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strider
Oct 7, 2004, 7:25 AM
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...when it comes to the climbing gear market? Do BD, Met, Trango, etc.. have such a strangle hold on us that we can not import more diverse Euro equipment? I took a tour through Barrabes tonight and found an amazing array of equipment that we have never seen or even dreamt about before. Here are a few examples:
From Kong:
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=390&pf_id=2882&opt=m
And from Cassin:
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=543&pf_id=4339&opt=
These are shock absorbers. For the solo aid climber there are genius. You could set this up at your lower belay as a shock absorber (of course you want to back it up with...lets say...two shoulder-length slings...should be plently strong back-up) so that when you have a wicked fall you can lessen the impact. Also re-usable. No more paying $30 for screamers before a climb.
Also from Kong for the aid climber:
Ascenders @ $40 each ($10 less than Petzl and very similar)
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=392&pf_id=2568&opt=m
The infamous Block-Roll Wall hauler at a whopping $113
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=392&pf_id=2574&opt=m
Various pulleys that range from $12-$126
Kong also does a line of cams...WHO KNEW?!?
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=394&pf_id=7150&opt=m
...and nutz...
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=393&pf_id=7220&opt=m
...and not only nutz. WTF is this??????
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=389&pf_id=2760&opt=m
a $20 quick draw with the weirdest twist I have seen yet.
So how about this Wall Hammer that is a cross between the BD and OP hammer and only costs $65
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=1102&pf_id=11752&opt=m
And this Kong rigging plate is ONLY $18.82!! How much is the Petzl...$42!!!!
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=1102&pf_id=12498&opt=m
And it's not only Kong. Fixe has some stuff going on. Check this wall hauler out. it is only $59!!...
http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?dept_id=71&pf_id=3277&opt=
So what is the deal?? Why don't we have any of this cool stuff over here?
Just Curious
-n
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pheenixx
Oct 7, 2004, 7:50 AM
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Congradulations -- it looks like your've discovered.... barrabes.com
To answer the title on this FORUM: Why does America suck sooooo much...
B.U.S.H.
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jon06
Oct 7, 2004, 8:54 AM
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Seriously.
I've spent hours apon hours searching the web for rock climbing gear and have never seen most of the stuff off of that page. The wall haulers and shock absorbing lanyard plate dohicky looked pretty kick ass.
But I agree about the the "Frog" thing. What the hell is it?
I would love to be able to get my hands on some of that gear without a translator and conversion table.
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maxdacat
Oct 7, 2004, 8:59 AM
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In reply to: But I agree about the the "Frog" thing. What the hell is it?
They are draws that are easier to clip and give you a bit of extra reach. Never used 'em but they look wierd.
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norushnomore
Oct 7, 2004, 9:23 AM
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If you like what you see just buy it.
I have bought from them a few times and stuff showed up in my office few days later just as it was bought from mgear or likes.
For what you care there is no diff if there is a us disributor or not.
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tisar
Oct 7, 2004, 10:56 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: But I agree about the the "Frog" thing. What the hell is it? They are draws that are easier to clip and give you a bit of extra reach. Never used 'em but they look wierd.
The FROG:
http://www.barrabes.com/.../medium/kongfrog.jpg
Got a grip on one once. The principle is to keep the "gate" open untill the it's pushed against a bold whereafter it automaticly locks up. Makes it easier to clip reachy stuff. It's the last manufactured version of "panic draws" as far as I know.
There was a big discussion on it in a german climbers forum as they found out it becomes unclipped under certain circumstances (rope gets tangled around upper "biner" and pushes both of the release buttons or such). I think the purpose is truly in aid-climbing and the draw should be replaced by a normal one as quick as possible.
- Daniel
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viciado
Oct 7, 2004, 11:52 AM
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1) Barrabes is great. I have ordered from them both in Portugal and the US. With larger orders you can save big on shipping!
2) I've used frogs before, but found that they are a bit limited and prefer quickdraws.
The frogs don't work well with large "tige" (glue-in) bolts since the opening is limited to what you see. In the Lisbon area, you find a lot of glue ins due to the sea exposure.
On hangers, we have had some problems with them not locking completely if they are not placed just right. PLUS the mechanism is shorter than a biner. I find that outweighs the reach factor.
I have never seen the rope actually open the things though, but can understand how it COULD happen if the rope somehow got wrapped around the top portion... it could push/pull the two little "fingers" you see in the foto above and thus open the double gate. Having said that, I have not been able to open a frog if weighted.
Use 'em if you like 'em...
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rkhali
Oct 7, 2004, 12:06 PM
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The FROG:
http://www.barrabes.com/.../medium/kongfrog.jpg
I have one which I got from Canada, and I use it all the time. When you're pumped and you need to make that clip quickly, or you're just too chicken to move off that bomber hold and the bolt is just a few inches out of reach.
It's great, but relatively heavy so I only carry one....
My magic quickdraw I call it, it helps mentally :wink:
Cheers,
Raymond
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bluetrout
Oct 7, 2004, 12:57 PM
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Those frog things are big, bulky and heavy.
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euroford
Oct 7, 2004, 12:57 PM
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yup. kong makes some cool stuff, most of it is typical, but some stuff nobody else makes and its highly desirable. all the big wall guys lust after the wall hauler. you don't need a translator, you can switch the language to english and pick several currencies, they take credit cards, so go for it.
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anykineclimb
Oct 7, 2004, 1:29 PM
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Kong and Cassin makes some great stuff.
Used to sell it a the shop I worked at. sold tons of it.
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leinosaur
Oct 7, 2004, 1:49 PM
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sucking's underrated - what if your significant other didn't suck?
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fitzontherocks
Oct 7, 2004, 2:07 PM
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Something happened with Barrabes and the EC or with their competitors or something. I bought some Boreal Ninjas for my young daughter about 2-3 years ago. $20! Add in $10 for shipping, and it was still half what I would have paid in the U.S. of A. And they're great kid's shoes. Now, the same shoe has gone back up to $60 or 70. I though I remember hearing about some dispute either with the EC or with competitors. Anybody know? Since Barrabes is Spanish (though they now have a U.S. site and I think a store in SF?), I thought maybe just Spanish product (like Boreals) were cheaper than those from other countries. Anyone?
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dingus
Oct 7, 2004, 2:22 PM
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In reply to: Something happened with Barrabes and the EC or with their competitors or something. I bought some Boreal Ninjas for my young daughter about 2-3 years ago. $20! Add in $10 for shipping, and it was still half what I would have paid in the U.S. of A.
Don't know about the EC thing but Boreal-USA went out of business a couple of years ago and the shoes were ultra cheap for a while. Golds for 60 bucks, etc. Wish Ida bought more cause no other climbing shoe seems to fit my duck feet like those spanish lasts.
DMT
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itakealot
Oct 7, 2004, 2:37 PM
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In reply to: Re: Why does America suck sooooo much
HUH? WTF does this have to do with gear?
Why don't you move to Iraq if the U.S. of A sucks?
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anykineclimb
Oct 7, 2004, 2:41 PM
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I know a few years ago Black Diamond had a fit because Americans could buy gear from MEC cheaper than they could in the US. So now MEC cannot ship certain items into the US. Which is now just a great excuse for a road trip to Canada!
Another reasoning behind why we don't see some of this gear is simple marketing.
Theres tons of products not available in the US and vise versa
Granted some of this gear is availnle at a few US retailer but for the most part is goes unnoticed. Could be that they(Cassin, Kong..) make enough money without the US, so why bother. Other companies, like Luckey, partners up with American companies (Metolius) to sell it as their gear.
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jstp
Oct 7, 2004, 2:42 PM
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Hate to burst you bubble buddy, but most of these products are available in the US, if not the exact one, the something very very similar.
The first one is an absorber designed for via ferrata, which incedentally europe has a lot more of than the US. you can get several different and higher tech versions through petzl. though you have to special order because they are not common here; because we do not have much via ferrata. industrial supply companies also have similar more heavy duty items. the kind of absorber pictured here works sort of like an atc and munter combined. the result is a device that can absorb a shock load, but only safely once. Petzl states about its similar products that it can be used more than once only if there are no other options: like you are high up on a via ferrata and only have one device. after that the cord needs replacing. So repeated use for aid soloing could be very bad and risky.
The second item at is very similar to a product pika used to make. It is similar to the first but is designed to work with flat webbing. don't know if it still availible from pika, but it had similar limitations and obviously the fact that it is may no longer be available says something....
The kong ascenders at look pretty much identical to the older style petzl ascenders. thus, i suspect the price difference. i also have been underwhelmed with kong's quality after using many of their 'biners and seeing their cams.
Can't speak to the Kong wall hauler, but to be honest if the quality is there it looks pretty cool.
The new kong nuts and cams are both rock empire manufacture it appears, nothing special. Omega pacific, ABC, and a variety of other gear companies all contract out their work to the same facilities, thus the proliferation of gear with different labels that all looks the same.... Different label doesn't mean new or different gear.
The frog you can get in the states at Kong dealers, though it doesn't seem to be catching on. And if the germans have found it to pop off of bolts i doubt it will.
The Fixe wallhauler is identical to the old Rock Exotica one unless that picture is misleading. The tooling looks exactly the same! Only anodized a different color. Fixe must have bought the old design from Petzl once they started to make their pro- and mini-traxion devices. If you love the old wallhauler or are hell bent on having one get one on ebay, way cheaper. Unless of course it is those clashingly wonderful new colors that drew your eye...
If you want to see some truly off the wall euro gear :shock: i suggest you look up Ushuba, Altai, and Ural titanium gear try this ( http://stores.ebay.com/URALSPORT ). They make a belay/hauling/pulley/ascender/whatever device that looks like a mideval torture tool (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50814&item=7104707573 ), pitons so small it makes my cower and a variety of figure eight derived (i think... hope) descenders that look like something Gary Larson would draw in a surgeons hands. These items can also be found on eBay, or cruise the web.
And if someone could tell me how to make links work in these posts, that would be awesome. Sorry for being too dumb to include them. :oops:
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jstp
Oct 7, 2004, 2:52 PM
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I had to add this as well: Buying gear from your local gear shops supports local economies, local buissiness, local climbing, local community and is generally a more concientious way of getting gear than doing essentiailly what every big corportation goes - outsource. We all have heard the impacts of this. Buying from an out of country, or out of state online retailer is often cheaper, but when the difference is not much i really urge you to buy from local shops to prevent them from dissapearing, and you from being frustrated because you cannot fondle all the latest gear, or get theat 4.5 camalot for your new project before someone else snags it. Local gear shops struggle enough without you sending your cash out of the country (which harms you in the long run anyway, if you want to get really economically tech wenie about it), and local shops are often willing to cut you a deal to get your business. I know the shop i work in does, and most other LOCAL shops do, not the chain stores, or corporate money makers (Yosemite Mountain Shop maybee....). Support your local economies and climbing scene, its better for all of us.
ok i'm off the soap box now
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holmeslovesguinness
Oct 7, 2004, 3:42 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Something happened with Barrabes and the EC or with their competitors or something. I bought some Boreal Ninjas for my young daughter about 2-3 years ago. $20! Add in $10 for shipping, and it was still half what I would have paid in the U.S. of A. Don't know about the EC thing but Boreal-USA went out of business a couple of years ago and the shoes were ultra cheap for a while. Golds for 60 bucks, etc. Wish Ida bought more cause no other climbing shoe seems to fit my duck feet like those spanish lasts. DMT
My understanding (from talking to someone at a local gear shop) is that Boreal's US distributor stopped doing business with them due to the fact that you could order them so cheaply via online Euro sites. Dunno if this is true or not. The only place I have been able to find them locally is at Neptune in Boulder (but of course they have everything there).
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caughtinside
Oct 7, 2004, 3:46 PM
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Hmm, you can get a few of these gizmo's over the internet, but not in shops, and so america sucks?
The title of your thread is what sucks.
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dingus
Oct 7, 2004, 3:53 PM
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In reply to: Hmm, you can get a few of these gizmo's over the internet, but not in shops, and so america sucks? The title of your thread is what sucks.
Yeah, it sucks, in that it got 700 hits in just a few hours. Not bad for a damn gear head thread. Classic misdirection!
I thought it was clever.
Cheers
DMT
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maxdacat
Oct 7, 2004, 4:03 PM
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In reply to: I know a few years ago Black Diamond had a fit because Americans could buy gear from MEC cheaper than they could in the US. So now MEC cannot ship certain items into the US. Which is now just a great excuse for a road trip to Canada!
Isn't that a bit anti-competetive?
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thewiz
Oct 7, 2004, 4:13 PM
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Maybe you should move out of here, go to Canada or some where you could get your cheap crap. I think you suck soooo much.
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rcaret
Oct 7, 2004, 5:07 PM
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because we try to make everything fair instead of letting a free market take over an allow for the better company to win
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e_wire
Oct 7, 2004, 5:15 PM
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Dude, you need to cross the border, we have most of this stuff here in Canada - at least in Montreal - in most outdoors shop. The Frog thing, nuts, and the rest. Most of the Kong stuff anyway... But it doesn't have quite as good reputation as BD or Petzel.
e_wire.
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