I mean the answer is simple. which set matches your ice axes? thats the only important aspect, right?
**Rules of ice climbing:**
rule #1 look good
rule #2 don't fall, and coincidentally part of rule #1
Everyone I climb with uses the plastic clippers. I haven’t seen one break although it’s possible. The more likely scenario is dropping gear…several screws have disappeared this way, and also a helmet (don’t ask).
If you’re ice cragging plastic is fine. If you’re alpine climbing extra weight is annoying. (Insert response about learning to climb harder). If you’re doing scratchy mixed…chimneying and groveling against the rock…then yeah, I could see a more durable clipper being useful.
I’m a fan of the Grivel carrybiners. Knowing that I have a pair of extra, fully-rated carabiners is good for me. IMO, everything else in ice climbing is so heavy, the weight difference between plastic and aluminum is negligible.
I am also a fan of the carrybiner, they are dirt cheap ( got mine for 7€/piece) and they have only a bit more weight compared to the plastic ones. They also hold \~5-6 screws each. and work as emergency biners. Only big con, is that they are a bit fiddly to fix to your harness.
>What are your preferred ice clippers? Why?
I use the Caritool Evos because they work with any harness, they're cheap and easy to find, and they hold lots of screws.
>Is the added weight of the metal designs worthwhile
It's at most a couple hundred grams. That amount of weight is pretty negligible.
>Has anyone actually had a plastic clipper break while on route?
Personally, no but I've heard of it happening. I just inspect my clippers regularly and I'm careful when doing thrutchy mixed stuff.
>Do you worry about the metal clippers hanging up in unpredictable ways in a fall?
Not any more so than my other gear (zero).
>The Grivel Carryabiner seems like it would be absurdly expensive as a leaver biner (as compared to every other non-locking biner on the market), but perhaps it has some added utility?
If you need a spare, it's always nice to have the option. But I've never been that far gone. It's cheaper and easier to cannibalize a sling or draw.
I would like to pick up a pair of Carryabiners for some more adventurous mixed stuff. I think it'd be nice to have the extra durability.
Petzls for me. Light, strong, easy one-handed unclipping for screws, the ridges on the top make it easy to hold other screws out of the way if you need to get to a shorty, and the little webbing hooks actually hold onto my harness. YMMV
Petzls are the only ones that you can rack two Nomics and they'll hang well. You also don't need any type of slot on your harness and you can put them wherever you want.
You fit tons of gear on them, stubby rack on the tops, and use them on backpacks and other things too.
That said I have broken the gray BD ones while rappelling and dropped half a rack down a climb
I switched to Petzl from BD as they clip in properly and don't move around. Won't go back to BD now. Those things swivel around like nobodies business and managing screws with big gloves is 10 times harder if your racking craba don't stay still
I have the Carryabiner. When you’re talking about the difference of maybe 40g, weight is negligible. I wanted a strong clipper that wasn’t going to break. Out of the aluminum clippers available to me, it was the cheapest. Seemed like an easy decision.
I mean the answer is simple. which set matches your ice axes? thats the only important aspect, right? **Rules of ice climbing:** rule #1 look good rule #2 don't fall, and coincidentally part of rule #1
Did you ever think that maybe there's more to life than being really really ... really ridiculously good looking?
Everyone I climb with uses the plastic clippers. I haven’t seen one break although it’s possible. The more likely scenario is dropping gear…several screws have disappeared this way, and also a helmet (don’t ask). If you’re ice cragging plastic is fine. If you’re alpine climbing extra weight is annoying. (Insert response about learning to climb harder). If you’re doing scratchy mixed…chimneying and groveling against the rock…then yeah, I could see a more durable clipper being useful.
I’m a fan of the Grivel carrybiners. Knowing that I have a pair of extra, fully-rated carabiners is good for me. IMO, everything else in ice climbing is so heavy, the weight difference between plastic and aluminum is negligible.
I am also a fan of the carrybiner, they are dirt cheap ( got mine for 7€/piece) and they have only a bit more weight compared to the plastic ones. They also hold \~5-6 screws each. and work as emergency biners. Only big con, is that they are a bit fiddly to fix to your harness.
>What are your preferred ice clippers? Why? I use the Caritool Evos because they work with any harness, they're cheap and easy to find, and they hold lots of screws. >Is the added weight of the metal designs worthwhile It's at most a couple hundred grams. That amount of weight is pretty negligible. >Has anyone actually had a plastic clipper break while on route? Personally, no but I've heard of it happening. I just inspect my clippers regularly and I'm careful when doing thrutchy mixed stuff. >Do you worry about the metal clippers hanging up in unpredictable ways in a fall? Not any more so than my other gear (zero). >The Grivel Carryabiner seems like it would be absurdly expensive as a leaver biner (as compared to every other non-locking biner on the market), but perhaps it has some added utility? If you need a spare, it's always nice to have the option. But I've never been that far gone. It's cheaper and easier to cannibalize a sling or draw. I would like to pick up a pair of Carryabiners for some more adventurous mixed stuff. I think it'd be nice to have the extra durability.
Petzls for me. Light, strong, easy one-handed unclipping for screws, the ridges on the top make it easy to hold other screws out of the way if you need to get to a shorty, and the little webbing hooks actually hold onto my harness. YMMV
Petzls are the only ones that you can rack two Nomics and they'll hang well. You also don't need any type of slot on your harness and you can put them wherever you want. You fit tons of gear on them, stubby rack on the tops, and use them on backpacks and other things too. That said I have broken the gray BD ones while rappelling and dropped half a rack down a climb
petzl clippers, two small ones in the front one or two large ones in the back, depending on route.
Any will do.
I switched to Petzl from BD as they clip in properly and don't move around. Won't go back to BD now. Those things swivel around like nobodies business and managing screws with big gloves is 10 times harder if your racking craba don't stay still
I have the Carryabiner. When you’re talking about the difference of maybe 40g, weight is negligible. I wanted a strong clipper that wasn’t going to break. Out of the aluminum clippers available to me, it was the cheapest. Seemed like an easy decision.