Petzl Reverso Belay Device - 2005

Practicality and usability combine to make this tool an absolute necessity on any multi-pitch climb - ease of use also extends to doing laps in the gym. Fantastic all-round.

This thing feeds cord like water. The belays are super smooth as are the rappels. I love that you can belay two seconds with this device and it will automatically lock on one or both of the ropes.

Two things I don't like about it are it's bulk (compared to an ATC for example) and the *clang clang clang* ruckus it makes when clipped to your belay loop while you are climbing.

I prefer to use it on long trad routes in parties of three or greater, but for anything else I still haven't found a replacement for the ATC.

The Reverso really comes into its own on multi-pitch climbs. The ability to belay directly off the anchor with a solid, self-locking system is extremely helpful. On long trad and ice routes, there is not reason to carry anything else. The Reverso allows you to eat, take pictures, organize the rack or anything else while you’re belaying. For a party of three, it allows you to belay two seconds at the same time with ease. If you’re just cragging, get something else.

I've used this now for ice climbing and canyoneering. On the ice, I used it primarily for belaying, and this always works great, no matter how wet the rope is or how frozen it is. In the canyons I used it primarily for rapping, and this was on 9mm double rope, which the reverso is great for. It took me a while to figure out a smooth method of getting it on and off the rope without risking it falling off a 200' high cliff. The trick is rotating the device 90 degrees while taking on/off - it's all about opening the biner to insert or remove the sope, while quickly closing the biner still on the device. With little maneuvering room and often cold, wet hands, even with gloves on, a slip might mean your device is gone. I love it. Simple. Effective.

I really like this piece of gear. Easy to use, versatile and bombproof.