metolius rock rings vs tension flash for travel

Spend a lot of time in hotels for work and looking at different options to keep up training.  I do sometimes do the door frame thing but sometimes I find the edges a bit small depending on the hotel.  

Looking at either the metolius rock rings or the Tenson Flash.  Not sure if TSA would have an issue with the flash in carry on baggage.  

TSA won't have an issue with either if they have no problem with us carrying on a full rack, nut tool, and ropes. Your bigger issue is going to be finding a place to hang either one of them. I've got rock rings and they are alright, but they are pretty big and heavy for carrying around with you and I have no idea where I'd hang them in a hotel room. I guess the Flash would be easier since you only have to find a spot to hang one thing.

I have carried a flash onboard several times without difficulty. I think TSA took a closer look once but let it pass.

Finding a place to hang might be the crux. I have used tree limbs in the parking lot more often than not.
Playgrounds are good too.

Make sure you are happy with the rung sizes.
Flash is 19, 13, and 8 mm iirc.
Don’t know about rings, but I think larger.

If you are staying downtown mostly, you might look into something like Grippuls, which can be attached to a lat pull down machine.
Although I suppose the flash could be too. 

I can't see any reason the TSA would have a problem with either.

I've owned both, and the Tension Flash is by far the better training tool. With the ingenious angle adjustment from the way the hanging cord works (and you can flip it upside down), as well as the numerous edge options, there's pretty much infinite variability in the edges you can train on. And it's just way more portable, way lighter, and only requires one point to hang versus two for the rock rings. No competition—go with the Tension board.

For actually hangboarding, the flash board is light years beyond rock rings. They're basically only useful as a TRX attachment

Cool, sounds like the flash is the way to go!  A lot of hotels seem to have pull up bars in the gym and failing that I figure I can always use the lat pulldown with more than my body weight to effectively turn it into a pull up bar. 

If you got a set of "the block" from tension you can use them like rock rings, still hang and also do pullups are hang weights on them like a pinch block.

https://www.tensionclimbing.com/hangboards/block

I had a similar situation. I found tension flash way more useful! The single hanging point was so much easier to deal with. Also if there is nothing to hang from you can sit on the ground and loop it around your foot. Not great but better than nothing. 

wisam wrote: Cool, sounds like the flash is the way to go!  A lot of hotels seem to have pull up bars in the gym and failing that I figure I can always use the lat pulldown with more than my body weight to effectively turn it into a pull up bar. 

You can attach the flash to a lat pulldown machine as the handle and do one armed rows on an edge

You actually need to check put problemsolver. It's a flat hand board on a rectangle of plywood that you can Clamp to your door frame in the hotel.

I work the same way with alot of travel. The board clamped to a header is perfect. I also take a trx a pair of gymnastics rings and a grip pul  

I have traveled with the Tension blocks. Small, lightweight and plenty of holds to choose from

I’ve gotten some light scrutiny from TSA when traveling with the rock rings a few times, even on one occasion when travelling with other climbing gear; the other gear got checked though.  I’m not saying this had anything to do with it, but I was traveling with a copy of the Quran as well on one occasion, but that doesn’t show up on an x-ray any differently than a copy of 50 shades of grey.

Gym towels make decent improvised grip-training aids.  Excellent ones for gi bjj.  Make sure the towels are UIAA-certified first.  Life is precious.

The flash seems like it’s more feature-rich.  More grip options.  You can change grip position left and right mid-set.

The rock rings have the added advantage of being able to be used one-handed for cable machine pulldowns with more or less weight as you mentioned.

The fact that they hang and rotate independently, and the tension flash doesn’t might be an advantage for working your rotator cuffs and core.  I don’t really know about that.

Both will get you odd looks from hotel staff and guests, but you may be more likely to impress an attractive person at the gym for a romantic business-trip encounter when you bang out a heroic amount of 2-finger pull-ups.

The rock rings are pretty heavy.  I’m not sure which would make a better improvised weapon in the event of a hikacking.  I’d give the edge to the flash on this one because it can thrust and bludgeon, and gives you some additional range.  On the other hand, in the aisle of a plane, the flail-like nature and small size of the rock rings might be more practical, plus you have two!  Give one to a fellow passenger and Letsroll.exe

Kaleb H wrote: I had a similar situation. I found tension flash way more useful! The single hanging point was so much easier to deal with. Also if there is nothing to hang from you can sit on the ground and loop it around your foot. Not great but better than nothing. 

Use two aid hooks on the heavy-duty steel threshold for the hotel door, and a room service fork for a doorjam.  Wear a helmet.