With the new BD screws I expect that they would have similar issues with bending but I never reefed on one hard enough to find out. Previously, Black Diamonds 22cm Express screws were green, not purple. When comparing weights between the Express and Ultralight screws, the average difference is 44%, which is pretty damn close to BDs marketing claim of 45%. Tax $0.00Checkout, You can compare a maximum of 5 productsStart comparison, Copyright 2019 - Theme By DMWS - RSS feed. Weigh My Rack LLC also participates in affiliate programs with Avantlink, AWIN, Bergfruende, CJ, FlexOffers, Webgains, and other sites. Note: The Ultralight ice screw in this photo is a prototype and has threads going high up on the tube. Support WMR: Click before you buy at REI and Backcountry. Available in 13 cm, 16 cm, 19cm, 22 cm. Copyright 2022 Vertical Addiction The E-Climb Klau2 14cm is 116 grams and the Klau2 18cm is 126 grams per screw. The picture is a little distorted as the aluminum screw is slightly closer to the camera, but the aluminum screws are actually wider in diameter than the steel screws. $15.10, To: We use cookies to add buying options and for analytics. The tube issue seems to have been corrected and, as I mentioned above, dont abuse the crank and you should be fine. Theyll retail at $84.95 US. Theyre now the lightest screws on the market and, even better, have an absolutely fantastic tooth profile that really bites into the ice making placing easy In the right kind of ice anyway.
#StopAAPIhate. Black Diamond made the tube on the new aluminum screws a bit larger than their steel screws. But you grind the teeth into some rock and youre going to be spending some time sharpening.
A small detail, but worth noting, is that the knob color range on the Ultralight Ice Screws. $169.95, To: Pros: Easy to place, lightweight, fantastic hanger design. Possibly because the screws are green?
Black Diamond spent a lot of time figuring out not only how to cut weight while keeping the essential strength requirements, but also taking care to make sure the screws would function well while racked and going into ice. Lastly, the hangers on the Ultralights do not pivot as far off the shaft as the Express hangers do and this limitation causes the Ultralights to bind on the ice sooner. Newly designed "reservoir tip" cap allows for easy removal while wearing gloves. Along with the new Ultralights, weve been told that the knob on 22cm Express screw will also become purple in the near future. When BD talked to us about the engineering behind the screws, they emphasized how many ice blocks they went through trying to get the perfect tooth design that would enable the screws to start beautifully. The hangers on the Express screws are steel forged in a sharp 90-degree bend that is excellent at clearing/shearing ice during the last few rotations of insertion.
Alison (she/her) runs WeighMyRack from her 17' travel trailer. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. The result is actually a different tooth profile from BDs Express (steel) screws. To find out more about our privacy policy, including use of cookies, please visit our, Hanger: Forged Aluminum, Body: Aluminum, Tip: Stainless Steel, 13cm (Yellow), 16cm (Blue), 19cm (Grey), 22cm, (Purple). The hangar geometry has been updated to provide the strength required and still boast the double openings that come with Black Diamond's express ice screws. Editor in Chief at Black Sheep Adventure Sports.
A few rocks and sharpening cycles at home and youll want to send the screw to a pro to get a proper sharpening job done.
He has been ice climbing for 20 years and exploring the frozen drips of Montana from his home in Bozeman for more than 11 years. With composite aluminum-steel screws there are definitely limitations to the amount they can be sharpened.
The screws are very easy to start as the teeth really bit into the ice. On the BD Ultralight ice screws it seems that the aluminum tube extends all the way inside the steel cutting edge to the base of the teeth (see photo). As a result Ive gotten out of the habit of forcing the last turn, its just not worth damaging the hanger.
Up To 30% Off Backcountry MTB Apparel .css-1081t4c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Shop Now, Basecamp Under The Stars Shop Coolers, Camp Furniture & More. The hanger on aluminum screws are made of aluminum making them more delicate than their steel brethren. For these pursuits, where weight savings can be critical, the Ultralights are clearly the new gold standard, and I would rate them 5 stars. The Ultralight ice screws are expected to be released in October, 2018. This feature would also be useful in colder temperatures by minimizing the need to handle frozen metal with bare hands. Screw the media bias of marketing budgets, we treat all brands equally. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[7]='MMERGE7';ftypes[7]='dropdown';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true). EPICTV, the EPICTV logo and all other EPICTV marks are trademarks of Elisa Oyj. On the Petzl version the limits seem to be imposed by the amount of steel around the tooth that lines up with the aluminum notch. This difference in mindset is essential to keeping the stoke (versus being bummed when they get buggered up or wear out sooner). Theyre 42-45% lighter than the equivalent size Express screw which is simply amazing! To avoid assumptions well ask to share gender pronouns.
Similarly, if you really crank/torque the wire handle, it will bend. Black Sheep Adventure Sports was provided with some test samples but of course this didnt influence our opinion in any way. $79.95, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points, 13 cm, 74 g (2.6 oz): 16 cm 81 g (2.9 oz): 19 cm 89 g (3.1 oz) 22 cm 96 g (3.4 oz), Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel. Looking to shave weight wherever they could, Black Diamond constructed this specialty ice screw out of aluminum with a steel tip so as to not compromise drilling efficiency while also dropping weight in critical areas. The crank on the BD aluminum screws is also a bit more delicate than that on their steel Express screws and so wont take as much abuse either. Another option to consider is replacing your V-thread kit or anchor screws with Ultralights, which have the same strength rating (10kN) as regular Express screws. Even though E-Climb has aluminum body ice screws (with replaceable steel tips) they are a fair bit heavier than the Black Diamond and Petzl aluminum options due to E-Climbs steel hanger. $19.47, From: Of course, I do gravitate towards all-steel screws when placing in green or wet ice as the aluminum guys tent to bind. These screws are a far cry from the old BD Turbo ice screws I used during my first few seasons of ice climbing along the Front Range of Colorado in the 1990s. View all posts by Monte Johnston. Nothing in this world is free, and Black Diamond had to pay a cost to achieve the reduced weight of the Ultralights. The main issue that I heard about was a separation of the stainless steel insert from the aluminum tube though there was also some talk about broken cranks. Lightest ice screw on the market Backcountry Advocate ProgramBreaking Trail, An ice screw for anything from glacial travel to ice climbing, Aluminum shaft and steel tip create the lightest ice screw available, Hanger geometry adds two holes without producing additional weight, Folding wire handle folds into the hanger when not in use, Multiple lengths allow for placement in a variety of conditions, Color coded handles let you designate lengths on the fly. Hell yes I want gear news in my inbox (as a monthly newsletter)! Lets start with the design of the new Ultralight Ice Screws. Note: The steel tip is not replaceable. email: support@epictv.com, Company information: Banana Fingers T/A (trading as) EpicTV, Unit 8 Whitehall Trading Estate, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol BS5 9DF, United KingdomVAT GB930689110. Black Diamond's Ultralight Ice Screw was designed because weight matters for those serious fast and light missions.
These screws are 45 percent lighter than the traditional BD Express screws and this is immediately apparent when you pick one up. Ive bent the odd Petzl aluminum hanger trying to get that last turn out of the screw when it just doesnt quite want to go all the way around. Black Diamond designed the Ultralights to fill a specific nichemainly ski mountaineering, glacial travel, and big alpine adventures.
For the Ultralights were using the estimated/planned weight, as production is not yet finalized so its not yet set in stone aluminum. This change was needed as aluminum isnt as strong as steel so to achieve the required strength they needed to either make the tubes thicker or larger in diameter. Colour-coded Express knobs. You can likely bend it back, but continued abuse will see its demise. So far, this is a problem that has plagued any and every manufacturer trying this hybrid solution so well have to wait to see how well BD does. My first impression of the Ultralight screws was the weight, or lack thereof.
It doesnt stand up to abuse though so youll want to take it easy on the ol crank. When we write specific place names we will give a land acknowledgement. [Photo] Chris Luehder. Crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains. However, after several days of climbing frozen waterfalls using both Ultralights and traditional Express screws, I noticed some design limitations that, in my opinion, were not offset by the reduced weight when used exclusively for this application. Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points. - Powered by The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. However, like the Petzl aluminum screws they bind in green or wet ice so its still a good idea to have a few steel screws on the harness. Monte uses the combination of his guiding experience and civil engineering background to critically analyze equipment and apparel providing in-depth reviews on exhaustively tested gear.
#BlackLivesMatter No additional delivery or customs fees will be added by the courier. The drastic weight savings are the result of pairing a steel tip with an aluminum body and a wire-gate Express handle that is color-coded according to size. The weight savings on a single 22 cm screw is 79 grams. Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. The flip-out wire gate creates a longer driving radius than that of the Express screws. The below table gives you a feel for the various ice screw tube diameters.
Ultra lightweight, ideal for hiking and mountaineering. If you go with the Aluminum version the crank is purple where-as its green if you buy the all-steel version. Wire-gate Express handle Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. The new aluminum Ultralight Ice Screws from Black Diamond come in the same lengths as the old steel Express screws with the exception of the stubby, 10cm screw which is only available in all-steel. 2022 Outdoor Gear Exchange, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookies | Comment Policy | Site Map. This new tooth profile is amazing! That particular issue seems to be a function of the thermal properties of aluminum, not the screw itself though one of our testers seemed to have really good luck with the Kailas aluminum screws. Open Today: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. Reviewing the TX2: Wearing Down La Sportiva Approach Shoes, Approach Shoes for Small Feet and Big Feet, Neon Speedrack Gear Sling The Organizer You Never Knew You Needed, Review: Yates Speed vs Yates Bigwall ladders, Review: The Worst Hand-Tied Aiders on the Market, How to Recycle and Upcycle Used Carabiners. Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. The flip-out wire gate, which feels as if it might bend if torqued on too hard (especially in wet, actively forming ice or on the longer screws), also discourages hitting the screw to clear ice. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed.
Constructed from the ground up these screws feature a new aluminum hanger and aluminum tube thats attached to a hardened steel cutting surface. Instead of featuring distracting ads or creating a paywall to monetize our site, Weigh My Rack LLC links to relevent products via affiliate marketing (if you click a link and then buy, we get a commission). Rematriating Our Lives: Indigeneity and What it Means to Climb, Matt Cornell free solos Hyalite Canyon testpiece, Nutcracker (M9 WI5+, 450'), Grivel G20 Plus: A light monopoint crampon that shines above the rest, Valandre Troll jacket: As warm as a down coat can be, Montana climbers tap potential of Bitterroots with "Super Ultra Mega" (5.13a, 8 pitches), Patagonia Women's Dual Aspect Jacket and Bibs: Stay dry in the mountains without sacrificing comfort or function, Researchers challenge historical records for 8000-meter peaks, Fast times on Slovak Direct: Two teams speed up one of Denali's hardest routes in a day, The Trango Cirrus: A sturdy dual sport helmet.
All threads on the Ultralights will be the same length as the Express screws. But I live in Bozeman, Montana, where my main passion is steep ice climbing, so I tested these new screws in Hyalite Canyon, one of the premier technical ice climbing venues in the Lower 48. You wont find elitist or gatekeeping writing here, we welcome all climbers. Of course this will jostle the market slightly, as Petzl and Austri Alpins 21cm screws follow the previous pattern, and are green. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. $0.00, The lightest ice screw in the world, the new BD Ultralights are crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains.
Highly recommended. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Weighing in at 45% lighter than Black Diamond's Express Screws, the Ultralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. Additional weight was removed with the introduction of analuminum hanger,wire handle, and plastic knob.
Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. This will produce greater torque, but also requires more uniform ice or clearing and can limit some placements in narrow clefts. Black Diamond designed the Ultralights for climbers attempting alpine climbs with huge approaches, glacier travel or ski mountaineering, or any situation when you dont want your seldom used safety gear weighing you down. In these situations, it is common to rack up long before ice screws will be needed, if at all. By keeping the screws capped on your harness while you travel up steep couloirs or across ice sheets, you could minimize snagging on other equipment and protect the points, yet the cap could be removed easily with a gloved hand when needed. EU fuss-free delivery! $189.95, As low as: As with the Petzl aluminum screws, these new BD screws also tend to bind in wet or green ice on cold days. A folding handle shaves more weight when you thought the product developers couldn't keep finding ways to cut back, and the handles are color coded so you can choose the correct length and drill the screw on the fly as you fight the pump. Ice screw technology, like all ice climbing equipment, has come a long way in the last decadeand the Black Diamond Ultralight ice screws are no exception. By continuing to browse this website, you are confirming your agreement. As with any new product, these new screws had a few issues when they were first released to the masses. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a56b3731f30cd08df8acb381c89bda5d" );document.getElementById("d6e3358e87").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Cons From: Unlike most screws, where the cap is flush with the points, the Ultralights have an extension on the cap that allows for easy removal while wearing gloves. The Ultralights are perfect for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism. Functionality-wise, a nice perk is that the wire handle is spring-loaded and it pops into the open and closed positions so theres no guessing of when its in the optimal position. Weighing in at 45% lighter than the Black Diamond Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a durable steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. Our business address is: [Photo] Chris Luehder. The author on Pitch 2 of Bobo Like, Hyalite Canyon, Montana. One of the black, "reservoir tip" caps can be seen on the long Ultralight Express screw that is racked on the author's harness in the background while Kanut the dog stares down the camera. Why? The Ultralight ice screws will excel when your goals encompass the fast and light ethos. There are no tests that directly compare ice screw durability, but you can expect that these Ultralight screws will get dinged up and dull faster than the full steel version. This weight savings would certainly be noticed on a sustained alpine push; however, in the world of steep ice at your local crag, a full rack of the Ultralights probably does not make a ton of sense. Call us Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm Mountain Time, You have no items in your shopping cartContinue Shopping, Price as configured: Weighing in at 45% lighter than the Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. Of course this is a speculation as I havent sent in any of these screws for sharpening yet nor had any tooth issues. He grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where he fell in love with all things related to rock, ice and snow. [Photo] Jim Menkol. In contrast, the Ultralight hangers are comprised of rounded aluminum that does not clear ice as easily.
The steel tip provides the same sharp bite and easy starting as previous Black Diamond ice screws, while everything else is engineered to shave weight.
This is to meet the strength requirements BD was looking for. Todd Preston is a geologist with the US Geological Survey. This means that with very little sharpening of the steel tip will expose the interior aluminum tube and may weaken the teeth. Do inquire for a current shipping address. Weighing in at 45% lighter than our Express Screws, the Ultralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. That said, it could mean thatit will try to shut on its own while cranking into sticky ice and your hand wobbles. Black Diamonds Ultralight Ice Screws promise to debut as the lightest ice screws on the market as theyre nearly 45% lighter than BDs steel screws and 15% lighter than Petzls Laser Speed screws. Aluminium body with steel tip
Be the first one to hear about our weekly deals on climbing gear. The Ultralights also have a larger driving circumference, as the hanger is approximately an inch longer than that of the Express screws when the wire gate is open. Door to door. Large selection of products and fast shipping! What you see at the checkout is what you'll pay. The difference is having the understanding that these screws will not last as long. Not trivial, but this amount of weight savings may not justify the additional $300 (price difference between 12 Express and 12 Ultralight screws). Most times when weight is reduced, so goes durability. Tube Diameters for some Common Ice Screws: Now because BDs Ultralight Ice Screws have a larger tube diameter than their steel brethren, the tooth profile had to change a bit. Although everybody is itching to test these Ultralight screws, there are no reports yet on the durability of the integration of the steel tip to the aluminum body. Black Diamond clearly states that these screws are designed primarily for ski mountaineering, glacial travel, and fast and light alpine pursuits. That being said, if you dont abuse them I expect that the crank will stand the test of time.
She is currently touring the US and would love if you contacted her to meet up to talk about climbing, climbing gear, or if you have any fun and/or ridiculous adventure in mind. Also, the wire gate seems as if it may bend if torqued on too hard.
The author places a Black Diamond Ultralight Express screw in Hyalite Canyon, Montana. 13 cm, 74 g (2.6 oz): 16 cm 81 g (2.9 oz): 19 cm 89 g (3.1 oz) 22 cm 96 g (3.4 oz), Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel, Available today 9:00 am - 6:00 pm eastern. Weigh My Rack LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. Therefore, these screws will prove ideal for specific audiences and applications, but do not look to the Ultralights to become the new workhorse screw at your local ice crag. Very light weight but still bites well! Were often mobile. Banana Fingers and the Banana Fingers logo are trademarks of Banana Fingers Ltd. We use cookie on this site to enhance your user experience. Built for ski mountaineers, glacial travel, and gram-shaving alpinists, these screws feature an aluminum body with steel tip and an innovative wire-gate color-coded Express handles to differentiate length. Based on the design of a wire-gate for a carabiner the crank is not only lightweight but also snaps open and closed. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. The basic design features include: The new aluminum hanger sports two large clip-in points as well as a cool and unique crank. Times when I was fatiguing and needed the screw to go in quickly or when the stance was a bit awkward. Amount to free shipping $99.00Total excl. Going larger in diameter saves on weight and material costs so is the obvious choice. Its clear a huge part of the weight savings was moving to an aluminum body (with a steel tip). Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. Specifically, the pairing of the steel tip with an aluminum body has come along with a redesign of the hanger on the Ultralights that is inferior to that of the Express screws. That said, there are folks out there (like our recently profiled Kurt Morrison), who prefer to climb with aluminum screws in most scenarios. However, after thinking about it more, I realized this feature would be extremely advantageous for ski mountaineering or glacial travel. That said, having a couple of these on your harness to place at the end of that steep project might be worthwhile. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website.
Muerden bien y son ligeros, el ojal es un poco pequeo, pero no incomodo, EpicTV Shop Returns: EpicTV, Unit 8 Whitehall Trading Estate, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol BS5 9DF, United Kingdom. We dont know the exact weight that was cut by utilizing a plastic knobversus a knurled aluminum knob, but Black Diamond said it was a surprising amount.. The Black Diamond Express screws will stay at $59.95.
[Photo] Jim Menkol. Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screw Lengths: Now the culmination of all the light-weight features that BD employed with their new Ultralight Screws has resulted in an exceptionally light ice screw.
After climbing with a variety of different screws from different brands dangling from my harness this winter I found that Id gravitate to the new BD aluminum screws when it really counted. Lightspeed. Not to be left behind in the light-weight ice screw game, Black Diamond has released their own version of a composite, aluminum-steel, screw that theyre calling the Ultralight Ice Screw.
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