Lead/TR solo devices. Finding the right one

I am looking for a device for lead solo and top rope solo. Ideally I would like to get a soloist or silent partner because they are the safest of all devices and are designed specifically for this task. Finding one of these has become very hard in the last year. Is there another device that can be used in place of one or is there a source that someone knows of where I can find one.

I am also looking for a device for top rope solo and of the many methods what device is seen as the most effective and versatile. I know the micro traction is very popular but it has teeth rather then a clamp and could damage the rope in any catches with excess rope out. The shunt is a clamp style and will not hurt the rope and is slightly cheaper. Is this the best device to use for a primary or is there something better. Micro ascender is hard for me to locate in Canada.

Also anyone with a device they no longer need I would be happy to take it off your hands.

Climbing technology RollNLock is a good alternative to microtrax

That's sad to hear that the Silent Partner has been discontinued.

Glad I still have mine.

I also still like my Soloist for top-rope soloing.

Ken

kenr wrote:That's sad to hear that the Silent Partner has been discontinued. Glad I still have mine. I also still like my Soloist for top-rope soloing. Ken

Yeah... Rub it in... Lol

I wouldn't worry about the teeth on the micro-trax. For it to actually make a difference, you have to fuck up pretty bad. The micro-trax does everything well with one exception: you have to disengage it in order to descend. This makes it more difficult to work a specific move and also makes running laps a bit more time consuming. A cinch or vergo works better in this regard, but the manufacturer specifically says not to use it as a TR solo device. Your call on that one.

As for lead soloing, if you can't manage to find a SP, the edelrid eddy is another alternative. If you decide to go this route, Healyje has posted a lot of really good info for using the eddy to lead solo.

For lead solo, everyone is waiting on the WC Revo. It appears to be the Holy Grail of lead solo devices. For me the silent partner was too much effort and I sold mine.

eli poss wrote:I wouldn't worry about the teeth on the micro-trax. For it to actually make a difference, you have to fuck up pretty bad. The micro-trax does everything well with one exception: you have to disengage it in order to descend. This makes it more difficult to work a specific move and also makes running laps a bit more time consuming. A cinch or vergo works better in this regard, but the manufacturer specifically says not to use it as a TR solo device. Your call on that one.

+1 for teeth not being an issue. I've used the previous gen. Petzl Basic for miles of solo TR and countless falls. Never a problem. PM me to discuss this further if you need (I can hook you up with one. Note - the current Basic is not "approved" by Petzl for TR self belay due to a change in the design.)

Ive been climbing on a Soloist for years. I use it to climb long multipitch routes and love it. I was excited to see the Revo, but got to thinking about how I could use it. For those of you that use the Silent Partner, and those that are looking to use the Revo, I have a question for you.

How do you climb multipitch routes, mostly how do you second the pitch (top rope)?

With the Soloist it is orientated in a way that it self feeds when cleaning (seconding the pitch you just led). But with a Silent Partner or the new Revo I cant understand how you second a pitch without weighting the rope at the bottom. Weighting the rope would make it really inefficient to climb multi-pitch routes.

Brad Warne wrote:Ive been climbing on a Soloist for years. I use it to climb long multipitch routes and love it. I was excited to see the Revo, but got to thinking about how I could use it. For those of you that use the Silent Partner, and those that are looking to use the Revo, I have a question for you. How do you climb multipitch routes, mostly how do you second the pitch (top rope)? With the Soloist it is orientated in a way that it self feeds when cleaning (seconding the pitch you just led). But with a Silent Partner or the new Revo I cant understand how you second a pitch without weighting the rope at the bottom. Weighting the rope would make it really inefficient to climb multi-pitch routes.

My understand is that they use a separate device like a mini-trax or ascender to TR solo when cleaning the pitch.

Alexander K wrote:For lead solo, everyone is waiting on the WC Revo. It appears to be the Holy Grail of lead solo devices.

Really psyched to get this, hope to get it a little after launch and see what happens if i whip on it.
As far as top rope solo just, go for a micro traxion.

I lead on an SP or an Eddy, rap, then go back up on a trax.

Alexander K wrote:For lead solo, everyone is waiting on the WC Revo. It appears to be the Holy Grail of lead solo devices. For me the silent partner was too much effort and I sold mine.

I saw the revo too when. Weighmyrack posted the new belay devices video. I instantly though it is so similar to the silent partner. I think I may go with the Revo if I can get my hands on one depending on when that is. Not sure if MEC will be selling it or if I will have to order from the states and get it shipped.

Curious if it could work great for TR solo as well. Might just have to get the weight exact and it should flow nicely since it takes a great amount of force to engage the action. It may be too much drag making a full rotation, however in one video I saw the device is designed to operate the same if the rope is loaded half way around the device exiting through the first opening. This could mimic the drag of a trax.

I am trying to minimise the amount of devices I need and get ones that can do multiple jobs effectively. Revo looks like a great lead/TR solo belay and is same price as the trax. Trax is only good for TR solo and should be used with a back up, has teeth but has not been reported as a problem. Shunt is $50 less and is only really good for a TR solo device.

I am from ontario and only really do single pitch stuff and usually only hit the red,new,her when in the states. So simplicity isball that is really needed. Thanks to all comments so far. It has got me to consider and reconsider many options to take.

For those that multipitch solo, when 2nding a pitch on a microtrax, how do you deal with the rope autofeeding at the start of a pitch? Just deal with manual feeding until the weight of the rope is large enough to pull the rope through?

I've tried hanging some weight on the rope below me, but that leads to the obvious possibility of getting stuck on features when pulling it back up.

I just pull the rope through by hand for the first 15 feet or so, then it feeds by itself.

On a related note, how man of you tie a stopper knot in the free end when you TR back up?

James T wrote: On a related note, how man of you tie a stopper knot in the free end when you TR back up?

If the end of the rope is on the ground, a knot serves no purpose. If you're on a higher pitch, a stopper knot would certainly be a useful "if all else fails" measure.

If I have to use 2 devices when using the Revo, I will just stick with my Soloist. I'm 50/50 with putting knots in while multipitching. Obviously I know it is the smart thing to do but it's a fine line with safety and the knot itself becoming a liability.

Gunkiemike wrote: On a related note, how man of you tie a stopper knot in the free end when you TR back up? If the end of the rope is on the ground, a knot serves no purpose. If you're on a higher pitch, a stopper knot would certainly be a useful "if all else fails" measure.

On a single pitch there is no reason not to tie a knot and hang coiled rope or a small bag 5 ft off the ground. It would prevent a couple of accidents I know about while rope soloing. 

I find coiling the rope so it's hanging free off the ground is almost essential for single pitch just so the micro trax works well straight off the the ground so talk of a back up knot shouldn't be needed in a single pitch scenario.

 mini trax with an ascendor as a back up does the trick for me

I top rope solo with a Shunt and lead solo with a clove on a couple lockers.