I also got the triact for its security. The gate slams shut with a satisfying clink, because of the strong spring, but can sometimes remain ajar if you don't let it shut wih enough force.

It's possible to open the triact gate with one hand, which leaves the other hand free for rope/belay devices. However, I find it a bit cumbersome for normal belaying.

However, it's really useful for setting up anchors, abseils and top ropes outdoors, because you can be confident that the gate isn't going to open.

I got the screwgate one for clove hitching into anchors, and it works a treat. It's large and I can easily clove hitch into 2 anchors, and into 3 anchors with a bit of a squeeze.

I think the carabiner is relatively light for its size.

A good friend bought these long before I bought my Dragons, so I've gotten to use these, and they're good and do the job well. When placed correctly they hold securely, and you can be confident that they'll hold your weight. That's the most important thing.

When shopping around myself I didn't like the way the lobes can move around its single axis... I found the twin axles more reassuring. Looking at the flipside, and it's probably a good thing that the head can move around the single axle when it's placed.

Here in the UK, they're cheaper than C4s and Dragons, which makes them a good buy, and my friend is very happy with his. If I were a Yank, I'd probably buy C4s instead, which is a shame, because if you all get C4s you'll never get to experience how good the WC cams can be.

Nuts are bread and butter for trad climbing. I've got a set myself and am very happy with them.

However, when I fell on my No.3 nut, it vanished. Whether the wire snapped and spun off into the sea or was abducted by aliens, I'll never know.

To be honest, I'm of the opinion that most brands of nuts perform equally well. I never have any problems with my DMM ones, and I don't have problems when I use my mate's BD ones. He also got a set of WC ones for anchoring and they seem to perform well too.

Regarding removal, I've had to hack away with all the diff manufacturers nuts. That's just life. Not left a DMM nut behind yet, although my friend recently had to admit defeat when trying to retrieve one of his BD ones.

tbh, I don't place these that often, when they just end up weighing me down and getting in the way. Having said that when I have been able to place them, they tend to slot in quite well, and the long sling means that the rope has to move around a lot before the hex comes out.

Apparently, you can cam with them (I'd assume most effectively in a horizontal crack), but I've never tried that/got it to work.

My regular climbing partner has the BD wired hexes and having a set of both is quite handy. Wired are good for otherwise reachy placements, while slung hexes make it harder for rope movement to pop them out.

Very cowbell.

I've been meaning to add some cams to my rack for quite a while, having been content to borrow Wild Country Friends, DMM 4CU and BD Camalot C4 cams.Now that I've come to purchase my own, I've opted for A1 quality. El Dragons are twin axle like the C4s, are of a newer design, cheaper and have an extendable sling, which is 9un)surprisingly handy.Plus, compared to the single axle ones, the heads don't rotate disconcertingly about the axle, and have a larger camming range apparently - but I don't care about that... I just want them to fit into cracks.I've used my No5 Dragon Cam quite a lot, it's saved me on a fall, held me securely while freaking out en route, and have even used it 3 times on a single pitch.I love them more than words can say!

Comfy and responsive. Bit baggy around the heel, so not great for extreme heel hooking, but decent enough for usual heel hooking.

Had intended to buy something more aggressive, but am very glad I didn't.

Plus they're made in the UK rather than China, so I'm reassured that the quality control is better.

Superthin at 8mm, solidly stiched (as it should be) and the overlaps are covered and smooth.

Not significantly cheaper/lighter/easier to use than the XP to make it worthwhile getting one of these.

I've never had the opportunity to use its self locking mode, so have only ever used it as a normal belay device. Prefer the XP to be honest.

Better to use with skinnier ropes, and avoid the fat ones you often get at indoor walls etc. Don't really think you can use this comfortably with ropes 10-11mm in thickness.

Cheaper than basically any other screwgate out there. I use it for anchors and with my grigri very happily.

Best belay device I got.

Offers more friction and stopping power than the standard ATC. Works better with fatter, knackered ropes at the indoor wall than the ATC-Guide. Much lighter than the grigri.

Can be used indoors or outdoors, for trad or sports climbing.

Would recommend it to anyone.

I bought the triact (to go with my grigri for idiotproof belaying), and then the screwgate later (for clovehitching when outdoors). Both are fine carabiners.

The triact's gate snaps shuts with a satisfying click, when closed properly. However, if closed softly and it may not lock.properly - leaving the nose sticking out of the collar. It needs that snappy momentum to shut properly.

In reality, using a huge carabiner with a grigri is unnecessary, and holding the gate open while arranging belay devices is annoying. As a result, I don't really use it anymore indoors, and outdoors it's just another carabiner.

The screwgate is much better. It's large size and flatness makes it great for clovehitching even with fat ropes. Plus, the red band around the collar alerts you to when the gate's not done up properly.

Would recommend the screwgate over the triact.