap bracelets you carried out with as a toddler, the Roll Up Stick Clip unfurls proper right into a ~10-foot pole nonetheless rolls down proper right into a 4.5-inch cylinder (regarding the dimension and type of an enormous latte mug) for easy transport. Together with coming with a Superclip head, the Roll Up Stick Clip comes with attachments for mounting bouldering brushes and GoPro cameras. The whole ensemble is delicate, easy to assemble and disassemble, and is definitely in all probability essentially the most spectacular climbing gear enhancements in newest memory. It gained our Editor’s Choice Award in {{Hardware}} this yr.
Professionals
Assembly and disassembly takes decrease than one minute // Packs down extraordinarily small // The unfurled “stick” is astonishingly strong, stiffer than some extended telescopic stick clips // Comes with varied attachments for brushes or GoPro cameras // Appropriate with completely different stick clip heads
Cons
Terribly expensive for a stick clip // Accompanying Superclip attachments are stiffer than older variations of the Superclip, making it laborious to utilize with bigger carabiners and never potential to retrieve quickdraws from the wall // Superclip threads are displaying worrisome indicators of damage and tear after 10-12 days of use
Weight
28 oz (full package deal); 21 oz (pole solely)
Value
$225
Mannequin
Metolius
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Our concepts
The first stick clip I ever used (an astonishing 19 years previously this earlier April) was an exact stick. My good buddy confirmed me loosely tape a carabiner to the highest of an prolonged, curved oak division and use a small twig to hold the carabiner’s gate open. Then I stick-clipped the first draw of my first 5.11, Three Easy Objectsin Rumney, NH.
Since then, I’ve used (and discarded) quite a few sticks and painter’s poles. Flying to the Crimson River Gorge for my first climbing journey, I packed a humble rubber clamp in my bag and bought a painter’s pole at a ironmongery retailer in Stanton. Per week later, I left the pole—nonetheless not the clamp—at Miguel’s Pizza with a “free!” sign on it. Flying to Rifle the following summer time season, I did the an identical issue, this time packing my shiny new Squid (one in all many OG stick clip attachments and nonetheless one among my favorites) and, each week later, donating my mannequin new Walmart painter’s pole for neighborhood use on the Arsenal.
Quite a lot of years previously, I lastly invested in a climbing-specific telescoping pole, which was small enough to fly with if I packed a very giant bag. Nevertheless regardless that the pole was solely solely nine-feet-long at full extension, it was very flimsy when extended, and when strapped to the facet of my backpack, it nonetheless caught up extreme adequate to grab annoyingly at branches all through approaches.
Quite a lot of weeks previously, I donated this ultimate pole to a great buddy, having modified it with Metolius’s distinctive new Roll Up Stick Clip. It’s merely basically essentially the most moveable stick clip within the market. It’s moreover in all probability essentially the most spectacular climbing enhancements since Pure teamed up with Thriller Ranch to put backpacking help straps onto crash pads. (Crucial innovation of the ultimate ten years, though, nonetheless goes to Ben Moon for inventing the app-driven, LED-lit teaching board.)
The best way it really works
The Roll Up Stick Clip is manufactured from some kind of stiff composite supplies whose selective flexibility provides it merely two safe positions: It could be rolled into an honest cylinder for storage, and it’ll in all probability snap proper right into a stiff pole when unrolled. It strikes a chord in my memory—and primarily all people—of those snap bracelets we used as kids.
The Roll Up Stick Clip comes with the standard and ever-popular Metolius Superclip, nonetheless it has regular painter’s pole threads, so it’s appropriate with completely different stick clip heads. It’s often appropriate with quite a few forms of brushes (the pole might presumably be useful for boulderers, though the pole isn’t stiff adequate to withstand intense scrubbing) and with a typical GoPro mount.
Extreme kudos are ensuing from Metolius’s R&D employees for getting the mix of stiffness and suppleness correct. The pole is astonishingly easy to assemble and break down (just a few of our testers complained that inserting it away required slightly little bit of elbow grease, nonetheless I’m not very strong, and I’ve certainly not found it even remotely as tiring as coiling a rope). However it’s moreover astonishingly sturdy. Actually, it’s far stronger at full extension than the telescoping pole that I’ve been using for the previous couple of years. And the composite supplies seems very sturdy, which might help justify the extreme worth.
Lengthwise, the pole unfolds to 9 toes 8 inches prolonged, which is bigger than prolonged adequate for a lot of crags. First attracts in areas similar to the Crimson River Gorge and Smith Rock would possibly usually be laborious to achieve. And other people of you preferring pre-clipping the second quickdraw would possibly at cases need you’d hauled that cumbersome 15-foot painter’s pole to the cliff. Nevertheless I’ve used the Roll Up Stick Clip at seven utterly completely different crags in New Mexico, and I’ve however to come back throughout a state of affairs the place I needed to pre-clip a draw (whether or not or not first or second) nonetheless couldn’t attain it.
When rolled up, the stick clip and head weigh decrease than two kilos and retailer merely in a small nylon bag. For me, this has been slightly little bit of a sport changer. I ceaselessly used to neglect my earlier stick clip at residence as a result of it didn’t keep inside my pack; now, the Roll Up Stick Clip certainly not leaves my pack moreover on the crag, residing between climbing days correct subsequent to my quickdraws, Grigri, and kneepad. I’ve certainly not as quickly as forgotten to ship it climbing.
The Roll Up Stick Clip’s Cons
The superclip
Every I and my fellow tester, Anthony Walsh, uncover that the prongs on our accompanying Superclips had been far too stiff—noticibly stiffer than the Superclips we’ve beforehand used. This makes it unnecessarily powerful to nestle regular sport climbing carabiners between the attracts (smaller attracts had been easier than bigger ones), and we every ceaselessly pinched our fingers or palms between the draw and prongs. Further lamentably, this stiffness moreover makes it virtually not potential to retrieve a quickdraw from the wall using the standard method. I had fairly hoped that the prongs would loosen up with use, nonetheless after 10-12 days I’ve seen little change. The Superclip moreover lacks any kind of hook that makes it easier to tug the rope down whereas leaving the first draw clipped. Lastly, my Superclip is already displaying worrisome indicators of damage and tear.
Luckily, it’s the roll-up pole, not the highest, that’s the great innovation proper right here, and the pole is appropriate with completely different heads. Now that I’m executed with this consider, I imagine I’ll throw my Squid on it for earlier cases sake—though it seems ridiculous to ponder altering a element on such an expensive piece of gear.
The pole’s torsional flexibility does not allow for positive draw-retrieval methods
The Roll Up Stick Clip’s design permits the Metolius Superclip attachment to function exactly as designed if you may have a Superclip that isn’t ridiculously stiff. Nevertheless when retrieving quickdraws from the wall with my earlier stick clips, I’ve usually preferred to utilize a trick that does not require having a rope clipped to the quickdraw. Primarily, using my method, you slip the Superclip prongs throughout the carabiner’s gate, twist the stick clip until the gate opens, after which proceed twisting until the carabiner’s now-open mouth comes out of the hanger.
This isn’t attainable with a Roll Up Stick Clip on account of, though it’s hundreds stiff on its vertical and horizontal planes, the pole turns proper right into a moist noodle beneath any kind of torsional stress. This is not an unlimited deal for many who’ve obtained a free adequate Superclip; you’ll merely must do points the conventional method and clip a rope proper right into a quickdraw sooner than eradicating that quickdraw from the wall (the strategy outlined in minute three of this video).
Nevertheless with my super-stiff Superclip on my Roll Up Stick Clip pole, I’m presently unable to retrieve quickdraws the least bit, which is annoying.
Value
Finally, all gear reviewers must ask themselves one simple question: Would you buy this product?
Inside the case of the Roll Up Stick Clip—which costs a whopping $225—I’m really uncertain.
On the one hand, the Roll Up Stick Clip is a legitimately trendy and very helpful piece of gear that has made my climbing safer and earned a eternal place in my package deal. Alternatively, $225 is a few enormous money, notably considering that you could be get a perfectly high-quality telescoping stick clip for decrease than half that.
Most likely essentially the most I can say is that this: If I had not been despatched a Roll Up Stick Clip for the wants of a consider, I undoubtedly would not have bought one; nonetheless now that the Roll Up Stick Clip is part of my quiver, I’m uncertain I can return. In truth, if some grungy dirtbag had been to steal mine, I’m pretty sure I’d agonize for a few weeks after which buy a different.
I imagine that’s pretty extreme reward.