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mawk
Big Wall climber
Hugo, MN
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Dec 19, 2011 - 11:28am PT
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That does look intriguing.
I didn't see any mention of load bearing capacity. Did I miss it somewhere?
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BriGuy
climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 19, 2011 - 11:47am PT
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I was not able to find any other specs besides the weight, which is 85 g.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 19, 2011 - 11:54am PT
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^^ Geez, look who crawled out from under a snowbank. ^^
Not sure I see much benefit over the original Mini-Trax, except maybe that it's smaller? It's not like the Mini-Trax is exactly big.
Edit: Locker just posted useful info. Bearings instead of sheaves is a huge benefit!
Best application for this device on walls would be attached to the leader and his zip line, and used to tag stuff up at the end of the pitch.
Man, that thing is TINY. I've never liked the switch on the cam on the Mini-Traxion, so one hopes this will be easier to operate.
One wonders how it will compare to the Mini for the tried-and-tested toprope self-belay?
Now, if Petzl is paying attention: Why don't you improve that colossal piece of sh|t -- the Pro-Traxion?!
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Dec 19, 2011 - 08:44pm PT
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Do you guys top rope solo with the mini. I have a lot of friends that do and I am considering getting one. I have used petzel ascenders to TR solo while putting up sport routes up for many years but you have to tend them with your hands and therefore I would not push it too much when things got hard. Very difficult on ice and that is essepecially what I want it for. Do you back up with the mini. Also the micro looks like it is 20 dollars more.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Dec 19, 2011 - 09:06pm PT
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I have two brand new still in the box Mini-Trax that I'd like to sell.
PM me.
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Mojomonkey
climber
.
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Feb 28, 2012 - 09:37am PT
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So has anyone been using the micro for TR solo? Any feedback on it compared to the mini?
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A5scott
Trad climber
Chicago
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Feb 28, 2012 - 10:54am PT
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The micro can't get stuck open unless there is a force on the lip of the cam that pulls it away from the rope... for example if hauling and the cam gets stuck against the rock and gets lifted up a bit. even then it can't lock open without pressing the metal silver lever to lift the gate so the cam can lock open. The tiny little nub on the back side of the cam axle housing gets locked in... looks like a nice piece of gear... and almost as efficient as the pro trax
The micro specs
Weight: 85 g
Min. rope diameter: 8 mm
Max. rope diameter: 11 mm
Sheave type: sealed ball bearings
Sheave diameter: 25 mm
Efficiency: 91 %
Working load: 2,5 kN x 2 = 5 kN
Breaking strength: 7.5 kN x 2 = 15 kN
Working load as progress capture pulley: 2.5 kN
Breaking strength as progress capture pulley: 4 kN
Certification(s): CE EN 567, UIAA
mini specs
Weight : 165 g
Min. rope diameter : 8 mm
Max. rope diameter : 13 mm
Sheave diameter : 19 mm
Efficiency : 71 %
Working load : 2,5 kN x 2 = 5 kN
Breaking strength : 10 kN x 2 = 20 kN
Working load as progress capture pulley : 2.5 kN
Breaking strength as progress capture pulley : 4 kN
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Feb 28, 2012 - 11:21am PT
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One problem I've had with the Mini-Trax, and this has happened with two of them under weight that is well within limits according to the tech at Petzl, is that the Red plate shifts off the clip-in collar and the black plate bends just enough so that the red plate does not stay on the collar anymore, skewing the device slightly.
I talked to the tech at Petzl at length about this and he told me that I was "right in the middle of all the specs" yet the device was still deforming.
There is a lot of comment on this problem on the Canyoneering sites. I suspect Petzl has heard of the problem from a lot of people aside from me.
The tech I spoke with did not say that the newer, lighter version was designed to solve that problem.
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A5scott
Trad climber
Chicago
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Feb 28, 2012 - 11:45am PT
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That's interesting Mark... Was the mini t. deforming when you were using it far end hauling? to take the weight off the haulbag tie in? The micro looks boxier, but not quite as strong as the mini. I wonder if different design geometry will help it perform better. Did you get the micro traxion yet Mark?
scott
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Feb 28, 2012 - 02:00pm PT
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The replaced the two I sent them with two of the older ones. They didn't say wether or not they beefed up the new one.
One Mini Trax deformed when used as a Far End Hauler (it never came under more pressure than the weight of the bags, I could see it deforming if the bags had gotten caught and I had pumped and pumped and really jammed the bags against something). The other one deformed simply as the rope grab in my 2:1 system, same deal as above, never approached it weight limit.
Actually, if you look at the photos of the new one, there is no collar for the orange plate to snap over. Additionally, there is a little notch and pin for the orange side to latch into. Maybe this new design will not suffer the fate as the last one.
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A5scott
Trad climber
Chicago
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Feb 28, 2012 - 02:53pm PT
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Filing the notch on the mini just means it won't be easy to use as a simple pulley... better for toprope solo.
the sheave on the micro is a little bigger, and the cam and axel seem beefier... combined with the smaller body could reduce leverage on any side loading, which may help prevent deformation while used within it's design parameters. Looks like a much bigger % of the pulley body is supported by the sheave and cam compared to the mini t. It feels much more solid in the hand than the mini did.
I would imagine it will work well toprope soloing, but I would still back it up with a gri gri or backup knots on a second rope
scott
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Feb 28, 2012 - 03:00pm PT
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When you guys fix a line and do solo TR, do you use one Mini or two? I saw it being done both ways. I guess 2 is safer but 1 is ok if you can tie some back up knots part was up the pitch?
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John Butler
Social climber
SLC, Utah
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Feb 28, 2012 - 03:00pm PT
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Mini-T "breaking strength as a self-jamming pulley is rated at 4kN"
Micro-T "breaking strength as a self-jamming pulley is rated at 2.5kN"
So if you, like me, were thinking that the Mini-T was marginal for TR soloing... the Micro would seem to be a bit more marginal
I'll likely stick with the Mini, but reserve the right to change my mind on a whim :-)
EDIT: Ooohh... not so sure. Petzl says 4kn for each... REI said 2.5 for the Micro... best to believe Petzl, I think
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A5scott
Trad climber
Chicago
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Feb 28, 2012 - 03:30pm PT
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yeah, I figured that much Cosmic... if someone wanted a simple pulley, they would just use a simple pulley, and not have to deal with the cam
scott
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Any updates on the Micro?
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adatesman
climber
philadelphia, pa
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Will have to dig into this more later, but looks to me Petzl no longer rates its devices for self-belay? I distinctly remember my minitrax saying it was ok, but wasn't able to get the guy at Rock&Snow (Gunks) to open up the package for the microtrax to check.
http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/product-experience/self-belay-solo-climbing/introduction-us
EDIT: upon closer reading it's a bunch of lawyerese about the devices not being intended for self belay, with the Shunt and Tibloc being called out specifically as unsafe. The others "might" work when used by "experts", but "may have problems".
On the upside, the microtrax is marked as acceptable so looks like I'll be getting one. (got cut up by the rock pretty bad once when the mini locked unexpectedly while backing off a move, and the button on the micro seems less easy to trigger)
EDITx2: the micro is dead sexy.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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EDIT: upon closer reading it's a bunch of lawyerese about the devices not being intended for self belay, with the Shunt and Tibloc being called out specifically as unsafe. The others "might" work when used by "experts", but "may have problems".
What verbiage do you think is "lawyerese"?
Seems to me that Petzl is doing it's best to describe some complicated concepts.
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adatesman
climber
philadelphia, pa
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The verbiage that differs between the instructions that came with my mini (which says it's approved for self belay) and the verbiage in the link that seems entirely centered on covering their behinds. Surprisingly understandable lawyerese, but lawyerese nonetheless.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
the secret topout on the Chockstone Chimney
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One mini and one micro might be the optimal solution for people who can't feel good one just one device (like me).
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