Trango Beta Stick Evo for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

I agonized over the tradeoff between the length and the portability and finally decided to get the compact. So far, I haven't been let down on two trips. Even though the compact model is only 8 feet long, I've been able to get to all the first bolts I've needed to (so far) and have been able to clip through hard sections of two routes (OMG, I've become THAT person...) But at least it let me get to the top so I could retrieve my draws! highly recommend, especially if you can hold out for a 20% off sale.

Easier to use then the squid or other stick clips I have used in the past. It was quick to learn the methods for clipping, unclipping, and hanging ropes. Love the extension method, which is much quicker than the twisting painter poles. Use it with wire gate carabiners Can't recommend enough

This is the first stick clip I have owned. I have used a number of scratch built one and a Squid before and I must say I really prefer this. The other reviewer mentioned its flimsy at full extension and that is certainly true, though in most situations I don't have to put it to full extension so it hasn't been a major issue for me. Unlike the previous reviewer I have not had an issue using the gate opening feature and a friend who also owns this has had no trouble. My go to quickdraw is the Positron by Black Diamond, so same carabiner on the bolt side. Doing any of the extra actions (rope to an existing draw, removing a draw, etc) all take practice. The only things that is really straight forward is clipping in a draw. I took mine to my local gym and they let me play around with it there. After a few tries of each I got it down. Overall I am really happy with it!

I figured the bigger the better, but once you add the weight of the rope at full extension this thing gets a little hard to control. Honestly, I can't criticize it too much because I wouldn't want it to be any bigger or heavier than it is collapsed. I think they did a good job of finding a happy medium between light and compact and sturdy. That being said, if I were to make this purchase again, I probably would have to stick with the smaller model. I also found it impossible to get the gates to stay in the open position. I actually didn't realize that was even a feature until I read the other two reviews... After playing around with it, I've come to the conclusion that it works great with wire gates, but not solid gates. I guess I'll just have one quickdraw on hand with a wiregate at the top for that purpose (I typically use DB PosiWire draws that have a solid gate at the bolt side). However, even with it being slightly flimsy and not being able to keep the solid gate open, I was able to successfully clip a bolt about 15' up. It does what it needs to and at the end of the day, I'm very pleased with this product.

I've never had a problem getting a gate to stay open with the metal clip, like the other reviewer. Petzl spirits, BD wire and solid gates too. Might be the weird gates on the DMM carabiners. Anyways this thing is awesome and is dissapears in or on the side of my pack. I always bring it because it's so small, unlike a cumbersome painters pole, so it's a no brainer to bring it. I never tried version 1, but the clips to hold the extensions out are solid and I've never had a problem with the stick collapsing. The pole is also pretty decently rigid at full extension. Not the same as a solid painters pole, but considering it's like 6 different extendors in one, it's pretty solid. I've been able to retreive a quickdraw off a bolt, so it's possible, but only if you can shove your rope through the small hole, which I've been able to do with a 9.8mm mammut rope. Same goes with clipping the first draw, using the hole is 10x easier than draping a loop through the notch as shown in the picture. I love this thing because it's always in my pack, pretty much regardless where I'm going, and it's perfect for traveling on a plane with!

First the the positive. This stick itself is way better. The clamps are a big improvement over the twist lock of the original Beta stick. Each segment also has a little interlocking grove along its length so the head will not twist; very nice! The little hook on the head is also effective for pulling the rope. The head mechanism is improved from the original version. Unfortunately, it is still not great and far inferior to the super clip in some respects. My biggest complaint is that the little metal retainer to hold the gate open still does not work effectively and the gate just keeps popping open immediately. I tried all of the adjustments with no success. But, the first few segments are so rigid you can just push the gate open against the bolt hanger. For long clips with the skinny segments, I guess its going to require tape or some other rigging to hold the gate open, which is a little frustrating considering what we paid for this thing. In fairness, I suppose it might work better for certain carabiners. I have DMM alpha sport draws and it won't grab the gate. [Update: Tried it with a number of other solid gate carabiners (including some BD and Petzl) with same result. But it does work like a champ on wire gates because the little bent notch on the keeper catches and holds the wire gate. So, I'm standing by my opinion that the design is not the best] Clipping the rope to an existing draw is about the same to slightly more difficult than a super clip. Also, removing a draw with this device is possible but it requires quite a bit of skill and will only work under conditions where you have the ability to maneuver the stick to unhook the draw. This is much easier with the super clip and will always work. Bottom line is if you want a long stick clip and you don't want to carry around a painter's pole, while imperfect, this is probably still your best option. If you are considering the compact beta stick, I think the Kalias stick is a way better option. It is much lighter and has the superior super clip style head.