Anyone have experience with the Smith Stick Mini-10?

Tried searching online to no avail. I’m in the market for a short/mid length stick clip and the mini 10 caught my eye. My main concern is the twist locking segments so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this particular stick. 

My only experience with it is whacking my friends with it inside Redpoint, so I haven’t used it for climbing. That said, they’re very very well made and the twist lock is totally fine — if I didn’t already have a stick clip, I’d get one myself. A bit heavy but that just means they’re sturdy.

If you make your way to Smith, you can rent one from Redpoint ($10) before you buy it to test it out. 

Might get one of those or the PRO-12. Currently out of stock but can anyone confirm they (both models) are tougher than the Trango Green+Black stick everyone has? The Trango one doesn't look like it'll last long.

I have the pro 12 and it’s infinitely better than the pos Trango one. Only downside is that it doesn’t collapse as much. I think this thing will last me longer than I can climb. 

I have the big Smith stick and can confirm it is an absolute beast and very well made. Almost too much of a beast! People ask me about it regularly. It doesn’t flex like a Trango when fully extended with a rope clipped to a draw, and the Superclip head is better and more versatile IMHO.

The only downsides are the higher weight and greater collapsed length. It’s harder to strap to a pack so I usually just use it as a walking stick. The end has one of those rubber feet that you see on crutches!

I‘d love to check out the Mini-10. I suspect it’s much more durable than a Trango. 

I have owned nearly every version of the modern stick clip, including the Trango Beta Stick, the Sky Hook, and the Redpoint Mini 10. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks, so I won't delve into all the details. However, the Redpoint Mini 10 is certainly a step in the right direction. It is much more rigid than the Sky Hook or Beta Stick and doesn't feel as flimsy when fully extended. Its collapsed length is 2 feet 10 inches, which is about 4 inches longer than the Beta Stick, even though both extend the same distance. The Redpoint Mini 10 is also heavier, weighing 22.7 ounces. Additionally, the Superclip on mine has thick shrink wrap that makes it somewhat difficult to use with Spirit draws without applying some force. These issues are relatively minor for me.

The main drawback is the twist-lock mechanism. After about a month of use, the twist locks have started to get stuck and loosen, which is disappointing, although it still functions. I’m not sure why they didn’t use the clamp-style tensioners like those on the Big Smith Stick. Despite this, the Redpoint Mini 10 is currently the best option in my opinion. Let me know if you got any other specific questions.

If I could design my own stick clip, it would be an 8-foot stick that collapses to a more compact size, is slightly lighter, features clamp-style extenders that can be retensioned, and has a Superclip top with a small downward-facing claw to pull the rope down and keep the first draw clipped.

I've had the same issue as Jake with the doohickeys coming off, but I'm a fan otherwise. I have a brush attachment so I use it bouldering more than sport nowadays. Got the 10 because it has a slimmer profile without the flap closure things. Get the longer one if you're hopping on Chain Reaction in the near future. 

I’ve got one and have used it extensively for the past year, but haven’t had the issues Jake described. Mine’s holding up well so far and my only complaint is that you have to really crank down the twist locks in certain situations or it’ll open up while you’re using it.

I’m pretty sure Kyle told me when he sold it to me too that he’d fix issues if they came up, but that wasn’t official, so I’m not sure how real that is.  Regardless, it’s all the way around a step forward from the sky hook which seemed cool, but then rapidly self destructed. 

Just make one with an avy probe and a Metolius superclip. Smaller, lighter, better in almost every way…

Kyle here, Former owner of Redpoint and the creator of the Smith Sticks.  Glad to see the Mini-10s are out in the wild.  I would like to address some of the issues mentioned on this post.  

The reason we did not use Flip Locks on the Mini-10 it because we could not find adjustable flip locks small enough to fit on the Mini-10.  Every stick clip with non adjusting flip locks will eventually fail.  The twist locks have a much longer life span and which is why we decided to use them.  We are always on the lookout for small adjustable flip locks that will work for the Mini-10.   The PRO-12 uses adjustable flip locks and part of the reason it is know for it's durability.

Jake, just a suggestion, if the twist clamps are getting gunked up maybe take a little hot water over it. Twist it a few times, move up and down to get the gunk out and hopefully that should solve that. As to the plastic piece sliding off, you just need to put a little super glue on the stick and slide it back down and it's back to bomber. We actually did make a Mini-8 that you can buy from our site (would put it here but concerned MP would flag for selling product on their forum) but it is the Mini-10 without the last largest section. If you'd ok with it I would like to send you a Mini 8 for your feedback. It would come with the clip I created. It comes wider so your spirit carabiners would come off much easier and has a basket on the bottom perfect for pulling the rope down over the first bolt. I appreciate your detailed information and in depth analogy of all the kinds, helps to show why the Smith Stick exists.

I chose longer poles with less sections because when you try to create a super lightweight stick you have to sacrifice stability by making many sections.  This will create a very wabbly stick, witch exists already. Here at Smith we have a lot of quite high first bolts and runouts and if you try to clip with one of those lighter style it can be extremely frustrating. For this reason is why we made the Smith Sticks the way they are.

Just a few notes, all stick clips are painter poles made for our purposes. They are made for forward pushing force, not downward force. So keeping this in mind, making sure all clamps/twist locks are secured tightly and being calm and a little more gentle while disconnecting the carabiner from the stick will make the Smith Stick last for a long time. I have had my Mini-10 prototype for 3 years and keeping these things in mind when I have used it has make it work very well. We also are happy to say we have good customer service and can talk to a me or any of our vendors about the stick clip.

I sold Redpoint a couple of months ago but am still involved with the manufacturer of the Smith Stick.  They are available from a couple dealers, Wild Iris in Wyoming, Desert Sports in Las Vegas, Rock and Snow in New York and of course Redpoint Climbers Supply at Smith Rock. Thanks for all the continued support of the Smith Stick and keep your eye our for more stick clip innovations!