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Daily Climbing

A couple of climbing enthusiasts spill the beans about all the best practices in rock climbing and bouldering.

Jake Traynor

Do I Really Need a Stick Clip for Climbing?

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Here’s the rule of thumb for you:

If you’re looking at the first bolt of a climb, and you think, “If I fell from there I’d definitely break my ankles,” then you need a stick clip.

Now, here’s the thing. Yes, you’re probably not going to break your ankles if you went without one… this time. It’s more that you will fall from that kind of height eventually if you keep taking that risk.

Your only two options are:

  1. To climb within a safety margin so that getting to the first bolt isn’t ever going to be a challenge to you.
  2. To get a stick clip and never worry about taking a ground fall.

So, yeah, while it might seems like stick clipping is “lame,” climbing within a bigger safety margin is definitely “lamer.”

To be honest, stick clipping doesn’t detract from the climbing experience at all. It’s all done before you start climbing, and it’s just another part of your standard setup of tying into your harness, getting the belay ready and so on.

If you want to know more about what stick clips actually are and what makes a good one good, then I wrote a handy guide here.

As for which stick clips are the best, look here.

Finally, here is a guide to the best extension poles to use with them.

Nylon vs Dyneema for Slings and Alpine Quickdraws

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What starts off as a simple choice quickly becomes horribly confusing.

I think it’s to do with all the “pros and cons” that get weighed up in the whole Dyneema vs nylon debate. They quickly obscure the differences between the two which are actually impactful.

It starts with the thought, “Hey, Dyneema looks cool. I can’t believe how thin it is. It must be really strong.”

…And then you hear about how it can’t be knotted, and that it even melts when a knot in it is loaded.

Before long, you’re looking at tables from scientific sources comparing the properties of each material, frantically worrying about whether there’s some fatal drawback of those suspiciously thin Dyneema slings you’ve been eyeing.

Really though, the choice is actually pretty simple.

It only gets complicated when the the information is taken way, way out of context.

For example, Dyneema is 15 times stronger than steel.

“That means that Dyneema slings will be much stronger than nylon ones, right?”

No.

They’re still rated at 22kN, just like nylon ones are. That’s because Dyneema slings are significantly thinner than nylon ones.

“Why not have thicker Dyneema slings then?” I hear you ask.

The reason is that it’d be utterly pointless. You don’t need more than a sling rated at more than 22kN. It’s already overkill for the sake of safety, which is fine and all, but after a certain point “I just want to make extra sure” becomes paranoia.

So, take off your safety goggles and hang up your hard hat, my paranoid friend. I’m going to show you how easy it is to decide between Dyneema slings and nylon slings.

Yes, even if safety is your only concern.

How to Decide Between Nylon and Dyneema

It’s simple. I’m going to ask you a series of questions, and at some point you’ll know your answer.

I’ll start with the biggest deciding factors.

Are you climbing in wet / cold / wintery conditions?

Absolutely go with Dyneema.

In the cold recesses of the Earth, you’ll find the rare, almost mythical breeds of climbers known as “alpine climbers” and “ice climbers”  appear to gather and roost.

For these strange creatures, who know neither the light of the sun nor the warmth of civilization, nylon has no place.

“Why?”

Because nylon slings will freeze solid.

You see, Dyneema is far more water resistant than nylon.

In terms of strength, it’s always the better choice if your slings are going to be getting some kind of water exposure. Nylon experiences a 15% loss in strength when it’s wet, and that stacks on top of the already added weakness that tying knots in it introduces.

When I say “water exposure,” I’m not just talking about waterfalls in the canyons and other such places that people like to climb near. I’m talking about something as simple as rain.

Sure, most climbers don’t like climbing in the rain. If you’re one of those people, then this isn’t going to be the deciding factor, so go ahead and read on.

Even if you do climb in wet conditions, there are some more things for you to consider before deciding to go with Dyneema. If you’re climbing in freezing cold conditions, however, then Dyneema is easily the best choice, and you’re just going to have to keep its drawbacks in mind while you use it.

The next question highlights exactly what I’m talking about.

Want to be able to tie knots with it?

Nylon is your only choice.

Like I said before, Dyneema melts when loaded with a knot in it.

Strangely enough, it’s for the same reason as to why tying knots with it wouldn’t work even if it didn’t melt.

And that reason, is knot slippage.

Simply put, Dyneema is so frictionless, that knots will just slide loose.

Because of all that movement that’s brushing against itself when a knotted piece of Dyneema is loaded, it generates enough heat to actually melt through.

This is why you never see Dyneema webbing. It’d be useless.

If you don’t know what webbing is, it’s just a roll of “un-sewn sling material” that you knot together at whatever length you like to create your own custom slings. If you’re interested in that, then take a look at this guide I wrote about nylon webbing and which kind is the best.

For now, let’s move on. Let’s say you’re not too interested in tying knots in your slings and you’re still undecided. Well, take a look at this next point:

Want the most cut / abrasion resistant ones possible?

Go with Dyneema. It’s by far the most cut resistant and abrasion resistant of the two.

In fact, it’s often used to make cut-resistant gloves. That’s how good it is.

Since slings are often used to extend gear, it’s quite possible that you’ll encounter a sharp ledge near your anchor that you’d rather have a sling running over instead of your rope.

This most often happens when setting up a top rope anchor. The trees and rocks that you’ll be tying slings to will be above the ledge for the most part. That’s where the cut resistance and abrasion resistance of your slings will truly shine.

That’s not to say that only top ropers will benefit from Dyneema slings. Canyoneers will especially appreciate that extra abrasion resistance with all that sand around.

Any climber who’s been in that environment knows: soft gear and sand don’t mix.

Sand can practically saw through soft gear when there’s too much movement. It’s like sandpaper, but… well… without the paper.

If you’re going to be climbing in sandy environments, then save yourself the anxiety and go with Dyneema.

However, if you’re climbing in normal, temperate environments like most sane climbers do, then abrasion isn’t really going to a be problem for you. After all, if nylon wasn’t up to scratch when it comes to dealing with the levels of abrasion encountered in normal climbing environments, then it wouldn’t be used by climbers at all!

So, keep reading on if you’re still unsure which one to go for.

Want the cheapest ones possible?

Well, that’s easy. Nylon is basically always cheaper.

On average, Dyneema slings will cost about a third more.

However, slings aren’t particularly expensive compared to other pieces of your climbing arsenal. Your absolute total savings from going with nylon aren’t going to be that impressive.

Even so, I guess you could say that the cost adds up over time if you’re buying many slings and leaving them behind semi-regularly. If the cost of that bothers you, then go with nylon to save yourself a bit of extra dough.

Finally, let’s take a look at the last important difference between Dyneema slings and nylon slings:

Want the slimmest, lightest ones possible?

Dyneema wins every time.

Have you seen how ridiculously thin they are?

It’s funny. Some climbers actually choose to go with nylon slings simply because Dyneema ones are scary if you’re unfamiliar with them.

If you want a priceless reaction, hold one up in front of your non-climber friends and tell them: “This… is what saves my life if I fall.”

At first, they’ll think you’re joking. Then they’ll think you’re crazy. Even after explaining how it’s 15 times stronger than steel, they’ll still feel like you’re pulling their leg.

It just doesn’t look strong. That’s why it’s so off-putting to a lot of climbers. Their intellect says “yes,” while their gut feeling says “no.”

However, other than making you feel like a daredevil, its slim profile does have a couple benefits that are actually useful.

First of all, it makes it lighter than a nylon sling. To be honest though, slings are so light as they are already, so I’m just going to gloss over this point. The difference doesn’t really add up to much at all. It makes even less of a difference than the cheaper price of nylon slings, which I was talking about before.

However, the slim profile of Dyneema slings make them fantastically compact on your gear rack. They really take up no space at all.

Trad climbers especially are going to really benefit from switching to Dyneema slings, with all the gear that they’re already lugging around.

Final Thoughts

Really, the only drawback to Dyneema slings is that you can’t tie knots in them without compromising their safety.

All that means is that you’ll have to slightly change the way you create anchors.

Or, I guess, you could just go with nylon if that’s something which bothers you.

For everyone else – even beginners – I’d recommend going with Dyneema slings. You can check out this post here if you want to know which Dyneema slings are the best.

Do You Really Need to Carry Slings for Sport Climbing?

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The answer to that really depends upon how often you’ll be building or modifying anchors on the sport routes you’ll be climbing.

Even so, you don’t necessarily “need” slings to build an equalized anchor. You can always sacrifice two quickdraws to do that, clipping one to each bolt and having your rope go through the two carabiners that are now hanging down.

The problem with this, is that it doesn’t leave you with very much extension.

If the bolts are too far apart, then the only way to build an anchor with quickdraws is to use four of them. If you use three, you’ll not distribute the load evenly across each bolt. The shorter side of your anchor will take the brunt of the force if you fall.

However, think about this: you can achieve the same thing with a single sling and a locking carabiner.

Now you see why climbers carry slings.

A sling and a locking carabiner is always preferable, even in the case where you’d only be using two quickdraws to build a basic anchor. A sling and a locking carabiner weigh less, cost less, and allow you to equalize three or more bolts without having to sacrifice any more of your gear.

So, this is where it gets back to the question of whether you really “need” to carry slings on sport climbs. While the answer is technically “no,” if you value your safety, your gear weight and your money then it’s absolutely worth carrying at least one sling with you on all your climbs.

After all, they weigh practically nothing, and don’t take up much space at all on your gear rack –  especially dyneema ones, because of how thin they are.

Now, before you rush off and buy a load of slings, take a look at this post here where I explain which types of slings are the best ones to get.

The Dreaded “Belayer’s Neck” – A Permanent Fix

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I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not going to start off with a “pain in the neck” joke.

The truth is, belayer’s neck is no laughing matter. It’s actually potentially dangerous if you try to ignore it.

Think about it. What’s your natural reaction to neck strain? To tilt your neck in the opposite direction.

The whole point of looking up at the climber while belaying is so that you can catch them when they fall. Otherwise you’d get caught off-guard, which can only end badly.

Look at the photo above. That’s the natural reaction to belayer’s neck, and it’s exactly what you’ll end up doing every few moments if you try to push through it.

The key to solving belayer’s neck is to simply prevent it from happening in the first place.

There’s a few ways you can do that, and they’re all pretty simple so I’m going to cover all of them in this post.

Let’s get right to it then.

1. Get Yourself Some Belaying Glasses

This is by far the easiest way to prevent belayer’s neck.

After all, if looking upwards is causing neck pain, then the simplest solution is to… not look upwards.

Of course, the only way to not look upwards while still keeping watch on the climber you’re belaying is to use belaying glasses.

The ones in that picture above are the ever-popular Y&Y Plasfun. I wrote all about belaying glasses, how they work, and what makes the good ones special in this post here. If you don’t care about all that and you just want to know which are the best ones to get, then you can just jump straight to that part if you click here.

2. Change Your Neck Position Regularly

The absolute worst thing you can do is keep your neck stretched out in one extreme position for a long period of time.

The easiest thing you can do is face your body to one side or the other and lean away from where you’re looking. That way, you don’t have to twist your neck as much to look up.

Of course, don’t stay in this one position either. At the very least, keep your neck moving regularly so that you’re not stuck in one position.

3. Strengthen Your Deep Neck Flexors

This article by The Climbing Doctor is a great resource on how to do this. If you don’t want to use a theraband for those exercises then you can use any old scarf that’s long enough.

4. DON’T Bother With Acupuncture, Acupressure or Other “Alternative” Remedies

Some might call this controversial, but it really isn’t. “Alternative medicine” doesn’t work. If it did, it would be called “medicine.”

Here is an excellent article by Dr. Steven Novella and pharmacologist David Colquhoun that goes into great detail about why acupuncture and acupressure don’t work.

If you don’t have time to read it, then here’s the TL;DR:

What David and I have convincingly argued, in my opinion, is that after decades of research and more than 3000 trials, acupuncture researchers have failed to reject the null hypothesis, and any remaining possible specific effect from acupuncture is so tiny as to be clinically insignificant.

In layman’s terms, acupuncture does not work – for anything.

Also, before you rush off to a chiropractor, you should know that chiropractic isn’t science either.

Also, here is Dr. Steven Novella’s overview of chiropractic and the strange belief of “subluxation” that the vast majority of chiropractors follow.

Again, if you don’t have time to read it, then here’s a quote which sums it up:

In over a century, chiropractic research has produced no evidence to support the postulates of chiropractic theory and little evidence that chiropractic treatments provide objective benefits.

And then before you think, “Oh what harm can it do?” take a look at this:

Up to half of patients report short-term adverse effects from manipulation, such as increased local or radiating pain; and there is a rare but devastating complication of neck manipulation: it can injure the vertebrobasilar arteries and cause stroke, paralysis, and death.

Basically, a lot.

Besides, belayer’s neck will go away by itself after a week or so if you give your neck a rest.

Go to a real doctor instead if you’re having any persistent pain that doesn’t go away, and get yourself some belaying glasses if you want to continue belaying.

Your neck will thank you later.

The Best Belaying Glasses Are Not What You Might Expect

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Ah, belaying glasses.

They look ridiculous when you first see them… and then they grow on you.

This happens especially quickly when you get “belayer’s neck.” You’ll do anything to find a solution, because neck injuries are awful.

I’ve got one right now. It’s on the left side, at the back. It’s not from belaying, but it’s still my own fault.

Anyway, belaying glasses allow you to look up without having to actually tilt your head up, and, as you’ve probably already gathered, keeping your head in a normal position doesn’t cause neck pain.

It’s that simple. That’s all they do.

How they achieve that though, is down to some clever design.

Essentially, this is how they work:

Yeah, instead of explaining how total internal reflection happens at a medium boundary when the angle of incidence, with respect to the normal of the surface, is at an angle larger than the critical angle, I thought I’d spend five minutes in Photoshop instead making this really strange diagram.

Hey, at least it’s not MS Paint.

Well, you get the idea. Light bounces around so you can see upwards by looking forwards. Because it bounces twice, everything isn’t backwards like looking through a mirror. Pretty neat.

Since they all work exactly the same way, belaying glasses aren’t going to be too different from one another. You’re not going to find any that have some fancy new features that render all the other products out there obselete.

However… that doesn’t mean they’re all equal. It means that the best belaying glasses will be the ones that meet two key criteria

1. They Need to Have Good Optic Quality

You know what’s worse than neck strain? Eye strain.

Now, a decent pair of belaying glasses is never going to cause you eye strain, but some of them have strange design choices such as large frames or sub-par optics.

It’s easy to see how blurriness, distortions, and imperfections in the prisms can easily cause eye strain and headaches, but what is often overlooked is the “tunnel vision” effect of oversized frames, and the nauseating effect that has on you.

Motion sickness happens pretty quickly for most of us when the movement of our vision doesn’t appear to match our bodies’ movements. With belaying glasses, side to side movements are especially prone to causing motion sickness.

…that is, if your peripheral vision is blocked, and your vision is completely “tunneled in.”

That leads onto the second criteria:

2. They Shouldn’t Restrict Peripheral Vision

Peripheral vision is your “outer edge” of your vision. With a good pair of belaying glasses, you’ll be able to look out of them normally to do whatever you need to do without having to take them off.

If you’re extremely prone to motion sickness like me, you can flick your eyes out of the prisms to readjust your position when you need to, and then flick your eyes back into the prisms to resume watching the climber. This is especially useful because it allows you to keep your head still, which will put yourself beyond the possibility of getting any motion sickness.

That being said, you only need to do this while your brain adapts to using belaying glasses. Really, the amount of detail I’m going into here is overkill, and it’s more likely that you’ll experience no problems at all after a few sessions of using them.

Oh yeah, there’s one last criteria:

3. They Should Be Durable

“Why?”

Because many of them are notorious for falling apart. The prisms are attached to the frame with adhesive, and in a fair few products it simply isn’t attached strongly enough.

Not to mention, climbing, or even hiking to the climb, isn’t a particularly gentle activity. Most belaying glasses come with a carrying case to protect them, but all that movement is still going to wear down the adhesive over time if it’s not done properly.

Funnily enough, there are actually belaying glasses out there which have too much adhesive, which seeps onto the prisms and messes with the optic quality, causing blurriness around the edges.

So, now that you’re in the know, let’s take a look at the best overall belaying glasses:

The Best Overall Belaying Glasses: The Y&Y Plasfun Basic

Ah yes, Y&Y. It’d be impossible to talk about belaying glasses without talking about Y&Y. They’re easily the most popular brand.

Y&Y offer a few different variants of their belaying glasses design.

Their flagship product is the Y&Y Classic. The frames on that one are flexible and they’re made of metal. It also has silicon pads for the nose rest.

That’s right – it’s pretty much the same as you’d expect from a high quality pair of actual eyesight glasses. The only difference is they make you look like you’re a psychologist from the future, rather than an ordinary psychologist.

Anyway, everything is fully adjustable, as you can see.

They come in a whole load of color options, and you get all this stuff with it too:

You can click here to view the Y&Y Classic on Amazon. However, these aren’t the ones which I’d say are truly the “best overall.”

Why? Because cost is a factor. Sure, if you want the absolute most premium product you can get, then go for this one, but for everyone else, there’s a sneaky alternative that’s definitely worth considering.

You see, Y&Y do a cheaper version called the “Plasfun.” As you might have guessed, it’s made of plastic rather than metal.

It’s a super popular product, and their most well-known one.

The prisms are the same, the design is the same. Everything is the same, except they’re not adjustable, and they’re not as flexible.

However, even this is not the version I’d recommend.

Sure, they’re a great product, but I recommend going even lower. Go for their most basic option: the Y&Y Plasfun Basic.

“Why?” The product description speaks for itself:

This is a basic version from BELAY GLASSES collection: less accessories, more basic glasses case, the prisms are the same optic quality.

That’s right. You’re not missing out on anything that actually matters.

You can forget about the case though. It’s absolute trash. Just use any old sunglasses case you have lying around.

Speaking of which, all Y&Y belaying glasses can fit over regular glasses and sunglasses, though there’s actually a special version of them that’s specifically designed to clip onto other glasses, called the “Y&Y Clip-Up.” We’ll talk about that in a second.

However, the last thing I want to say about the Plasfun ones is that if you really want a good case for them, or if you really want color options, then go with the Plasfun rather than the Plasfun Basic. The case is designed so that the glasses won’t rattle around while you’re transporting them. It also has a handy little carabiner so you can clip it to your harness.

Anyway, let’s move on to the best belaying glasses that are specifically designed for people who already wear glasses:

The Best Belaying Glasses for Those Who Already Wear Glasses: The Y&Y Clip-Up.

Nice, right? They can transform from “non-belaying mode” to “belaying mode” and back again at will. Now you can truly feel like you’re a technologically-enhanced belayer from the future.

Of course, they work on sunglasses too, if you want to take that look even further.

What’s great about these is that they’re designed so that you can actually grab the prisms themselves and lift them up or down. You don’t have to worry about getting them chalky or smudged or anything.

The Clipping Mechanism

This thing clips on strongly. It’s not going to rattle or anything.

And don’t worry, the actual prongs of the clip which grab the glasses have silicon tips so they won’t scratch your glasses.

There’s also a stopper just below the prisms where they face the lenses of your glasses, so it’s impossible for there to be any scratchy glass-on-glass contact going on.

One Size Fits All

They’ll fit any type of glasses you can think of. Yes, even those really curvy skiing shades.

That being said, their only downside is that they can tilt your glasses forward a bit if they’re not heavy enough or tight enough. After all, you do have two small wedges of glass sticking out in front of your face.

Don’t worry though, there’s some anti-slip silicone ear hooks that you can put on the ends of your glasses. You can see them here:

And yeah, the case is actually good on this one. It’s designed to hold the belaying glasses securely so they won’t rattle around while in the case. Just like the Plasfun, it has a handy little carabiner so you don’t need to root around in your rucksack for them when you need them.

You can click here to check out the Y&Y Clip-Up on Amazon.

So, I’ve already covered the premium choice and the budget choice for belaying glasses, so there’s no need for an extra section on those. Instead, I want to show you an alternative to the Y&Y Clip-Up for those of you who have a non-standard interpupillary distance (IPD):

The Best Belaying Glasses for Those with Wide-Set or Narrow-Set Eyes: The Belay Optics

“Why these?”

Because of the unique, fully-patented, fully-adjustable design.

You can simply have them as wide apart or as narrow as you like, because they just slide along the bottom rail.

Remember what I was saying before about eye strain? Just imagine being slightly cross-eyed or “whatever the opposite of cross-eyed is” for hours at a time. That’s practically a recipe for eye strain and tension headaches.

These ones clip onto your glasses snugly as well. Some people have even used them as “lazy reading glasses” by clipping them on upside-down. The clips are plastic rather than metal, but they still do their job just fine.

Finally, they also come with a decent case, though it’s not quite as nice as the double-closing, shock-absorbent Y&Y one.

Nethertheless, the actual glasses provide something that the Y&Y ones don’t: adjustability. That’s what makes these ones worth it if your interpupillary distance, the distance between your eyes, is larger or narrower than average. You can click here to view the Belay Optics adjustable belaying glasses on Amazon.

The Best Extension Pole for Stick Clipping

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Alright, I’m assuming you’ve either come from my previous post about stick clips, or your last stick clipping pole just died on you.

Whatever the case, there’s a few things that an extension pole needs to have if it’s to be any good for stick clipping, and I’ll quickly outline what those are.

If you’ve just come from my other post, then you probably know all this already, so you can click here to skip to the main part of this post.

First of all, it’s going to need to be rigid. It goes without saying, that a bendy pole that just flops all over the place is going to be a nightmare to work with.

The way that the pole collapses in on itself, as well as the mechanism it uses to lock into position at full extension is going to make a huge impact on this. Too much wiggle room can add up to create a sensation of “bendiness” at the end of the pole, but sometimes it can be down to something as simple as poor material choice.

The second criteria for a good extension pole is that it’s going to have to be extendable. Sure, you can get a rigid 16-foot pole that’ll do the trick, but how are you going to fit that in your house? Even if you fit it in the garage, you’ll never fit it in or on the car, which means your only option is to walk to the crag.

But the real question is, how does the pole extend? You want to stay clear of folding collapsible poles because they flop all over the place. By far the best kind of pole is a telescoping one.

Telescoping, like those old-timey collapsible pirate telescopes that have smaller and smaller sections coming out of the main bit. You know what I mean.

In a stick clipping pole, you’re going to have two or three sections ideally, because too many will cause the pole to droop down a bit at the end, making it a bit awkward to clip the first bolt when it’s that high up.

Third and finally, you’re going to want a pole that’s long. Really long.

Ideally, you’re going to want it to be 16 foot, because that’ll cover absolutely every crag or climbing place you can think of.

At the very least, you want it to be 12 foot long, but that won’t be enough if you’re climbing at places like Smith Rock where the first bolt will be super high up. You’d need a 16′ one in that case.

Of course, you can go shorter if you’re looking be able to carry your stick clip up the climb with you.

“Why would you want to do that?” I hear you ask. Well, it’s so that you can climb out of your grade, either for fun or for pushing your limits without having to leave any gear behind if you bail. I wrote all about it here if you’re interested.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the best overall extension pole for stick clipping.

Best Stick Clipping Pole: Pomatree 5.2-18 Foot Telescopic Extension Pole

Most extension poles that can handle a 16 foot reach only compact down to 8 foot.

Not this one.

At an 18′ max reach, this one is an absolute monster. Oh, and it has a really nice handle.

The crazy amount of reach doesn’t come at the cost of portability either. A 5.2′ pole is much more manageable to use as a hiking stick than a full 8′ one.

The way Pomatree achieve this is through having four telescoping sections rather than two, but there’s something especially good about their setup that is often overlooked…

The Flip Tabs

You’ll often see poles that have a “twist locking” mechanism that are marketed as being quick and easy to use. What they don’t tell you is that they’re notoriously bad for staying locked once you’ve set their length.

Those kinds of poles have a really bad tendency to fall down all the time. There’s nothing quick and easy about that.

Instead of all that nonsense, this pole has flip tabs. Flip tabs are genuinely quick and easy to use, and what’s more: the pole sections won’t fall down all the time.

The way they work is by locking the pole sections in place when you flip each flip tab, so all you’ve got to do is extend the pole out, and flip the tabs.

They won’t come undone until you flip the tabs back the other way. So you can stick clip in peace without having to worry about making any sudden movements that’ll cause the sections to collapse down.

If you’ve never had a stick clip before, you might think that I’m overemphasising this point. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than having the sections collapse down on you while you’re trying to do something that requires precise movements.

Well, nothing other than having a really bendy pole. The Pomatree 5.2-18 Foot Telescopic Extension Pole has a solid anodized aluminum metal construction which doesn’t bend under its own weight at full extension.

A Solid Anodized Aluminum Metal Construction

Other than not bending under its own weight at full extension, there’s a couple more things that are good about this material choice.

First of all, it won’t rust.

Anodized aluminium is like the “stainless steel” of aluminium.

That means it can be beaten up by the weather all it wants, and it’ll still be good as new. Well, the EVA foam handles might get a bit soggy in a rainstorm, but everything will still function just fine. Not that you’d be climbing in a rainstorm anyway, unless you’re super hardcore or just plain mad.

It’s also corrosion resistant too. Not that you’ll be storing it in a vat of acid when you’re not climbing, but it does come in useful at bolstering its resistance to bad weather.

The second thing about the material choice, is that aluminium poles are far better than those fiberglass ones.

Why Fiberglass Sucks

Sure, fiberglass won’t bend, but this pole doesn’t bend under its own weight, remember?

Guess what fiberglass does instead when you try to bend it? It shatters.

That means it’s susceptible to splintering over time. A splintery pole is no fun at all for hiking with, and it’s even less fun to keep held up at full extension.

This is especially true considering how sharp fiberglass splinters are. They’re not fun.

The EVA Rubber Handle

Like I said before, the Pomatree 5.2-18 Foot Telescopic Extension Pole has a really nice handle. It’s made of EVA rubber.

Now, EVA rubber feels very similar to your everyday normal rubber.

But there’s one big difference, however…

It’s much softer.

That gives it that ridiculously nice feel when you take ahold of it.

It’s also much more water resistant and corrosion resistant than rubber. That means you’re not trading off the durability of anodized aluminium for the extra comfort that this EVA rubberized handle offers.

Two Size Options

If you’re looking for a shorter pole, then they also do a 12 foot one that collapses right down to 4.8 feet. Pretty nice if you’re looking for something that fits in your car more easily.

To be honest, a 12 foot pole should easily be enough for the vast majority of climbing spots. However, now and then you’ll wish that you had some extra reach, especially if you’re not a tall climber.

That’s all there is to it. You can click here to check the latest price for the Pomatree 5.2-18 Foot Telescopic Extension Pole on Amazon, or here for the 4.8-12 foot version.

Alternative pick: Eversprout 4.5-12 Foot Telescopic Extension Pole

This pole collapses down to 4.5 feet, while Pomatree’s 12 foot one collapses down to 4.8 feet. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s something to keep in mind.

The foam handles also don’t feel nearly as nice as Pomatree’s one. However, it does tend to be cheaper as a result. I’d say the only justification for going with this one would be the cheaper cost. Their longer pole sizes simply can’t compete with Pomatree’s poles’ compactness.

I guess if you need absolute portability above all else, then you could go with this Eversprout one to save that extra 3.6 inches. There’s really not much in it though.

Check the latest price on Amazon.