BD harnesses: ice clippers?

Can you attach ice clippers to any of the new Black Diamond harnesses? Was looking at the Chaos harness and can't see a point where you can attach them because all of the webbing is contained inside the waist belt. Am I missing something? This would seriously detract me from buying BD harnesses in the future if I had to buy the specialized and expensive Xenos harness just to clip some damn screws to my belt.

earl mcalister wrote:Can you attach ice clippers to any of the new Black Diamond harnesses? Was looking at the Chaos harness and can't see a point where you can attach them because all of the webbing is contained inside the waist belt. Am I missing something? This would seriously detract me from buying BD harnesses in the future if I had to buy the specialized and expensive Xenos harness just to clip some damn screws to my belt.

There's only $5 difference between those harnesses.

earl mcalister wrote:Can you attach ice clippers to any of the new Black Diamond harnesses? Was looking at the Chaos harness and can't see a point where you can attach them because all of the webbing is contained inside the waist belt. Am I missing something? This would seriously detract me from buying BD harnesses in the future if I had to buy the specialized and expensive Xenos harness just to clip some damn screws to my belt.

I use one of those rubber bands that hold stalks of broccoli together and use that to attach a large carabiner to my harness as an ice clipper. If you're worried about breakage, run the carabiner through a gear loop

Get the Aspect if you want the all-rounder. It has ice clipper loops. The Chaos does not. The Xenos is awesome for ice and mixed, but a little weak for trad. This is due to small gear loops. I've used mine for trad, but prefer the Wild Country Syncro with lots of gear loops. The Xenos does have a couple extra clipper loops compared to pretty much any other harness out there (6 total), which let you locate the clippers further back. I prefer to run mine this way for ice.

Also, BD ice clippers have nothing on the Petzl Caritools. They have a nice toothed slot built in to grab the clipper loop. No rubber bands to deal with - the broccoli kind or otherwise. That whole broccoli thing kind of weirds me out - in a McGyver sort of way.

Patrick Carey wrote: Also, BD ice clippers have nothing on the Petzl Caritools. They have a nice toothed slot built in to grab the clipper loop. No rubber bands to deal with - the broccoli kind or otherwise. That whole broccoli thing kind of weirdos me out - in a McGyver sort of way.

+1
here I have both the ice clippers and the caritool.
The caritool is by far a superior ice screw biner.

Jeff J wrote: +1 here I have both the ice clippers and the caritool. The caritool is by far a superior ice screw biner.

+1

I have the aspect harness and the petzl ice-clippers...good combo. I love that harness...amazing value

Agree with those who think the Petzl Caritool is much better. The Caritool also has a 'biner top "shelf" whereby one can pull up 'x' number of screws (say 2-3) to get at the size you want and place the others via their hangers on the shelf, out of the way of the wire gate. The "shelf" is also mildly serrated (tiny plastic ridges) that helps the hangers from moving around. The BD clipper profile is such that when the top of it sits against the harness, a slight wedge is created between the 'binder & harness. This doesn't happen often but it can; as you flip the screws of different sizes on to the top of the clipper to get at the one you want, it's possible that one of the hangers will slide down between the clipper & the harness. The screw's hanger doesn't get stuck, it's just annoying. If you can get one of each (or look at the home pages of BD & Petzl), compare the side profile and the difference is obvious. The only downside of the Petzl's is that the teeth of the portion that is used to clip onto a harness can be a "one way street", i.e., can be hard to remove it if need be -- it really clamps down. But that's another thing I like about the Caritool; they are solid once on...no flopping around (also obviates the need to buy broccoli if you don't eat it). You can use a flat-bladed tool such as a slot head screwdriver, etc. to pry this "clamping" thingy open. Definitely worth this tiny bit of hassle.

I found the Aspect harness's forward-most clipper slots to be too far forward. Nice leg (or other vitals) jab. Haven't climbed in an Aspect but did try one on & loaded it with ice gear. I didn't like it, esp. at a minimum, I think the screws would nick your pants? Not sure but I think so.

another vote for the caritool being a whole lot better than the bd ice clipper. However, I have an aspect (not the newest one, but the orange/gray version) and I think it sucks. Small gear loops, poorly positioned ice clipper slots, bulky yet not that durable. Give that one a miss...
heaps of other brand's harnesses have ice clipper slots - most companies will have 2 or 3 harnesses with slots - check 'em out.

Another vote for the Caritool clippers.I have two (one on each side).

I know of two friends that have had the BD clippers break very easily which fortunately was at ground level and resulted in no lost screws.

My winter harness is a Petzl Corax which has a place to clip the Caritool too.

Bob is right insofar as the BD clipper prone to breaking and it's not just in mixed climbing. The Caritools are almost indestructible...have used them since they came out. Depending on the route, type of rock etc, I'll even clip a couple of them on my rock harness. You just can't beat how slender they are and the wire gate is strong & smooth. I'm sure others have had problems with them but I don't know of any. Several years ago they were impossible to find but they should be readily available now.

Any new opinions on the caritool? I'm looking at picking up a few to try out. Thank you

You need more opinions on the Petzl clippers? Scroll up, baby! I regret getting the BD version.

No BD. Get Petzl.

The End.

One lone voice speaking up for the BD ice clipper over the Petzl caritool - but only if your harness lacks the little webbing loops designed for these ice screw rackers (as the original question alluded to). Using such a harness recently for a couple of weeks, with a BD ice clipper on one side and a Petzl caritool on the other, the caritool, with the spine of it on the inside of the harness, dug into my hip something vicious, particularly when under a pack waistbelt or hanging in my harness. The ice clipper, on the other hand, had the spine on the inside of the harness, and the rubber band thing that comes with it against my hip, and caused no problems.

WillP wrote: One lone voice speaking up for the BD ice clipper over the Petzl caritool - but only if your harness lacks the little webbing loops designed for these ice screw rackers (as the original question alluded to). Using such a harness recently for a couple of weeks, with a BD ice clipper on one side and a Petzl caritool on the other, the caritool, with the spine of it on the inside of the harness, dug into my hip something vicious, particularly when under a pack waistbelt or hanging in my harness. The ice clipper, on the other hand, had the spine on the inside of the harness, and the rubber band thing that comes with it against my hip, and caused no problems.

How the *&@)#$(*@#$(*^. Do you install the rubber band thingy on the ice clipper?  The instant you put one of those small holes on the large side of the clipper, it breaks.  They don’t stretch at all.  I cannot find any instructions on this anywhere.   (My rubber band thingy is a series of 4 holes in a line not 3 inches long.  I have an old Bod harness, it is much wider than the rubber band. 

Any help would be much appreciated, and I go climbing tomorrow.  (Tried to call BD but they left an hour early for the slopes today (who can blame them). 
-TPC

You have to put the rubber thing over one side, then put that side through the harness, then install the other end of the rubber thing on the same side of the ice clipper. Then fiddle with the rubber thing as you try to rotate the plastic clipper into the proper position.

It's a PITA. You can't install it on a properly-positioned clipper. Feels like it wants to break even if you go for the shorter side. Definitely not gonna break if you install it with some strategery, as per above, though.

I've drug the BD clippers against stuff and had the gates invert, just like the stupid little biners on their ice tool tethers. Should probably try the Petzls.

m.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Har…

Just get the Petzl Caritool Evo. It will attach to any harness, anywhere regardless of “clipper” attachment points. 

I use the Petzl clip things but I also am a big fan of duct tape. they are a bitch to get the clippy thing over your harness yet they can still loosen up. My method is once I get them on the harness I duct tape them in place with the color of your preference. I use black. 

Not to be all 'well actually' and stuff, but I try to keep generic duct/duck tape off of my gear. Just not enough stick for the mess it makes. Even just Gorilla tape is a much better version, but really, I just wanted to mention that everyone should keep a roll of goat tape (google it- you want the 'Scary Sticky' variant) on hand.

Stuff is freakin' tape master race. Almost as good as Tenacious Tape for fixing clothes, better than duck tape at everything, and acceptable (if not optimal) for emergency/first aid use.