[TobyD]

Hello ukB, I have one of the first production betasticks which I'm using in Spain at the moment. Impressions from me and others that have used it are overwhelmingly positive. I recommend buying one when they're out, it's a real improvement from the old ones in virtually every way. I've not found a krab it doesn't work perfectly with yet. It may be more expensive than the old one, but it's really worth it. Any amount of money is worth spending to avoid the consequences of ground fall in my view. The compact one is virtually unnoticeable to climb with on your harness, and the long version could probably clip the Belay of raindogs from the floor. Out in a month ish.

Please consider buying one! Cheers Toby

[abarro81]

Do you still have to faff around using the rope to take draws out, or can it now be done with the stick only like some of the American sticks seem to be able to do?

[205Chris]

Do you still have to faff around using the rope to take draws out, or can it now be done with the stick only like some of the American sticks seem to be able to do?

It looks like you still have to faff. There's a video of it on Beta Climbing Designs facebook page. From what I can see the main changes are:

Locking clips instead of twisting to extend / retract
New (metal?) head which seems to accept a greater variety of 'biners
Integrated hole to use to clip to your harness

Functionally in terms of what it can actually do - clip draws, clip rope, remove draws doesn't seem any different from the existing model.

Please don't read this as a negative review but I'm not sure I'm going to be replacing my Stone^(TM) Fishing pole with jump lead clip anytime soon.

[duncan]

Sounds like competition has encouraged Beta to up their game. I wonder how it compares to the Pongoose?

[abarro81]

It looks like you still have to faff. There's a video of it on Beta Climbing Designs facebook page.

Huh, yeah it looks just the same but the pole locking is a bit better. Pity they didn't design it for faff-free/rope-free clip removal, lots of Americans seem to have one where you can take the clips out without the rope. I tried Stu's Pongoose thing and clip removal was still faffy, but better than with the old (or, by the looks of it, new) beta version.

[cheque]

lots of Americans seem to have one where you can take the clips out without the rope.

Do you mean a Superclip? I have one and you still need to have the rope through the bottom biner to tension it as you take the draw out. You can use it to put the rope in the bottom biner though so it's not a big issue. I've no desire to replace it, not least because it's universal design means  I can put it on whatever pole I like.

The Pongoose is really well made and the way those rubber ball things grip the rope make it easier to clip the rope into a hanging draw with than the Superclip. The big flaw is that it attaches to the pole with a tiny 1/4" thread so you can't use longer poles with it. It's a shame as the justification for this bit of the design seems to be that you can screw a DSLR-type camera body straight onto it for use as a boom. Anyone who's actually done this will confirm that it's a complete waste of time.

Sounds like competition has encouraged Beta to up their game.

The original Beta Stick is a great example of something only being commonly used because there's no alternative- almost all British sport climbers have owned one and none of them have a single good word to say about it!

[mikester]

On the plus side, the older model is being flogged off.
http://www.outside.co.uk/shop/BetaStick

[Paul B]

I think that's unfair! I've had my original for around a decade and it's been severely used/abused in that period. Sure, it's not perfect but it far out lasted my home made offerings and fit nicely into my duffel bag for trips. I replaced it last year with a longer version.

The super clips look good Barrows but they're still not that easy to operate (and I can do the same thing with my original beta stick, albeit not at full extension).

[dr_botnik]

Any word on the price?

[TobyD]

The new stick works much better than the old one, the head doesn't let biners slide out of the side like every other stick I've used, and the pole is really burly. The lock mechanism means that you can flick them all open at once for full extension more quickly. I have no vested interest in flogging them myself btw! I just think it's a really good product.

[Dave Mayes]

Has anyone with the new clip stick tried it with the Ocun sport draws? (http://www.ocun.com/en/products/hardware/quickdraw-sets/falcon-qd-pad16.html)

I picked up a load of these draws a while ago but my old clip stick doesn't have a long enough clip to hold the gates open.

[Paul B]

I believe not (I think they're the same as a friend's).

[TobyD]

Has anyone with the new clip stick tried it with the Ocun sport draws? (http://www.ocun.com/en/products/hardware/quickdraw-sets/falcon-qd-pad16.html)

I picked up a load of these draws a while ago but my old clip stick doesn't have a long enough clip to hold the gates open.

I've tried dozens of different biners in the new stick, and not found one it doesn't work with yet, I imagine it will be fine. If you email Beta, they tested it with many more than that during development, they'll be able to tell you I'm sure.

[Will Hunt]

I bought mine at the start of May (Standard length) and it's been out to the crag 8 times. I've not owned a clipstick before so this wasn't a case of upgrading, moreover buying what was available. I've seen lots and lots of the old blue sticks at the crag and have never encountered one which had all it's twisty sections intact. There's always one or two which were knackered.
Up till the weekend I'd been very pleased with it. The closure clasps for each section seems to be more reliable and easier to use than the twisty mechanism. Having the hole in the head for clipping to the harness seems like a very good idea and it works fine.
I don't know if the blue one does this but the green head on the new one has a slightly hooked bottom, which means you can reach up to the 1st/2nd draw and pull the rope down easily from above it. Despite appearances the hook is really grabby and it's dead easy to pull the rope down without losing a grip on it.

However, while using this function, one of the sections is now expanding when I pull down on the rope i.e. the clasp is not gripping enough to keep it locked in place while pulling down on the rope. This is disappointing as it makes me wonder how long it will be before it's so slack that I can't use that section at all, and how long it will be before the other sections start to go. The clamps might not be as robust as they look.

[Paul B]

Just clip the rope end of the draw around the shaft then when you want to pull the rope down you clip it with the bolt end and then just pull it down (I tend to incrementally shorten the stick rather than bending it wildly).

[spidermonkey09]

Just clip the rope end of the draw around the shaft then when you want to pull the rope down you clip it with the bolt end and then just pull it down (I tend to incrementally shorten the stick rather than bending it wildly).

Thats a classic example of a hack/mod that climbers have invented to make the old stick do something it wasn't designed to do (and a very good one it is too).  However, the point is that the new stick has a hook (Will; the old one doesn't) specifically designed so you dont have to bother with the quickdraw mod, and its actually progressively breaking the stick. Doesn't bode well for longevity.

[Will Hunt]

Just clip the rope end of the draw around the shaft then when you want to pull the rope down you clip it with the bolt end and then just pull it down (I tend to incrementally shorten the stick rather than bending it wildly).

I think I understand what you're saying, but surely that's doing the same thing i.e. pulling down and forcing the stick open? It's not a problem with the hook, which works brilliantly, it's the fact that it seems to have loosened one section of the stick.

[highrepute]

Are you progressively shortening the stick that seemed to do a lot for the life of the tightening mechanism on mine.

But each the old ones were deliccate. Not ideal if the new ones aren't much better.

Stones jump lead clip on a fishing rod still going strong.

[Paul B]

Are you progressively shortening the stick that seemed to do a lot for the life of the tightening mechanism on mine.

That's what I was getting at Will.

[Stu Littlefair]

Stones jump lead clip on a fishing rod still going strong.

You can hardly hold Stone's Roach pole up as a paragon of longevity, given that one of the most impressive crag meltdowns I've ever seen occurred when persons un-named snapped one into pieces.

[Teaboy]

However, while using this function, one of the sections is now expanding when I pull down on the rope i.e. the clasp is not gripping enough to keep it locked in place while pulling down on the rope. This is disappointing as it makes me wonder how long it will be before it's so slack that I can't use that section at all, and how long it will be before the other sections start to go. The clamps might not be as robust as they look.

Just pull the rope most of the way through before doing the hook thing then you are not fighting a whole load of drag. I been using my fragile old style one like this for years without issue

[bigironhorse]

Stones jump lead clip on a fishing rod still going strong.

You can hardly hold Stone's Roach pole up as a paragon of longevity, given that one of the most impressive crag meltdowns I've ever seen occurred when persons un-named snapped one into pieces.

 

Ha brilliant. Every time i have used that thing its felt like its about to snap imminently!

[KH]

General view of the new stick is very positive.  However, the old stick had a robust handle at it’s base but the new one has a plastic cup, which after just three outings with me, has gone awol. Mentioned this to a friend today at the crag who had also bought a new stick, and as I mentioned it, he looked down at his to notice that his cap had come loose too (and lost).  Seems odd to have such a flimsy part on a piece of equipment that is likely to take some robust use during it’s lifetime.

[highrepute]

My understanding is the green or blue bit at the end is carefully crafted in Sheffield but the stick is a bought in part. So the stick is limited by what can be sourced.

[Paul B]

Stones jump lead clip on a fishing rod still going strong.

You can hardly hold Stone's Roach pole up as a paragon of longevity, given that one of the most impressive crag meltdowns I've ever seen occurred when persons un-named snapped one into pieces.

 

Ha brilliant. Every time i have used that thing its felt like its about to snap imminently!