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Edelrid Pure Slider review

nmonteith

30-Oct-2014
11:13:40 AM

Just thought I'd jot down a a few notes about my experience of these 'locking' biners suitable for quikdraws.

I bought two of these biners at the Climbing Festival (pricey at around $25 each biner) and put them on a dogbone to make a quickdraw with locking biners on both ends. The biner has a little sliding lock on the front of the gate which can be opened easily with one hand (thumb). They are narrow biners (the same size as a usual quickdraw biner) so they are easy to operate one handed unlike larger screwgates. My plan was to use this quickdraw for sketchy places where a quickdraw unclipping was the difference between decking or not.
I honestly didn't think I would use it much - it was just something in my rack that I could use occasionally. What I didn't realize is that it is so simple to use one handed that I have now found I'm using it on every route I do! With a little practice I can clip and unclip from it as easily as a normal biner. The price is the only barrier for me in buying several of these to replace regular quickdraws!

Is using lockers on every quickdraw an overkill? Maybe. But then again 40 years ago people believed harnesses were an overkill. Technology moves along - and these biners certainly make climbing that little bit safer.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

30-Oct-2014
3:47:26 PM

Another review here, that includes a photo of the krabs nose end in open configuration, plus pics of the other models it comes in.

It could also be a good krab to use in a Garda Hitch (Alpine Clutch) situation.

For the technical minded its strength rating is 23kN with the gate closed, and 8kN for gate open and across the gate loadings.

TimP

30-Oct-2014
4:54:42 PM

Is this the end of screwgates?

gfdonc

30-Oct-2014
5:01:52 PM

I'm with you Neil. I have a paranoia about bolts becoming unclipped, no doubt spurred on by this incident:
http://www.chockstone.org/Forum/Forum.asp?Action=Display&ForumID=5&MessageID=5769&Replies=37

Where can you buy these things in Australia?

dmcg

30-Oct-2014
5:13:06 PM

This immediately brings to mind this article I read earlier today: http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/the-unthinkable?utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=

phillipivan

30-Oct-2014
5:16:09 PM

How do you think the mechanism would work with gloves Neil? And, would you be comfortable using them in applications you would typically use a normal screwgate (belaying*, clipping to anchor)?

* with a hms shape of course.

dave

30-Oct-2014
5:55:09 PM

They have an HMS version which is suggested for belay use

and also this one which has an additional gate locking mechanism (the wire gate)

phillipivan

30-Oct-2014
7:05:19 PM

Yes, I saw. I'm curious if Neil would be comfortable using them in place of conventional locking biners.

nmonteith

30-Oct-2014
7:11:45 PM

On 30/10/2014 phillipivan wrote:
>Yes, I saw. I'm curious if Neil would be comfortable using them in place
>of conventional locking biners.

No I wouldn't use them for a belay/rap biner. In my small mind the gate could still be forced open with a rope running along the catch mechanism. I still like the traditional security of an old school screwgate. I'm not convinced by all these magnetic/sleeve/rotating lockign mechanisms.

What makes these biners awesome is you can operate them easily one handed in a desperate clipping situation (ie on lead). I can unclip them from my harness, clip them to the protection, and clip my rope in easily. You can't do that with any previous version of a locker that I have seen.

nmonteith

30-Oct-2014
7:12:25 PM

On 30/10/2014 gfdonc wrote:
>Where can you buy these things in Australia?

I bought mine from the Paddy Pallin stand at the Aust Climbing Festival.

nmonteith

30-Oct-2014
7:13:38 PM

On 30/10/2014 phillipivan wrote:
>How do you think the mechanism would work with gloves Neil?

Probably not that well. The latch is pretty small and really requires friction of finger on it to pull it open. I haven't tested it though!

JamesMc

30-Oct-2014
7:20:40 PM

Why use quick draws at all? If you're using them on rings or fixed hangers, then you should be able to use single locking krabs at $25 per clip (assuming you are going pretty much straight up). The main reason for quick draws is so twisting doesn't open the gates.

phillipivan

30-Oct-2014
7:20:45 PM

Thanks.

TimP

30-Oct-2014
8:14:47 PM

On 30/10/2014 nmonteith wrote:
>On 30/10/2014 gfdonc wrote:
>>Where can you buy these things in Australia?
>
>I bought mine from the Paddy Pallin stand at the Aust Climbing Festival.

Saw the pure slider a couple of weeks ago online and tried to find them in AU.Contacted the Edelrid distributor and they said the pure slider was a new item for them but they'd sold some to a gym in Melbourne. Any retailer who deals with them are able to order some in, try Steve at Rock Hardware.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

31-Oct-2014
9:03:24 AM

On 30/10/2014 dave wrote:
>and also this one which has an additional gate locking mechanism (the
>wire gate)

I suspect that the wire mechanism is only meant to be an orientation-retainer, ie it keeps the belay krab oriented correctly on the harness belay loop, and probably doesn't add significantly to preventing the gate coming open, which is what the slider-lock is for...
?

Re original item and usage with gloves.
In the review I linked in my earlier post, the reviewer reckons they are good for setting belays, but had reservations about usage in snow/ice conditions due possible freezing of the slider lock mechanism.

nmonteith

31-Oct-2014
10:27:00 AM

The wiregate on that HMS biner is a part of the locking process. That biner has a two part system so should be super bomber for belaying.

TimP

31-Oct-2014
11:07:06 AM

According to the salesman in the clip below it works with gloves and is good with ice… he's very good, slickest spiel I've seen for a while.

http://vimeo.com/weighmyrack/edelrid-slider-locking-carabiner-series

There is another HMS with a keeper spring at the bottom that looks interesting. The one in a previous post with the keeper on the gate is double locked.

phillipivan

31-Oct-2014
12:20:06 PM

Sure, but no sales rep is going to say "it's awkward with gloves, ices up easily, I wouldn't be comfortable belaying with it and would generally describe it as a specialist application item."

I'm not suggesting any of that is necessarily true, but I value in the field experience.

dave

4-Nov-2014
12:10:27 PM

Maybe these are the solution to what Eduardo was looking for in this thread:
http://www.chockstone.org/Forum/Forum.asp?Action=Display&ForumID=6&MessageID=26498&Replies=1

phillipivan

4-Nov-2014
12:21:59 PM

Along the same lines the grivel twin gate biners might be a good solution. Have yet to see one outside of teh internets though.

There are 20 messages in this topic.