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What was the most regrettable climbing related impulse thing you have purchased?

Paul Davidson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 607

A membership to a place called Mountain Project.
I guess you get what you pay for.

H BL · · Colorado · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 95

I love my tri-cams! I think the worst thing is my link cam. I should have just replaced 2 of my metolius cams instead!

Owen Darrow · · Helena, mt · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 1,790
Brett Brotherton wrote: If your using chalk it's still aid climbing though! (Kidding kind of, I just hate seeing chalked up holds many people have excessive chalk use)
Avoid Smith Rock...
Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245

I don't have a lot of gear that I regret. I do have a lot that I don't use often, but I got it cheap and hope to use it someday when I get the chance to get on some big walls (or when I'm too old to free climb).

One thing I do have that I'm really disappointed in is the Petzl Attache 3D. I bought it thinking it would feel the same as a regular attache but it doesn't do well in autoblock mode (duh) and has worn grooves already that are quite sharp. Retired it to my GriGri, which never really gets used.

Tom D · · New York · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 0

The grigri 2. I hate it. I'm sticking to the atc guide and mammut smart.
I wish I never bought it. Its big, feeds terrible, on single rope, bulky, etc.
Gunna post it in FS.

Evan Johnson · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 675

Another coat addict here - haha, I'm down to four now though.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

'Item' ?? How about 50% of all the extra needless gear I've collected over the last 10 years.

Giuseppe Cavallo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 65
Phil Lauffen wrote:shoes. I've got a pair for indoor, outdoor sport, outdoor easy, outdoor trad, outdoor crack.
+1
FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

I haven't seen sleeping bags mentioned (I have four). Back when I had more money than experience, and had visions of being a high-altitude mountaineer (hey, that stuff is too cold!), I bought a -30 degree Western Mountaineering bag. I used it twice, and it was too warm both times. One of those times was on the Ruth Glacier. So, in my closet it sits.

Pricey purchase, even ten years ago.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280
Giuseppe Cavallo wrote: +1
+ 1 for every extra pair of shoes I own. (with another different pair on the way as I speak). Addicted to a great fit.
Finn The Human · · The Land of Ooo · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 106

I also have a climbing shoe addiction. I have 5 pairs that are wearable (although 2 don't fit as well as I would like) plus a couple of worn out pairs I can't seem to bring myself to throw away. And that doesn't count shoes I have purchased for other people to use. Including those the total goes up to somewhere around 10 pairs in various sizes.

I'm just a sucker for a good deal. I own 4 harnesses, 3 of which I purchased simply because they were on sale.

Luckily for me, it's been great having some extra harnesses and shoes when my non-climbing friends want to get out on the rock.

I also bought a machete on sale for $15 once. That thing has seen exactly zero use.

Red · · Tacoma, Toyota · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 1,625
tomde01 wrote:The grigri 2. I hate it. I'm sticking to the atc guide and mammut smart. I wish I never bought it. Its big, feeds terrible, on single rope, bulky, etc. Gunna post it in FS.
You don't know how to use it.
Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280
Taylor Ogden wrote:I also have a climbing shoe addiction. I have 5 pairs that are wearable (although 2 don't fit as well as I would like) plus a couple of worn out pairs I can't seem to bring myself to throw away. And that doesn't count shoes I have purchased for other people to use. Including those the total goes up to somewhere around 10 pairs in various sizes. I'm just a sucker for a good deal. I own 4 harnesses, 3 of which I purchased simply because they were on sale. Luckily for me, it's been great having some extra harnesses and shoes when my non-climbing friends want to get out on the rock. I also bought a machete on sale for $15 once. That thing has seen exactly zero use.
Taylor, you are my clone or long lost brother when it comes to gear purchases.
Troy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 65
Bryan G wrote:The only thing I really regret is the fig-8 I bought a couple years ago and still haven't used.
+1
Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520
muttonface wrote:Gas money on a climbing trip with an uptight asshole.
Ugh. Da woist!
GabeO · · Boston, MA · Joined May 2006 · Points: 302

Every pair of MadRock shoes I ever bought.

The last time I did it, I worked at a gym and MR had a limited-time special for all of us where we could buy as many pairs of shoes as we wanted for $20 a pair. I bought two - one pair of approach shoes and one pair of climbing shoes. They were both god-awful. One pair I wound up selling, the other I couldn't sell and had to give away.

Never again...

GO

Lee Green · · Edmonton, Alberta · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 51
Scott T wrote: Not this guy...getting hitched in a week!! (For the first time:)
Good on ya! 31 years and counting here. The most regrettable thing I purchased was a ten-visit ticket to my local climbing gym. I didn't know if I'd want to climb that much - should have just bought the full membership from the start! Just after I started, the above-mentioned 31-year spouse decided to try it too, and got hooked. We're gray but we have fun.
Moof · · Portland, OR · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 25

#3.5 camalot. Hated it. Sold it.

Big Bros. Just not enough wide in these parts, only placed once each for novelty.

Half my shoes.

BD Ascenders. Hate them.

Allen Corneau · · Houston, TX · Joined May 2008 · Points: 80

#1: Mad Rock Maniac slippers, $36 on S&C. Super tight/painful and not a great fit at all. Wore them twice in the gym and then sold them.

#2: Metolius multi-loop gear sling. While I actually do use it to organize my gear pre-post climbing trip I almost always rack things on my harness so this was just as good as a piece of scrap cord or webbing.

Runner up: Trango Equalizer sling. Received it as a gift so I didn't actually buy it myself. Played with it a little bit but never ended up using it on the rock. Ended up selling it.

Newton · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 155

Multiloop gear sling AND the underarm extra loop
Ill-fitting Scarpa Feroce
Steel rap rings that weigh like 3 lbs apiece
Gas and food for moochy partners
Metolius Easy-Daisy
That damn self-sharpening Reverso!
Self-locking biner (used 2 days before REI-turned, I hate those things)
Piece of old fire hose for rope protection (free but I never use it, and it was a waste of time to procure and haul around)
Rope soap and DWR renewal goop
Big bag of Superchalk (always cracks my hands)

BUT MOST OF ALL...
Hangovers, especially right before a big climbing day


For balance, how about my least regrettable purchases:

BD Bod harness
Katanas
My first 3 nights in Camp 4
Ballnuts
Every piece of disposable thrift store clothing I ever bought
Forged Friends
Tape, superglue, and nailclippers
Cheese, chocolate, and peanut butter
Puffy
Gri-gri

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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