Edelrid Mega Jul - yay or nay?

Firestone wrote:Double rope/tube style Climbing Technologies Alpine up 160g $89 Mammut smart 125g $30 Edelrid MegaJul 65g $35 Single rope/camming unit Petzl Grigri 170g $100 Trango Vergo 196g $90 Wild Country Revo 245g $TBC

you forgot a lot of them:
CT click-up, Edelrid Jul2, mammut alpine smart, edelrid eddy, CAMP matik, Metolius BRD

20 kN wrote:The Mega Jul is the worst belay device I've ever used, and I've at least tried most of them. The thing works okay for belaying on thin skinny single ropes, but for everything else it sucks beyond belief. I remember once using it to do a double rope rap on a 9.8mm. It had two modes--free fall and dead stop. Rappelling with it was basically a simulation of taking 70 mini falls until I reached the next set of anchors. It was a total shitshow, and at the end my thumb was pumped from trying to get the thing to stay unlocked so I could move down. When it came time to simulrap with my 9.4mm rope, it hardly locked at all. I would stop on the rope, loosen my grip and the thing turned into an ATC as I just slid down the rope with the device supposedly locked. Also worth noting is that it ripped a nice chunk of the sheath fibers from my rope, bundling them up nicely at the end of the device when I reached the bottom of every rap. Even though I got my Mega Jul for free, I still feel like I got ripped off. A much better option is the Mammut Smart which costs about the same but works far better.

This. I hate rappelling with mine as well and echo the other sentiments about it not feeding well. I retired it and went out to buy a regular ATC.

I have a MegJul and like it despite the negatives. I think a big issue is rope diameter (better on skinnier ropes) and carabiner used. Edelrid sells some carabiners that are specifically designed for the MegaJul. While I agree with the lowering smoothness, I've found that like with a GriGri practice and it works perfectly well. My main concern is the constant flipping (on and off the biner and keeper) when going through multiple uses on a multi-pitch is an unnecessary risk for dropping shit. Otherwise its great.

Wow - thank you all for great first hand experience! I am old school on rap - use a figure 8, so just looking for belay device which it sounds the MJ excels at. In the 2017 video, the new BD device also looks interesting. Overall, I walk away confirmed that my next device does not have to be a Grigri (which I have been turned off by since its introduction) and can still the reasonable increased safety of a passive locking device.

Paul Deger wrote:Wow - thank you all for great first hand experience! I am old school on rap - use a figure 8, so just looking for belay device which it sounds the MJ excels at. In the 2017 video, the new BD device also looks interesting. Overall, I walk away confirmed that my next device does not have to be a Grigri (which I have been turned off by since its introduction) and can still the reasonable increased safety of a passive locking device.

Don't use an 8. This will twist up ropes...but why carry a belay device and a rap device? Alot of belay devices also allow for rap!

SamBedell wrote:Edelrid sells some carabiners that are specifically designed for the MegaJul. While I agree with the lowering smoothness,

Forgot to mention, using a biner with round bar stock is key for success with this device.

Pavel Burov wrote: Personally I find this statement a bit... hmmm... strange. Mega Jul and Jul2 are the smoothest lowering devices right-out-of-the-bag I've ever tried. Hands down the smoothest due to very informative feedback. The only close match is cheap BD ATC (and DMM Bug, and Trango Pyramid, and Kong GiGi - basically any plate/non-grooved tube belay device).

People have different experiences. I'm not sure what else to make of this. In terms of comparing brake assisted belay devices that I've used, the Mammut Alpine Smart Belay, Climbing Technologies Alpine Up, and Petzl Grigri all lower much easier and smoother than the Edelrid Megajul. That's not to say it can't be done with a Mega Jul. Just that in my own experience, it takes a lot more practice, finesse, and finger strength to do so than these other devices I've used.

Rick Blair wrote: Forgot to mention, using a biner with round bar stock is key for success with this device.

That's an interesting point. I always use the recommended carabiner with these sort of devices and so only used it with the Edelrid HMS Strike FG Carabiner. How did using a round stock carabiner change how it performed for you?

Rick Blair wrote: Forgot to mention, using a biner with round bar stock is key for success with this device.

Which biner specifically? I use it with a I frame type biner (BD Gridlock) and find it works well. I've tried it with a round stock biner (Petzl Attache-old style) and find it doesn't work well.

Brian wrote: Which biner specifically? I use it with a I frame type biner (BD Gridlock) and find it works well. I've tried it with a round stock biner (Petzl Attache-old style) and find it doesn't work well.

I have the old Attaches and Williams :-)

They work better than my newer dimpled/I-beam style lockers anyway.

YMMV. Maybe I can get even better performance.

Due to the appetite for karbiners which the MegaJul (and other devices of this kind)display Edelrid now supply the MegaJul as a kit with a steel karabiner as well as the normal aluminium one. So much for lightweight!

Jim Titt wrote:So much for lightweight!

It is better to go for steel binner with Jul2. Steel binner + steel belay device = durable set. Weight is not a big deal for at least two reasons: first, it is cragging/gym belay device, second, you need only one belay binner, so you cannot shave a lot of weight by choosing lighter belay krab.

The thumb rule: do shave weight where it is actually important, don't where it doesn't. E.g., go for lighter draws carabiners - you need a lot of them, and you will carry a lot of them while leading. Go for less bulk slings - you need a lot of them. Do not go for 5oz lighter sleeping bag for your cragging trip - there is no point, you can carry those 5oz those 20 yards from yer car to yer camp site. And there is no point in substituting "10 minutes to boil a quater of water" 12oz stove with "water will never boil if there is any wind" 2oz ultralight shit. If you are not strong enough to carry those 10oz it is not a good idea to kill yourself outdoors, stay in town and do more strength training.

After watching more videos on Mammut Smart, Mega Jul and 2017 ATC Pilot, I am excited to try out the Pilot. It looks like it has resolved some of the fine tune control issues found with the other two devices.

Paul Deger wrote:After watching more videos on Mammut Smart, Mega Jul and 2017 ATC Pilot, I am excited to try out the Pilot. It looks like it has resolved some of the fine tune control issues found with the other two devices.

You still cant rap on the pilot, why bother?

Jim Titt wrote:Due to the appetite for karbiners which the MegaJul (and other devices of this kind)display Edelrid now supply the MegaJul as a kit with a steel karabiner as well as the normal aluminium one. So much for lightweight!

Still lighter, cheaper, and more versatile (you can rap) than a GriGri.

Tradoholic wrote: You still cant rap on the pilot, why bother?

I am good with rapping on an 8: I am not taking on the kind of walls that a few extra ounces from the 8 make a difference, getting back down safely seems a good place from some redundancy, I have not found the rope twist to be an issue and the lowering and hanging on an 8 better than a tube device. So the the Pilot looking perfect for my needs: just for belay and has passive autoblock function.

20 kN wrote:The Mega Jul is the worst belay device I've ever used, and I've at least tried most of them. The thing works okay for belaying on thin skinny single ropes, but for everything else it sucks beyond belief. I remember once using it to do a double rope rap on a 9.8mm. It had two modes--free fall and dead stop. Rappelling with it was basically an operation of taking 70 mini falls until I reached the next set of anchors. It was a total shitshow, and at the end my thumb was pumped from trying to get the thing to stay unlocked so I could move down. When it came time to simulrap with my 9.4mm rope, it hardly locked at all. I would stop on the rope, loosen my grip and the thing turned into an ATC as I just slid down the rope with the device supposedly locked. Also worth noting is that it ripped a nice chunk of the sheath fibers from my rope, bundling them up nicely at the end of the device when I reached the bottom of every rap. Even though I got my Mega Jul for free, I still feel like I got ripped off. A much better option is the Mammut Smart which costs about the same but works far better.

My experience wasn't quite this bad but meh overall. I rap'd off Monkey Face twice with the MJ and that was all I needed. I've been using the Alpine Smart for a few years and find it is much more user friendly. For ice and long alpine I leave all of it at home and just use a Reverso 4. The Mega Jul just isn't ready for primetime yet; it needs further development.

The Mega jul is, by far, the worst device I've ever tried to use. Very disappointing and a big waste of money.

I really wanted to like this device, but the amount of friction in guide mode is a deal breaker for me, even when using thinner ropes. I would rather carry and extra device like a Kong Gigi for belaying up seconds.

Any comments or experience to share on the Click Up? Now that I see how many devices there are with similar function to MJ, a broader discussion of pros/cons of all the variations. Nice to have a range of options for persons who not like GriGri and want tube-type device with added safety of enhanced braking.