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New clipstick (Read 4159 times)

Wood FT

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New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 07:19:23 pm
Does anyone have experience with the Pongoose clipstick they’d like to share?

It’s nearly double the price of the BetaStick and wondering whether it’s worthy the extra. Certainly looks very solid and built to last but would be keen to hear of this is true after prolonged use.

Cheers

Sidehaas

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#1 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 07:42:44 pm
I had one which was brilliant for about 6 months, which was mostly being used as a stick brush when bouldering. It got fairly heavy use like this, which puts more load on it then when used as a clipstick (the clipstick head is solid metal and would last forever.) Unfortunately after that I lost it :(
They were kind enough to send me a replacement for a discount as I hadn't lost the clipstick head. I have had that for over a year now, again mostly used as a stick brush. Unfortunately it hasn't been quite as good as the first, the brush often rotates in the pole. I think this must be because it wasn't quite crimped tight enough originally, or else I unwittingly bashed it somewhere. It's no doubt fixable with some elbow grease though.
The pole itself is very long and very sturdy. Not had any issues with the extension mechanism. The clipstick head works well once you are used to it.

Wood FT

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#2 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 07:44:56 pm
I had one which was brilliant for about 6 months, which was mostly being used as a stick brush when bouldering. It got fairly heavy use like this, which puts more load on it then when used as a clipstick (the clipstick head is solid metal and would last forever.) Unfortunately after that I lost it :(
They were kind enough to send me a replacement for a discount as I hadn't lost the clipstick head. I have had that for over a year now, again mostly used as a stick brush. Unfortunately it hasn't been quite as good as the first, the brush often rotates in the pole. I think this must be because it wasn't quite crimped tight enough originally, or else I unwittingly bashed it somewhere. It's no doubt fixable with some elbow grease though.
The pole itself is very long and very sturdy. Not had any issues with the extension mechanism. The clipstick head works well once you are used to it.

Thanks. Is the locking mechanism a twist one like the old Beta sticks?

Sidehaas

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#3 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 08:06:04 pm
Yes, but it's more solid

remus

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#4 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 08:06:38 pm
I think the head is way better than the beta design, the quickdraw actually sits in it nice and snuggly and doesn't feel like it's about to fall out the entire time. Way easier to do all the advanced clipsticking tricks too (clipping a rope in, unclipping a quickdraw from a bolt). Personally I'd prefer a 'camera tripod' style pole as the twistlock ones always seem a bit flaky to me, but having said that the pole on my pongoose works fine after a couple of years.

Overall I reckon it's worth the extra wonga.

Will Hunt

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#5 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 08:13:50 pm
One day, somebody will rise up from among us to make a clipstick that is stronger than wet tissue and free us from tyranny.

(I have the new design green-headed one and one of the clamp things was slack after about 5 trips to the crag. Fucking shite).

Wood FT

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#6 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 08:26:47 pm
I think the head is way better than the beta design, the quickdraw actually sits in it nice and snuggly and doesn't feel like it's about to fall out the entire time. Way easier to do all the advanced clipsticking tricks too (clipping a rope in, unclipping a quickdraw from a bolt). Personally I'd prefer a 'camera tripod' style pole as the twistlock ones always seem a bit flaky to me, but having said that the pole on my pongoose works fine after a couple of years.

Overall I reckon it's worth the extra wonga.

Nice one Remus, Flo has text Michelle the same question  :)

One day, somebody will rise up from among us to make a clipstick that is stronger than wet tissue and free us from tyranny.

(I have the new design green-headed one and one of the clamp things was slack after about 5 trips to the crag. Fucking shite).

That’s exactly what I needed to hear.

moose

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#7 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 08:54:22 pm
The main advantage of the beta models is range - the longest beta clipstick is more than 2m longer than the large Pongoose.

I've not owned a Pongoose but I've found that beta clipsticks are least shit in the longer models. As you can still clip low bolts with them only part extended - without straining the weaker and less durable thinner sections.

cheque

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#8 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 10:17:35 pm
One day, somebody will rise up from among us to make a clipstick that is stronger than wet tissue and free us from tyranny.

I’ve said it before but if you do what Americans do and get a ceiling painting pole and a Superclip you have a rigid, sturdy clipstick whose length depends only on the pole you buy. It’s just big and heavy so you can’t take it on holiday and everyone will ask you questions about it at the crag.

Personally I'd prefer a 'camera tripod' style pole as the twistlock ones always seem a bit flaky to me

I know I sound like a twat saying this but tripods can have either and either can be good or bad- the problem with clipstick locks isn’t that they’re lever or twist style it’s that they’re usually quite cheaply made.

The Achilles heel of the Pongoose design IMO is that the head attaches with a 1/4” thread so you can attach a camera to it. If they’d ditched that idea and used a bigger thread I don’t think anyone would really have minded and it would be sturdier.

Having said that, the Pongoose has replaceable parts and loads of it is metal so it’s probably worth the extra price over the Beta Stick as the chances are that it will last much longer.

Stu Littlefair

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#9 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 10:54:05 pm
OTOH, the fact that the pongoose has a 1/4” thread means you can attach it to a cheap Chinese microphone boom arm like this one:

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Telescopic-Microphone-Boom-Pole-by-Gear4music-175m/1WUK?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=89228d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=773424799615&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI94atqIGo6gIVhasYCh2_AQ4jEAQYASABEgJQxfD_BwE

Longer ones are available on eBay and it’s an option if your pole isn’t long enough or gets saggy with age.

cheque

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#10 Re: New clipstick
June 29, 2020, 11:32:16 pm
Mic poles are 5/8” or 3/8” though. If Pongoose used a larger thread you’d still be able to use one and you wouldn’t need an adapter.  ;)

Stu Littlefair

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#11 Re: New clipstick
June 30, 2020, 08:25:08 am
True.

Yossarian

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#12 Re: New clipstick
June 30, 2020, 10:53:49 am
One day, somebody will rise up from among us to make a clipstick that is stronger than wet tissue and free us from tyranny.

I’ve said it before but if you do what Americans do and get a ceiling painting pole and a Superclip you have a rigid, sturdy clipstick whose length depends only on the pole you buy. It’s just big and heavy so you can’t take it on holiday and everyone will ask you questions about it at the crag.



Having tried a (uselessly bendy) Beta stick last year, I bought a Superclip and one of these - Unger Telescopic 3-Section Pole 3.75m

It feels fairly indestructible. There are similar poles available in longer lengths, but that one has worked quite well so far.


tomtom

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#13 Re: New clipstick
June 30, 2020, 12:18:15 pm
Whats happening to the world... its all gone UKClipstick.com..
:D

duncan

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#14 Re: New clipstick
July 06, 2020, 11:24:37 am
I have had one since they first came out (?3 years ago). It works very well clipping and unclipping draws or clipping ropes. It shows no sign of deterioration but I am a very light user.

I refused to buy an original beta stick as I couldn't bring myself to pay actual money for something so shit. Three years ago the superclip head was unavailable other than as an expensive import but might be a (less versatile) alternative.

bigironhorse

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#15 Re: New clipstick
July 06, 2020, 11:52:46 am
I feel compelled to defend the beta stick, as it seems to get an undeserved bashing in my opinion. I've had one for about  8 years and I've used it a lot. It's now pretty battered but all sections still lock and it does the job. In terms of the draw falling out, I reckon this happens less than 1 in 50 uses. Downsides are that its pretty useless for brushing holds and the red end section will snap if used carelessly.

cheque

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#16 Re: New clipstick
July 06, 2020, 02:56:34 pm
Three years ago the superclip head was unavailable other than as an expensive import but might be a (less versatile) alternative.

Yeah I got mine in the States having never seen one over here. Just couldn’t face coming home to the weediness of the original Betastick.

In theory it can do everything the Pongoose can but in practice the Pongoose is better at putting the rope into a  hanging quickdraw and much better at taking a quickdraw off. When my mate was testing a pre-production Pongoose I was deeply sceptical of its abilities so we tested them head-to-head and the Pongoose won on this sort of stuff. Nothing can match the Superclip/ painting pole combo in the basic function or the underrated pulling-the-rope-down-from-above-a-high-first-bolt-to-leave-it-preclipped stakes though.

I was reminded the other night (by seeing one in the background of “Age of Ondra”) of a mad thing called a Trango Squid that has the same thread as a Superclip but is both made of plastic and has a moving part- that is amazing for party tricks like taking draws down but it’s made out of plastic and has a moving part.

Duma

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#17 Re: New clipstick
July 06, 2020, 03:35:25 pm
I feel compelled to defend the beta stick, as it seems to get an undeserved bashing in my opinion. I've had one for about  8 years and I've used it a lot. It's now pretty battered but all sections still lock and it does the job. In terms of the draw falling out, I reckon this happens less than 1 in 50 uses. Downsides are that its pretty useless for brushing holds and the red end section will snap if used carelessly.

this.

beta stick does everything fine except remove quickdraws (prob the least useful feature), and is significantly cheaper (and better at pulling down rope from above first draw). I've never had a draw fall out of it, mine (old style) still locks ok, the red section is a bit flimsy but even without it it's longer than the equivalent pongoose, so you only need to use it rarely. The standard length is almost as long as the extra long pongoose, but collapses to almost the length of the shorter pongoose (shorter unless you remove the head). Pongoose is better for selfies and brushing holds I guess but I don't use a clipstick for that.

Paul B

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#18 Re: New clipstick
July 06, 2020, 06:08:56 pm
I'm sure people know this but you can use them for taking draws out. It's not elegant but if you pull a bite of rope out from the crag at 45 degrees and push the blue head through the gate you can then lift out the QD with the stick (the blue head blocks the gate from closing).

Clipping a QD with a small biner around the stem and using the other biner to pull a rope down is also far better than any hook system I've seen!

I don't know what people do to Beta sticks to ruin them so quickly but mine hasn't had an easy life, it's >10 yrs old (I think?) and only one of the twist locks is broken. The Needle Sports sticker on it is so faded you'd be hard pressed to read it.

Will Hunt

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#19 Re: New clipstick
July 07, 2020, 11:31:12 am
I treated my green beta stick like royalty and one of the sections became loose after a single digit number of trips to the crag.

Has anybody got any clue whether the green version can be fixed? Is there a way to retighten the clamps so that sections don't slide open? It's not so slack that it's completely without resistance but it doesn't take much to open it up.

Nutty

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#20 Re: New clipstick
July 07, 2020, 11:52:11 am
I treated my green beta stick like royalty and one of the sections became loose after a single digit number of trips to the crag.

Has anybody got any clue whether the green version can be fixed? Is there a way to retighten the clamps so that sections don't slide open? It's not so slack that it's completely without resistance but it doesn't take much to open it up.
Beta have a video on their youtube channel showing how to replace a grommet in the evo pole clamps so it looks like you can tighten them.


Probably worth getting in contact and asking for a few spare grommets?

Will Hunt

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#21 Re: New clipstick
July 07, 2020, 12:05:58 pm
Nice one, Nutty. Thanks for that. I'm guessing that replacing the grommet will tighten the clamp up then?
Have emailed the company.

 

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