ProView – Edelrid Bulletproof Quickdraw Set
I received the Bulletproof quickdraws at the end of July and they quickly became my go to for leaving on routes over multiple weeks at my favorite summer crags.
Edelrid Bulletproof Quickdraw Set
Product Description: Our extremely robust sport climbing quickdraw set with a steel insert in the lower carabiner to prevent premature wear.
Offer price: MSRP: $28.95 - $29.95
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Quality
(5)
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Features
(5)
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Fit
(4.5)
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Durability
(5)
Summary
An innovative quickdraw that marries the durability and peace of mind of steel with the weight-saving benefits of aluminum.
Overall
4.9Pros
- Durable
- Steel insert will minimize aluminum oxide dust on ropes and increase the life of both the quickdraw and rope
Cons
- Heavier and more expensive than standard high-end quickdraws
- Smaller rope end carabiner may be hard for some people to clip
I have to confess; I have a problem with long-term projecting when it comes to sport climbing. Sometimes I can spend seasons on the same route; this can take a toll on my gear, especially my quickdraws and ropes. I have noticed that routes with fixed or project draws on them generally receive an uptick in popularity even at the most remote crag, resulting in more wear on aluminum draws and my rope.
Aluminum carabiners on a popular route can get sharp surprisingly fast, this is especially true for the draws that take the most wear such as those protecting the route’s crux, draws under roofs and the first draw. These worn out carabiners produce a sharp edge that can damage a rope’s sheath or in extreme cases, completely severe the rope. In addition to this, that black dust that gets all over your rope is aluminum oxide from your rope running against the rope side aluminum carbineer. One solution for this, is a steel carabiner on the rope end, but these carabiners are incredibly heavy compared to standard aluminum ones.
The Elderid bulletproof quickdraws marries the durability of steel with the weight saving benefits of aluminum producing an innovative product perfect for areas without in-situ steel fixed draws.
My partners and I brought the bulletproof draws to my home crags Deep Creek, Washington and Riggins, Idaho. Many of the routes at both of these locations pull steep bulges or caves before technical and tenuous headwalls, which places quite a bit of drag and wear on the quickdraws below the headwalls.
Features/Performance
The bulletproof quickdraw is made up of two keylock carabiners and a burly 22 mm nylon dogbone that is easy to grab if working a route and comes in a 12 and 18 inch length. The bolt side carabiner is aluminum, but the rope end carabiner contains a steel insert against the rope running apex reducing wear on the carabiner itself and reducing the amount of aluminum oxide that gets on your rope.
Weight
The steel insert does make the bulletproof quickdraw heavier than other keylock draws coming in at 118 grams, but this is hardly noticeable considering that these draws are meant to be left up on a project for an extended period of time.
Function
When red lining on a hard project, the ease of clipping is critical and I found the bulletproof quickdraws to be responsive and easy to clip. I would often place them at crux sequences or low on a route where the clips are even more critical.
One thing of note is the size of the carabiner on the bulletproof draw has a smaller gate than other high performance quickdraws such as the Petzl Spirit and Black Diamond Livewire. I did not notice this during my review, but someone with large hands may find the smaller carabiner cumbersome.
Durability
The bulletproof quickdraw is much more durable than your standard aluminum quickdraw due to the steel insert at the rope bearing axis. My rope also stayed cleaner due to the bulletproof carabiner not shedding aluminum oxide dust.
Final Word
The bulletproof quickdraw is a perfect compromise between permanent steel fixed gear and project quickdraw. If you routinely leave your draws up on projects, the Elderid Bulletproof Quickdraw is a great solution to reduce wear on not only your quickdraws, but on your rope as a result of a sharp carabiner.
While this quickdraw would not be at home on a fast and light multipitch route, it is the perfect quickdraw for placing on a season long project where the same quickdraws (cruxes) are going to be taking extra abuse. They weight of the draws were negligible to me and did not detract from my willingness to rack up with them and place them on high wear points on weekend or day projects such as draws that are often lowered off of or the anchors draws for a route. I loved the innovation of these quickdraws and I would recommend this product to anyone who sport climbs on a regular basis.
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Dana Walters is a grassroots athlete for Evolv, who has been climbing for 10 years. He has climbed all over North America and tries to get out whenever he can. When he is not climbing he is pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from Washington State University with an emphasis on rare disease research. You can follow him on Instagram @dwalters2.
About the Gear Tester
Dana Walters
Dana Walters is a grassroots athlete for Evolv, and has been climbing for 10 years. He has climbed all over North America and tries to get out whenever he can. When he is not climbing, he is pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from Washington State University with an emphasis on rare disease research. You can follow him on Instagram @dwalters2.
