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Gear : Reviews

Reviews by shockabuku (4)


Ergo Average Rating = 4.00/5 Average Rating : 4.00/5

In: Gear: Essential Equipment: Carabiners: Locking Carabiners

Kong Ergo screwgate 4 out of 5 stars

Review by: shockabuku, 2010-01-30


Very nicely made biner and looks nice too. I suspect it's made from an unusual alloy as it seems a little heavy. It's also brutally strong; 29/10/12 kN ratings.


Koala Harness - Kids Average Rating = 3.00/5 Average Rating : 3.00/5

In: Gear: Essential Equipment: Harnesses: Kids Harnesses

Mammut Koala Harness 3 out of 5 stars

Review by: shockabuku, 2009-09-21


This harness is prone to severe tangling and, like the adult version, the waist belt and leg loops can be confusing to properly orient. Once it's on, it's a nice harness however. Price is pretty good.


Miura VS (Manufacturer link) popular Average Rating = 4.52/5 Average Rating : 4.52/5

In: Gear: Shoes: Climbing Shoes: Velcro

Miura VS 5 out of 5 stars

Review by: shockabuku, 2009-03-29


Great shoe. The fit is noticeably wider in the front end than the lace-up Miura (a plus for me) but I sized them the same. It is more downturned than the lace-up, though depending on how tight you size them that shape degrades somewhat. I've worn them about 3 months now, I've had no issues with them (they wear fine if your footwork is decent) but I am beginning to wonder how well the velcro is going to hold up in the long run - it doesn't seem to fasten as securely now as it did when new. The velcro has not come unsecured however, like my older shoes started to after about 1.5-2 yrs of wear.


Shield Quickdraw (Manufacturer link) Average Rating = 4.50/5 Average Rating : 4.50/5

In: Gear: Essential Equipment: Carabiners: Quickdraws

Review 4 out of 5 stars

Review by: shockabuku, 2006-10-10


I bought five of the anodized version to use on the rope end of some "trad draws". Note: I had some difficulty finding the anodized version (titanium/dark grey). I find they clip very easily, unlike some of the reviews I read about their predecessor -the Wirelock, with fairly strong gate tension. The biner seems solidly made though maybe a hair on the small side. I've seen no inclination to rotate into a crossloading situation. The sling end of the biner is very narrow, so I've decided to hang them on the newer 6 or 8 mm dyneema slings which seems to work well. One minor oddity, the "barrel" that is twisted into the end of the wire to form the "key" for locking into the nose of the biner tends to rattle a little. It's not been annoying, at least not yet, but it is a little strange. My only real gripe is that DMM advertises them with a 9 kN crossload strength, even on the card that comes with them, but the biner itself is stamped with 7 kN as the crossload strength. They are relatively expensive compared to a standard wiregate, but seem to be a little cheaper than the WC Helium, the only other biner I know of with similar characteristics. Can't comment on the durability yet, but I suspect they'll hold up pretty well. All in all, they seem to be a well designed and made piece of equipment.