Clean Climbing Tools, where are they!?

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Messages 1 - 6 of total 6 in this topic

Lambone

Ice climber

Ashland, Or

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 28, 2008 - 03:57pm PT

Is it just me or does anyone else think it's bullshit that you can't get your hands on the best clean climbing tools out there?

I mean you go to the mountain shop in Yosemite, and they don't have offset brassies, they don't have offset aliens or regular aliens even, they don't have cam hooks...

It's really a shame.

Some company needs to step up and make these tools available.

nutjob

Stoked OW climber

San Jose, CA

Oct 28, 2008 - 04:11pm PT

I find it surprising that ANY climbing gear is commercialized. Volumes just not that high, quality and liability issues are significant, profit margins not high enough to justify production costs unless you just want to make gear as a life passion.

Heck, the climbing gym shops don't even bother to have ONE #6 cam in stock (Camalots or Friends). You want to buy a set of maching biners, you have to do it on-line because REI or Marmot or wherever don't keep more than 6 of the same kind in stock.

Seems like the only real economic future is for climbing gear manufacturers to be purchased by lifestyle clothing companies, and then the gear is a loss leader for creating the proper extreme image.

Either that, or just a small sweat-shop of motivated folks who don't really need money to live, and then we get gear whenever they feel like making it.

Moof

Big Wall climber

A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon

Oct 28, 2008 - 04:21pm PT

Offset Brassies: In turmoil while transitioning back from garage shop to real shop at DMM

Offset Aliens/Aliens: With all the issues surrounding them I don't blame climbing shops for not carrying them. Ideally shop owners can stand behind the products they carry. Worse, in this day and age the shop owner may be held partially liable if he carries a product with known safety issues that then reults in injury. Sad, but possible. On the plus side, there are offset TCU's. C3's, TCU's, Master Cams, and WC Zero's. While different, it is quite the range of recent options as alien replacements.

Cam hooks: Ed Leeper retired, and Pika's ones never have gotten rave reviews for their performance. Sounds like Mtntools is working on something to fill the gap, so hold your horses.

Quit your whining.

GOclimb

Trad climber

Boston, MA

Oct 28, 2008 - 04:23pm PT

Where are they? They're online.

It's so easy for folks to find the best deal available online - most shops don't want to soak up much shelf space with stuff you'll just ogle in the store and then buy for a better price on the internet.

GO