The basic design features include: The new aluminum hanger sports two large clip-in points as well as a cool and unique crank. To find out more about our privacy policy, including use of cookies, please visit our, Hanger: Forged Aluminum, Body: Aluminum, Tip: Stainless Steel, 13cm (Yellow), 16cm (Blue), 19cm (Grey), 22cm, (Purple). A few rocks and sharpening cycles at home and youll want to send the screw to a pro to get a proper sharpening job done. Possibly because the screws are green? She is currently touring the US and would love if you contacted her to meet up to talk about climbing, climbing gear, or if you have any fun and/or ridiculous adventure in mind. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Alison (she/her) runs WeighMyRack from her 17' travel trailer. The Black Diamond Express screws will stay at $59.95. For these pursuits, where weight savings can be critical, the Ultralights are clearly the new gold standard, and I would rate them 5 stars. 13 cm, 74 g (2.6 oz): 16 cm 81 g (2.9 oz): 19 cm 89 g (3.1 oz) 22 cm 96 g (3.4 oz), Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel, Available today 9:00 am - 6:00 pm eastern. Unlike most screws, where the cap is flush with the points, the Ultralights have an extension on the cap that allows for easy removal while wearing gloves. Tube Diameters for some Common Ice Screws: Now because BDs Ultralight Ice Screws have a larger tube diameter than their steel brethren, the tooth profile had to change a bit. Functionality-wise, a nice perk is that the wire handle is spring-loaded and it pops into the open and closed positions so theres no guessing of when its in the optimal position. Black Diamonds Ultralight Ice Screws promise to debut as the lightest ice screws on the market as theyre nearly 45% lighter than BDs steel screws and 15% lighter than Petzls Laser Speed screws. My first impression of the Ultralight screws was the weight, or lack thereof. By keeping the screws capped on your harness while you travel up steep couloirs or across ice sheets, you could minimize snagging on other equipment and protect the points, yet the cap could be removed easily with a gloved hand when needed. Out of stock (0) Available in store: Check availability, Make a choiceSize : 13cmSize : 16cmSize : 19cm. To avoid assumptions well ask to share gender pronouns. Tax $0.00Checkout, You can compare a maximum of 5 productsStart comparison, Copyright 2019 - Theme By DMWS - RSS feed. So the question is: are you the type of person that doesnt mind your lightweight gear needing to be coddled? These screws are a far cry from the old BD Turbo ice screws I used during my first few seasons of ice climbing along the Front Range of Colorado in the 1990s. [Photo] Chris Luehder. Specifically, the pairing of the steel tip with an aluminum body has come along with a redesign of the hanger on the Ultralights that is inferior to that of the Express screws. Although everybody is itching to test these Ultralight screws, there are no reports yet on the durability of the integration of the steel tip to the aluminum body. Editor in Chief at Black Sheep Adventure Sports. Theyll retail at $84.95 US. Our business address is: The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. Instead of featuring distracting ads or creating a paywall to monetize our site, Weigh My Rack LLC links to relevent products via affiliate marketing (if you click a link and then buy, we get a commission). Large selection of products and fast shipping! Not to be left behind in the light-weight ice screw game, Black Diamond has released their own version of a composite, aluminum-steel, screw that theyre calling the Ultralight Ice Screw. This feature would also be useful in colder temperatures by minimizing the need to handle frozen metal with bare hands. Also, the wire gate seems as if it may bend if torqued on too hard. One of the black, "reservoir tip" caps can be seen on the long Ultralight Express screw that is racked on the author's harness in the background while Kanut the dog stares down the camera. This change was needed as aluminum isnt as strong as steel so to achieve the required strength they needed to either make the tubes thicker or larger in diameter. Why? As with any new product, these new screws had a few issues when they were first released to the masses. Black Sheep Adventure Sports was provided with some test samples but of course this didnt influence our opinion in any way. $189.95, As low as: The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. 13 cm, 74 g (2.6 oz): 16 cm 81 g (2.9 oz): 19 cm 89 g (3.1 oz) 22 cm 96 g (3.4 oz), Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points, Your shopping cart stored, always and everywhere. Pros Newly designed "reservoir tip" cap allows for easy removal while wearing gloves. Call us Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm Mountain Time, You have no items in your shopping cartContinue Shopping, Price as configured: He grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where he fell in love with all things related to rock, ice and snow. Colour-coded Express knobs. We use cookies to add buying options and for analytics. Lightest ice screw on the market By using this site we assume you are OK with that (scroll to accept). Door to door. The Ultralights are perfect for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism. Weighing in at 45% lighter than our Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. Lastly, the hangers on the Ultralights do not pivot as far off the shaft as the Express hangers do and this limitation causes the Ultralights to bind on the ice sooner. The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. - Powered by Based on the design of a wire-gate for a carabiner the crank is not only lightweight but also snaps open and closed. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. That particular issue seems to be a function of the thermal properties of aluminum, not the screw itself though one of our testers seemed to have really good luck with the Kailas aluminum screws. You can likely bend it back, but continued abuse will see its demise. The hanger on aluminum screws are made of aluminum making them more delicate than their steel brethren. We dont know the exact weight that was cut by utilizing a plastic knobversus a knurled aluminum knob, but Black Diamond said it was a surprising amount.. The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. Were often mobile. $79.95, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points, 13 cm, 74 g (2.6 oz): 16 cm 81 g (2.9 oz): 19 cm 89 g (3.1 oz) 22 cm 96 g (3.4 oz), Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. On the BD Ultralight ice screws it seems that the aluminum tube extends all the way inside the steel cutting edge to the base of the teeth (see photo). Aluminium body with steel tip The new aluminum Ultralight Ice Screws from Black Diamond come in the same lengths as the old steel Express screws with the exception of the stubby, 10cm screw which is only available in all-steel. So far, this is a problem that has plagued any and every manufacturer trying this hybrid solution so well have to wait to see how well BD does. EPICTV, the EPICTV logo and all other EPICTV marks are trademarks of Elisa Oyj. Looking to shave weight wherever they could, Black Diamond constructed this specialty ice screw out of aluminum with a steel tip so as to not compromise drilling efficiency while also dropping weight in critical areas. Weigh My Rack LLC also participates in affiliate programs with Avantlink, AWIN, Bergfruende, CJ, FlexOffers, Webgains, and other sites. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. On the Petzl version the limits seem to be imposed by the amount of steel around the tooth that lines up with the aluminum notch. This will produce greater torque, but also requires more uniform ice or clearing and can limit some placements in narrow clefts. As with the Petzl aluminum screws, these new BD screws also tend to bind in wet or green ice on cold days. Muerden bien y son ligeros, el ojal es un poco pequeo, pero no incomodo, EpicTV Shop Returns: EpicTV, Unit 8 Whitehall Trading Estate, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol BS5 9DF, United Kingdom. Cons However, for some strange reason BD decided to deviate from their standard colors with the 22cm screw. The main issue that I heard about was a separation of the stainless steel insert from the aluminum tube though there was also some talk about broken cranks. Which, from a use-standpoint, is totally fine. With composite aluminum-steel screws there are definitely limitations to the amount they can be sharpened. The flip-out wire gate creates a longer driving radius than that of the Express screws. That said, having a couple of these on your harness to place at the end of that steep project might be worthwhile. Weighing in at 45% lighter than the Black Diamond Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a durable steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. Therefore, these screws will prove ideal for specific audiences and applications, but do not look to the Ultralights to become the new workhorse screw at your local ice crag. Todd Preston is a geologist with the US Geological Survey. For example, if you swapped two full sleeves (12 screws) of 16 cm Express screws with Ultralights, you would save 780 grams (1.7 lbs); roughly equivalent to a three-quarters full Nalgene bottle. Of course this is a speculation as I havent sent in any of these screws for sharpening yet nor had any tooth issues. This difference in mindset is essential to keeping the stoke (versus being bummed when they get buggered up or wear out sooner). Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookies | Comment Policy | Site Map. Additional weight was removed with the introduction of analuminum hanger,wire handle, and plastic knob. $19.47, From: (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[7]='MMERGE7';ftypes[7]='dropdown';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true). Nothing in this world is free, and Black Diamond had to pay a cost to achieve the reduced weight of the Ultralights. Rounded hanger does not clear ice as well as the Express screws Previously, Black Diamonds 22cm Express screws were green, not purple. Theyre now the lightest screws on the market and, even better, have an absolutely fantastic tooth profile that really bites into the ice making placing easy In the right kind of ice anyway. Of course, I do gravitate towards all-steel screws when placing in green or wet ice as the aluminum guys tent to bind. Times when I was fatiguing and needed the screw to go in quickly or when the stance was a bit awkward. Note: The steel tip is not replaceable. The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. Another thing you'll notice when you look at the Ultralights is what we quickly dubbed the "reservoir tip" on the screw cap. The Ultralight ice screws are expected to be released in October, 2018. But you grind the teeth into some rock and youre going to be spending some time sharpening. Crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. This may require more clearing of ice or minimize ability to place in tight spots. Weighing in at 45% lighter than Black Diamond's Express Screws, the Ultralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. The tube issue seems to have been corrected and, as I mentioned above, dont abuse the crank and you should be fine. The difference is having the understanding that these screws will not last as long. Weighing in at 45% lighter than the Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. Along with the new Ultralights, weve been told that the knob on 22cm Express screw will also become purple in the near future. Lightspeed. Pros: Easy to place, lightweight, fantastic hanger design. Be the first one to hear about our weekly deals on climbing gear. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. In contrast, the Ultralight hangers are comprised of rounded aluminum that does not clear ice as easily. These screws are 45 percent lighter than the traditional BD Express screws and this is immediately apparent when you pick one up. Ive bent the odd Petzl aluminum hanger trying to get that last turn out of the screw when it just doesnt quite want to go all the way around. Similarly, if you really crank/torque the wire handle, it will bend. The drastic weight savings are the result of pairing a steel tip with an aluminum body and a wire-gate Express handle that is color-coded according to size. 30 N Gould St 37 Church Street, Burlington, VT $169.95, To: Even though E-Climb has aluminum body ice screws (with replaceable steel tips) they are a fair bit heavier than the Black Diamond and Petzl aluminum options due to E-Climbs steel hanger. Banana Fingers and the Banana Fingers logo are trademarks of Banana Fingers Ltd. We use cookie on this site to enhance your user experience. Theyre 42-45% lighter than the equivalent size Express screw which is simply amazing! Aluminium forged hanger with two clip-in points #StopAAPIhate. This weight savings would certainly be noticed on a sustained alpine push; however, in the world of steep ice at your local crag, a full rack of the Ultralights probably does not make a ton of sense. When comparing weights between the Express and Ultralight screws, the average difference is 44%, which is pretty damn close to BDs marketing claim of 45%. Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screw Lengths: Now the culmination of all the light-weight features that BD employed with their new Ultralight Screws has resulted in an exceptionally light ice screw. Black Diamond made the tube on the new aluminum screws a bit larger than their steel screws. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. That being said, if you dont abuse them I expect that the crank will stand the test of time. The flip-out wire gate, which feels as if it might bend if torqued on too hard (especially in wet, actively forming ice or on the longer screws), also discourages hitting the screw to clear ice. Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points. That said, it could mean thatit will try to shut on its own while cranking into sticky ice and your hand wobbles. Its clear a huge part of the weight savings was moving to an aluminum body (with a steel tip). Constructed from the ground up these screws feature a new aluminum hanger and aluminum tube thats attached to a hardened steel cutting surface. After climbing with a variety of different screws from different brands dangling from my harness this winter I found that Id gravitate to the new BD aluminum screws when it really counted. 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