New belay devices 2017 (Megajul pro/con)

Jim Titt wrote:well the GriGri2 was worse than the original and now it´s loaded with jumk no-one needs so following in the fine tradition of "product replacement".

GriGri2 worse than 1?? Seriously?

My partner and I use the Mega Jul with an Edelrid Boa 9.8 and BD Gridlocks. This combo works just fine for locking up and catching a catch a fall every time (with good technique of course) or locking up for auto-lock rap mode. However, I like to turn my device around for rapping...its smoother. Petzl Williams also seem to work just fine too.

Have there been any published dropped climber accidents with a Mega Jul that anyone knows about?

Willis K wrote:I ended up saving enough for a GriGri for sport and ATC Guide for multipitch, but for the money the MegaJul sure went a long way. The one feature that never worked all that well was belaying in guide mode, which I notice is the feature that they've dropped from the new model.

It's not the new Mega Jul. It's an just addition: Mega Jul Sport.

The REVO looks great. One problem I see that other devices don't have: it locks both ways, so if you need to take in slack quickly it might very well lockup at an inopportune time.

Hex Tobin wrote:The REVO looks great. One problem I see that other devices don't have: it locks both ways, so if you need to take in slack quickly it might very well lockup at an inopportune time.

The guy in the Weigh My Rack video says the Revo only kicks in if the rope is traveling at 2 meters/sec, which off the cuff seems faster than I've seen anyone pay out slack.

I was thinking about the opposite--what if you ran into a situation where someone is falling with a lot of rope drag/friction or is tumbling down a slab but maybe the rope isn't be moving fast enough to lock?

Wild Country has some smart folks though. I bet 2 m/s is the sweet spot.

I can't unsee it being a giant metal Goldfish cracker.

Haha! Yeah, I really do hope it is awesome.

M Bageant wrote: I was thinking about the opposite--what if you ran into a situation where someone is falling with a lot of rope drag/friction or is tumbling down a slab but maybe the rope isn't be moving fast enough to lock?

It's important to remember that the locking feature is a back-up only, not the primary catch method. So there is still belayer responcibility in the equation.

I would posit that 2m/s isn't enough to kill you, or usually cause serious harm (it's about the speed of a brisk walk/jog). It's also a speed the belayer has a chance to get his head out of his ass and grab the rope.

While the anti-panic cam on the new GriGri will help reduce accidents, it creates an entirely new problem. The Petzl IDS has that feature, and it's annoying because it engages when you dont want it to. Specifically, if you have a ton of rope below you and you're starting a rap, or you're rapping on low-angle terrain, especially with someone light or with a thick rope, it might require pulling harder on the handle than the device will allow before the clutch disengages.

BigB wrote:LoL at all the megajul h8ers. I'm a big guy(6'4 220#) I have used a mega for over a year now. It's never come close to tearing the sheath of ANY rope, and I've used it on ropes from 8.2-10.2. It absolutely holds me when in auto-lock rap mode(I've tried it LOTSA times). I found with a lil practice the thumb release is very controllable(I will admit at first it was a bit herky jerky and hard to get used to). I've caught several to many leader( some of them BIG BOYS) falls and it seems to catch just fine, of course I don't take my brake hand off the rope so can't really say if it ";;slips";; there ;) .... guide mode can be a lil difficult to pull rope, but not if you use your other hand to help feed as you pull with the brake hand. It weighs so little that I can carry 2 of them, one as my primary and one in my chalk bag pocket as a spare....and I'm still lighter than a atc alone... never mind the boat anchor grigri you can leave on the ground.

I was an early adopter of the MegaJul. It works ok but has enough shortcomings that I stopped using it. I like the Smart better. I never experienced slipping with the MegaJul. I'm not sure the classifies me as a "h8er" or not, I guess I just don't care that much.

The Mega Jul works great for belaying on sport climbs or in the gym on ropes from 9.8 and up. It is my go-to device for this application. If someone is hang dogging you don't have to have a white knuckle grip on the belay hand like you do with an ATC. It locks up every time even when my 240 pound partner falls. It works okay rapping as long as you flip it around in "tuber mode" but is not as smooth as a tuber. It does not work well at all in guide mode as it is too hard to take in rope. I use an ATC-XP Guide for that. I just received a Mega Jul Sport but haven't tried it yet.

Brian wrote:I just received a Mega Jul Sport but haven't tried it yet.

Can you post up when you've had a chance to properly try it? I'm keen to hear your impressions.

Rubes P wrote: Can you post up when you've had a chance to properly try it? I'm keen to hear your impressions.

The first thing I noticed about the MegaJul Sport compared to the MegaJul is that it feeds rope easier. No short roping due to it locking up unexpectedly. The opening appears to be larger with a different angle. It seems to lock up as well as the MegaJul although I haven't given it a test on a big fall or a hefty climber. Lowering is about the same which is not really difficult for either version after you get the hang of it, which only takes a few times. Rappelling works fine as long as you flip it in tuber mode.

Brian wrote:Rappelling works fine as long as you flip it in tuber mode.

what's the point in having an assisted braking rappel device if you just use it like a tuber? That is one of my favorite and most frequently used features of the alpine smart and the alpine up. Also, if you rap with it in tuber mode and you miss a rap station it will try to lock up when you try to pull yourself back up to the rap station.

eli poss wrote: what's the point in having an assisted braking rappel device if you just use it like a tuber? That is one of my favorite and most frequently used features of the alpine smart and the alpine up. Also, if you rap with it in tuber mode and you miss a rap station it will try to lock up when you try to pull yourself back up to the rap station.

Huh...if you use it in tuber mode it behaves just like an ATC. It doesn't lock up anymore than an ATC does. I don't like the lock-up mode for rappelling only for belaying/catching falls. Each to their own preferences.

Do you think it's a big enough improvement over the original MegaJul to warrant an upgrade? I don't use mine for multipitch so the sport interests me as it's supposed to be smoother than the original. I like the MegaJul but find it a little jerky at times. Wondering if I should get the new one or just get a GriGri

Brian wrote: Huh...if you use it in tuber mode it behaves just like an ATC. It doesn't lock up anymore than an ATC does. I don't like the lock-up mode for rappelling only for belaying/catching falls. Each to their own preferences.

When you have the megajul in normal tube mode on rappel and grab the anchor strand to pull up on, then try to pull slack through the device by pulling on the brake strand the biner partially goes into the slot. It locks up. Total PITA. One of the many reasons I quit using a mega jul in 2015.

Nick Drake wrote: When you have the megajul in normal tube mode on rappel and grab the anchor strand to pull up on, then try to pull slack through the device by pulling on the brake strand the biner partially goes into the slot. It locks up. Total PITA. One of the many reasons I quit using a mega jul in 2015.

I tried duplicating that and can't but will try some more. The MegaJul isn't my all-around go-to belay device. I use it for sport and gym climbing where I think it excels in holding a hang-dogging climber and is good for inattentive belayers. I would bet that inattentive belayers are the leading cause of climbers hitting the deck. On multi-pitch I use an ATC XP Guide so most of my rapping is with that. The ATC Guide excels at belaying up a second in guide mode and rapping. I use whichever belay device is best for the situation. I have yet to find one that is the best for all situations.

Brian wrote: I tried duplicating that and can't but will try some more. The MegaJul isn't my all-around go-to belay device. I use it for sport and gym climbing where I think it excels in holding a hang-dogging climber and is good for inattentive belayers. I would bet that inattentive belayers are the leading cause of climbers hitting the deck. On multi-pitch I use an ATC XP Guide so most of my rapping is with that. The ATC Guide excels at belaying up a second in guide mode and rapping. I use whichever belay device is best for the situation. I have yet to find one that is the best for all situations.

You'll have to be fully hanging off an anchor to do it, if you can get much weight on your feet it won't happen. I found the issue cleaning a sport route that ended at an overhang, on routes with good stances it wasn't an issue.

I have and use a wide variety of devices, atc guide, reverso, mega jul, jul 2, gigi, and grigri. My least favorite has been the mega jul, it hasn't left the gear bin in over a year.

For lead belaying the jul2 pays out rope much easier and the stainless covering the thumb loops keeps you from having rope contact at the crease of your thumb. It doesn't lock up quite as aggressively as the mega jul and much less harsh than the grigri. I still use it for trad sometimes.

The grigri is my go to, even for multi pitch routes as a lead belay device. I'll bring the gigi for followers with a fat rope or guide when it's under 9.4

Firestone wrote:-The ATC Pilot is an amazing steal from Edelrid.

Salewa, http://www.salewa.com/en/ergo-belay.html

I've been using the Jul2 for almost a year now and I love it for sport climbing. Yesterday, I got to try out my MegaJul Sport and I hate it. The Jul needs a ramp feeds smoothly. I tried with and without a glove but it just can't feed rope as smooth as the Jul2.