Discussion Topic Return to Forum List This thread has been locked Messages 1 - 20 of total 20 in this topic maldaly



Trad climber Boulder, CO Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 11, 2009 - 11:47am PT Hi Gang,

Once again, the gear junkies over at rockclimbing.com have shown up the social butterflies on supertopo. Or is it that the ST gang is out climbing all the time?



Seriously, though, sharp-eyed rc.commer climberdaved spotted a potentially dangerous manufacturing defect in the #5 BigBro and we have decided to recall them. The inner tubes were not made to spec resulting in the angled end faces not being parallel. See the photo: Full details and return instructions can be found on the Trango home page or just click here: http://www.trango.com/recall.php



There is nothing more important to me that your safety so please take a careful look at any #5 'Bros you may have and return any that are in question.



Respectfully,

Mal Thorgon



Big Wall climber Sedro Woolley, WA Feb 11, 2009 - 11:59am PT Bummer!



Thanks for the safety tip,

Thor Rhodo-Router



Gym climber Otto, NC Feb 11, 2009 - 12:20pm PT Raise your hand if you have ever fallen on one of those things.



The #5 is, what, squeezer size?



Thanks for the beta, Mal. I'm not an engineer so I don't know why this is a problem; maybe you could enlighten us? Nefarius



Big Wall climber Fresno Feb 11, 2009 - 12:25pm PT "Raise your hand if you have ever fallen on one of those things."



hahaha Not sure I know anyone that has. I hardly ever see them on people's racks. Maybe some guys from back in the day. I've never really liked/trusted them. You have to find the perfect placement for them and then have to fiddle with them quite a bit to get them to stick. I've only used them a few times and they were a pain in the ass to place, and I was on aid. I couldn't imagine placing them while climbing free, one-handed, etc...



No offense, Mal.



"Thanks for the beta, Mal. I'm not an engineer so I don't know why this is a problem; maybe you could enlighten us? "



I'll let Mal explain why this is an issue. I know why, but not sure know how to explain it. Russ Walling



Social climber Upper Fupa, North Dakota Feb 11, 2009 - 12:27pm PT I've got one. I use it as a seat in 14" cracks when I get winded.



Here it is in action a couple/few weeks ago:



Ed Hartouni



Trad climber Livermore, CA Feb 11, 2009 - 12:27pm PT I think the verdict of most of the Wide guys and gals I know is that they prefer large cams to Big Bros... pretty much those things have dropped off the racks and are left at home...



And that really big Big Bro is just thought to be superfluous in chimneys, where technique gets you through. Anastasia



climber Not here Feb 11, 2009 - 12:51pm PT I like them! (Then again, I am a girl.)

;)AF



MisterE



Trad climber One Place or Another Feb 11, 2009 - 12:55pm PT So, Russ - is yours aligned properly?



I can beat up the person you bought it from if not! Russ Walling



Social climber Upper Fupa, North Dakota Feb 11, 2009 - 12:56pm PT my alignment is perfect P.Kingsbury



Trad climber the jeep Feb 11, 2009 - 01:13pm PT Mine looks good Mal. Thanks for postin' up





cheers,



patrick 'Pass the Pitons' Pete



Big Wall climber like Ontario, Canada, eh? Feb 11, 2009 - 01:24pm PT I can't believe anyone would waste one dime on a Big Bro, when for just a few bucks more you could invest in a Valley Giant, which will work anywhere. Ten times more placeable? A hundred times more placeable? August West



Trad climber Where the wind blows strange Feb 11, 2009 - 01:38pm PT I'm sure BBs don't get used much, but I like them for climbing/hangdogging/aiding up wide cracks at Indian Creek (usually the only way to set up a TR). You push a single cam (or leap frog a couple of cams) above you. Hang from the cam to place a BB, so you can have the occasional pro left behind. BBs work well in the Indian Creek splitters. Several BBs take up a lot less space, either on the rack or in the truck. I use them every trip I take to the Creek. I'm not willing to aid a 100' chimney with only one, or two cams, and not leave any pro behind just to set up a rope up for one or two TRs. Add a couple of BB's and I will (and IC chimneys are great practice).



But I have pretty much given up on carrying BBs in the valley. Russ Walling



Social climber Upper Fupa, North Dakota Feb 11, 2009 - 01:40pm PT

Let me know when you can pick up a Valley Giant on Ebay for $40.00. I'll be there.



Besides, BigBros are mostly a freeclimbing tool.... you can have a seat over there until we call you. obim



Social climber Austria Jun 20, 2012 - 04:43am PT We use them for anything up from C4 #3.

Lighter and far more safe according to our tests.

Limestone of course. Ol' Skool



Trad climber Oakhurst, CA Jun 20, 2012 - 04:21pm PT BB's have their place- even if you prefer cams- some shallow placements won't handle the 5-6" depth of a monster cam. Shuteye runnels are a good example. mucci



Trad climber The pitch of Bagalaar above you Jun 20, 2012 - 04:56pm PT ^^^^



True ol skill.....



Unless the Poofters bolted it.





couchmaster



climber Nov 6, 2014 - 10:10am PT Has anybody hear anything about this? It looks like the #5 Big Bros are no longer made or available. As they are insanely lighter than Toms Valley Giants, and much less $$cratch as well, they are still valuable to climbers. I guess I wasn't paying attention when they disappeared. No listed on Trangos site and none of the regular retailers have any. They still mfg #4 is going for $115 now, makes you wonder what the #5 would go for. Here's a pic I took of Adam Winslow screwing around with mine on Chrysler Crack. He pulled it out just to clown around and then dropped it LOL. Pulled it back up with the lead rope ALA Pratt and then didn't use it. But they're light an nice to carry even when you don't use them. Around here,most of the time they don't work bacause of the irregular nature of the cracks.





https://www.trango.com/p-267-big-bro.aspx



If anyone is looking for one, I saw one on Mt Project for $100, the kid questioned if they were even made any more, so I checked. Appears knot.



Sizing info for posterity:

Size range = 287mm-467mm -which in real measurement increments is 11.3"-18.4"

Weight = 578.3g which in real weight measurements is 20.4oz



Strength is 15kN Gold Color



youri



climber Jan 9, 2015 - 12:19pm PT The BB are nice... I got #2, #3, #4 and #5 on sale for a price I could only get one #9 VG :-) I do not use them much but like OW sometimes. I did a nice OW on lead I placed #3, #4 and #5 plus a couples of big cams. A second #4 would have made it instead of the #5 but I managed to fit the #5. I survived the ordeal and loved the experience. I do another one like this anytime :-) All in all, you have to play around with the BB before you commit on a climb with them. Also I would not like to fall on one if the placement is not perfect. couchmaster



climber Jan 9, 2015 - 12:52pm PT I plugged the #4 Bro in there you see by my foot, but it wasn't really lookin' like it would have wanted to hold a fall. On the rough rock we have around here, they don't work very well. In winter, when that was snowed in and a virgin unclimbed pinnacle, I'd explained my pyschosis of only being able to think about this pinnacle to Russ of Fish Products when I'd ordered some supertape from him. Included was a photo and a rant how I was going to use his stuff to climb this unclimbed knob, and he sent me some amazing sh#t I'd never seen anywhere else. They were a type of sewn sling designed to loop horns, projections and damned near lil rugosites. The Big Bros failed but Russ's sewn loops were KICK ASS .



Big Bro at foot level.





Anyway, here's the Russ sewn sling thing I tied off on to drill the anchor where my helmet and cow tail are hanging off of. Used like 3 or 4 different sizes for pro above on route. Best sh#t ever . Russ never charged me anything for them.



steelmnkey



climber Vision man...ya gotta have vision... Jan 9, 2015 - 01:32pm PT Bomb-air!!!



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