Your belay device is an essential piece of rappelling gear, so it’s important to think about how well it handles this aspect of climbing. You may want to opt for an assisted braking device like the Revo or Grigri. If you’re mostly visiting single-pitch crags or your local climbing gym, safety is more important than weight or versatility. These offer the most versatility for lead belaying, belaying a follower, rappelling on one or two strands, and more. If you’re planning on multi-pitch or alpine routes, your best bet is an ATC or tube-style belay device. Some belay devices are optimized for all-day multi-pitch routes, while others are designed primarily for single-pitch lead climbing and top roping. The most important thing to think about when picking a belay device is what type of climbing you plan to be doing. I’ll explain some of the key things to consider when choosing a belay device. Check out my reviews for an in-depth look at each belay device.Ĭhoosing the right belay device can be tricky, especially if you’re new to climbing and not sure what you need. Specifically, how well each belay device performs at feeding out rope and taking up slack, how easy they are to use for rappelling, and how light and durable they are. While every device I’ve tried will hold a fall, not all of them are equally easy to use or stand up equally well to the demands of mountain travel.įor this guide, I considered the factors that matter most to climbers and mountaineers. I’ve spent years rock climbing and mountaineering, and I’ve tried more than a few belay devices along the way. In this guide, I’ll show you the 8 best belay devices for 2023 and explain everything you need to know about choosing the right belay device for your roped adventures. So, it’s critical to get a belay device you can count on. You trust your belay device with your life and your partner’s life when climbing and rappelling. On multi-pitch routes, the minimal effort required to pull rope through is a major plus.Ī good belay device is just as important as a reliable rope when you’re rock climbing, mountaineering, or traveling across glaciers. There’s not a ton of unnecessary friction when belaying a follower from above, but the device grabs without slippage when your second takes a fall. Since it only weighs 2.8 ounces, I typically carry this ATC on my harness even along with a burlier assisted braking device when I’m cragging.Īnother thing I like about the ATC Guide is that it operates smoothly in auto-block mode. Black Diamond advertises it as having “high” and “low” friction modes depending on which way you load the rope, but I can’t imagine ever wanting to use the low friction mode. It’s versatile enough to use in almost any situation, whether you’re at the crag, hanging on the side of a mountain, or belaying across a crevasse.Īs a tube-style belay device, don’t expect a huge amount of braking power from the ATC Guide. Only disadvantage of this device is its weight, but the pros definately outweigh the cons.The Black Diamond ATC Guide is a tried and true belay device that I take with me on virtually every climbing trip. Take care to place a backup belay knot behind the ATC so your second doesn't fall to the ground! Put a bit of webbing or prusikcord through it, run it through a higher placed karabiner and put your weight in it to tilt the device upwards and unblock it. The little eye on the bottom of the device is useful for unblocking the device if a second has fallen and needs to be fed some rope. As with the reverso it is very useful for belaying seconds as it has an auto-locking function. The device can also be used upside down for a little less friction. The ATC Guide is compatible with modern day thin ropes and the grooves give it extra grip when required. Conversely with very thin ropes the Reverso was not safe to use. The reverso is a fine belay device but with older, thicker ropes it could be a real hassle to feed it through the device. After using the Petzl Reverso for a couple of years I was looking for something with smoother rope handling.
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