Reviews by User: Scott Sala (10)

This tent has served me well for years. From the Utah desert to wet NY, it has been tested in heat, rain, storms, and plain old sleep on clear starry nights. I recommend using this for 1-person mainly to store your gear inside and have that extra room. I have slept wit wife inside too, but it's tights. And in those cases we more or less car camp so saving space/weight is meaningless. I love the low profile which has survived the windy nights atop Muley Point while others tents fared not so well. I also just love the shape. Big opening. Low at the feet. Wide near the arms when sleeping. Never leaked - and perhaps best of all, set it up and then put it where you want it. Free standing style rocks. Plus make shaking bugs and dirt out an ease.

I've been using the original Vipers for 3 years and they are strong, a tad heavy but very framing-hammer like in top balance. I believe the shaft is rotated 90 degress on the new ones for a sleeker bend. I warn people when buying vipers to ensure you get the new ones - I've heard of people getting old ones (not on BC.com though). I also mounted the leashless elements on mine (shrike and fang). It comes automatic on the new ones. I bought 2 hammers as I never cut steps, playing 99% on steep ice or preferring crampon maneuvers to old style mountaineering. All in all a solid tool. Not the lightest if that's what you want. Honestly, though well served by them, I would probably buy a lighter tool like if I had to switch. As others said, can be hard to pull out, but you do get first swings in often due to the top heaviness.

Been using both types for 7-10 years - in extreme environments. Caves - wet, muddy, dragging on rocks, falling on rocks, squeezing and scraping rock as I crawled through tight openings. Never failed. Still work beautifully. 100+ ascents on rope, some 500'+. I oil once in a while. Keep clean and dry, but have left them weeks in bags of muck only to pull them out, clean up and use. I haven't used BD (which looks good for gloves/ice/winter). But I've used other lesser-known brands and simply didn't find any reason ever to switch.

I always use this while ice climbing and canyoneering. Great racking as people have mentioned. Girth hitch to belay loop in harness, and biner the loops together then clip them to the equip loops on your harness. In action, like stated, you can weight yourself on any loop safely, allowing short or long lengths as needed. There are various methods of using, but heed best practices - clip into anchor/bolt, webbing anchor, wrap around a thin tree and clip into itself, etc. The only drawback to this specific item is the included biner. Lots of people would want to use the biner of their choice. But as a package, it's well worth it.

Just got for Xmas, but here's what I notice. I have severely beat-up Cloudveil Ice Flow gloves from the last 3+ years. Everywhere my old gloves are worn through, the BDs have the necessary reinforced padding/stitching. For instance, there is added padding to the top of the pinky where each of my old gloves ripped. Also the leather section between the thumb and forefinger covers a smaller area - which is good since on the old gloves it was too much. Really only needed where you squeeze the tool. No padding on the back of the 1st 2 fingers like Ice Flows - not needed. They fight slightly tight, but that is part of the dexterity plan. The leather goes over the finger from top-to-bottom, rather than side-to-side, creating a better smooth fingertip experience. When on, my hands literally rest with thumb and forefinger touching tips, perfect for the next screw. I even used the computer mouse fairly well with them on. Perfect for avoiding bulk but staying warm (I expect).

Got these for light leashless in NY Catskills and Daks. Always cold. Even on so-so warmer days. They will get wet, if not from climbing, but putting in screws, grabbing the rope, whatever. I eventually sold them. On a positive, the sticky was superb. But I need warm more than sticky.

I'm fairly sure the gold/new Vipers come with these, so only buy if you have the old silver Vipers. And get these before the shrike. You'll be totally leashless with these alone. Easy to mount. Easier than shrike.

Get a pair. Nothing better for most screws. Easy to clip in, and easy to unclip a screw, one-handed even with frozen fingers. Also remember you can flip up your top-racked screws and get to the 3rd or 4th down while all screws are still racked. That's what the little lip at the top is for. Move your shorty up and away and get to your 16s or longer.

I used to use these for my Vipers. Awesome stashing, much better than clipping top into an ice clip along with 5 screws. But once you have leashless tool with a fang on the bottom (Viper) and shrike they can be hard to get into the holster. I don't use them anymore.

These are great. Go in fairly easy, though one-handed is more a function of dexterity than pure screw design. Always on the lookout for more, but unwilling to pay full price.