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QUICKDRAWS | | |
|  Photo: Photo: Steve Stout and Stephen Reid on Remembrance (HVS), Gimmer Crag, Langdale, The English Lake District (Steve Ashton). |
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Quickdraws are generally available in several lengths, and also with a choice of solid gate or wiregate karabiners.
Lengths: The longer and floppier your quickdraw, the less likely twists and turns in the rope are is to lift your gear out of position. So for trad climbing, a selection of quickdraws from 15 to 20cm long, plus one or two of 30cm for deeply recessed placements, is ideal. Consider too carrying 60cm (and even 120cm) slings equipped with two krabs apiece for use under roofs etc.
For sports climbs and walls though there is no chance of the bolt lifting out (at least one hopes not!), so short 10cm quickdraws are fine, and are easier to clip, especially if the lower krab is held firmly in place.
When using quickdraws, the idea is that the tightly held krab is the one that you clip the rope into so that should always be on the bottom end of the quickdraw. This is particularly important when bolt-clipping as falling off on bolts can put little nicks in the top krab. If this krab is then used at the bottom end it can put little nicks in the rope!
Solid (or Plain) Gate Karabiners come either with a Straight or a Bent Gate - the latter is designed for the bottom krab on a quickdraw where it makes in extremis rope clipping easier and distinguishes one end of the quickdraw from another - this is important as falling on bolts can cause tiny nicks in the top end krab and if the quickdraw is turned around then rope damage can result.
More recently, Wiregates, though initially received with scepticism, have led to krabs that are lighter than any of their predecessors. They also do not freeze up in winter, and, because the gate has so little mass, are less prone to dangerous "gate open situations" than their solid-gated counterparts. As a karabiner is at its weakest when its gate is open, this is another important consideration. When wire gates first appeared, we worked out that the weight saving on the average reasonably comprehensive rack was equivalent to a jar of marmalade - that's worth considering as well!
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Needle Sports: | | |
Needle Sports Quickdraws and Karabiners are made by DMM in Wales. By bulk buying we can offer some bargain prices. | | |
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Wild Country: | | |
Please note that all Wild Country gear is 3-Sigma tested. Basically this means that statistically 99.73% of all their production will pass its strength ratings.
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DMM : | | |
Please note that all DMM gear is 3-Sigma tested. Basically this means that statistically 99.99% of all their production will pass its strength ratings. | | |
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Camp : | | |
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Metolius : | | |
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| | Prices: Please note that all our prices are in UK Pounds Sterling (£) including VAT (see below). An approximate price in US$ is shown in brackets. To work out a more accurate price please click for a Currency Convertor.BMC Members: We regret that we cannot offer a free UK postage service to all and do BMC discount as well. BMC discount is available only to personal callers at the shop. VAT: Included in the price shown is European sales tax (VAT) of 17.5% on most items, which non-European Economic Community (EEC) buyers should not have to pay. Click for our notes for Overseas Buyers. Stock Levels: Stock Levels are now indicated for many items - please click to see why these will not always be 100% accurate and why a zero stock level does not mean you can't order - Stock Levels more.... *Postage: is FREE for most UK Orders (some particularly heavy low profit items are excepted - this is clearly indicated for those items - they are mainly books). Overseas buyers please follow the ordering process through the first two stages for an estimate of postage costs - you can then cancel the order if you wish. NB Parcels will almost certainly have to be signed for, and are likely to be sent by a Carrier who may not have a depot near where you live. It is worth including a trusted neighbour's details, or having your goods sent to your work address. Please click for more details on UK Deliveries and Overseas Deliveries. Sizing: All our boot sizes are in UK (7, 7.5, 8 etc) or European Sizes (41, 42, 43 etc). Click for a Boot Size Conversion Chart. For assistance with UK women's clothing sizes, click for a Clothing Size Conversion Chart. Web order not worked? Please email info@needlesports.com or ring 017687 72227. Please rest assured - we will not use your email address for any reason other than to contact you regarding the order you have placed, and we will never pass on your email address to a third party.
This means that if you wish to receive notification of special offers and other news, then you need to opt in and Register. Also, your credit card details are only obtained on a secure server - this is notified by the golden padlock symbol that appears when you reach this stage of your order. |
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